IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v17y2020i17p6301-d406053.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Associations between Healthcare Resources and Healthy Life Expectancy: A Descriptive Study across Secondary Medical Areas in Japan

Author

Listed:
  • Rikuya Hosokawa

    (Department of Human Health Sciences, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan)

  • Toshiyuki Ojima

    (Department of Community Health and Preventive Medicine, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Shizuoka 431-3192, Japan)

  • Tomoya Myojin

    (Department of Public Health, Health Management and Policy, Nara Medical University, Nara 634-8521, Japan)

  • Jun Aida

    (Department of Oral Health Promotion, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo 113-8549, Japan
    Division for Regional Community Development, Liaison Center for Innovative Dentistry, Graduate School of Dentistry, Tohoku University, Miyagi 980-8575, Japan)

  • Katsunori Kondo

    (Center for Preventive Medical Sciences, Chiba University, Chiba 263-8522, Japan
    Center for Well-being and Society, Nihon Fukushi University, Aichi 470-3295, Japan
    Center for Gerontology and Social Science, National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology, Aichi 474-8511, Japan)

  • Naoki Kondo

    (Department of Health and Social Behavior, School of Public Health, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
    Department of Health Education and Health Sociology, School of Public Health, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan)

Abstract

Japan has the highest life expectancy in the world. However, this does not guarantee an improved quality of life. There is a gap between life expectancy and healthy life expectancy. This study aimed to reveal the features of healthy life expectancy across all secondary medical areas ( n = 344) in Japan and examine the relationship among healthcare resources, life expectancy, and healthy life expectancy at birth. Data were collected from Japan’s population registry and long-term insurance records. Differences in healthy life expectancy by gender were calculated using the Sullivan method. Maps of healthy life expectancy were drawn up. Descriptive statistics and correlation analysis were used for analysis. The findings revealed significant regional disparities. The number of doctors and therapists, support clinics for home healthcare facilities and home-visit treatments, and dentistry expenditure per capita were positively correlated with life expectancy and healthy life expectancy (correlation coefficients > 0.2). They also revealed gender differences. Despite controlling for population density, inequalities in healthy life expectancy were observed, highlighting the need to promote social policies to reduce regional disparities. Japanese policymakers should consider optimal levels of health resources to improve life expectancy and healthy life expectancy. The geographical distribution of healthcare resources should also be reconstituted.

