The effect of primary care physician supply and income inequality on mortality among blacks and whites in US metropolitan areas.
OBJECTIVE
This study assessed whether income inequality and primary care physician supply have a different effect on mortality among Blacks compared with Whites.


METHODS
We conducted a multivariate ecologic analysis of 1990 data from 273 US metropolitan areas.


RESULTS
Both income inequality and primary care physician supply were significantly associated with White mortality (P < .01). After the inclusion of the socioeconomic status covariates, the effect of income inequality on Black mortality remained significant (P < .01), but the effect of primary care physician supply was no longer significant (P > .10), particularly in areas with high income inequality.


CONCLUSIONS
Improvement in population health requires addressing socioeconomic determinants of health, including income inequality and primary care availability and access.
Shi
L
L
Department of Health Policy and Management, Johns Hopkins School of Public Health and Hygiene, 624 N Broadway, Room 409, Baltimore, MD 21205-1996, USA. lshi@jhsph.edu
Starfield
B
B
D001741:Black or African American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D019352:Censuses; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income / Q000145:classification / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D009026:Mortality; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D010821:Physicians, Family / Q000600:supply & distribution*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014504:Urban Health / Q000145:classification / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D044465:White People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*