Talk to the Veterans Crisis Line now
U.S. flag
An official website of the United States government

VA Health Systems Research

Go to the VA ORD website
Go to the QUERI website

HSR Citation Abstract

Search | Search by Center | Search by Source | Keywords in Title

The role of gender and veteran status in healthcare access among a national sample of U.S. adults with unhealthy alcohol use.

Bachrach RL, Quinn DA. The role of gender and veteran status in healthcare access among a national sample of U.S. adults with unhealthy alcohol use. Substance use & misuse. 2023 Feb 1; 58(4):491-499.

Dimensions for VA is a web-based tool available to VA staff that enables detailed searches of published research and research projects.

If you have VA-Intranet access, click here for more information vaww.hsrd.research.va.gov/dimensions/

VA staff not currently on the VA network can access Dimensions by registering for an account using their VA email address.
   Search Dimensions for VA for this citation
* Don't have VA-internal network access or a VA email address? Try searching the free-to-the-public version of Dimensions



Abstract:

Routine healthcare access is critical to reduce drinking and its effects, yet little is known about Veteran and gender differences in routine healthcare access among unhealthy drinkers. The current study examined differences in routine healthcare access, stratified by Veteran status and gender, among a national sample of adults endorsing unhealthy drinking. Using data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention''s 2019 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System National Survey, we identified adults who endorsed unhealthy drinking over the past month (N? = 58,816; 41.4% female; 2.7% female Veterans). Bivariate and multivariable analyses modeled associations between gender, Veteran status, and their interaction in predicting routine healthcare access. All multivariable models adjusted for sociodemographic characteristics. Veterans with unhealthy alcohol use reported high rates of routine healthcare access (e.g., > 86% sought care in the past 2?years) and were less likely to experience a cost barrier to care (aOR = 0.75, 95% CI = 0.62-0.92). Females were more likely than males to report better access to care but also to experience a cost barrier (aOR = 1.2, 95% CI = 1.10-1.37). The interaction between Veteran status and gender was non-significant. Overall, healthcare access was better for Veterans and females with unhealthy alcohol use compared to civilians and males with unhealthy alcohol use. However, given that females were more likely to report a cost barrier, future implementation research aiming to improve equity in care may want to explore reasons for cost barriers and develop strategies to help reduce these barriers in order to eliminate gender disparities in primary care-based alcohol-related care.





Questions about the HSR website? Email the Web Team

Any health information on this website is strictly for informational purposes and is not intended as medical advice. It should not be used to diagnose or treat any condition.