Time since last health check-up among Florida residents: an urban vs. rural healthcare utilization study
Abstract
Introduction and Objective. Existing research has found that those in rural areas often have less access to healthcare and utilize the healthcare system less. Given that healthcare resources are allocated by the state, analyzing disparities at this level is warranted. This study aims to determine whether Florida residents living in rural areas experience higher odds of inadequate time since their last health checkup compared to those living in urban areas. Methods. A cross-sectional study of adult Florida residents was conducted utilizing data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) database for the years 2018-2020 and 2022. Patients without no residency or last checkup data were excluded. The primary outcome variable was time since last health checkup, dichotomized as inadequate being more than a year and adequate being less than a year. The exposure variable was rural versus urban residency status as defined by Florida in the database. Unadjusted and adjusted odds ratios (OR) were obtained utilizing logistic regression. Results. Of the 10,190 participants living in rural areas, 20.6% experienced inadequate time since the last checkup as compared to 21.8% of 45,612 participants from urban areas. The unadjusted odds of inadequate checkup were 7% lower in the rural group as compared to the urban group [OR 0.93; 95% CI 0.80-1.07; p=0.324]. After adjusting for potential confounders, the odds of an inadequate checkup in the rural group were 17% lower [aOR 0.83; 95% CI 0.70-0.99; p=0.034]. Incidental differences in the frequency of inadequate check-up time were observed for sex, age, some racial groups (NH Black and Hispanic), lack of insurance, deferring care due to cost, and fair to poor health status. Conclusions-Implications. The study found that rural residents in Florida have lower odds of inadequate checkup compared to their urban counterparts. This finding differs from other state, national, and international populations, where rural populations typically have more inadequate checkup. This may be due to Florida’s rapid urbanization and the inconsistency or rural definitions. Additional studies are needed to further explore Florida’s rural population on the community level, as well as to conduct similar research in other state populations.
Abstract Category
27. Public Health
Secondary Abstract Category
5. Dermatology
Keywords
rural, urban, disparities, annual checkup, healthcare utilization
Presentation Type
Poster Presentation
Time since last health check-up among Florida residents: an urban vs. rural healthcare utilization study
Introduction and Objective. Existing research has found that those in rural areas often have less access to healthcare and utilize the healthcare system less. Given that healthcare resources are allocated by the state, analyzing disparities at this level is warranted. This study aims to determine whether Florida residents living in rural areas experience higher odds of inadequate time since their last health checkup compared to those living in urban areas. Methods. A cross-sectional study of adult Florida residents was conducted utilizing data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) database for the years 2018-2020 and 2022. Patients without no residency or last checkup data were excluded. The primary outcome variable was time since last health checkup, dichotomized as inadequate being more than a year and adequate being less than a year. The exposure variable was rural versus urban residency status as defined by Florida in the database. Unadjusted and adjusted odds ratios (OR) were obtained utilizing logistic regression. Results. Of the 10,190 participants living in rural areas, 20.6% experienced inadequate time since the last checkup as compared to 21.8% of 45,612 participants from urban areas. The unadjusted odds of inadequate checkup were 7% lower in the rural group as compared to the urban group [OR 0.93; 95% CI 0.80-1.07; p=0.324]. After adjusting for potential confounders, the odds of an inadequate checkup in the rural group were 17% lower [aOR 0.83; 95% CI 0.70-0.99; p=0.034]. Incidental differences in the frequency of inadequate check-up time were observed for sex, age, some racial groups (NH Black and Hispanic), lack of insurance, deferring care due to cost, and fair to poor health status. Conclusions-Implications. The study found that rural residents in Florida have lower odds of inadequate checkup compared to their urban counterparts. This finding differs from other state, national, and international populations, where rural populations typically have more inadequate checkup. This may be due to Florida’s rapid urbanization and the inconsistency or rural definitions. Additional studies are needed to further explore Florida’s rural population on the community level, as well as to conduct similar research in other state populations.