Predictors of health services utilization by hypertensive patients in South Korea.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to elucidate the factors that influence making contact with health care services after a diagnosis of hypertension and the volume of health services utilization by the hypertensive patients.

Methods: A secondary data analysis with 3 data sets, including health screening, health survey, and national health insurance reimbursement data. Data on 841,630 public servants aged between 21 and 65 years who underwent health screenings in 2000 and 2002 were provided by the National Health Insurance Cooperation.

Results: Of the 841,630 screened participants, 204,099 (24.25%) were hypertensives and 9,057 (1.08%) were newly diagnosed as having hypertension. Age, sex, systolic blood pressure, comorbidity, alcohol consumption, and tobacco use were significantly associated with making contact with health care services, while age, sex, place of residence, occupation, body mass index, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, comorbidity, alcohol consumption, and tobacco use were significantly associated with the volume of health services utilized by the hypertensive patients.

Conclusions: Health professionals should devise strategies to encourage nonusers and inappropriate users of health services to obtain timely health services while considering the factors that influence making contact with health care services and the volume of health services utilization.