%0 Journal Article
%T Barriers to Health Service Access: A Study on Conditioning Factors of Self-Health and Illness Perception in Argentina
%A Gustavo H. Marin
%A Pablo Vetere
%A Lupe Marin
%A Lucia Giangreco
%A Santiago Dalto
%A Gladys Garcia
%A Juan Alconada-Magliano
%A Gina Marin
%A Ma. Laura Ferrero
%A Marcelo Bourgeois
%A Ma. Gabriela Madonia
%A Virginia Moran
%A Aylen Jauregui
%A Aldo Madeo
%A Silvina Gygli
%A Laura Soibelzon
%A Cloe Marin
%A Patricia Rivadulla
%A Maria Raffaeli
%A Daniela Sbattella
%A Jorge Agueda
%A Griselda Haag
%A Graciela Etchegoyen
%A Ricardo Wright
%A Horacio Pracilio
%A Adriana Arinavarreta
%J Advances in Applied Sociology
%P 315-334
%@ 2165-4336
%D 2021
%I Scientific Research Publishing
%R 10.4236/aasoci.2021.116029
%X <strong><span>Aims:</span></strong> <span style=\"font-family:;\" \"=\"\"><span style=\"font-family:Verdana;\">To determine self-health image and illness perception as potential
barriers to health services access among inhabitants of La Plata, Buenos Aires, </span><span><span style=\"font-family:Verdana;\">Argentina. </span><b><span style=\"font-family:Verdana;\">Methods:</span></b><span style=\"font-family:Verdana;\"> A cross-sectional
study, where survey, ¡°Brief Illness-</span></span></span><span style=\"font-family:;\" \"=\"\"> </span><span style=\"font-family:;\" \"=\"\"><span style=\"font-family:Verdana;\">Perception Questionnaire¡± and basic medical
examination were performed on 2430 participants at homes. </span><b><span style=\"font-family:Verdana;\">Results: </span></b><span style=\"font-family:Verdana;\">Although
men showed a better concept of their state of health, they perceived their
illness worse and belatedly. Only 45% of participants perceived symptoms
disease, and from them, 48% finally decided to consult to the health system.
Hence, from every 100 sick people, only 21 had access to a health institution.
Higher level of education achieved, better socio-economic conditions or holding
health insurance were significantly associated with appropriate health seeking,
and access to health </span><span><span style=\"font-family:Verdana;\">service. </span><b><span style=\"font-family:Verdana;\">Conclusions:</span></b><span style=\"font-family:Verdana;\"> Self-health image and disease perception affected</span></span><span style=\"font-family:Verdana;\"> people</span></span><span style=\"font-family:Verdana;\">¡¯</span><span style=\"font-family:;\" \"=\"\"><span style=\"font-family:Verdana;\">s access to health
services. Participants of this study showed suboptimal disease perception,
manifested as meager and delayed demand for care. These results </span><span style=\"font-family:Verdana;\">demonstrate the weakness of current health care
model based on people¡¯s</span><span style=\"font-family:Verdana;\"> spontaneous demand. It is necessary to adopt a
new health system for the entire population, regardless of the self-awareness
that people may have about their own health/disease status. It would be a more
inclusive, effective and efficient healthcare model.</span></span>
%K Demand-Side Barriers
%K Illness Perception
%K Self-Health Image
%K Health Care Model
%U http://www.scirp.org/journal/PaperInformation.aspx?PaperID=110236