Racial/ethnic differences in children's access to care.
OBJECTIVE
This study explored reasons for racial and ethnic differences in children's usual sources of care.


METHODS
Data from the 1996 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey were examined by means of logistic regression techniques.


RESULTS
Black and Hispanic children were substantially less likely than White children to have a usual source of care. These differences persisted after control for health insurance and socioeconomic status. Control for language ability, however, eliminated differences between Hispanic and White children.


CONCLUSIONS
Results suggest that the marked Hispanic disadvantage in children's access to care noted in earlier studies may be related to language ability.
Weinick
R M
RM
Center for Primary Care Research, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD 20852, USA. rweinick@ahrq.gov
Krauss
N A
NA
D000293:Adolescent; D001741:Black or African American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D001213:Asian / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002648:Child; D002662:Child Health Services / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003144:Communication Barriers; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D005102:Health Expenditures / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007348:Insurance, Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D044465:White People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*