Impact of rurality on health care utilization among Australian residents from 2009 to 2021.

ABSTRACT:

Purpose

In Australia, there is limited research regarding the effect of rurality on health care utilization using longitudinal data.

Methods

We analyzed data from four annual waves (2009, 2013, 2017, and 2021) of the longitudinal Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey to examine changes in the health care utilization over time among urban and rural residents. Poisson regression models estimated adjusted incidence rate ratios (aIRR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for rural versus urban residents, accounting for a range of health-related and sociodemographic characteristics. Health care utilization was measured using four key indicators: visits to family doctor or another general practitioner (GP visits from hereon), hospital admissions, total ni

SUBMITTER: Yisma E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11950417 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature