Effect of Access to Health Facilities on the Health Status of Rural Households at Kermanshah Province (Case Study: Bisotoun District)

Abstract

The main purpose of this study was to investigate effect of access to health facilities on the health status of rural households at Kermanshah Province. Statistical pupation of this study consisted of all heads of rural households at Bisotoun district in Harsin Township, Kermanshah Province, Iran (N=1020), that 278 of them were selected by the cluster random sampling method. The main instrument of this study was a questionnaire which its validity confirmed by a panel of experts and its reliability was calculated by Cronbach's alpha coefficient. The results showed that the health status of rural households was medium at the given district. The results of multiple regression analysis showed that 36% of the dependent variable (health status) is explained by five following variables: level of water availability, level of sewer system availability, and level of access to health services (e.g. toilet, bath, health home, etc.), access to resources and communication and information channels and the level of waste disposal system availability. The results of this study can be considered by authorities and politicians so that they can pay more attention to the rural health issues.