Data from Dong-eui University Provide New Insights into Metabolic Syndrome (Does Maintained Medical Aid Coverage Affect Healthy Lifestyle Factors, Metabolic Syndrome-Related Health Status, and Individuals’ Use of Healthcare Services?): Nutritional and Metabolic Diseases and Conditions – Metabolic Syndrome

2023 JUL 06 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Insurance Daily News -- Current study results on metabolic syndrome have been published. According to news reporting from Busan, South Korea, by NewsRx journalists, research stated, “Concerns about the moral hazards and usage of universal health insurance require examination.”

Financial supporters for this research include Gachon University.

The news correspondents obtained a quote from the research from Dong-eui University: “This study aimed to analyze changes in lifestyle, metabolic syndrome-related health status, and individuals’ tendency to use healthcare services according to changes in the eligibility status of medical aid recipients. This paper reports a retrospective cohort study that involved analyzing data from 2366 medical aid recipients aged 40 years or older who underwent national health screenings in 2012 and 2014. Of the recipients, 1606 participants continued to be eligible for medical aid (the “maintained” group) and 760 changed from being medical aid recipients to National Health Insurance (NHI) enrollees (the “changed” group). Compared to the “changed” group, the “maintained” group was less likely to quit smoking, more likely to begin smoking, less likely to reduce binge drinking to moderate drinking, and had a significant increase in blood glucose and waist circumference.”

According to the news reporters, the research concluded: “Annual total medical expenses also increased significantly in the “maintained” group. Since the mere strengthening of healthcare coverage may lead to moral hazards and the failure to link individuals’ tendency to use healthcare services and outcomes, establishing mechanisms is necessary to educate people about the health-related outcomes of maintaining a healthy lifestyle and ensure the appropriate use of healthcare services.”

For more information on this research see: Does Maintained Medical Aid Coverage Affect Healthy Lifestyle Factors, Metabolic Syndrome-Related Health Status, and Individuals’ Use of Healthcare Services?. Healthcare, 2023,11(13). (Healthcare - http://www.mdpi.com/journal/healthcare). The publisher for Healthcare is MDPI AG.

A free version of this journal article is available at https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare11131811.

Our news editors report that more information may be obtained by contacting Ilsu Park, Department of Healthcare Management, Dong-eui University, 176 Eomgwang-ro, Busanjin-gu, Busan 47340, South Korea. Additional authors for this research include Kyounga Lee, Eunshil Yim.

ORCID is an identifier for authors and includes bibliographic information. The following is ORCID information for the authors of this research: Ilsu Park (http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0445-8556), Kyounga Lee (http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0550-6070).

(Our reports deliver fact-based news of research and discoveries from around the world.)