Examining Health-Seeking Behavior among Diverse Ethnic Subgroups within Black Populations in the United States and Canada: A Cross-Sectional Study

Yordanos M. Tiruneh (), Oluwatunmininu Anwoju, Ariel C. Harrison, Martha T. Garcia and Shauna K. Elbers
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Yordanos M. Tiruneh: School of Medicine, University of Texas at Tyler, Tyler, TX 75708, USA
Oluwatunmininu Anwoju: HCA Houston Healthcare, Kingwood, TX 77339, USA
Ariel C. Harrison: School of Public Health, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA
Martha T. Garcia: School of Medicine, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA
Shauna K. Elbers: School of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences, University of Washington Bothell, Bothell, WA 98011, USA

IJERPH, 2024, vol. 21, issue 3, 1-12

Abstract: The Black populations, often treated as ethnically homogenous, face a constant challenge in accessing and utilizing healthcare services. This study examines the intra-group differences in health-seeking behavior among diverse ethnic subgroups within Black communities. A cross-sectional analysis included 239 adults ≥18 years of age who self-identified as Black in the United States and Canada. Multiple logistic regression assessed the relationship between health-seeking behaviors and ethnic origin, controlling for selected social and health-related factors. The mean age of the participants was 38.6 years, 31% were male, and 20% were unemployed. Sixty-one percent reported a very good or excellent health status, and 59.7% were not receiving treatment for chronic conditions. Advancing age (OR = 1.05, CI: 1.01–1.09), female gender (OR = 3.09, CI: 1.47–6.47), and unemployment (OR = 3.46, CI: 1.35–8.90) were associated with favorable health-seeking behaviors. Compared with the participants with graduate degrees, individuals with high school diplomas or less (OR = 3.80, CI: 1.07–13.4) and bachelor’s degrees (OR = 3.57, CI: 1.3–9.23) were more inclined to have engaged in favorable health-seeking behavior compared to those with graduate degrees. Across the Black communities in our sample, irrespective of ethnic origins or country of birth, determinants of health-seeking behavior were age, gender, employment status, and educational attainment.

Keywords: African American; African; Caribbean; healthcare utilization; ethnic disparities; health-seeking behavior; intra-group difference; black populations; ethnic subgroups (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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