National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report
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AHRQ Research Studies Date
Topics
- Access to Care (8)
- Alcohol Use (1)
- Ambulatory Care and Surgery (3)
- Asthma (1)
- Behavioral Health (7)
- Blood Pressure (2)
- Cancer (4)
- Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) (2)
- Children/Adolescents (7)
- Chronic Conditions (3)
- Clinician-Patient Communication (1)
- Community-Based Practice (1)
- Dental and Oral Health (6)
- Depression (3)
- Diabetes (2)
- Diagnostic Safety and Quality (1)
- Disabilities (3)
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- Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) (1)
- Healthcare Costs (21)
- Healthcare Delivery (2)
- Healthcare Utilization (4)
- Health Insurance (18)
- Health Services Research (HSR) (3)
- Health Status (5)
- Hospitalization (2)
- Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) (1)
- Inpatient Care (2)
- Low-Income (3)
- Medicaid (4)
- (-) Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) (53)
- Medication (4)
- Mortality (2)
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- Obesity: Weight Management (1)
- Patient Adherence/Compliance (1)
- Patient Experience (1)
- Policy (3)
- Practice Patterns (1)
- Pregnancy (1)
- Prevention (3)
- Primary Care (1)
- Quality of Care (1)
- Quality of Life (1)
- Racial and Ethnic Minorities (6)
- Research Methodologies (2)
- Rural Health (1)
- Screening (2)
- Social Determinants of Health (3)
- Substance Abuse (1)
- Uninsured (3)
- Women (3)
- Young Adults (1)
AHRQ Research Studies
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Research Studies is a compilation of published research articles funded by AHRQ or authored by AHRQ researchers.
Results
1 to 25 of 53 Research Studies DisplayedKirby JB, Davidoff AJ, Basu J
AHRQ Author: Kirby JB, Basu J
The ACA's zero cost-sharing mandate and trends in out-of-pocket expenditures on well-child and screening mammography visits.
This study used a nationally representative sample of ambulatory care visits to estimate the impact of the zero cost-sharing mandate on out-of-pocket expenditures on well-child and screening mammography visits. It concluded that the Affordable Care Act's zero cost-sharing mandate for preventive care has had a large impact on out-of-pocket expenditures for well-child and mammography visits.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Kirby JB, Davidoff AJ, Basu J .
The ACA's zero cost-sharing mandate and trends in out-of-pocket expenditures on well-child and screening mammography visits.
Med Care 2016 Dec;54(12):1056-62. doi: 10.1097/mlr.0000000000000610.
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Keywords: Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), Healthcare Costs, Screening, Women, Policy, Prevention
Abdus S, Selden TM, Keenan P
AHRQ Author: Abdus S, Selden TM, Keenan P
The financial burdens of high-deductible plans.
The increased prevalence of high-deductible health plans raises concerns regarding high financial burdens from health care, particularly for low-income adults.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Abdus S, Selden TM, Keenan P .
The financial burdens of high-deductible plans.
Health Aff 2016 Dec;35(12):2297-301. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2016.0842.
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Keywords: Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), Health Insurance, Healthcare Costs, Social Determinants of Health
Kirby JB, Vistnes JP
AHRQ Author: Kirby JB, Vistnes JP
Access to care improved for people who gained Medicaid or marketplace coverage in 2014.
Newly available longitudinal survey data show that people who lacked health insurance in 2013 and gained coverage through Medicaid or the Marketplaces in 2014 were far more likely to obtain a usual source of care and receive preventive care services than their counterparts who remained uninsured in 2014.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Kirby JB, Vistnes JP .
Access to care improved for people who gained Medicaid or marketplace coverage in 2014.
Health Aff 2016 Oct 1;35(10):1830-34. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2016.0716.
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Keywords: Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), Access to Care, Medicaid, Health Insurance
Hanmer J, Hess R, Sullivan S
Benchmarking health-related quality-of-life data from a clinical setting.
This paper's objective was to construct a nationally representative health-related quality of life (HRQoL) benchmark for use with a clinical sample. The results showed that HRQoL benchmarks can be created from current public datasets, and subgroups in national samples may provide more valid benchmarks for clinical populations.
AHRQ-funded; HS022989.
Citation: Hanmer J, Hess R, Sullivan S .
Benchmarking health-related quality-of-life data from a clinical setting.
