Skip to main content
American Journal of Public Health logoLink to American Journal of Public Health
. 1990 Dec;80(Suppl):27–31. doi: 10.2105/ajph.80.suppl.27

Health care utilization barriers among Mexican Americans: evidence from HHANES 1982-84.

A L Estrada 1, F M Treviño 1, L A Ray 1
PMCID: PMC1404514  PMID: 9187578

Abstract

Data from the Hispanic Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (HHANES) conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics in 1982-1984 were analyzed to document the type of barriers encountered which prevented Mexican Americans from obtaining health care, the sociodemographic subgroups most vulnerable to such barriers, and to examine the combined effects of predisposing, enabling, and need characteristics on these barriers. The findings suggest, in general, that low income groups, younger age groups, the less acculturated, those who lack health insurance coverage, those with functional limitations, and those in poorer perceived health status encounter more barriers than others, and are prevented by these barriers from obtaining health care for themselves.

Full text

PDF

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Aday L. A., Andersen R. A framework for the study of access to medical care. Health Serv Res. 1974 Fall;9(3):208–220. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Andersen R. M., Giachello A. L., Aday L. A. Access of Hispanics to health care and cuts in services: a state-of-the-art overview. Public Health Rep. 1986 May-Jun;101(3):238–252. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Andersen R., Lewis S. Z., Giachello A. L., Aday L. A., Chiu G. Access to medical care among the Hispanic population of the southwestern United States. J Health Soc Behav. 1981 Mar;22(1):78–89. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Andersen R., Newman J. F. Societal and individual determinants of medical care utilization in the United States. Milbank Mem Fund Q Health Soc. 1973 Winter;51(1):95–124. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Chesney A. P., Chavira J. A., Hall R. P., Gary H. E., Jr Barriers to medical care of Mexican-Americans: the role of social class, acculturation, and social isolation. Med Care. 1982 Sep;20(9):883–891. doi: 10.1097/00005650-198209000-00002. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Delgado J. L., Johnson C. L., Roy I., Treviño F. M. Hispanic Health and Nutrition Examination Survey: methodological considerations. Am J Public Health. 1990 Dec;80 (Suppl):6–10. doi: 10.2105/ajph.80.suppl.6. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Hoppe S. K., Heller P. L. Alienation, familism and the utilization of health services by Mexican Americans. J Health Soc Behav. 1975 Sep;16(3):304–314. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Kasl S. V., Cobb S. Health behavior, illness behavior, and sick-role behavior. II. Sick-role behavior. Arch Environ Health. 1966 Apr;12(4):531–541. doi: 10.1080/00039896.1966.10664421. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Markides K. S., Levin J. S., Ray L. A. Determinants of physician utilization among Mexican-Americans. A three-generations study. Med Care. 1985 Mar;23(3):236–246. doi: 10.1097/00005650-198503000-00005. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Mechanic D. Correlates of physician utilization: why do major multivariate studies of physician utilization find trivial psychosocial and organizational effects? J Health Soc Behav. 1979 Dec;20(4):387–396. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Quesada G. M., Heller P. L. Sociocultural barriers to medical care among Mexican Americans in Texas: a summary report of research conducted by the Southwest Medical Sociology Ad Hoc Committee. Med Care. 1977 May;15(5 Suppl):93–101. doi: 10.1097/00005650-197705001-00010. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Roberts R. E., Lee E. S. Medical care use by Mexican-Americans: evidence from the human population laboratory studies. Med Care. 1980 Mar;18(3):267–281. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Rundall T. G. A suggestion for improving the behavioral model of physician utilization. J Health Soc Behav. 1981 Mar;22(1):103–104. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. SUCHMAN E. A. SOCIAL PATTERNS OF ILLNESS AND MEDICAL CARE. J Health Hum Behav. 1965;6:2–16. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Sheps C. G., Bachar M. Rural areas and personal health services: current strategies. Am J Public Health. 1981 Jan;71(1 Suppl):71–82. doi: 10.2105/ajph.71.1_suppl.71. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Trevino F. M., Bruhn J. G., Bunce H., 3rd Utilization of community mental health services in a Texas-Mexico border city. Soc Sci Med. 1979 May;13A(3):331–334. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Wolinsky F. D. Assessing the effects of predisposing, enabling, and illness-morbidity characteristics on health service utilization. J Health Soc Behav. 1978 Dec;19(4):384–396. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from American Journal of Public Health are provided here courtesy of American Public Health Association

RESOURCES