Association between the level of housing instability, economic standing and health care access: a meta-regression.
BACKGROUND
To determine the relationship between housing instability, economic standing, and access to health care and use of acute care services.


METHODS
We performed a meta-regression using four nationally representative surveys. The independent variable was an ordered measure of economic and housing instability: 1) the general population, 2) low-income population, 3) never homeless users-of-subsistence-services, 4) unstably housed, 5) formerly homeless, and 6) the actively homeless. Dependent variables were four measures of health care access and three measures of acute health care utilization.


RESULTS
Worsening housing instability and economic standing was associated with poorer access: being uninsured (5.4% per unit increase, 95% CI 1.7-9.2%, p=.011), postponing needed care (3.3%, 95% CI 1.9-4.7%, p=.001), postponing medications (6.1%, 95% CI 1.5-10.6%, p=.035), and with one measure of acute health care utilization: higher hospitalization rates (2.9%, 95% CI 1.2-4.6%, p=.008).


CONCLUSIONS
Economic and housing instability should be considered a graded risk factor for poor access to health care.
Reid
Kristen W
KW
Division of General Internal Medicine, University of California-San Francisco, CA 94143, USA.
Vittinghoff
Eric
E
Kushel
Margot B
MB
D006296:Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D054625:Healthcare Disparities / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006703:Ill-Housed Persons / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006798:Housing / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D017057:Medically Uninsured / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011203:Poverty / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014481:United States