The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #53482

George D. Weiner, PhD, Levin College of Urban Affairs, Cleveland State University, 1717 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44115-2105, 216.687.6893, gweiner@fcp.org and Joseph Ahern, Federation for Community Planning, 1226 Huron Road, Suite 300, Cleveland, OH 44115.

In early 1998, the Ohio Department of Health initiated a telephone survey to help it better understand the health and health care needs of Ohio’s families, both insured and uninsured. The Gallup Organization interviewed one adult in each of 16,261 Ohio households, and obtained information about 5,788 children from interviews with adult family members. Records from Ohio’s 88 counties were weighted to reflect the age, gender and racial distribution in each county. The information collected included demographic and socioeconomic characteristics (including family size and income), health insurance coverage, access to care and financial burden, utilization of health care services, current health status and personal risk factors, and unmet health care needs.

This study uses these data to understand the relationships between poverty (both poor and near-poor, based on Federal poverty thresholds) and risk factors (including body mass index, smoking, and physical activity), access and utilization (health insurance, usual source of care, screening, health professional and dental visits, ED use), and health status (SF12 scores, chronic conditions, and activities of daily living). This study also explores the independent effect of poverty on health risk factors, access and utilization, and health status, after adjusting for age, gender, and other predisposing and enabling characteristics.

Learning Objectives:

At the conclusion of the session, participants will be able to:
• Understand the logic, organization, and findings the Ohio Family Health Survey.
• Identify the principal antecedents of urban and rural poverty.
• Understand the consequences of poverty, including health risk behaviors, access to care, and health status.

Keywords: Poverty, Access to Health Care

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.