ObjectiveTo provide policy suggestions concerning the distribution of health resources between urban and rural areas and management and education of diabetes, this study depicted the current status of access to healthcare and analyzed its determinants among Chinese diabetic patients.MethodsMultivariate ordinal logistic regression and multivariate binary logistic regression were employed to analyze the effects of socioeconomic status and urban-rural disparities on health access.ResultsMultivariate results suggested that urban patients were more likely to conduct more blood glucose tests (P<0.000 1) and receive more self-care suggestions from physicians (P=0.02). After controlling all other covariates, patients graduated from secondary schools and those with vocational school degrees or above were 1.61 and 2.44 times more possible to take more blood glucose tests.Conclusions There exists significant urban-rural disparities of access to healthcare among Chinese diabetic patients. Education may be a key factor of access to healthcare among Chinese diabetic patients. It’s highly recommended to implement education programs on diabetes management in rural areas, where the education status and demographic factors should be considered. The distribution of health resource in rural areas requires more policy and governmental support.
