International Journal of Public Health (Oct 2024)

Determinants of Unmet Healthcare Needs During the Final Stage of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Insights From a 21-Country Online Survey

  • Samuel Lewis,
  • Louisa Ewald,
  • Herbert C. Duber,
  • Herbert C. Duber,
  • Herbert C. Duber,
  • Ali H. Mokdad,
  • Ali H. Mokdad,
  • Emmanuela Gakidou,
  • Emmanuela Gakidou

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/ijph.2024.1607639
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 69

Abstract

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ObjectivesDuring the COVID-19 pandemic, essential health services experienced significant disruptions, impacting preventive and chronic care across the world.MethodsUtilizing the Pandemic Recovery Survey (PRS), conducted online with Facebook’s Active User Base across 21 countries between March and May 2023, this cross-sectional study identifies the magnitude of and key factors associated with unmet preventive and chronic care needs during the late stage of the COVID-19 pandemic.ResultsApproximately 28.2% of respondents reported unmet preventive care needs, and 42.1% experienced unmet chronic care needs, with key determinants including food insecurity (aOR 1.94, 95% CI 1.81–2.07 for preventive services; aOR 1.85, 95% CI 1.68–2.03 for existing conditions) and distrust in health professionals (aOR 1.09, 95% CI 1.03–1.15 for preventive services; aOR 1.53, 95% CI 1.41–1.66 for existing conditions).ConclusionThe findings underscore a widespread unmet need for health services, highlighting the impact of social determinants and trust in health professionals on service disruption. The results suggest that pandemic recovery efforts should focus on the most affected groups to bridge health disparities and ensure an equitable recovery.

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