Am J Manag Care 2016 Oct;22(10):669-75.
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Keywords: Health Status, Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), Quality of Life
Vistnes JP, Cohen JW
AHRQ Author: Vistnes JP, Cohen JW
Gaining coverage in 2014: new estimates of marketplace and Medicaid transitions.
The researchers used data from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey-Household Component to examine coverage transitions for nonelderly US adults. They found that 71.5 percent of Marketplace enrollees in 2014 had some period of uninsurance before enrollment. In Medicaid expansion states, 17.4 percent of adults who were uninsured throughout 2013 gained Medicaid coverage in 2014, compared with only 5.6 percent in those states between 2012 and 2013.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Vistnes JP, Cohen JW .
Gaining coverage in 2014: new estimates of marketplace and Medicaid transitions.
Health Aff 2016 Oct 1;35(10):1825-29. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2016.0500.
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Keywords: Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), Health Insurance, Medicaid, Uninsured, Policy
Olfson M, Blanco C, Marcus SC
Treatment of adult depression in the United States.
The researchers characterized the treatment of adult depression in the United States. They concluded that most US adults who screen positive for depression did not receive treatment for depression, whereas most who were treated did not screen positive. In light of these findings, it is important to strengthen efforts to align depression care with each patient's clinical needs.
AHRQ-funded; HS02112.
Citation: Olfson M, Blanco C, Marcus SC .
Treatment of adult depression in the United States.
JAMA Intern Med 2016 Oct;176(10):1482-91. doi: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2016.5057.
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Keywords: Medication, Depression, Diagnostic Safety and Quality, Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS)
Ray KN, Mehrotra A
Trends in access to primary care for children in the United States, 2002-2013.
Using MEPS data, the authors described how access to primary care has changed over the last decade for children. They found no change in the proportion of children with a usual source of care (USC). Other measures improved, but out-of-pocket costs increased among privately insured children. Results suggested that after-hours accommodation within the USC is worsening, despite the promotion of patient-centered medical home initiatives. All measures of acceptability improved, consistent with a growing focus on family-centeredness of care.
AHRQ-funded; HS022989.
Citation: Ray KN, Mehrotra A .
Trends in access to primary care for children in the United States, 2002-2013.
JAMA Pediatr 2016 Oct;170(10):1023-25. doi: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2016.0985.
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Keywords: Access to Care, Children/Adolescents, Health Services Research (HSR), Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), Primary Care
Horner-Johnson W, Dobbertin K
Dental insurance and dental care among working-age adults: differences by type and complexity of disability.
The purpose of this study was to examine differences in dental insurance, receipt of dental checkups, and delayed and unmet needs for dental care by type and complexity of disability. It found that all disability types except hearing had significantly higher adjusted odds of being without dental insurance, as did people with complex activity limitations. Further, disparities in care were apparent even when controlling for presence of dental insurance.
AHRQ-funded; HS022981.
Citation: Horner-Johnson W, Dobbertin K .
Dental insurance and dental care among working-age adults: differences by type and complexity of disability.
J Public Health Dent 2016 Sep;76(4):330-39. doi: 10.1111/jphd.12160.
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Keywords: Access to Care, Dental and Oral Health, Disabilities, Health Insurance, Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS)
Ali MM, Chen J, Mutter R
AHRQ Author: Novak P
The ACA's dependent coverage expansion and out-of-pocket spending by young adults with behavioral health conditions.
The authors analyzed out-of-pocket spending as a share of total health care expenditures for young adults with behavioral health conditions before and after the implementation of the ACA dependent care provision. They found that the extension of health insurance coverage to young adults with behavioral health disorders has provided them with additional financial protection, which can be important given the low incomes and high debt burden that characterize the age group.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Ali MM, Chen J, Mutter R .
The ACA's dependent coverage expansion and out-of-pocket spending by young adults with behavioral health conditions.
Psychiatr Serv 2016 Sep;67(9):977-82. doi: 10.1176/appi.ps.201500346.
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Keywords: Behavioral Health, Healthcare Costs, Health Insurance, Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), Young Adults
Blosnich JR, Hammer J, Yu L
Health care use, health behaviors, and medical conditions among individuals in same-sex and opposite-sex partnerships: a cross-sectional observational analysis of the Medical Expenditures Panel Survey (MEPS), 2003-2011.
