Abstract
Introduction
Existing literature is inconclusive as to whether disparities in access to health
care between men and women are mainly driven by socioeconomic or gender inequalities.
The aim of this study was to assess whether gender was independently associated with
perceived unmet health care needs among a representative sample of British Columbia
adults.
Methods
Using data from the 2011/2012 Canadian Community Health Survey, logistic regression
analyses were conducted to investigate the independent effect of gender on perceived
unmet health care needs adjusting for potential individual and contextual confounders.
Results
Among 12,252 British Columbia adults (51.9% female), the prevalence of perceived unmet
health care needs was 12.0%, with a significantly greater percentage among women compared
with men (13.7% vs. 10.1%; p < .001). After adjusting for multiple confounders, women had independently increased
odds of perceived unmet health care needs (adjusted odds ratio, 1.37; 95% CI, 1.11–1.68).
Discussion
The current study found that, among a representative sample of British Columbia adults
and adjusting for various individual and contextual factors, female gender was associated
independently with an increased odds of perceived unmet health care needs.
Conclusion
These findings suggest that within Canada's universal health system, gender further
explains differences in health care access, over and above socioeconomic inequalities.
Interventions within and outside the health sector are required to achieve equitable
access to health care for all residents in British Columbia.
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Biography
M. Eugenia Socías, MD, is an infectious diseases specialist undertaking a MSc in Interdisciplinary Studies at the University of British Columbia. Her research interests focus on understanding barriers to health care, with a particular focus on vulnerable populations.
Biography
Mieke Koehoorn, PhD, is a professor in the School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia. Her area of expertise is occupational epidemiology, including an interest in workers' compensation policies and programs, and in gender, work, and health.
Biography
Jean Shoveller, PhD, is a professor in the School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia. Her area of expertise is social inequalities in health, including an interest in gender, sexual health, and reproduction.
Article info
Publication history
Published online: September 15, 2015
Accepted:
August 6,
2015
Received in revised form:
July 13,
2015
Received:
January 22,
2015
Footnotes
Competing interests: The authors declare that they have no competing interests.
MK was supported in part by a Canadian Institutes of Health Research Chair in Gender, Work and Health. MES is a Canadian Institutes of Health Research Bridge Fellow.
Identification
Copyright
© 2016 Jacobs Institute of Women's Health. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
