Disparities between persons with and without disabilities in their participation rates in mass screening

Abstract

Although the prevalence rates of chronic diseases are higher among persons with disabilities, various types of impairments such as limb, brain, visual and internal organ impairment, hinder participation in mass screening programs for chronic diseases. The reasons for this disparity must be investigated and health policies must be altered to make preventative treatments more accessible to persons with disabilities.

Disparities in short-term and long-term all-cause mortality among Korean cancer patients with and without preexisting disabilities: a nationwide retrospective cohort study

“…Unlike studies in Western countries [9,[15][16][17], the current study found no association between disability and short-term all-cause mortality among cancer patients. In South Korea, under the universal national health insurance systems, almost all members of the population have been eligible for medical security (medical insurance and medical aid) since 1991.…”

“…Several previous studies have highlighted [16,[28][29][30][31]. A worse outcome in cancer patients with visual, auditory, and linguistic impairments may be explained by the attendant communication disability, which might prevent them from seeking adequate care [32] and present another barrier to patient-physician communication [33].…”

“…However, relatively few studies have elucidated the question of whether persons with disabilities experience worse cancer-related outcomes, particularly in Asian countries. Although several previous studies conducted in Western countries have investigated outcomes for cancer patients with disabilities [9,[15][16][17], information on diverse disabling conditions has not been adequate. In addition, because long-term cancer survivorship has increased in importance [1], further study will be required for the assessment of disability-related disparities in long-term mortality among 5-year cancer survivors in South Korea.…”

Prevalence and associated sociodemographic factors of myopia in Korean children: the 2005 third Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES III)

“…Based on our findings, there is a need for either private or public vision care based on age. Previous studies indicate that disability is a risk factor for multiple diseases [11][12][13].…”

Health care utilization by people with disabilities: A longitudinal analysis of the Korea Welfare Panel Study (KoWePS)

“…19e24 Unlike the countries described above, only a limited number of studies exist in Korea on health care utilization by people with disabilities. Studies have identified differences between people with and without disabilities using their respective probabilities of participating in health screenings 25 and rates of outpatient or inpatient care utilization. 26 However, the existing studies were cross-sectional, did not focus on people with physical disabilities, and did not include information on individual socioeconomic status or the extent of health care utilizations.…”