title: Gender Differences in Outpatient Utilization: A Pooled Analysis of Data from the Korea Health Panel.
abstract: This study aims to set itself apart from prior research by elucidating gender differences in outpatient service utilization among adults aged 20 years or older, using nationally representative survey data.
  
  
  
  Data from the Korea Health Panel (KHP) collected between 2010 and 2011 were used. In this study, all KHP participants who accessed outpatient service between 2010 and 2011 were included; 13,525 participants used outpatient services in 2010 and 12,991 in 2011. To analyze factors related to outpatient utilization, regression analysis was performed using generalized estimating equations.
  
  
  
  The use frequency of outpatient service was significantly associated with age, education level, marital status, economic activity, health insurance status, drinking, presence of chronic disease, and self-rated health status in both sexes (p < 0.05). Annual household income significantly affected outpatient utilization only among women.
  
  
  
  Unlike males, females with higher household incomes used outpatient services more. This suggests that females are at greater risk of medical inequality based on economic circumstances.
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Healthcare Management, Eulji University , Seongnam, Korea.|2 Department of Health Sciences, Global Health, University Medical Centre Groningen/University of Groningen , Groningen, The Netherlands .
authors.forename: Jin-Won
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Noh
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Healthcare Management, Eulji University , Seongnam, Korea.|3 Department of Psychiatry, National Medical Center , Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Kyoung-Beom
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Healthcare Management, Eulji University , Seongnam, Korea.
authors.forename: Hyunchun
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: 4 Department of Humanities and Social Medicine, College of Medicine and Catholic Institute for Healthcare Management, The Catholic University of Korea , Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Young Dae
authors.initials: YD
authors.lastname: Kwon
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000553:Ambulatory Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D054625:Healthcare Disparities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012044:Regression Analysis; D056910:Republic of Korea; D012737:Sex Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Korea; gender differences; medical service utilization; outpatient; unmet medical needs