Suggested Citation

  • Rikuya Hosokawa & Toshiyuki Ojima & Tomoya Myojin & Jun Aida & Katsunori Kondo & Naoki Kondo, 2020. "Associations between Healthcare Resources and Healthy Life Expectancy: A Descriptive Study across Secondary Medical Areas in Japan," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(17), pages 1-16, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:17:y:2020:i:17:p:6301-:d:406053
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/17/6301/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/17/6301/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Or, Zeynep & Wang, Jia & Jamison, Dean, 2005. "International differences in the impact of doctors on health: a multilevel analysis of OECD countries," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 24(3), pages 531-560, May.
    2. Randall S. Jones, 2009. "Health-Care Reform in Japan: Controlling Costs, Improving Quality and Ensuring Equity," OECD Economics Department Working Papers 739, OECD Publishing.
    3. Farahani, Mansour & Subramanian, S.V. & Canning, David, 2009. "The effect of changes in health sector resources on infant mortality in the short-run and the long-run: A longitudinal econometric analysis," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 68(11), pages 1918-1925, June.
    4. Louise Sundberg & Neda Agahi & Johan Fritzell & Stefan Fors, 2018. "Why is the gender gap in life expectancy decreasing? The impact of age- and cause-specific mortality in Sweden 1997–2014," International Journal of Public Health, Springer;Swiss School of Public Health (SSPH+), vol. 63(6), pages 673-681, July.
    5. Qin, Xuezheng & Hsieh, Chee-Ruey, 2014. "Economic growth and the geographic maldistribution of health care resources: Evidence from China, 1949-2010," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 31(C), pages 228-246.
    6. McGovern, Mark E. & Canning, David, 2015. "Vaccination and All Cause Child Mortality 1985-2011: Global Evidence from the Demographic and Health Surveys," Working Paper 227741, Harvard University OpenScholar.
    7. Herman Oyen & Wilma Nusselder & Carol Jagger & Petra Kolip & Emmanuelle Cambois & Jean-Marie Robine, 2013. "Gender differences in healthy life years within the EU: an exploration of the “health–survival” paradox," International Journal of Public Health, Springer;Swiss School of Public Health (SSPH+), vol. 58(1), pages 143-155, February.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Ming-Shyan Lin & Mei-Hua Yeh & Mei-Yen Chen, 2020. "Prevalence of and Factors Associated with Cardiometabolic Risks and Lung Function Impairment among Middle-Aged Women in Rural Taiwan," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(21), pages 1-8, November.
    2. Mingyue Wen & Liao Liao & Yilin Wang & Xunzhi Zhou, 2022. "Effects of Healthcare Policies and Reforms at the Primary Level in China: From the Evidence of Shenzhen Primary Care Reforms from 2018 to 2019," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(4), pages 1-19, February.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Jinlin Liu & Karen Eggleston, 2022. "The Association between Health Workforce and Health Outcomes: A Cross-Country Econometric Study," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 163(2), pages 609-632, September.
    2. Cristina Belles-Obrero & Sergi Jiménez-Martín & Judit Vall Castello, 2019. "Education and Gender Differences in Mortality Rates," Working Papers 2019-05, FEDEA.
    3. Tommaso Luzzati & Angela Parenti & Tommaso Rughi, 2017. "Spatial error regressions for testing the Cancer-EKC," Discussion Papers 2017/218, Dipartimento di Economia e Management (DEM), University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.
    4. Raf Van Gestel & Tobias Müller & Johan Bosmans, 2018. "Learning from failure in healthcare: Dynamic panel evidence of a physician shock effect," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 27(9), pages 1340-1353, September.
    5. Ana Poças & Elias Soukiazis, 2010. "Health Status Determinants in the OECD Countries. A Panel Data Approach with Endogenous Regressors," GEMF Working Papers 2010-04, GEMF, Faculty of Economics, University of Coimbra.
    6. Bénédicte Apouey, 2020. "Conditions of Existence and Subjective Perceptions of Retirement: Quantitative Evidence from France," PSE Working Papers halshs-02908456, HAL.
    7. Gauri Kartini Shastry & Daniel L Tortorice, 2021. "Effective Foreign Aid: Evidence from Gavi’s Vaccine Program," Working Papers 2102, College of the Holy Cross, Department of Economics.
    8. Jamison, Eliot A. & Jamison, Dean T. & Hanushek, Eric A., 2007. "The effects of education quality on income growth and mortality decline," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 26(6), pages 771-788, December.
    9. Huang, Qiong & Chand, Satish, 2015. "Spatial spillovers of regional wages: Evidence from Chinese provinces," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 32(C), pages 97-109.
    10. Cristina Borra & Jerònia Pons-Pons & Margarita Vilar-Rodríguez, 2020. "Austerity, healthcare provision, and health outcomes in Spain," The European Journal of Health Economics, Springer;Deutsche Gesellschaft für Gesundheitsökonomie (DGGÖ), vol. 21(3), pages 409-423, April.
    11. Jorge García Hombrados, 2017. "Child Marriage and Infant Mortality: Evidence from Ethiopia," Working Paper Series 1317, Department of Economics, University of Sussex Business School.
    12. Aakvik, Arild & Holmas, Tor Helge, 2006. "Access to primary health care and health outcomes: The relationships between GP characteristics and mortality rates," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 25(6), pages 1139-1153, November.
    13. Jeroen Klomp & Jakob De Haan, 2008. "Effects of Governance on Health: a Cross‐National Analysis of 101 Countries," Kyklos, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 61(4), pages 599-614, November.
    14. Francesco Ricci & Marios Zachariadis, 2013. "Education Externalities on Longevity," Economica, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 80(319), pages 404-440, July.
    15. Linda Juel Ahrenfeldt & Sören Möller & Mikael Thinggaard & Kaare Christensen & Rune Lindahl-Jacobsen, 2019. "Sex Differences in Comorbidity and Frailty in Europe," International Journal of Public Health, Springer;Swiss School of Public Health (SSPH+), vol. 64(7), pages 1025-1036, September.
    16. Joan Costa-Font & Frank Cowell & Xuezhu Shi & Joan Costa-i-Font, 2023. "Health Inequality and Health Insurance Coverage: The United States and China Compared," CESifo Working Paper Series 10807, CESifo.
    17. Zeynep Or & Florence Jusot & Engin Yilmaz, 2008. "Impact of health care system on socioeconomic inequalities in doctor use," Working Papers DT17, IRDES institut for research and information in health economics, revised Sep 2008.
    18. Reibling, Nadine, 2013. "The international performance of healthcare systems in population health: Capabilities of pooled cross-sectional time series methods," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 112(1), pages 122-132.
    19. Liebert, Helge & Mäder, Beatrice, 2016. "The impact of regional health care coverage on infant mortality and disease incidence," Economics Working Paper Series 1620, University of St. Gallen, School of Economics and Political Science.
    20. Xueqian Song & Yongping Wei & Wei Deng & Shaoyao Zhang & Peng Zhou & Ying Liu & Jiangjun Wan, 2019. "Spatio-Temporal Distribution, Spillover Effects and Influences of China’s Two Levels of Public Healthcare Resources," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(4), pages 1-18, February.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:17:y:2020:i:17:p:6301-:d:406053. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.