title: Sociodemographic and health behavioural factors associated with access to and utilisation of eye care in Korea: Korea Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2008-2012.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the sociodemographic and health behavioural factors associated with access to and utilisation of eye care in Korea.
  
  
  METHODS
  Nationwide cross-sectional study
  
  
  METHODS
  25,752 Koreans over the age of 30 were assessed from a national representative survey. We analysed independent variables of self-reporting eye clinic visits through multivariable analyses of sociodemographic factors. The time since the last visit to an eye clinic was used to assess access to and utilisation of eye care.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 25,752 respondents, 8237 (32.0%) visited an eye clinic in the past year, 11 028 (42.8%) were seen more than 1 year ago, while 6487 (25.2%) had never seen an ophthalmologist. Eye clinic utilisation was statistically associated with older age, female sex, higher household income, higher education levels, living in an urban area, and having comorbidities including diabetes and hypertension. Middle-aged men between 30 and 49 years were found to be less likely to receive eye care compared to the rest of the population, and the proportion that did plummeted after the financial crisis of 2007.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is a substantial sociodemographic disparity in eye care utilisation in Korea, and men with low financial income and education level are especially at risk. Use of eye care among middle-aged men has decreased since the global financial crisis that began in 2007, and therefore healthcare policies and public interventions should be targeted at vulnerable groups to promote access to medical care.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Severance Hospital, Institute of Vision Research, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Tyler Hyungtaek
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6465-2620
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Rim
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Severance Hospital, Institute of Vision Research, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Moonjung
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Severance Hospital, Institute of Vision Research, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Jin Sook
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Yoon
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Severance Hospital, Institute of Vision Research, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea Yonsei healthcare Big Data based Knowledge Integration System Research Center, and Institute of Convergence Science, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Sung Soo
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000453:epidemiology*; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006296:Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology*; D007182:Income / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009749:Nutrition Surveys; D009885:Ophthalmology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D056910:Republic of Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D012424:Rural Population; D012737:Sex Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology; D014505:Urban Population
keywords: HEALTH ECONOMICS; PREVENTIVE MEDICINE; PUBLIC HEALTH