Factors Associated With Health Care Delays Among Adults Over 50 During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Adults over 50 have high health care needs but also face high coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-related vulnerability. This may result in a reluctance to enter public spaces, including health care settings. Here, we examined factors associated with health care delays among adults over 50 early in the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods

Using data from the 2020 wave of the Health and Retirement Study (N = 7 615), we evaluated how race/ethnicity, age, geographic region, and pandemic-related factors were associated with health care delays.

Results

In our sample, 3 in 10 participants who were interviewed from March 2020 to June 2021 reported delays in medical or dental care in the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. Non-Hispanic Whites (odds ratio [OR]: 1.37; 95% c

SUBMITTER: Chan ACY 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9452159 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature