Access to and use of eye care services in rural arkansas.
BACKGROUND
Rural residents are more likely to be uninsured and have low income.


OBJECTIVE
To determine if rural residents in Arkansas have decreased access to eye care services and use them less frequently than urban residents.


METHODS
Data from the 2006 Visual Impairment and Access to Eye Care Module from the Arkansas Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) were used in the analysis. Adults age 40 years and older were included (n = 4,289). Results were weighted to reflect the age, race, and gender distribution of the population of Arkansas. Multiple logistic regression was used to adjust for demographic differences between rural and urban populations.


RESULTS
Significantly fewer rural residents (45%) reported having insurance coverage for eye care services compared with residents living in urban areas (55%). Rural residents were less likely (45%) than urban residents (49%) to have had a dilated eye exam within the past year. Among residents aged 40-64, those from rural areas were more likely than their urban counterparts to report cost/lack of insurance as the main reason for not having a recent eye care visit.


CONCLUSIONS
In 2006, rates of eye care insurance coverage were significantly lower for rural residents while use of eye care services differed slightly between rural and urban residents. Rural residents in Arkansas age 40-64 would benefit from having increased access to eye care insurance and/or low cost eye care services.
Kilmer
Greta
G
National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention & Health Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2990 Brandywine Road, Atlanta, GA 30341, USA. gfq8@cdc.gov
Bynum
LaTonya
L
Balamurugan
Appathurai
A
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001131:Arkansas; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D005128:Eye Diseases; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D054624:Health Status Disparities; D006801:Humans; D019458:Insurance Coverage / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016015:Logistic Models; D008507:Medically Underserved Area; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D016017:Odds Ratio; D009885:Ophthalmology; D019035:Rural Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014505:Urban Population