title: Teens and Preventive Care Use: Implications for EPSDT Outreach.
abstract: Teens have low overall preventive care utilization compared to other age groups. Low health care use by teens is a result of a variety of complex economic, social, and cultural factors. This study, completed by one local community health board responsible for the administration of the Early Periodic Screening Diagnosis and Treatment (EPSDT) program, produced findings that enhanced outreach to teens and supported the medical providers who serve them. More than 800 teens and young adults from a variety of cultures and communities across an urban Minnesota county were surveyed to understand the conditions under which they do and do not seek medical care. Findings suggest teens with structural barriers associated with poverty such as lack of insurance and transportation to clinics could benefit from intentional connections to medical programs. Psychosocial barriers, revolving around trust, relationships with providers, communication, and privacy, might be ameliorated through enhanced education and targeted outreach to clinics and teens, activities appropriate under the objectives and program activities of EPSDT. This study could be replicated in any community to gather data unique to local populations being served.
authors.affiliation: a Saint Paul-Ramsey County Public Health Department , Saint Paul , Minnesota , USA.
authors.forename: Anita M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Larson
authors.forename: Tehout
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Selameab
authors.forename: Beverly
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bushyhead
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D003159:Community-Institutional Relations; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening; D008910:Minnesota; D011314:Preventive Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D019037:Urban Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Adolescents; health care barriers; preventive care utilization