Browsing by Author "Durak, Aysenur"

Now showing 1 - 3 of 3

Citation - WoS: 1
Citation - Scopus: 1
The Impact of COVID-19 on Healthcare Utilization in Turkey
(Elsevier, 2024) Ugur, Zeynep B.; Durak, Aysenur
Objectives: This study investigates the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on healthcare utilization in Turkey. Methods: We utilized individual-level data derived from Turkish Statistical Institute 's annual surveys between 2014 and 2022 and estimated probit regression models. Results: We find that COVID-19 pandemic reduced healthcare utilization by 11.8% after taking into account a large set of background variables. Although our study finds that the elderly and those with health problems are more likely to use healthcare services under normal circumstances, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused notable drops in the healthcare utilization among the elderly (-6.5%) and those with health problems (-3.8%). Although those without health insurance had lower utilization of healthcare services before the pandemic, during the pandemic they were not particularly hit. Conclusion: We conclude that the pandemic did not lower the healthcare utilization in Turkey because of the supply constraints. Also, the evidence points to the reduced demand due to the fear of contagion rather than financial concerns.
Citation - WoS: 1
Citation - Scopus: 1
The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Satisfaction With Healthcare Services in Türkiye
(Elsevier Sci Ltd, 2024) Ugur, Zeynep B.; Durak, Aysenur
Objectives: This study aims at evaluating whether the healthcare system in Turkey performed well or not from the perspective of patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: For this purpose, we compare the satisfaction with healthcare services pre-pandemic and during the pandemic. We utilize the Life Satisfaction Survey conducted by Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat) between 2013 and 2021 and employ probit regression method. Results: The research results do not show any change in satisfaction with healthcare services in the pandemic years of 2020 and 2021. In addition, the satisfaction with healthcare services of people with health conditions, those without health insurance, and those whose premiums are covered by the state (green card holders) did not decrease during the pandemic period. The analysis results reveal that the satisfaction of people over 65 years old and those having health conditions with healthcare services increased during the pandemic period. Conclusion: When the findings are evaluated as a whole, we can conclude that Turkey performed well from the users' perspective during the pandemic. Public interest summary: This study analyzes the impact of the pandemic on satisfaction with healthcare services in Turkey. To do this, we utilize Life Satisfaction Survey between 2013 and 2021. The regression results indicate that satisfaction with healthcare services has not changed during the pandemic. Moreover, we report an increase in satisfaction scores for elderly and those with health conditions in the pandemic years. We also find satisfaction of people without health insurance, and those whose premiums are covered by the state (green card holders) does not change. Our analysis points Turkey did well in managing pandemic period in terms of healthcare services satisfaction.
Citation - WoS: 1
Citation - Scopus: 1
Unhappiness Among the Unemployed: The Roles of Descriptive Norms, Injunctive Norms and Personal Beliefs
(Wiley, 2025) Ugur, Zeynep B.; Durak, Aysenur
This study explores the influence of social norms and individual beliefs on the well-being of unemployed individuals in Turkey, a context marked by both chronic unemployment and a high societal valuation of employment. Using province-level representative data from the 2013 Life Satisfaction Survey, encompassing 196,203 observations, we analyse how descriptive norms (prevalence of unemployment) and injunctive norms (social pressures due to unemployment) at the province level affect the happiness of the unemployed. We utilized people's perception of employment for being respected in social life and personally feeling social pressure as a measure of individual beliefs. Multilevel regression results reveal that descriptive norms can modestly alleviate the adverse impact of unemployment, particularly for the short-term unemployed, while injunctive norms slightly intensify the unhappiness of being unemployed, especially in the short term. The unemployed's personal beliefs about the value of employment matter for their happiness. These findings underscore the theoretical implications of social norms in shaping the well-being of the unemployed and highlight the importance of individual beliefs in moderating these effects.