Thsi study's objective was to examine associations between sexual minority status and medical conditions. The researchers used MEPS data to determine measures of health risk, health services utilization, and the presence of 15 medical conditions. They found that individuals in same-sex partnerships had 67% increased odds of past-year emergency department utilization and 51% greater odds of three or more physician visits in the last year compared with opposite-sex partnered individuals.
AHRQ-funded; HS022989.
Citation: Blosnich JR, Hammer J, Yu L .
Health care use, health behaviors, and medical conditions among individuals in same-sex and opposite-sex partnerships: a cross-sectional observational analysis of the Medical Expenditures Panel Survey (MEPS), 2003-2011.
Med Care 2016 Jun;54(6):547-54. doi: 10.1097/mlr.0000000000000529.
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Keywords: Healthcare Delivery, Disparities, Healthcare Utilization, Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS)
Berdahl T, Hudson J, Simpson L
AHRQ Author: Berdahl T, Hudson J
Annual report on children's health care: dental and orthodontic utilization and expenditures for children, 2010-2012.
The researchers examined general dental and orthodontic utilization and expenditures by health insurance status, public health insurance eligibility, and sociodemographic characteristics among children aged 0 to 17 years using data from 2010-2012. Overall, 41.9 percent of US children reported an annual dental office-based visit for general (nonorthodontic) dental care.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Berdahl T, Hudson J, Simpson L .
Annual report on children's health care: dental and orthodontic utilization and expenditures for children, 2010-2012.
Acad Pediatr 2016 May-Jun;16(4):314-26. doi: 10.1016/j.acap.2016.02.013.
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Keywords: Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), Children/Adolescents, Dental and Oral Health, Healthcare Costs, Health Insurance
Bernard D, Selden T, Yeh S
AHRQ Author: Bernard D, Selden T
Financial burdens and barriers to care among nonelderly adults: the role of functional limitations and chronic conditions.
The researchers examined the financial burdens and barriers to care among nonelderly adults, focusing on the role of functional limitations and chronic conditions. Functional limitations and chronic conditions were associated with increased prevalence of burdens and financial barriers in all insurance categories, with the exception that an association between functional limitations and the prevalence of burdens was not observed for public coverage.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Bernard D, Selden T, Yeh S .
Financial burdens and barriers to care among nonelderly adults: the role of functional limitations and chronic conditions.
Disabil Health J 2016 Apr;9(2):256-64. doi: 10.1016/j.dhjo.2015.09.003.
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Keywords: Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), Healthcare Costs, Chronic Conditions, Access to Care, Health Services Research (HSR)
Chavez LJ, Bradley K, Tefft N
Preference weights for the spectrum of alcohol use in the U.S. population.
One barrier to research has been the lack of preference weights needed to calculate Quality Adjusted Life Years (QALYs). Preference weights can be estimated from measures of health-related quality of life (HRQOL). The objective of this study was to describe preference weights for the full spectrum of alcohol use. It concluded that self-reported alcohol consumption may not be associated with preference weights.
AHRQ-funded; HS022800.
Citation: Chavez LJ, Bradley K, Tefft N .
Preference weights for the spectrum of alcohol use in the U.S. population.
Drug Alcohol Depend 2016 Apr 1;161:206-13. doi: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2016.02.004.
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Keywords: Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), Alcohol Use, Substance Abuse, Health Status
Horner-Johnson W, Darney BG, Kulkarni-Rajasekhara S
Pregnancy among US women: differences by presence, type, and complexity of disability.
The purpose of this study was to describe the occurrence of pregnancy among women with various types of disability and with differing levels of disability complexity, compared with women without disabilities, in a nationally representative sample. Women with the most complex disabilities (those that impact activities such as self-care and work) were less likely to have been pregnant, but women whose disabilities affected only basic actions did not differ significantly from women with no disabilities.
AHRQ-funded; HS022981.
Citation: Horner-Johnson W, Darney BG, Kulkarni-Rajasekhara S .
Pregnancy among US women: differences by presence, type, and complexity of disability.
Am J Obstet Gynecol 2016 Apr;214(4):529.e1-9. doi: 10.1016/j.ajog.2015.10.929.
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Keywords: Disabilities, Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), Pregnancy, Women
Chen J, Liu L, Shih YC
A flexible model for correlated medical costs, with application to Medical Expenditure Panel Survey data.
