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http://dx.doi.org/10.4332/KJHPA.2022.32.1.45

Exploration of Community Risk Factors for COVID-19 Incidence in Korea  

Sim, Boram (HIRA Research Institute, Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service)
Park, Myung-Bae (Department of Gerontology Health and Welfare, Pai Chai University)
Publication Information
Health Policy and Management / v.32, no.1, 2022 , pp. 45-52 More about this Journal
Abstract
Background: There are regional variations in the incidence of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which means that some regions are more exposed to the risk of COVID-19 than others. Therefore, this study aims to investigate regional variations in the incidence of COVID-19 in Korea and identify risk factors associated with the incidence of COVID-19 using community-level data. Methods: This study was conducted at the districts (si·gun·gu) level in Korea. Data of COVID-19 incidence by districts were collected from the official website of each province. Data was also obtained from the Korean Statistical Information Service and the Community Health Survey; socio-demographic factor, transmission pathway, healthcare resource, and factor in response to COVID-19. Community risk factors that drive the incidence of COVID-19 were selected using a least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression. Results: As of June 2021, the incidence of COVID-19 differed by more than 80 times between districts. Among the candidate factors, sex ratio, population aged 20-29, local financial independence, population density, diabetes prevalence, and failure to comply with the quarantine rules were significantly associated with COVID-19 incidence. Conclusion: This study suggests setting COVID-19 quarantine policy and allocating resources, considering the community risk factors. Protecting vulnerable groups should be a high priority for these policies.
Keywords
SARS-CoV-2; COVID-19; Public health; Risk factors;
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