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Can Social Integration and Social Support Help to Explain Racial Disparities in Health Care Utilization Among Men with Diabetes?

Year: 2017

Type: article

Abstract: OBJECTIVE: Discovering the mechanisms through which racial and ethnic background influence health is critical to better understanding racial disparities in health among men with a diabetes diagnosis. The present study examines whether social support and social integration mediate or buffer the relationship between race and health care utilization among U.S. men. METHOD: = 7,148). RESULTS: Findings revealed that African American men with high levels of social integration were less likely to forego care (OR = 0.234, [CI = 0.053,1.045]). Also, African American men who did not attend church had higher odds of foregoing care (OR = 0.222, [CI = 0.110,0.448]). CONCLUSIONS: The effect of social networks operate differently for African American men with diabetes compared to non-Latino white men. Identifying racial differences in the influence of social networks on health will assist in developing interventions that may help to decrease gender and race gaps in health for men with diabetes.

Source: PubMed

DOI: 10.3149/jmh.1601.66

Authors: Jaclynn M Hawkins, Jamie Mitchell

Institutions: Michigan State University, University of Michigan

Language: English

Topic: Health disparities and outcomes

Subfield: Health

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Reduced inequalities, Good health and well-being

Open Access status: green

Funders: National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Aging