Low Income

Research Findings

Research Activities, February 2012:
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) associated with elevated hemoglobin A1c levels in low-income blacks with diabetes
Children's unmet health needs similar for low- and middle-income families with either public or private insurance

Research Activities, January 2012:
Many Texas residents cross Mexican border to obtain health care services

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Research Activities, November 2011:
Hospital readmissions for COPD highest among black patients

Research Activities, September 2011:
Leaving the emergency department without being seen more likely at hospitals that serve more low-income patients
Where low-wage employees work, who their colleagues are, and spouses' wage level affect health insurance coverage and cost
Rising health care costs may have spurred more individuals to use complementary and alternative medicine
Uninsured patients respond well to paying a monthly retainer for primary care services
Children's underenrollment in State health insurance programs may be due in part to parents' confusion about coverage
Low- and middle-income children with public and private insurance have similar rates of unmet health care needs

Research Activities, August 2011:
Certain Americans pay more than 10 percent of their family income to pay for medical expenses
Six of every 10 rural emergency departments visits made by poor patients

Research Activities, July 2011:
Health care quality gaps and disparities persist in every State
Health insurance is necessary but not sufficient for children's access to care

Research Activities, June 2011:
Community hubs ensure better care for the most vulnerable
Increasing premiums and other costs in Oregon's Medicaid program in 2003 led many to drop out

Research Activities, May 2011:
Practice setting, ownership, and specialty all affect volume of charity care provided by physicians
Diabetes testing plummets among poor, minority, and inner-city adults

Research Activities, April 2011:
Health care quality still improving slowly, but disparities and gaps in access to care persist
Regional poverty boosts adults' chances of having unmet health care needs
Perceived lower social standing linked to unplanned pregnancies
Patients' income and where they live influence hospitalization for chronic lung disease

Research Activities, March 2011:
Perception of racial discrimination among blacks linked to socioeconomic position
Even with universal health insurance, the homeless in Canada encounter barriers to obtaining health care
Expert workshop discusses disparities in health care quality and role of health IT in underresourced settings

Research Activities, February 2011:
Poorer patients less likely to receive specific treatment for head and neck cancer

Research Activities, January 2011:
Rates of emergency department use greater among women and low-income, older, and rural Americans

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Research Activities, December 2010:
Nationwide survey shows free clinics provide care to nearly 2 million patients
Access to care for patients with lupus affected by several local factors
Uncontrolled asthma events among Massachusetts patients declined between 2002 and 2007
Dependent elderly people are adversely affected by HIV/AIDS in Africa
Blacks have longer PSA screening intervals than whites
Four million hospital admissions potentially unnecessary

Research Activities, October 2010:
Patients with financial worries or no insurance delay going to the hospital for a heart attack

Research Activities, September 2010:
Blacks with lung cancer have higher mortality rates than whites

Research Activities, August 2010:
Consider local health care systems when designing services for the uninsured
Many homeless women are reluctant to get free Pap smears
More stress means worse asthma in inner-city adults
Men shy away from routine medical appointments

Research Activities, July 2010:
Disparities widen in the use of asthma medications

Research Activities, June 2010:
Socioeconomically disadvantaged blacks have the worst long-term outcomes from work-related low back pain
Disadvantages in housing, food, and health care all predict health declines in older Americans
Black children are more likely to be hospitalized for a ruptured appendix than white children

Research Activities, April 2010:
Neighborhoods, abuse, and anxiety contribute to low birth weights
Neighborhood surroundings may affect whether children are overweight
The stability of a usual source of care is important to the care of low-income children
Veterans who use pharmacy services at VA facilities tend to be sicker, poorer, and have no alternative insurance
Older black women with breast cancer do not receive beneficial chemotherapy as often as white women
Many minority patients do not receive or complete colorectal cancer screening tests in urban, primary care settings
Homeless recent immigrants are healthier than other homeless individuals
Nursing home users of information technology start to see its benefits

Research Activities, March 2010:
Poverty, race, and gender are all factors in the epidemic of severely obese children
Lower socioeconomic status in childhood linked to racial differences in disability during adulthood
Creating networks to provide social support for the homeless may improve health outcomes

Research Activities, January 2010:
Medicare payment caps on home care add to the family caregiving burden, especially among lower-income families
Youths initially diagnosed with ADHD receive an array of medications
Individuals who seek care for coughs and colds in emergency departments have social support

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Research Activities, December 2009:
Care is poor for diabetic patients without insurance and no regular care provider

Research Activities, November 2009:
Older black women with breast cancer do not receive beneficial chemotherapy as often as white women

Research Activities, October 2009:
Factors other than gender are associated with poor growth in urban children
Lack of insurance among full-time, low-income workers jumped in the past decade

Research Activities, September 2009:
Community health workers can help poor and minority groups access some cancer screening services

Research Activities, August 2009:
Individuals living in predominantly white, wealthy, and educated neighborhoods have better melanoma prognosis
Economically disadvantaged patients may have trouble with patient-provider communication

Research Activities, July 2009:
Hospitalizations for asthma, diabetes, and other conditions are much higher among the poor
Minorities and the poor find communicating with doctors more difficult

Research Activities, June 2009:
Reports show few health care disparities eliminated, persistent variations in care, and slow pace of improvement
Nurse-led disease management of heart failure is cost-effective in ethnically diverse urban communities
Minority children from disadvantaged families use more urgent care and less preventive care for their asthma

Research Activities, April 2009:
Lower socioeconomic status results in poor physical and mental health outcomes for patients with lupus

Research Activities, March 2009:
Prior traumatic brain injury is very common among homeless people and is linked to poorer health
Indigent patients with diabetes who get free medications have lower blood-sugar levels

Research Activities, February 2009:
Minority children with asthma frequently use emergency departments for care

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