title: The role of weight, race, and health care experiences in care use among young men and women.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Increases in overweight and obesity (O/O)-related morbidities and health care costs raise questions about how weight influences patients' health care use and care experiences. Past research has been inconsistent; however, prior study designs and samples have limited exploration of how this association might be influenced by gender, race, and the joint impact of these factors.
  
  
  METHODS
  This analysis of 1,036 young, relatively healthy, ethnically diverse, insured adults assessed the influence of O/O, gender, and race on, and the role of health care experiences in primary and preventive care use over a 12-month period.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The association of weight status with care use differed by gender. O/O men used more primary care visits; O/O women used fewer preventive care visits than their healthy weight counterparts. O/O men had poorer health care experiences than healthy weight men. African-American women reported poorer experiences, but those who were O/O reported greater trust in their provider. Care experience ratings did not explain the associations between BMI and care use.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Gender, race, and visit type together provide a context for O/O patient's care that may not be explained by care experiences. This context must be considered in efforts to encourage appropriate use of services.
authors: Social and Behavioral Research Branch, National Human Genome Research Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.
authors: Susan
authors: S
authors: Persky
authors: Hendrik D
authors: HD
authors: de Heer
authors: Colleen M
authors: CM
authors: McBride
authors: Robert J
authors: RJ
authors: Reid
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000208:ethnology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight / Q000208:ethnology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D015233:Models, Statistical; D009765:Obesity / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000628:therapy; D050177:Overweight / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000628:therapy; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D011314:Preventive Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D044469:Racial Groups / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012737:Sex Factors; D044465:White People / Q000208:ethnology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data