Socioeconomic Status and Access to Healthcare among Adults in Bangladesh: The Mediating Roles of Healthcare Affordability, Health Literacy, and Geographical Accessibility
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.54536/ajpehs.v4i2.8651Keywords:
Geographical Accessibility, Health Literacy, Healthcare Access, Healthcare Affordability, Socioeconomic StatusAbstract
This study aims to determine the association of perceived socioeconomic status with healthcare access among adults in Bangladesh and the mediation of healthcare affordability, health literacy and geographical accessibility. This was a quantitative cross-sectional survey design and the final sample consisted of 470 adults with health care need or use in the last 12 months. 26 five-point Likert-scale items were used to measure five reflective constructs. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling was used to evaluate measurement and structural models. Results indicate that both socioeconomic status and healthcare access have a positive association and strong association with all three mediators. Healthcare affordability, health literacy, and geographical accessibility all have a positive association with access to healthcare. The structural model accounts for 61.3% of the variance in access to healthcare and is valid in terms of its predictive relevance. All three specific indirect effects are statistically significant, showing some mediation. Geographical accessibility and health literacy are the next two areas with the most indirect impact, followed by healthcare affordability. The results show that socioeconomic factors are related to healthcare access in various economic, informational, and spatial ways. The study provides a framework for thinking about healthcare access inequality and provides concrete guidance on interventions that tackle both affordability and health literacy as well as physical access to healthcare in an integrated way.
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