Factors associated with access to health care among foreign residents living in Aichi Prefecture, Japan: secondary data analysis

BACKGROUND: In Japan, foreign residents, and particularly new arrivals in the country, experience barriers to health care and show poorer health outcomes when compared to Japanese nationals. The health-care-related situation for foreign residents in Japan has been characterized by drastic changes over time; thus, there is difficulty identifying individuals who are “left behind” by the system. In this study, we aimed to identify, among foreign residents who attended informal free medical consultations, factors associated with “being advised to visit a medical facility” and “being referred to a medical facility,” which represented hypothetical proxy indicators of barriers to health care. METHODS: Secondary data analyses were conducted using the activity records of a non-governmental organization that provides free consultations targeting foreign residents in various locations in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. Participant characteristics, including insurance coverage, were determined. Bivariate and multi-variate analyses were performed to identify factors associated with having barriers to health care. RESULTS: Among 608 extracted cases, 164 (27.5%) cases were advised to visit a medical facility, and 72 (11.8%) were referred to a medical facility during the consultations. Those who were not covered by public insurance showed a 1.56-time (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.19–2.05) higher prevalence of being advised to visit a medical facility when compared to those who were covered by public insurance. Unemployed people and students were more likely to be referred to a medical facility than were professional workers; the prevalence ratios were 3.28 (95% CI: 1.64–6.57) and 2.77 (95% CI: 1.18–6.46), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Although the majority were insured, almost 30% were advised to visit a medical facility, which implied that they had had limited access to the formal health-care system before availing of the free consultations. The findings highlight those uninsured, unemployed people and students, who are considered vulnerable to access to health care. It is vital to provide those who are vulnerable with the necessary support while updatinge evidence, so that no one is “left behind.”