ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: Cessation of care for financial reasons is an indicator of the affordability of care. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this work was to identify the determinants of the renunciation of care for financial reasons among women in a peri-urban area of Abidjan. METHOD: This cross-sectional study was conducted from March to May 2019 among women aged 18 years and over in Anonkoi 3 in the north of Abidjan. The socio-demographic, economic, health status and health care abandonment characteristics were collected using a questionnaire. The associations between the renunciation of care for financial reasons and women’s characteristics were measured using logistic regression models with a 5% risk. RESULTS: The sample consisted of 423 women with a median age of 28 ± 11 years. Only 30% of them had health insurance. The rate of financial reasons for discontinuing care was 59.1%. This renunciation was more pronounced for the purchase of drugs, biological examinations, dental care, and surgical procedures. The number of dependent (P = 0.035), young age (P ≤ 0.035), low level of education (P = 0.024), low level of income (P ≤ 0.004) and the absence of an associative life (P = 0.004) and perceived poor health (P = 0.021) were identified as determinants of the renunciation of care for financial reasons. CONCLUSION: Empowerment, literacy, health education for women and adherence to universal health coverage should help to remove the financial barrier to women’s access to care.
