Testing the behavioral model of health services use: Are disparities in diabetes diagnoses for young adults due to differences in help-seeking or diagnosis allocation?

Citation

Bellatorre, Anna (2014). Testing the behavioral model of health services use: Are disparities in diabetes diagnoses for young adults due to differences in help-seeking or diagnosis allocation?. 2014 Add Health Users Conference. Bethesda, MD.

Abstract

Early detection and continued monitoring of diabetes is vital for proper health maintenance for diabetics. However, diabetes is increasing among young adults, but it is unclear whether increased diabetes risk is being diagnosed accordingly across demographic groups. Andersen's Behavioral Model of Health Services Use (1995) provides a theoretical framework to assess if diabetes diagnostic disparities are due to differences in help seekingor differences in diagnostic screening among young adults with diabetes. Tests of Andersen's model among young adult diabetics from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (N=971) reveal no difference in help seeking across race/ethnic groups. However, although all race/ethnic groups are equally likely to seek care, large diagnostic disparities persist particularly for African Americans. As a result, young adult African American diabetics are five times less likely to receive a diagnosis for diabetes even when they seek care in the previous three months. Future research is necessary to determine what it is about doctor visits that contribute to this diagnostic disparity.

URL

https://addhealth.cpc.unc.edu/wp-content/uploads/docs/events/20140613_Add_Health_Users_Conference_Abstracts.pdf

Reference Type

Conference proceeding

Book Title

2014 Add Health Users Conference

Author(s)

Bellatorre, Anna

Year Published

2014

City of Publication

Bethesda, MD

Reference ID

6215