How did fear of COVID-19 affect access to healthcare in Central and Eastern Europe? Findings from populations aged 50 or older after the outbreak

This paper explores the characteristics of people aged 50 or older from eight CEE countries who reported forgoing healthcare due to fear of COVID-19. The sample of 13, 033 individuals was based on data from the SHARE Corona Survey combined with data from previous waves. We performed a multivariate logistic regression model for healthcare avoidance. The results suggested that women, younger older adults, better educated individuals, those in poorer health, and those with more chronic health conditions were more likely to avoid healthcare after the outbreak. Our findings may help policymakers better understand populations with unmet healthcare needs.