This study investigated the association between student debt and healthcare service usage utilizing pooled data collected from the 2015 to 2018 waves of the National Financial Capability Study. The findings of this study suggest that, when compared to those without student debt, student debt holders have a lower likelihood of filling prescriptions…

Historically, sexual and gender minority populations may have faced multiple Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and their utilization of preventive healthcare is low. However, sociocultural changes in attitudes and policies affecting sexual and gender minority populations signal their broader societal acceptance. We examined the prevalence of…

Objective: To examine the health literacy of college students. Participants: A convenience sample of 245 graduate and undergraduate college students. Methods: During February-April of 2018 participants completed the Short Test of Functional Health Literacy which assessed literacy on two passages describing a thyroid scan, and basic healthcare…

Unmet social needs--including food, housing, and utilities--have been associated with negative health outcomes, but most prior research has examined the health associations with a single unmet need or analyzed samples that were homogeneous along one or more dimensions (e.g., older adults or patients with chronic health conditions). We examined the…

Using 2-year panel data, this study examined (1) whether experiencing financial hardship associated with out-of-pocket medical expenditures affected delaying/missing necessary health care in the following year; (2) whether such financial hardship mediated the effects of predisposing, enabling, and need characteristics on timely health care access…

Background: Health self-efficacy (the confidence to take care of one's health) is a key component in ensuring that individuals are active partners in their health and health care. The purpose of this study was to determine the association between financial hardship and health self-efficacy among African American men and to determine if unmet…

Background: Understanding the gaps in knowledge about human papilloma virus (HPV) infection, transmission, and health consequences and factors associated with the knowledge gap is an essential first step for the development of interventions to improve adherence to follow-up among women with abnormal Pap smears. Purpose: To examine the relationship…

Research on African American men's health is limited. Perception and knowledge of health may have a significant effect on health seeking behavior and self care. This study was designed to examine factors that may influence health perception and knowledge among African American males. This is a cross-sectional study of 343 African American males…