title: Socioeconomic inequalities in access to health care: examining the case of Burkina Faso.
abstract: The past decade has recorded remarkable interest in socioeconomic inequalities in health care. A multivariate analysis of the World Health Survey data for Burkina Faso was conducted using STATA. This included questions on household economic factors, perceived need, and access to health care. Poverty was defined using Principal Components Analysis. There was no significant difference in perceived need on the basis of poverty or gender. The less poor accessed health care more than the poor, but this difference was significant only among males. Respondents who lived in urban areas accessed health care more than those in rural areas, but this difference was significant only among females. We argue that health care financing arrangements affect self-reported need and access to health care. Even when they perceive need, the poor do not access care, probably because of cost, exacerbated by non-availability of readily accessible health care facilities.
authors.affiliation: Brunel University, London, UK. mezieokolo@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Chukwumezie O
authors.initials: CO
authors.lastname: Okolo
authors.forename: Daniel D
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Reidpath
authors.forename: Pascale
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Allotey
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002050:Burkina Faso; D005260:Female; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006306:Health Surveys; D054625:Healthcare Disparities / Q000191:economics*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011203:Poverty; D019035:Rural Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D057566:Self Report; D012737:Sex Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D019037:Urban Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D055815:Young Adult