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SayreS_dis (final comments).pdf (2.36 MB)

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Perceived Racism and Trust in Health Care

Sayre, Sara N
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=akron1382601437

Abstract Details

2013, Doctor of Philosophy, University of Akron, Counseling Psychology.
Disparities in healthcare are a significant social problem affecting millions of racial and ethnic minorities in the United States. The sources of health disparities are many and range from institutional barriers, provider influences, and even patient factors (Smedley, et al., 2003). In comparison to research on provider contributions to health disparities, there is far less research on patient factors (Bird & Bogart, 2001; Smedley et al., 2003). The purpose of this study was to further examine patient-level factors which may be related to disparities in health care. Specifically, this study focused on how medical mistrust, perceived racial discrimination, and perceived health care specific discrimination were related to African Americans’ intentions to seek medical help. A primary purpose of this study was to better understand how medical mistrust relates to intentions to seek help. African Americans’ health care behavior was examined within the theoretical framework of the Behavioral Model for Vulnerable Populations (BVMP), in which, medical mistrust functions as a predisposing factor in the process of health services use (Gelberg, Andersen, & Leake, 2000). In addition to using the structure of the BMVP to examine the variables of interest, multiple additional explanatory models were utilized to gain a better understanding how these variables of interest relate to one another, and to determine if medical mistrust may function as a mediator between experiences of discrimination and intentions to seek medical help. The sample included 322 participants who identified as Black/African American. Participants completed an anonymous survey which included demographic questions and 46-items assessing the constructs of perceived racial discrimination, perceived health specific racial discrimination, mistrust of the medical system, and intentions to seek medical help. Consistent with hypotheses, perceived racial discrimination, perceived health care specific racial discrimination, and medical mistrust were significantly negatively related to intentions to seek medical care. Hierarchical regression and path analysis were used to test four explanatory models of relationships among the primary variables of interest. Results indicated support for the Partially Mediated Model where medical mistrust functions as a mediator between discrimination, both within and outside the health care system, and intentions to seek medical help.
Suzette Speight, Dr. (Advisor)
John Queener, Dr. (Advisor)
Ingrid Weigold, Dr. (Committee Member)
Dawn Johnson, Dr. (Committee Member)
Kevin Kaut, Dr. (Committee Member)
160 p.
African Americans; Counseling Psychology; Health Care; Psychology
racism in health care; health disparities; patient perceptions of racism; medical mistrust; intentions to seek medical help

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Sayre, S. N. (2013). Perceived Racism and Trust in Health Care [Doctoral dissertation, University of Akron]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=akron1382601437

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Sayre, Sara. Perceived Racism and Trust in Health Care. 2013. University of Akron, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=akron1382601437.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Sayre, Sara. "Perceived Racism and Trust in Health Care." Doctoral dissertation, University of Akron, 2013. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=akron1382601437

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

akron1382601437
8,454
© 2013, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by University of Akron and OhioLINK.