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. 2019 May;27(3):693-705.
doi: 10.1111/hsc.12686. Epub 2018 Dec 7.

Modifiable health risk factors, related counselling, and treatment among patients in health centres

Hailun Liang  1 , May A Beydoun  2
Affiliations

Modifiable health risk factors, related counselling, and treatment among patients in health centres

Hailun Liang et al. Health Soc Care Community. 2019 May.

Abstract

Chronic disease burden and its related health risk factors are especially concentrated among the poor. Community health centres reach the nation's most vulnerable population. This study explored the prevalence, racial/ethnic, and gender disparities of five modifiable health risk factors and the receipt of related counselling and treatment among patients in U.S. federally qualified health centres. The 2014 Health Center Patient Survey was used for this study. We performed a cross-sectional study. Measures included tobacco use, excessive alcohol consumption, obese/overweight, high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, and five related counselling/treatment measures. Logistic regression models were conducted to examine the multivariable-adjusted putative associations of several sociodemographic and health-related factors with modifiable health risk and counselling/treatment measures. Preliminary findings revealed differences in modifiable health risk factors across different racial/ethnic groups, while few racial/ethnic differences existed in related counselling/treatment measures. In the multivariable-adjusted logistic regression models, these differences in health risk factors were still apparent, while associations between race/ethnicity status and counselling/treatment measures were not detected. Gender was also a predictor for four types of health risk measures and two types of counselling/treatment measures. Health centre patients had high rates of modifiable health risk factors. The rates were different across race/ethnicity groups, and the differences found did not always favour non-Hispanic Whites. However, the findings reveal equitable access to related counselling/treatment service among patients across race/ethnicity groups.

Keywords: community health centres; health risk factors; preventive services; vulnerable population.

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Conflict of interest statement

CONFLICT OF INTEREST

No conflicts of interest have been declared.

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