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Related Experiment Videos

Healthy skepticism.

James E Rohrer1, Tyrone F Borders

  • 1Health Services Research, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Amarillo, TX 79130, USA. James.Rohrer@ttuhsc.edu

Preventive Medicine
|November 13, 2004
PubMed
Summary

Medical skepticism, the belief in self-care, is linked to better health in older adults. Health disparities persist for low-income, less educated, and minority elderly populations.

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Area of Science:

  • Gerontology
  • Public Health
  • Health Disparities

Background:

  • Investigating factors influencing health perceptions in the elderly is crucial for targeted interventions.
  • Understanding the role of medical skepticism in health outcomes among older adults is an emerging area of research.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine the association between medical skepticism and self-rated health in the elderly population.
  • To identify health disparities among vulnerable elderly subgroups.

Main Methods:

  • A cross-sectional telephone survey was conducted with 5,006 individuals aged 65 and over in West Texas.
  • Data included measures of medical skepticism, health disparities (income, education, race/ethnicity, gender, rural residence), and control variables.

Main Results:

  • Medical skepticism was independently associated with better self-rated overall health.
  • Significant health disparities were observed based on income, race/ethnicity, and education level.
  • No significant disparities were found for rural or frontier residents compared to urban residents.

Conclusions:

  • The positive association between medical skepticism and health warrants further investigation.
  • Interventions promoting self-care may be beneficial for elderly populations experiencing health disparities.
  • Addressing socioeconomic and racial/ethnic factors is essential for improving elderly health outcomes.

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