Access to Preventive Services for Working-Age Adults With Physical Limitations

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Health Services Research
• Disability Studies

Background:

• Access to preventive healthcare services is crucial for maintaining the health of working-age adults.
• Disparities in healthcare access may exist for individuals with physical limitations.
• Understanding these disparities is essential for developing targeted interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the differences in the utilization of preventive services among working-age adults with and without physical limitations.
• To compare access to blood pressure checks, flu shots, and dental visits across different limitation groups.

Main Methods:

• Utilized observational data from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) spanning 2003-2012.
• Included a large cohort of noninstitutionalized U.S. working-age adults (N=75,145).
• Employed multivariate analyses to assess preventive service utilization based on physical limitation status.

Main Results:

• Adults with physical limitations showed higher rates of blood pressure checks (92.2%) and flu shots (39.7%) compared to those with no limitations (69.6% and 23.4%, respectively).
• Conversely, individuals with physical limitations had lower dental visit rates (44.7%) than those without limitations (59.4%).
• Having a usual source of care was associated with increased odds of receiving preventive services across all groups.

Conclusions:

• Physical limitations are associated with differential access to key preventive services, with higher uptake of some but lower uptake of others.
• Policies aimed at strengthening provider networks and ensuring continuity of care are recommended to improve preventive service access for adults with physical limitations.
• Further research may explore the specific barriers and facilitators to dental care access for this population.