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. 2021 Jun:58:7-14.
doi: 10.1016/j.annepidem.2021.03.001. Epub 2021 Mar 7.

Regional and socioeconomic predictors of perceived ability to access coronavirus testing in the United States: results from a nationwide online COVID-19 survey

Shahmir H Ali  1 , Yesim Tozan  2 , Abbey M Jones  3 , Joshua Foreman  4 , Ariadna Capasso  1 , Ralph J DiClemente  5
Affiliations

Regional and socioeconomic predictors of perceived ability to access coronavirus testing in the United States: results from a nationwide online COVID-19 survey

Shahmir H Ali et al. Ann Epidemiol. 2021 Jun.

Abstract

Purpose: Access to COVID-19 testing remained a salient issue during the early months of the pandemic, therefore this study aimed to identify 1) regional and 2) socioeconomic predictors of perceived ability to access Coronavirus testing.

Methods: An online survey using social media-based advertising was conducted among U.S. adults in April 2020. Participants were asked whether they thought they could acquire a COVID-19 test, along with basic demographic, socioeconomic and geographic information.

Results: A total of 6,378 participants provided data on perceived access to COVID-19 testing. In adjusted analyses, we found higher income and possession of health insurance to be associated with perceived ability to access Coronavirus testing. Geographically, perceived access was highest (68%) in East South Central division and lowest (39%) in West North Central. Disparities in health insurance coverage did not directly correspond to disparities in perceived access to COVID-19 testing.

Conclusions: Sex, geographic location, income, and insurance status were associated with perceived access to COVID-19 testing; interventions aimed at improving either access or awareness of measures taken to improve access are warranted. These findings from the pandemic's early months shed light on the importance of disaggregating perceived and true access to screening during such crises.

Keywords: COVID-19; Socio-economic; Testing; coronavirus; disparities; geographic.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Conceptual framework on relationship between true and perceived ability to access COVID-19 testing.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Geographic disparities in perceived access to COVID-19 testing and health insurance status in the study population, April 2020. (For interpretation of the references to color in this figure legend, the reader is referred to the Web version of this article.)
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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