Table 5 Themes across Health Care Access Barriers (n = 22, total; n = 13, male; n = 9, female)
From: Identifying health care access barriers in southern rural Ecuador
Variable | Male n (%) | Female n (%) | Total n (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
Financial Barriers | |||
 Lack of health insurance | 2 (15%) | 1 (11%) | 3 (14%) |
 Cost of transportation | 4 (31%) | 2 (22%) | 6 (27%) |
 Cost of medications | 2 (15%) | 2 (22%) | 4 (18%) |
 Cost of internet to schedule appointment | - | 1 (11%) | 1 (5%) |
 Cost of telephone call to schedule appointment | 1 (8%) | 1 (11%) | 2 (9%) |
 Needs to financially support family | 10 (77%) | 4 (44%) | 14 (64%) |
Structural Barriers | |||
 Travel time requires missing work | 10 (77%) | 8 (89%) | 18 (82%) |
 No one to do house chores | 2 (15%) | 8 (89%) | 10 (45%) |
 No one to take care of animals | 9 (69%) | 6 (67%) | 15 (68%) |
 Distance/ travel time for appointment | 4 (31%) | 2 (22%) | 6 (27%) |
 Lack of child/ elderly care | 4 (31%) | 5 (56%) | 9 (41%) |
 Wait time at the clinic/ hospital | 3 (23%) | 4 (44%) | 7 (32%) |
 Multiple locations for tests and specialists | 3 (23%) | 1 (11%) | 4 (18%) |
 Difficulty scheduling an appointment | 5 (38%) | 5 (56%) | 10 (45%) |
 Few ambulances | 1 (8%) | - | 1 (5%) |
Cognitive Barriers | |||
 Low health literacy | 13 (100%) | 8 (89%) | 21 (95%) |
 Lack of preventative measures | 10 (77%) | 3 (33%) | 13 (59%) |
 Elects to ignore health care advice | 4 (31%) | 1 (11%) | 5 (23%) |
 Practices presenteeism | 13 (100%) | 9 (100%) | 22 (100%) |
 Self-medicate and/or go to healer | 13 (100%) | 9 (100%) | 22 (100%) |
 Unsatisfied with care | 3 (23%) | 4 (44%) | 7 (32%) |