📄 Abstract
Type 2 diabetes has emerged as one of the most economically demanding chronic conditions in India, generating sustained out-of-pocket expenditure that disproportionately affects urban middle-income households. The present study examines the socioeconomic determinants of Type 2 diabetes-related out-of-pocket expenditure among patients in Vijayawada, with special reference to gender-based differences in the underlying patterns of care-seeking and cost burden. The study is based on primary data collected from 309 Type 2 diabetes patients aged 30 years and above, using a structured questionnaire, comprising 192 male respondents (62 per cent) and 117 female respondents (38 per cent). The analysis focuses on the age profile of patients, monthly household income, educational status, duration of diabetes since diagnosis, the type of healthcare facility primarily used and average monthly out-of-pocket expenditure on diabetes care. Descriptive statistical tools such as percentage analysis were used for data interpretation. The findings reveal that the patient sample is concentrated in the productive middle-age band of 36 to 55 years, with the median age computed at approximately 48 years. A substantial majority of patients belong to the lower-middle and middle income brackets, are moderately educated and have lived with diabetes for two to ten years. Private hospitals and clinics emerge as the dominant source of care, and monthly out-of-pocket expenditure clusters in the Rs. 2,500 to Rs. 5,000 range, with a meaningful minority spending in excess of Rs. 10,000. Female respondents demonstrate higher utilisation of private hospital care and higher out-of-pocket expenditure relative to their male counterparts, reflecting gender-differentiated patterns in chronic disease financing among urban households in tier-2 Andhra Pradesh.
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📚 How to Cite:
Chatragadda Harish Sesha Pavan M.A, , V. Sriram Narendra , SOCIOECONOMIC DETERMINANTS OF TYPE 2 DIABETES-RELATED OUT-OF-POCKET EXPENDITURE IN VIJAYAWADA CITY OF ANDHRA PRADESH , Volume 12 , Issue 6, June 2026, EPRA International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research (IJMR) , Pages: 66 - 73 , DOI: https://doi.org/10.36713/epra28185