Kevin D. Frick, PhD¹, John T. Wulu, PhD², Robert Politzer, ScD², Barbara A. Bartman, MD, MPH³, Latecia Engram, MSPH⁴, and Shari W. Campbell, DPM⁴. (1) Department of Health Policy and Management, Johns Hopkins University, 624 N. Broadway, Rm. 606, Baltimore, MD 21205, 410-614-4018, kfrick@jhsph.edu, (2) Office of Policy, Evaluation, and Data, Bureau of Primary Health Care, HRSA/DHHS, 4350 East West Highway, 7th floor, Bethesda, MD 20814, (3) Clinical Quality Systems Branch of the Division of Clinical Quality, Bureau of Primary Health Care, HRSA/DHHS, 4350 East-West Highway, Room 9-3A2, Bethesda, MI 20814, (4) Health Care Systems Branch of the Division of State and Community Assistance, Bureau of Primary Health Care, HRSA/DHHS, East West Towers, 4350 East West Highway, Bethesda, MD 20814

Healthy People 2010 sets goals for increasing the utilization of preventive care services and decreasing health disparities. This study determines whether demographic and socioeconomic gaps in the utilization of screening services exist among community health center (CHC) patients and the general low-income population. The data used are from the 1995 and 2002 CHC user surveys, and the 2000 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS). Descriptive and bivariate analyses were applied to describe distributions of variables and compare preventive care delivery proportions between populations over time. Using logistic regression models, data from the 2002 CHC User Survey and the 2000 NHIS Survey were analyzed to assess the relative importance of the demographic and socioeconomic variables in predicting use of selected preventive screening services. Findings of the study include: CHC patients in general and specific subpopulations are more likely to obtain cancer screening services than their low-income counterparts in the general population; CHC patients had similar or better rates of female cancer screening based on insurance population subgroups; pap smear and mammography utilization rates were significantly higher for low-income Hispanic CHC patients than for low-income Hispanic women in the general population; and significant differences for women grouped by urbanicity or self-reported health status favoered CHC users over the general low-income population. This study may guide policy makers in developing strategies to ensure delivery and utilization of timely screening services to the nation’s vulnerable populations as the number size of the vulnerable population increases.

Learning Objectives:

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• To understand changes in the demographics of Community Health Center users from 1995-2002. (
• To understand variation by race, insurance, urbanicity, poverty status, and health status in utilization of preventive care services among CHC users. (
• To understand diffrences in preventive service utilization between Community Health Center users and the general low income population.

Keywords: Community Health Centers, Prevention

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.