earticle

영어

Objectives: This study examined the effect of the local extinction risk index (LERI) on the allocation of healthcare resources, with emphasis on the effects of demographic changes and population aging on regional health systems. Methods: This study utilized balanced panel data from 2012 to 2021 for 18 regions in Gangwon Province to analyzed the relationship between the LERI and healthcare resources, which was measured using the number of doctors and hospital beds. Control variables were included based on the social determinants of a health model to account for non-medical influencing factors. The LERI was defined as the ratio of females aged 20–39 to those aged 65 and above. A random-effects model was applied to evaluate both time-series and cross-sectional effects. Results: Higher LERI values were generally associated with increased availability of healthcare resources. However, high-risk areas tended to have fewer hospital beds per capita, and this occurrence increased over the study period. Conclusions: The study reveals severe resource gaps in high-risk regions, calling for population-sensitive policies to ensure equitable health care access.