Correlation between Level of Urbanization and Medical Consumption and Cause-specific Mortality Rates in Taiwan

The objective of this study is to investigate the relationship between level of urbanization, medical care consumption per resident for Western and Chinese medicine and dentists care, and cause-specific mortality rates in counties of Taiwan.

A correlational study was used with county data as units of analysis. Variables included level of urbanization index, mean annual outpatient visits for Western and Chinese medicine and dentists care per resident, and mortality rates for ten leading causes of death. The Pearson's correlation coefficients were used.

Results of Pearson's correlation coefficients indicated there was moderate to high negative correlation between the level of urbanization and mean annual outpatient visits for Western and Chinese medicine and dentists care per resident (Chinese medicine care: -0.65, Western medicine care: -0.67; dentist care: -0.73). The highest three causes of mortality are cancer, cardiovascular disease, and heart disease in 2006. Moderate to strong positive correlation was found between mortality rates for ten leading causes of death and the level of urbanization. The strongest correlation was found for accidental death (r=0.82), next for cardiovascular disease (r=0.79), and third for heart disease (r=0.70).

Our results indicate that areas with a lower level of urbanization have lower levels of medical resource consumption per resident for Western and Chinese medicine and dentists care, and higher disease mortality rates. The administrative health authorities in Taiwan should pay attention to the imbalance of medical resources and consumption in counties of various level of urbanization as indicated by this study and have actions on it.