A cross-sectional study of associations between workforce connections and general trust in the US health care system

ObjectivesThe objective of the study is to examine associations between connections to the workforce and trust in the health care system in the United States.MethodsWe examine cross-sectional survey data from the 2024 Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS, n = 7,278) descriptively and statistically. After examining sample characteristics, trust is examined by income and primary employment status. Bivariate and multivariate ordinary least squares regression models are created to examine associations of trust in the health care system.ResultsThere are associations between connections to the workforce and trust in the United States' health care system. Students, retired people, and homemaker/caregivers have comparatively high trust in the health care system, although the association for retired people loses significance with controls and homemaker/caregiver findings are only significant with controls. People with a higher household income tend to trust the health care system more than people with a lower household income.ConclusionAccess to and payment for health care in the United States is interwoven with connections to the workforce, with trust seemingly associated with an ability to pay as indicated by income and employment status. Trust in the health care system is still high but is lower among key groups, especially those with lower household incomes and key occupational groups. Trust in this study was highest among those with lower workforce obligations who may still have indirect access to health care payment such as homemaker/caregivers, students, and older adults with access to public health care programs. These findings highlight the need to prioritize outreach and communication with different kinds of people who have low trust in the health care system.