Perceived Need, Seeking, and Utilization of Health Services Among Eight-year-old or Younger Children With Disabilities in Iran

This study aimed to determine the perceived need, seeking, and utilization of health services among eight-year-old or younger children with disabilities in Iran.

This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on a sample of 2,000 children with disabilities aged eight years or lower selected through multistage sampling from five provinces of Iran. Data were collected using a researcher-made electronic questionnaire. Descriptive statistical methods were used to analyze the data by Stata 13.

The highest percentages of perceived needs for outpatient services in the last three months belonged to specialist physician visits (65.80%), medication (66.05%), speech therapy (57.58%), and occupational therapy (54.89%). The lowest percentages of seeking for perceived needs belonged to dental services (45.80%), psychiatry services (51.30%), and physiotherapy services (60.69%). The lowest percentages of utilization after seeking for perceived needs belonged to dental services (61.00%), physiotherapy services (82.38%), and outpatient surgery services (86.40%). The percentages of perceived need, seeking, and utilization of inpatient services over the past 12 months were reported to be 22.08%, 88.73%, and 87.89%, respectively.

There was a significant difference between perceived need, seeking, and utilization of health services in children with disabilities in Iran. Health system policymakers should consider the factors affecting the seeking and utilization of health services by children with disabilities in designing appropriate interventions.