The Relationship Between Accessibility to Maternal and Child Health Centers and Maternal and Child Health Indicators: Focusing on Maternal and Child Health Care Service Areas

Abstract

Various government policies are being implemented to address the issues of low birth rates and an aging population. However, the infrastructure for childbirth is deteriorating due to a decline in delivery medical institutions and a shortage of medical personnel. This problem is particularly acute in rural areas, where the gap in medical accessibility is widening, making the establishment of infrastructure based on medical service zones an urgent matter. This study analyzes the accessibility of healthcare for pregnant women and newborns by establishing maternal and child healthcare service areas and proposes ways to improve delivery infrastructure based on this analysis. The service areas were identified using a modified Dartmouth Atlas methodology based on Hierarchical Clustering. A total of 31 service areas were identified. Additionally, maternal and child health indicators by service area were analyzed, and the correlation with the travel distance to maternal healthcare centers was examined. The results showed that in areas where the travel distance was above-average, both the maternal and child health indicators had higher mortality rates. However, t-test and Pearson correlation analyses revealed no statistically significant correlations , except in the case of maternal mortality rates. This study confirms the need to address regional disparities in medical accessibility and to strengthen delivery infrastructure. The findings can serve as important foundational data for future maternal and child healthcare policy development.