Examining Health-Seeking Behavior among Diverse Ethnic Subgroups within Black Populations in the United States and Canada: A Cross-Sectional Study

Authors

• Yordanos M. Tiruneh, University of Texas at TylerFollow
• Oluwatunmininu Anwoju, HCA Houston Healthcare
• Ariel C. Harrison, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
• Martha T. Garcia, University of Texas Medical Branch
• Shauna K. Elbers

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

Spring 3-19-2024

Abstract

The Black populations, often treated as ethnically homogenous, face a constant challenge in accessing and utilizing healthcare services. This study examines the intra-group differences in health-seeking behavior among diverse ethnic subgroups within Black communities. A cross-sectional analysis included 239 adults ≥18 years of age who self-identified as Black in the United States and Canada. Multiple logistic regression assessed the relationship between health-seeking behaviors and ethnic origin, controlling for selected social and health-related factors. The mean age of the participants was 38.6 years, 31% were male, and 20% were unemployed. Sixty-one percent reported a very good or excellent health status, and 59.7% were not receiving treatment for chronic conditions. Advancing age (OR = 1.05, CI: 1.01–1.09), female gender (OR = 3.09, CI: 1.47–6.47), and unemployment (OR = 3.46, CI: 1.35–8.90) were associated with favorable health-seeking behaviors. Compared with the participants with graduate degrees, individuals with high school diplomas or less (OR = 3.80, CI: 1.07–13.4) and bachelor’s degrees (OR = 3.57, CI: 1.3–9.23) were more inclined to have engaged in favorable health-seeking behavior compared to those with graduate degrees. Across the Black communities in our sample, irrespective of ethnic origins or country of birth, determinants of health-seeking behavior were age, gender, employment status, and educational attainment. © 2024 by the authors.

Description

© 2024 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

Publisher

Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI)

Permanent Email Address

[email protected]

Recommended Citation

Tiruneh, Yordanos M.; Anwoju, Oluwatunmininu; Harrison, Ariel C.; Garcia, Martha T.; and Elbers, Shauna K., "Examining Health-Seeking Behavior among Diverse Ethnic Subgroups within Black Populations in the United States and Canada: A Cross-Sectional Study" (2024). School of Medicine Faculty Publications and Presentations. Paper 26.