Perceived barriers to seeking medical care among middle-aged and older men and women in the British Virgin Islands

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: This paper seeks to identify the perceived barriers to seeking medical care among middle-aged and older people in the British Virgin Islands. DESIGN AND METHODS: The data for this study were taken from 244 middle-aged and older men (44.3%) and women (55.7%) who were recruited and interviewed for a study on the situation of ageing in the BVIs. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) using principal component analysis (PCA) with varimax rotation was used to identify the underlying factor structure in perceived barriers to care. RESULTS: A 3-factor model was extracted (service acceptability; geographic accessibility and service affordability/availability) accounting for approximately 65% of the variance in responses. CONCLUSION: On the demand-side, there was need for a study accessing unmet needs for medical services. On the supply-side, there was a need to investigate the barriers faced by the government in providing needed services and supplies.