Equity in access to health care in a rural population in Malaysia: A cross-sectional study

OBJECTIVE: To examine the extent of equity in access to health care, their determinants and reasons of unmet need of a rural population in Malaysia.

DESIGN: Exploratory cross-sectional survey administered by trained interviewers among participants of a health screening program.

SETTING: A rural plantation estate in the West Coast of Peninsular Malaysia.

PARTICIPANTS: One hundred and thirty out of 142 adults above 18 years old who attended the program.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Percentages of respondents reporting realised access and unmet need to health care, determinants of both access indicators and reasons for unmet need. Realised access associated with need but not predisposing or enabling factors and unmet need not associated with any variables were considered equitable.

RESULTS: A total of 88 (67.7%) respondents had visited a doctor (realised access) in the past 6 months and 24.8% (n = 31) experienced unmet need in the past 12 months. Using logistic regression, realised access was associated with presence of chronic disease (OR 6.97, P  RM 2000 per month) (OR 51.27, P