Differences in the Duration of Health Service Utilization According to Patient Characteristics with Non-specific Neck Pain: A Preliminary Analysis Based on Randomized Sample Data

Purpose: The aim of this preliminary study was to investigate differences in the duration of health service utilization according to the characteristics of patients with nonspecific neck pain using a nationwide sample based on National Health Insurance Sharing Service data.Methods: Medical records spanning 20 years (2002)(2003)(2004)(2005)(2006)(2007)(2008)(2009)(2010)(2011)(2012)(2013)(2014)(2015)(2016)(2017)(2018)(2019)(2020)(2021) were extracted for 527,522 individuals (5% random sample) with neck pain (M54.2).Independent variables included age, sex, insurance type, income level, and regional healthcare vulnerability.A one-way ANOVA was used to analyze the differences in healthcare utilization durations.Results: Healthcare utilization durations increased with age (20s: 4.1 days, 60s: 6.3 days; p < 0.05).Females showed longer durations than males (5.6 vs. 4.6 days; p < 0.05).Medical aid beneficiaries utilized services significantly longer than workplace subscribers (7.5 vs. 4.5 days; p < 0.05).Those in the lowest income groups and in medically vulnerable regions showed extended durations (5.7 and 5.9 days, respectively; p < 0.05).Notably, 77.1% of patients used services for 5 days or fewer, with 38.7% visiting only once. Conclusion:Socioeconomic factors and geographic accessibility significantly influence healthcare utilization for neck pain.The shorter durations observed among workplace subscribers may reflect premature treatment termination due to work pressures rather than recovery.These findings provide evidence for developing targeted interventions that