Neighborhood Characteristics and Health Care Use in Older Adults
Author Information
Author(s): Toseef Mohammad Usama
Primary Institution: Oakland University/Corewell Health, Farmington Hills, Michigan, United States
Hypothesis
How do neighborhood characteristics and race/ethnicity interact to affect healthcare use among older adults?
Conclusion
Older Arab Americans are more likely to test positive for SARS-CoV-2 and experience higher rates of hospitalization and emergency department revisits compared to their White counterparts.
Supporting Evidence
- Older Arab Americans in the 3rd and 4th quintiles of neighborhood disadvantage were more likely to test positive for SARS-CoV-2 than Whites.
- Arab Americans in the 4th quintile were more likely to be admitted to the hospital compared to Whites.
- Arab Americans in the 3rd quintile had higher rates of emergency department revisits and re-hospitalizations within 30 days compared to Whites.
Takeaway
This study found that where older people live can affect their health care use, especially for Arab Americans compared to White people.
Methodology
Retrospective study using logistic regression models to analyze healthcare use among older adults tested for SARS-CoV-2.
Participant Demographics
Patients aged 65 years and older, including older Arab Americans and Whites.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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