Predictors of Healthcare Demand Procrastination Among Young Adults: Perceived Access and Health Literacy

Aims: This study aimed to examine the relationship between healthcare demand procrastination and perceived access to healthcare services and health literacy among young adults, and to determine whether these variables predict healthcare demand procrastination. Methods: This cross-sectional and correlational study was conducted with 362 young adults. Data were collected using a Sociodemographic Information Form, the Healthcare Demand Procrastination Scale, the Perceived Access to Healthcare Services Scale, and the Health Literacy Scale. Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation analysis, and multiple linear regression analyses were used for data analysis. Results: Correlation analyses indicated no significant association between healthcare demand procrastination and health literacy or perceived access to healthcare services. In contrast, significant and positive relationships were identified between health literacy and perceived access to healthcare services and their subdimensions. Multiple linear regression analyses revealed that perceived access to healthcare services and health literacy did not significantly predict healthcare demand procrastination or its subdimensions. Conclusion: These findings suggest that healthcare demand procrastination among young adults may occur independently of perceived access to healthcare services and health literacy. It is considered that procrastination in healthcare demand within this age group may be more strongly associated with individual and contextual factors, and that access and health literacy variables alone may not be sufficient to explain healthcare utilization.