title: Effects of gender, disability, and age in the receipt of preventive services.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We extend research to examine relations between gender, disability, and age in the receipt of preventive services.
  
  
  METHODS
  We pool Medical Expenditure Panel Survey data for years 2001-2007. Using logit models, we examine the relations between gender, disability, and age and the receipt of preventive services.
  
  
  RESULTS
  For most services, both women and men with disabilities had higher probabilities of receiving preventive services relative to those without disabilities. There was a pattern of more significant differences for men relative to women. Predicted probabilities for receipt of services were significantly higher among older adults relative to younger adults. A usual source of care was a significant predictor across services. For example, we estimate that adults aged 18-64 with a place as a usual source of care received 59% of recommended services, whereas those with a person as a source of care received 63% of services relative to 47% for those without a usual source of care. Among older adults, the predicted percentage of preventive services received for no usual source of care was 52% and that for a place or a person as a usual source of care were 71% and 76%, respectively. Across gender, disability, and age, receipt of a range of clinical preventive services is suboptimal.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Policy actions that may mitigate the differences we observed include mechanisms to support access to a usual source of care, financial incentives to enhance the receipt of preventive services, and implementation of community-based prevention services with attention to their linkage to clinical care.
authors.affiliation: *Address correspondence to Nancy A. Miller, Department of Public Policy, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, 1000 Hilltop Circle, Baltimore MD 21250. E-mail: nanmille@umbc.edu.
authors.forename: Nancy A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.forename: Adele
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kirk
authors.forename: Brandy
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Alston
authors.forename: Lukas
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Glos
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D006233:Persons with Disabilities; D005260:Female; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000639:trends*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011314:Preventive Health Services; D012737:Sex Factors; D014481:United States; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Disabilities; Gender issues; Preventive medicine/care/services; Race