Access to Health-Care and Preventive Services Among Hispanics and Non-Hispanics—United States, 2001-2002

No Thumbnail Available

Date

2004

Advisor

Citation

Balluz, LS and Okoro, CA and Strine, TW and National Center for Chronic, Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (2004) Access to Health-Care and Preventive Services Among Hispanics and Non-Hispanics—United States, 2001-2002. JAMA, 292 (19). pp. 2331-2333.

Abstract

ALTHOUGH HISPANICS ARE THE LARGEST ethnic minority population in the United States, they are underserved by the health-care system.1 Hispanics are less likely to seek and receive health-care services, which might contribute to their poorer health status and higher rates of morbidity and mortality.2 To assess differences in access to health-care and preventive services between Hispanics and non-Hispanics, CDC analyzed 2001-2002 data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) surveys. This report summarizes the results of that analysis, which indicated that disparities exist in access to health-care and preventive services among Hispanics versus non-Hispanics. Public health authorities and health-care providers should implement strategies to reduce barriers to health-care and preventive services among Hispanics. BRFSS is a state-based, random-digit–dialed telephone survey of the U.S. civilian, noninstitutionalized population aged >18 years. All 50 states and the District of Columbia participated in the surveys for 2001-2002, the latest years for which data were available. Respondents with complete information on age, race/ethnicity, education, sex, marital status, and employment status were included. Analyses were adjusted for respondents’ sex, marital status (i.e., married, previously married, or never married), employment status (i.e., employed, unemployed, unable to work, retired, or homemaker/student), and selfrated general health status to control for potential confounders.

Notes

Rights