A Thesis submitted to The University of Arizona College of Medicine - Phoenix in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Medicine. / Objective: Mental health plays a central role in the well‐being of individuals. Understanding the
factors that influence mental wellness is critical in order to develop effective policy that
addresses the burden of mental illness in society. The objective of this study is to identify a
possible relationship between healthcare access and the presence of mental distress in
individuals.
Methods: Logistic regression was performed using cross sectional data from a CDC developed
nationwide behavioral health surveillance program (BRFSS, 2013‐4). Odds ratios were
estimated using frequent mental distress as the outcome of interest while adjusting for
confounding variables such as smoking, binge drinking, obesity, etc. Six models were estimated
utilizing our hypothesized variables of interest.
Results: The calculated adjusted odds ratios (AOR) and confidence intervals (CI) demonstrated a
positive correlation between certain variables measuring access to healthcare and the reporting
of frequent mental distress, agreeing with the hypothesis. Those variables were financial cost
preventing access to medical care (AOR [2], CI [1.9‐2.1]) as well as a span of more than 2 years
having elapsed since a routine medical checkup by a healthcare provider (AOR [1.1], CI [1.1‐
1.2]). The opposite effect was demonstrated in individuals who had no insurance coverage
(AOR [.8], CI [.7‐.9]), which was contrary to the hypothesis.
Conclusion: After adjusting for confounding variables, a strong relationship exists between
individuals who are not able to see a physician due to cost, and the presence of frequent
mental distress. Frequent mental distress is also increased in individuals who have not had a
routine medical checkup with a physician in the last 2 years.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:arizona.edu/oai:arizona.openrepository.com:10150/608267 |
| Date | 04 May 2016 |
| Creators | Khan, Khalid Salim |
| Contributors | The University of Arizona College of Medicine - Phoenix, Hussaini, Khaleel PhD, Rahman, Shakaib MD, Shennib, Hani MD |
| Publisher | The University of Arizona. |
| Source Sets | University of Arizona |
| Language | en_US |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Rights | Copyright © is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the College of Medicine - Phoenix, University of Arizona. Further transmission, reproduction or presentation (such as public display or performance) of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author. |
Page generated in 0.0017 seconds