Assessing the Effects of the Physical, Psychological, and Social Dimensions of Health on the Use of Health Services

In this paper we examine two major assumptions inherent in the literature relating health status to the use of health services: (1) that each of the three dimensions of health (i.e., the physical, the psychological, and the social) has an equal impact on the use of health services; and (2) that the effects of these three dimensions of health are manifest in an additive rather than in an interactive fashion. To test these assumptions, multiple regression analyses are performed using a modified version of the generic model of access to medical care in order to predict eight different types of health services utilization. The results compel us to accept the additivity assumption, while rejecting the equality assumption. Moreover, contrary to Mechanic's assertion, psychological health was found to have the least impact of any of the three dimensions of health on the use of health services. We then discuss two possible explanations (i.e., differences in the populations studied and the measurement of the independent variables) that might account for the disparity between Mechanic's and our own findings. Although further study is needed before any firm conclusions may be drawn, the evidence suggests that Mechanic's findings may be specific to the HMO populations that he sampled

Assertion · Economics · Environmental health · Health belief model · Health care · Health promotion · Health services · Mental health · Physical health · Population · Psychiatry · Computer Science · Global Health Care Issues · Healthcare Policy and Management · Healthcare Systems and Reforms · Medicine · Psychology · Social Psychology

• The Effects of Psychological Distress and Psychological Well-Being on Use of Medical Services

  Willard G Manning, Kenneth B Wells•Medical Care•1992

  Incluir item

• Relationships between objective and subjective socioeconomic status and physical health among adolescents in South Korea

  Open Access•Kim Sue-Lynn, Joan P Yoo•Asian Social Work and Policy Review•2022

  Incluir item

• Race differences in professional help seeking

  Open Access•Clifford L Broman•American Journal of Community…•1987

  Incluir item

• African American service use for mental health problems

  Open Access•L R Snowden•Journal of Community Psychology•1999

  Incluir item

• Statistical Package for the Social Sciences

  Open Access•Michael Greatorex•Wiley Encyclopedia of Management•2015

  Incluir item

• Societal and Individual Determinants of Medical Care Utilization in the United States

  Open Access•Ronald Andersen, John F Newman•Milbank Quarterly•2005

  Incluir item

• The social readjustment rating scale

  Open Access•Thomas H Holmes, Richard H Rahe•Journal of Psychosomatic Research•1967

  Incluir item

• Patients, Physicians, and Illness

  Austin L Porterfield, E Gartly Jaco et al.•Journal of Health and Human…•1960

  Incluir item

• Americans View Their Mental Health

  Elaine Cumming, Gerald Gurin et al.•Journal of Health and Human…•1960

  Incluir item

• Stressful Life Events

  Dean Harper, Barbara Snell Dohrenwend et al.•Contemporary Sociology A Journal…•1976

  Incluir item

• The Sociology of Health

  William Sterndale Bennett, Frederic D Wolinsky•Contemporary Sociology A Journal…•1981

  Incluir item

• The concept of health status

  Open Access•Andrew C Twaddle•Social Science & Medicine (1967•1974

  Incluir item

• Rates of Surgical Care in Prepaid Group Practices and the Independent Setting What Are the Reasons for the Differences

  James P Logerfo, ROBERT A EFIRD et al.•Medical Care•1979

  Incluir item

• Awareness and Use of Health Services by the Elderly

  Earle L Snider•Medical Care•1980

  Incluir item

• The Validation of a Function Status Index

  W Jeff Reynolds, William A Rushing et al.•Journal of Health and Social…•1974

  Incluir item

• Toward an Operational Definition of Health

  Donald L Patrick, James W Bush et al.•Journal of Health and Social…•1973

  Incluir item

• The Experience and Reporting of Common Physical Complaints

  David Mechanic•Journal of Health and Social…•1980

  Incluir item

• The Effect of Psychological Distress on Physician Utilization

  Richard C Tessler, Richard Tessler et al.•Journal of Health and Social…•1976

  Incluir item

• Assessing the Effects of Predisposing, Enabling, and Illness-Morbidity Characteristics on Health Service Utilization

  Frederic D Wolinsky•Journal of Health and Social…•1978

  Incluir item

• Psychological Distress and Perceived Health Status

  Richard C Tessler, Richard Tessler et al.•Journal of Health and Social…•1978

  Incluir item

• The Relation Between Social Class and Functional Status

  John Harvey, David L Miles et al.•Journal of Health and Social…•1976

  Incluir item

• Factors Influencing Health Service Knowledge among the Elderly

  Earle L Snider•Journal of Health and Social…•1980

  Incluir item

• The Problems for Academic and Entrepreneurial Research in the Use of Health Services

  Open Access•Fredric D Wolinsky•Sociological Quarterly•1981

  Incluir item

• Toward Comprehensive Health Status Measures

  Open Access•Fredric D Wolinsky, Marty E Zusman•Sociological Quarterly•1980

  Incluir item

• Background, attitudinal and behavioural patterns of individuals occupying eight discrete health states1

  Open Access•D Fredric, Sally R Wolinsky•Sociology of Health & Illness•1981

  Incluir item