Patterns of Health Care Utilization of Mexican American Women

Abstract

Studies on the health care utilization patterns of Mexican Americans have traditionally focused on cultural differences and, at times, cost constraints to explain use. The type of health care services used (preventive, symptomatic, therapeutic) have seldom been differentiated. This study provides evidence that cultural differences and cost constraints do not fully account for utilization when types of services are differentiated. A third explanation, based on perceived inadequacies of the delivery system was also studied.

Particularly of interest were the findings: women whose income brackets were between $5,000 and $10,000 had the lowest utilization rates and delivery system characteristics were predominate as predictors of utilization.

The latter finding has far reaching policy ramifications. It has failed to surface in the past because attitudes related to culture have been overestimated and the delivery system characteristics ignored or left out.

The results suggest that better financial access (income, insurance, etc.) will not enhance use without improvement in the delivery system. An exception to this was the finding that when women had insurance that paid for doctor visits utilization was enhanced.