Performance trends and goal achievement of health indicators in Gyeongsangbuk-do and Daegu Metropolitan City

The core goal of South Korea's health policy is equity. To this end, regional disparities in health indicators must be identified. However, as an in-depth analysis of health disparities and health indicators in Gyeongsangbuk-do and Daegu Metropolitan City is lacking, this study examined the trends in performance and goal achievement in health indicators. Data collected from 2011 to 2022 for 31 cities and counties in the Gyeongbuk region (23 regions in Gyeongsangbuk-do and eight regions in Daegu Metropolitan City) were analyzed to examine 28 health indicators across three categories: health behavior, health outcomes, and healthcare utilization. The data were analyzed using SPSS/WIN 23.0. The findings for health indicators showed significant and persistent gaps in health levels in Gyeongsangbuk-do, particularly in health behavior (31.3% and 68.7%), health outcomes (33.3% and 55.6%), and healthcare utilization (33.3% and 100%), in Gyeongsangbuk-do and Daegu Metropolitan City, respectively. Central government is vital for infrastructure development and financial assistance to effectively enhance health services in the local communities of Gyeongsangbuk-do.