Unmet Health Needs During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to identify the unmet health needs of adults during the COVID-19 pandemic, the reasons for these needs, solutions sought and socio-demographic determinants.
 Methods: The cross-sectional online survey was conducted with 2,074 adult individuals from December 15 to December 31, 2020. Data were collected using Socio-demographic Data Collection Form, Unmet Health Needs Data Collection Form and World Health Organization Quality of Life Scale (WHOQOL).
 Results: The percentage of the participants who stated that they had unmet health needs was 66% and the most unmet needs reported were oral and dental treatment (46.3%), eye health and treatment for vision disorders (22.5%), and early diagnosis and annual health screening (11.4%). The reasons with the most impact on the emergence of these needs were fear of being infected with the virus (44.3%), lack of access to health care (42.7%) and not wanting to cause a burden on the health system. There was a significant difference between the groups with and without unmet health needs in terms of gender, economic status, presence of health insurance, presence of chronic disease, perception of health, and WHOQOL total scores.
 Conclusion: The findings obtained will benefit policymakers in the rational use of limited resources and making strategic arrangements for needs.