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TL;DR
This repeated cross-sectional study of Korean adults found that food insecurity was associated with higher odds of unmet healthcare needs, with severe food insecurity showing a much stronger association than moderate food insecurity.
International Journal for Equity in Health · 2 authors, 1 centre
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This repeated cross-sectional study of Korean adults found that food insecurity was associated with higher odds of unmet healthcare needs, with severe food insecurity showing a much stronger association than moderate food insecurity.
Using multivariable logistic regression, researchers examined the association between household food insecurity and unmet healthcare needs. The study found that moderate food insecurity (OR 1.47) and severe food insecurity (OR 3.32) were associated with higher odds of any unmet healthcare need in a dose-graded manner. These associations were primarily driven by accessibility-related unmet needs (e.g., cost or transportation issues), where severe food insecurity had an odds ratio of 6.15. No significant associations were found for availability or acceptability reasons. The findings suggest that food insecurity may be an independent risk factor for unmet healthcare needs, and addressing it could improve healthcare access for marginalized populations.