Health disparities among America's health care providers: Evidence from the Integrated Health Interview Series, 1982 - 2004

BACKGROUND: Substantial health disparities have been documented for the general population, yet there is a dearth of research on health disparities among health care providers. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to examine the extent to which health status and work loss days due to illness or injury differ by race/ethnicity and health care workforce category. METHOD: Data are US health care workforce of aged 20-64 between 1982 and 2004 from the Integrated Health Interview Series, a cross-sectional time series of harmonized data from the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS). Outcomes of interest are self-reported health status and work-loss days due to injury or illness. Independent variables include workforce categories, race/ethnicity, age, sex, marital status, and educational attainment. Trends in health status and work loss days are examined by workforce category over time using ordered probit regression and Poisson regression analyses. Racial disparities within workforce categories are also examined over time. RESULTS: Overall, the proportion of health care workers reporting excellent health has declined over time. Interestingly, health status differs significantly by workforce category. Moreover, there is a clear social gradient across workforce categories, which is widening over time. Within workforce categories, there are significant racial disparities among health treating occupations and among health technicians. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that health disparities do exist among health care workers. Health status of healthcare workers needs to be taken into account when setting policies and implementing programs intended to increase access to health care and create a healthy diverse workforce.