AUTHOR=Lee Woo-Ri , Koo Jun Hyuk , Jeong Ji Yun , Kim Min Su , Yoo Ki-Bong 

TITLE=Regional Health Disparities in Hypertension-Related Hospitalization of Hypertensive Patients: A Nationwide Population-Based Nested Case-Control Study

JOURNAL=International Journal of Public Health

VOLUME=68

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.ssph-journal.org/journals/international-journal-of-public-health/articles/10.3389/ijph.2023.1605495

DOI=10.3389/ijph.2023.1605495

ISSN=1661-8564

ABSTRACT=<p><bold>Objective:</bold> This study aims to explore regional health disparities in hypertension-related hospitalizations and confirm this difference according to the states of continuity of care (COC).</p><p><bold>Methods:</bold> We used the National Health Insurance Service National Sample Cohort data from 2002 to 2019. The dependent variable, hypertension-related hospitalization, included hospitalization for hypertensive diseases (I10–I13, I15), ischemic heart disease (I20–I25), and cerebrovascular disease (I60–I69). Nested case-control matching was performed according to age, sex, and income level. We compared hypertension-related hospitalization fractions in urban and rural areas by classifying them according to the state of COC and analyzed them using conditional logistic regression suitable for matched data.</p><p><bold>Results:</bold> The odds of hypertension-related hospitalization of hypertensive patients were higher in the rural areas than in the urban areas; however, as the COC increased, the difference decreased. There was no change in the results according to the COC observation period.</p><p><bold>Conclusion:</bold> To reduce regional health disparities, both the promotion of COC and the improvement of the quality of primary care must be achieved.</p>