Travel Burden for Medical Care: How Residence and Race Matter
Author Information
Author(s): Janice C Probst, Sarah B Laditka, Jong-Yi Wang, Andrew O Johnson
Primary Institution: University of South Carolina
Hypothesis
The study aims to quantify geographic and race-based differences in distance traveled and time spent in travel for medical/dental care.
Conclusion
Rural residents and African Americans experience higher travel burdens than urban residents or whites when seeking medical/dental care.
Supporting Evidence
- Rural residents traveled an average of 17.5 miles for care compared to 8.3 miles for urban residents.
- African Americans spent an average of 29.1 minutes traveling for care, while whites spent 20.6 minutes.
- 7.9% of persons seeking care traveled 30 miles or more, with rural residents being four times more likely to do so than urban residents.
Takeaway
People living in rural areas and African Americans have to travel further and spend more time getting to medical care compared to those living in cities or white people.
Methodology
The study used data from the 2001 National Household Travel Survey, focusing on trips made for medical/dental care by analyzing distance and time spent traveling.
Potential Biases
The low response rate of 41% may not fully represent all populations, particularly minorities.
Limitations
The study's data source may oversimplify travel for care by grouping all trips as 'medical/dental' and does not account for those who avoid care due to anticipated travel burdens.
Participant Demographics
The study included a nationally representative sample of households, with a focus on rural and urban residents and various racial/ethnic groups.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.0001
Confidence Interval
95% CI 1.39–5.15 for rural travel burden, 95% CI 2.00–4.62 for African American travel burden.
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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