연구성과

The Plan Nacional de Desarrollo Paraguay 2030 states “coverage must be secured in public sectors for [the] development of the country,” and efforts are currently being made to increase health coverage. However, there has been a limited number of studies on the accessibility and use of medical care by local residents in Paraguay. This study aimed to identify factors that affect the experience of unmet health care needs in adults residing in rural area, Paraguay, Community Health Survey of Limpio city. Results revealed that participants residing in rural areas had higher unmet healthcare needs than those in urban areas. It was also found that those in the higher income quartile had fewer unmet healthcare needs than those in the lower income quartile. Those with chronic diseases and no healthcare insurance were more likely to experience unmet healthcare needs than those without chronic diseases and those with health insurance, respectively. We concluded that regional features can create gaps in the use of healthcare services. Therefore public health centers should be located in areas accessible. And according to the results, the quality of healthcare services is an important factor in the selection. Thus, the function of public health centers should be improved, and healthcare human resources and infrastructure of facilities should be systematically reinforced.