The researchers proposed a flexible model for correlated medical cost data and applied it to correlated medical costs in the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey dataset. They then conducted simulation studies to assess the performance of this method.
AHRQ-funded; HS020263.
Citation: Chen J, Liu L, Shih YC .
A flexible model for correlated medical costs, with application to Medical Expenditure Panel Survey data.
Stat Med 2016 Mar 15;35(6):883-94. doi: 10.1002/sim.6743.
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Keywords: Healthcare Costs, Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS)
Bernard DM, Selden TM
AHRQ Author: Bernard DM, Selden TM
Access to care among nonelderly veterans.
This study compared access to care for nonelderly adult veterans versus comparable non-veterans, overall and within subgroups defined by simulated eligibility for health care from the Veterans Health Administration and by insurance status. Its results showed that uninsured Veterans, the most policy-relevant group, have better access to care than comparable non-veterans.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Bernard DM, Selden TM .
Access to care among nonelderly veterans.
Med Care 2016 Mar;54(3):243-52. doi: 10.1097/mlr.0000000000000508.
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Keywords: Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), Access to Care, Social Determinants of Health, Health Status
DeVoe JE, Tillotson CJ, Marino M
Trends in type of health insurance coverage for US children and their parents, 1998-2011.
The objective of this paper is to examine trends in health insurance type among US children and their parents. Using Medical Expenditure Panel Survey data (1998-2011), the authors found that low- and middle-income US families experienced a decrease in the percentage of child-parent pairs with private health insurance and pairs without insurance. At the same time, they found a rise in discordant coverage patterns - mainly publicly insured children with uninsured parents.
AHRQ-funded; HS018569.
Citation: DeVoe JE, Tillotson CJ, Marino M .
Trends in type of health insurance coverage for US children and their parents, 1998-2011.
Acad Pediatr 2016 Mar;16(2):192-9. doi: 10.1016/j.acap.2015.06.009.
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Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Health Insurance, Low-Income, Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), Uninsured
Yang HY, Chen HJ, Marsteller JA
AHRQ Author: Liang L
Patient-health care professional gender or race/ethnicity concordance and its association with weight-related advice in the United States.
This study examined association between adult patients' and health care providers' (HCPs) gender or race/ethnicity concordance and patients' reported receiving weight-related advice from HCP's in USA. It found that patient/HCP gender or race/ethnicity concordance was not positively associated with HCPs providing weight-related advice. Patients with female HCPs or with racial/ethnic discordant HCPs (especially black or Asian HCPs) were more likely to receive advice.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Yang HY, Chen HJ, Marsteller JA .
Patient-health care professional gender or race/ethnicity concordance and its association with weight-related advice in the United States.
Patient Educ Couns 2016 Feb;99(2):271-8. doi: 10.1016/j.pec.2015.08.030.
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Keywords: Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), Racial and Ethnic Minorities, Obesity, Obesity: Weight Management, Clinician-Patient Communication
Guy GP, Jr., Yabroff KR, Ekwueme DU
AHRQ Author: Soni A
Healthcare expenditure burden among non-elderly cancer survivors, 2008-2012.
This study presented nationally representative estimates of annual out-of-pocket (OOP) burden among non-elderly cancer survivors and assessed the association between high OOP burden and access to care and preventive service utilization. It found that, among cancer survivors, high OOP burden was associated with being unable to obtain necessary medical care, delaying necessary medical care, and lower breast cancer screening rates among women.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Guy GP, Jr., Yabroff KR, Ekwueme DU .
Healthcare expenditure burden among non-elderly cancer survivors, 2008-2012.
Am J Prev Med 2015 Dec;49(6s5):S489-s97. doi: 10.1016/j.amepre.2015.09.002.
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Keywords: Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), Healthcare Costs, Cancer, Access to Care
Vistnes J, Selden TM, Zawacki A
AHRQ Author: Vistnes J, Selden TM
Several factors responsible for the recent slowdown in premium growth in employer-sponsored insurance.
Researchers have been seeking to identify which factors behind the recent spending slowdown . This study found that the slowdown in premium growth that preceded the recession reflected declining growth rates in per policyholder premiums. For 2009-11, however, the dominant contributors to the slowdown were factors underlying declining employee enrollment: a sharp downturn in employment in 2009, followed by eroding offer and eligibility rates.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Vistnes J, Selden TM, Zawacki A .
