133386 20260217205506.0 doi 10.1186/s13690-024-01276-7 sideral 138068 ART-2024-138068 eng Aguilar-Palacio, Isabel Universidad de Zaragoza (orcid)0000-0001-7293-701X Gender health care inequalities in health crisis: when uncertainty can lead to inequality 2024 Access copy available to the general public Unrestricted Background In health crisis, inequalities in access to and use of health care services become more evident. The objective of this study is to analyse the existence and evolution of gender inequalities in access to and use of healthcare services in the context of the COVID-19 health crisis. Methods Retrospective cohort study using data from all individuals with a confirmed COVID-19 infection from March 2020 to March 2022 in Aragón (Spain) (390,099 cases). Health care access and use was analysed by gender for the different pandemic waves. Univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted to evaluate the effect of sex in health care. Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition methods were performed to explain gender gaps observed. Results The health care received throughout the COVID-19 pandemic differed between men and women. Women were admitted to hospital and intensive care units less frequently than men and their stays were shorter. Differences observed between men and women narrowed throughout the pandemic, but persisted even after adjusting for age, socioeconomic status, morbidity burden or the patient's place of residence. Differences in sociodemographic characteristics and morbidity burden could explain partially the gender inequalities found, mainly in the later phases of the pandemic, but not in the earlier waves. Conclusions There were gender inequalities in access to and use of health services during the COVID-19 pandemic. Inequalities were greater in the first waves of the pandemic, but did not disappear. Analysis of health crises must take into account an intersectional gender perspective to ensure equitable health care. info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess by https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.es 3.2 2024 PUBLIC, ENVIRONMENTAL & OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH 91 / 421 = 0.216 2024 Q1 T1 PUBLIC, ENVIRONMENTAL & OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH 91 / 421 = 0.216 2024 Q1 T1 1.078 2024 Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health 2024 Q1 5.4 2024 info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion Obón-Azuara, Blanca Castel-Feced, Sara Universidad de Zaragoza (orcid)0000-0002-5064-3763 Malo, Sara Universidad de Zaragoza (orcid)0000-0002-7194-8275 Teresa, Julia Rabanaque, María José Universidad de Zaragoza (orcid)0000-0002-6671-5661 2007 265 Universidad de Zaragoza Dpto. Métodos Estadísticos Área Estadís. Investig. Opera. 1011 615 Universidad de Zaragoza Dpto. Microb.Ped.Radio.Sal.Pú. Área Medic.Prevent.Salud Públ. 82 (2024), 46 [10 pp.] Arch. public health Archives of public health 0778-7367 902737 http://zaguan.unizar.es/record/133386/files/texto_completo.pdf Versión publicada 2018152 http://zaguan.unizar.es/record/133386/files/texto_completo.jpg?subformat=icon icon Versión publicada oai:zaguan.unizar.es:133386 articulos driver 2026-02-17-20:23:27 ARTICLE