Intersection of living in a rural versus urban area and race/ethnicity in explaining access to health care in the United States

J.T. Caldwell, C.L. Ford, S.P. Wallace, M.C. Wang and L.M. Takahashi

American Journal of Public Health, 2016, vol. 106, issue 8, 1463-1469

Abstract: Objectives. To examine whether living in a rural versus urban area differentially exposes populations to social conditions associated with disparities in access to health care. Methods. We linked Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (2005-2010) data to geographic data from the American Community Survey (2005-2009) and Area Health Resource File (2010). We categorized census tracts as rural and urban by using the Rural-Urban Commuting Area Codes. Respondent sample sizes ranged from 49 839 to 105 306. Outcomes were access to a usual source of health care, cholesterol screening, cervical screening, dental visit within recommended intervals, and health care needs met. Results. African Americans in rural areas had lower odds of cholesterol screening (odds ratio[OR] = 0.37;95%confidence interval[CI] = 0.25,0.57) andcervical screening(OR= 0.48; 95% CI = 0.29, 0.80) than African Americans in urban areas. Whites had fewer screenings and dental visits in rural versus urban areas. There were mixed results for which racial/ ethnic group had better access. Conclusions. Rural status confers additional disadvantage for most of the health care use measures, independently of poverty and health care supply. © 2013 American Public Health Association.

Keywords: cholesterol, adolescent; adult; African American; ancestry group; blood; Caucasian; dental procedure; ethnic group; female; health care delivery; Hispanic; human; male; middle aged; patient care; rural population; socioeconomics; statistics and numerical data; United States; urban population; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms; young adult, Adolescent; Adult; African Americans; Cholesterol; Continental Population Groups; Dental Care; Ethnic Groups; European Continental Ancestry Group; Female; Health Services Accessibility; Hispanic Americans; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Patient-Centered Care; Rural Population; Socioeconomic Factors; United States; Urban Population; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms; Young Adult (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2016
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (13)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:aph:ajpbhl:10.2105/ajph.2016.303212_6

DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2016.303212

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