Several factors responsible for the recent slowdown in premium growth in employer-sponsored insurance.
Health Aff 2015 Dec;34(12):2036-43. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2015.0436..
Keywords: Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), Health Insurance, Healthcare Costs, Health Insurance
Selden TM, Karaca Z, Keenan P
AHRQ Author: Selden TM, Karaca Z, Keenan P, Kronick R
The growing difference between public and private payment rates for inpatient hospital care.
The difference between private and public (Medicare and Medicaid) payment rates for inpatient hospital stays widened between 1996 and 2012. Medical Expenditure Panel Survey data reveal that standardized private insurer payment rates in 2012 were approximately 75 percent greater than Medicare's-a sharp increase from the differential of approximately 10 percent in the period 1996-2001.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Selden TM, Karaca Z, Keenan P .
The growing difference between public and private payment rates for inpatient hospital care.
Health Aff 2015 Dec;34(12):2147-50. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2015.0706.
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Keywords: Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), Healthcare Costs, Inpatient Care, Hospitalization
Miller GE, Sarpong EM, Hill SC
AHRQ Author: Miller GE, Sarpong EM, Hill SC
Does increased adherence to medications change health care financial burdens for adults with diabetes?
The aim of the present study was to investigate increased out-of-pocket drug costs and financial burdens of achieving adherence to oral antidiabetic medications and medications for prevalent comorbidities. The researchers found that the mean simulated additional out-of-pocket drug costs of achieving adherence were $310 for uninsured adults treated for diabetes. These additional drug costs would increase the percentage of uninsured adults with financial burden.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Miller GE, Sarpong EM, Hill SC .
Does increased adherence to medications change health care financial burdens for adults with diabetes?
J Diabetes 2015 Nov;7(6):872-80. doi: 10.1111/1753-0407.12292..
Keywords: Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), Healthcare Costs, Diabetes, Patient Adherence/Compliance, Medication
Abdus S, Mistry KB, Selden TM
AHRQ Author: Mistry KB, Selden TM
Racial and ethnic disparities in services and the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
The researchers examined pre-reform patterns in insurance coverage, access to care, and preventive services use by race/ethnicity in adults targeted by the coverage expansions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA). They found that minorities were disproportionately represented among those targeted by the coverage provisions of the ACA.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Abdus S, Mistry KB, Selden TM .
Racial and ethnic disparities in services and the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
Am J Public Health 2015 Nov;105(Suppl 5):S668-75. doi: 10.2105/ajph.2015.302892..
Keywords: Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), Health Insurance, Disparities, Racial and Ethnic Minorities, Access to Care
Coca Perraillon M, Shih YC, Thisted RA
Predicting the EQ-5D-3L Preference Index from the SF-12 Health Survey in a national US sample: a finite mixture approach.
The researchers developed a finite mixture model for cross-sectional data that maps the SF-12 to the EQ-5D-3L preference index. They concluded that finite mixtures offer a flexible modeling approach that can take into account idiosyncratic characteristics of the distribution of preferences. The use of mixture models allows researchers to obtain estimates of health utilities when only summary scores from the SF-12 and a limited number of demographic characteristics are available.
AHRQ-funded; HS000084; HS020263.
Citation: Coca Perraillon M, Shih YC, Thisted RA .
Predicting the EQ-5D-3L Preference Index from the SF-12 Health Survey in a national US sample: a finite mixture approach.
Med Decis Making 2015 Oct;35(7):888-901. doi: 10.1177/0272989x15577362..
Keywords: Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), Research Methodologies
Abdus S, Zuvekas SH
AHRQ Author: Abdus S, Zuvekas SH
Racial/ethnic differences in the relationship between obesity and depression treatment.
This study examined the relationship between obesity and the treatment of depression across racial/ethnic subgroups, controlling for depressive symptoms, self-rated mental health, health status, and socioeconomic characteristics. It found that the association between obesity and depression-related medication was significant for white women but not for black or Hispanic women. The results for men were, in general, mixed and inconsistent.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Abdus S, Zuvekas SH .
Racial/ethnic differences in the relationship between obesity and depression treatment.
J Behav Health Serv Res 2015 Oct;42(4):486-503. doi: 10.1007/s11414-014-9391-1..
Keywords: Obesity, Depression, Social Determinants of Health, Racial and Ethnic Minorities, Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS)