Men and differences by racial/ethnic group in self advocacy during the medical encounter
Received 22 January 2010; accepted 9 March 2010.
Abstract
Background
This study examines differences in medical self advocacy in men by racial/ethnic group.
Methods
This study used data from the 2000–2001 Household Component of the Community Tracking Survey. The study sample included 14,527 men aged 18–65 with at least 1 physician visit in the previous year. Binomial logit models were used to examine the predictors of self advocacy.
Results
Compared to White men, Hispanic and African American men were slightly more likely to seek health information (odds ratio (OR) = 1.05) and (OR = 1.13), however the finding was not significant. African American (0R = 0.59) men were less likely to mention health information they sought to a physician during the medical encounter than White men. Among those men who sought health information and mentioned that information to a physician, Hispanic men (OR = 3.57) were more likely to perceive that tests were ordered based upon health information mentioned to the physician than White men.
Conclusions
It is important for future studies to explore interventions to improve how African American men interface with the healthcare system.
aUniversity of Alabama at Birmingham, School of Health Professions, Health Services Administration, LRC 325A, 1530 3rd Ave South, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
bFlorida A & M University, Institute of Public Health, College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Frederick S. Humphries Science Research Center, 209-D, Tallahassee, FL, USA
cUniversity of Alabama at Birmingham, School of Health Professions, Health Services Administration Birmingham, AL, USA
dUniversity of South Carolina, Arnold School of Public Health, Health Services Policy and Management, Columbia, SC, USA
eUniversity of Alabama at Birmingham, UAB School of Public Health, Department of Health Care Organization and Policy, Birmingham, AL, USA
fUniversity of Alabama at Birmingham, Division of Preventive Medicine, Birmingham, AL, USA
ABSTRACT