title: Health status and health professional visits in a rural area.
abstract: Visits to physicians (MDs), physician assistants (PAs) or nurse practitioners (NPs) by residents of a rural county in the upper-middle west of the United States were analysed in this study. A telephone survey yielded 250 responses. The dependent variable was the natural logarithm of the number of times the respondent had seen a health professional (MD, PA or NP) in the past two years. Predisposing, enabling and medical need variables were tested as potential predictors of visits. Self-rated health status, being unable to perform usual activities, and feeling upset or 'down in the dumps' proved to be important predictors, as was having a usual source of care. Health insurance coverage and family income was not, however. Unexpectedly, smokers also reported more visits. The implications for policy and future research are discussed.
authors.affiliation: University Health Service Centre, Lubbock, Texas, USA.
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Rohrer
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Vaughn
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Knott
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Westermann
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003625:Data Collection; D005260:Female; D006302:Health Services Research; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007484:Iowa / Q000453:epidemiology; D009819:Office Visits / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D019035:Rural Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012647:Self-Assessment