Date of Conferral

2018

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Public Health

Advisor

James Rohrer

Abstract

Diabetes is among the leading causes of death in Connecticut. An approximate of 330,000 adults in Connecticut have diabetes (diagnosed and undiagnosed). Those with diabetes have almost twice the risk of premature death throughout various age groups. The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to investigate whether disparities exist in access to medical care due to race and ethnicity; among adults with diabetes in the state of Connecticut. Furthermore, this study used the Andersen's behavioral model framework. Survey data from the behavioral risk factor surveillance system (BRFSS) were also analyzed. The research study covered 3 years (2013 to 2015) of data collection in the BRFSS (N = 3,091). Race and ethnicity were the primary independent variables. The 3 dependent variables were: source of care, length of time since routine check-up, and doctor's visit during the past 12 months. The overall data suggest that the disparity is significant in household income. Those who had healthcare coverage, higher income, and older age were significantly different from their counterparts in terms of length of time since the last routine checkup. In the regression analysis, healthcare coverage, income level and educational were the significant predictors of log length of time since the last routine checkup. Those who are Black, single, higher annual household income, and higher educational level, were significantly different from their counterparts in terms of doctors' visits during the past 12 months. The implication for social change is that policymakers must act both to eliminate barriers and challenge structures that encourage disproportionate income advantages for White households.

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