Evaluating the effect of Japan’s 2004 postgraduate training programme on the spatial distribution of physicians

Table 9 Results of multivariate ordinary least-squares regression models for physicians working at the clinics^a

	1998 to 2002				2006 to 2010				P-*value*of coefficient equality test
Main predictors of interest	Estimated coefficient	SE ^b	95% CIs ^c	P- *value*	Estimated coefficient	SE ^b	95% CIs ^c	P- *value*	P-*value*of coefficient equality test
Measure of public health need
Age-adjusted mortality	-30.98	16.38	[-63.08 to 1.12]	.059	49.23	25.59	[-0.93 to 99.39]	.0544	.009
Hospital physician density^d	9.90	3.02	[3.98 to 15.83]	.001	23.53	3.87	[15.95 to 31.1]	< .001	.006
Clinic physician density^e	-17.27	6.96	[-30.92 to -3.63]	.013	-19.64	8.58	[-36.46 to -2.83]	.022	.830
Measure of residential quality
Urban centre	2.90	5.87	[-8.6 to 14.39]	.622	21.00	7.08	[7.12 to 34.88]	.003	.050
Suburban	-4.84	2.62	[-9.97 to 0.29]	.064	1.50	3.34	[-5.05 to 8.04]	.654	.136
Rural area	Reference				Reference
SES composite index^f	7.55	1.81	[4.01 to 11.1]	<.001	8.57	2.37	[3.93 to 13.21]	< .001	.734

^aThe models included the control variables: total population, number of primary school students per number of primary schools, crime rate, discomfort index calculated by temperature and humidity, hospital beds per 1,000 population, and the presence or absence of medical schools.
^bStandard error.
^cConfidence intervals.
^dRatio of number of physicians working at the hospitals to population.
^eRatio of number of physicians working at the clinics to population.
^fSocioeconomic status (SES) composite index was created from the percent of the population with a college-level education, percent of white-collar workers, the unemployment rate, and per capita income.

ISSN: 1478-4491