Racial and Socioeconomic Disparities in Access to Preventive Healthcare Services Among US Adults: An Analysis of NHANES Data (2009–2018)
Jinadu Kehinde, MBBS1, Hannah Balogun, MD2, Joshua Tess Green, MD3, Andrew Ronald Martey, MD4, Akinyemi Akinwumiju, MD5, Padmavathi Mogili6
Abstract
Background: Disparities in preventive healthcare access remain a persistent public health concern in the United States. Objective: This study examined racial and socioeconomic differences in routine healthcare utilization and cholesterol screening among U.S. adults from 2009 to 2018, using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Methods: A complete-case analysis was conducted on 7,010 adults (unweighted sample). Survey weights were applied to generate nationally representative estimates of approximately 68.2 million adults. Weighted descriptive statistics and survey-adjusted F- and t-tests compared sociodemographic characteristics by healthcare utilization. Multivariable logistic regression models estimated associations between race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and preventive care outcomes, with results expressed as odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results: Having insurance (OR: 2.98; 95% CI: 2.30–3.87) and female sex (OR: 2.16; 95% CI: 1.75–2.68) were strong predictors of having a usual place for care. Cholesterol screening within the past year was associated with insurance (OR: 2.18; 95% CI: 1.73–2.75), older age, higher income-to-poverty ratio, and female sex. Non-Hispanic White adults were less likely than Mexican Americans to receive cholesterol screening (OR: 0.76; 95% CI: 0.63–0.93). Conclusion: Persistent disparities in preventive healthcare utilization by race and socioeconomic status underscore the need for targeted policies to improve equity in access and outcomes.
Keywords
preventive healthcare; disparities; socioeconomic status; race/ethnicity; cholesterol screening; NHANES.
Cite This Article
Kehinde, J., Balogun, H., Green, J. T., Martey, A. R., Akinwumiju, A., & Mogili, P. (2025). Racial and Socioeconomic Disparities in Access to Preventive Healthcare Services Among US Adults: An Analysis of NHANES Data (2009–2018). International Journal of Scientific Advances (IJSCIA), Volume 6| Issue 5: Sep – Oct 2025, Pages 854-860 URL: https://www.ijscia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Volume6-Issue5-Sep-Oct-No.940-854-860.pdf
Volume 6 | Issue 5: Sep – Oct 2025
