Distribution of illnesses and its implications in a rural community

Abstract

This study is a continuation of a series of reports on the utilization of health care services in a southern rural community. In this investigation the distribution of the utilization of medical care services is assessed with respect to reported illnesses and related disabilities. It is found that whites report significantly more illnesses, disabilities and physicians visits than blacks. Furthermore, even when controlling for disability and illness, whites use more physician services than blacks. The differential in utilization may be due to varying interpretations of the survey questions possibly reflecting different cultures and lifestyles and/or dissimilar expectations of the health care system in blacks having experienced greater barriers to access in the past.