Primary care experience and racial disparities in self-reported health status.
BACKGROUND
Access to high quality primary care was identified by Healthy People 2010 as one of the mechanisms through which racial and ethnic disparities in health might be reduced. Despite the well-established connections between good primary care and health, the scientific evidence on whether good primary care can reduce racial disparities in health is sparse.


OBJECTIVE
To examine whether better primary care experience can attenuate racial and ethnic disparities in self-reported health status.


METHODS
The 1996 to 1997 and 1998 to 1999 data from the Community Tracking Study (CTS) sponsored by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.


METHODS
Cross-sectional, bivariate, and multivariate analyses of inter-relationships between self-rated general and mental health status, access to and interpersonal relationship with primary care provider, and vulnerability measured by race and poverty status.


RESULTS
We found that higher quality primary care levels are associated with reduced racial and ethnic disparities in health status, as measured by self-rated general and mental health. This relationship is particularly pronounced for the racial and ethnic minorities living at or below poverty level. Based on the data from 1996 to 1999, the study also confirmed the presence of significant and persistent health differences across racial and ethnic groups.


CONCLUSIONS
Promoting primary care may be a viable approach toward reducing racial and ethnic disparities in self-reported health status.
Shi
Leiyu
L
Department of Health Policy and Management, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21205-1996, USA. lshi@jhsph.edu
Green
Lisa H
LH
Kazakova
Sophia
S
D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000592:standards*; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D008913:Minority Groups; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000592:standards*; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D012189:Retrospective Studies