Prevalence and Risk Factors for Medical Debt and Subsequent Changes in Social Determinants of Health in the US.

ABSTRACT:

Importance

Cost barriers discourage many US residents from seeking medical care and many who obtain it experience financial hardship. However, little is known about the association between medical debt and social determinants of health (SDOH).

Objective

To determine the prevalence of and risk factors associated with medical debt and the association of medical debt with subsequent changes in the key SDOH of food and housing security.

Design, setting, and participants

Cross-sectional analyses using multivariable logistic regression models controlled for demographic, financial, insurance, and health-related factors, and prospective cohort analyses assessing changes over time using the 2018, 2019, and 2020 Surveys of Income and Program Participation. Participants were nat

SUBMITTER: Himmelstein DU 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9482049 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature