Investigating households’ out-of-pocket healthcare expenditures based on number of chronic conditions in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: a cross-sectional study using quantile regression approach

• Published in: BMJ open 2022-09, Vol.12 (9), p.e066145
• Main Authors: Almalki, Ziyad S, Alahmari, Abdullah K, Alshehri, Ahmed M, Altowaijri, Abdulaziz, Alluhidan, Mohammed, Ahmed, Nehad, AlAbdulsalam, Abdulhakim S, Alsaiari, Khalid H, Alrashidi, Meshari A, Alghusn, Abdulrahman G, Alqahtani, Ali S, Alzarea, Abdulaziz I, Alanazi, Mona A, Alqahtani, Abdulhadi M
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Chronic Disease; Chronic illnesses; Cross-Sectional Studies; Delivery of Health Care; Expenditures; Health care expenditures; Health Economics; Health Expenditures; health policy; health services administration & management; Households; Humans; Saudi Arabia - epidemiology
• ISSN: 2044-6055; 2044-6055
• DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-066145

ObjectivesThis study investigated the level and associated factors, focusing on the number of individuals with chronic conditions, of out-of-pocket healthcare expenditures (OOPHE).DesignA cross-sectional study was conducted from January 2021 to June 2021.SettingRiyadh Province, Saudi Arabia.ParticipantsA total of 1176 households that used any healthcare services at least once in the past 3 months.Outcome measuresThe OOPHE incurred in the previous 3-month period when a household member is receiving health services. The effects of predisposing, enabling and need factors on the level of OOPHE. The association between the number of individuals with chronic conditions in a household and OOPHE along with the OOPHE distribution.ResultsThe average household OOPHE among all the surveyed households (n=1176) was SAR1775.30. For households affected by one chronic condition, OOPHE was SAR1806, and for households affected by more than one chronic condition, OOPHE was SAR2704. If the head of the household was older, better educated and employed, they were more vulnerable to a higher OOPHE (p