MAJOR FACTORS INFLUENCING INDIVIDUALS’ HEALTHCARE UTILIZATION: EVIDENCE FROM COUNT REGRESSION MODELS

Abstract

This paper applied the Negative Binomial Regression model, a type of count data regression, to a primary survey data of 980 individuals who visited public healthcare facilities in Viet Tri city. The objective was to evaluate the determinants influencing healthcare utilization decisions. The findings indicated that variables such as income, age, residence, marital status, education level, health insurance, life insurance, and chronic illness status significantly affected the frequency of medical visits. Based on these results, the research proposed several ecommendations to enhance public demand for healthcare services at local facilities, thereby contributing to the improvement of primary healthcare quality in the community.