AUTHOR=Kim Sujin , Jeon Boyoung 

TITLE=Disability-Related Disparities in Preventive Healthcare Access in South Korea: Insights From National Health Insurance Data

JOURNAL=International Journal of Public Health

VOLUME=Volume 70 - 2025

YEAR=2025

URL=https://www.ssph-journal.org/journals/international-journal-of-public-health/articles/10.3389/ijph.2025.1608644

DOI=10.3389/ijph.2025.1608644

ISSN=1661-8564

ABSTRACT=ObjectivesTo examine disability-related disparities in participation in national health screenings in South Korea and to determine how these gaps vary by disability severity, type, and socio-economic factors.MethodsA trend analysis of screening participation from 2012 to 2020 and multivariable logistic regression for 2019–2020 were conducted using the National Health Insurance Service database, linking eligibility, health screening, and disability registration data. The cohort comprised 10,413,089 adults aged ≥40 years (20% population sample). Annual screening uptake was the outcome; predictors included disability status, severity, type, employment, sex, income, insurance, and region.ResultsScreening uptake rose overall between 2012 and 2020 yet remained lower for people with disabilities, particularly those with severe physical, visual, communication, mental, developmental, epilepsy, and internal disabilities. Age-sex standardization and socio-economic adjustment attenuated but did not remove gaps. Employment narrowed disparities, whereas women with disabilities faced wider gaps than men.ConclusionDespite nationwide gains, disability-related inequities in preventive screening persist, amplified by severe impairment, unemployment, and female gender. Policies should prioritize accessible facilities, targeted outreach, and socio-economic support to ensure equitable screening for people with disabilities.