Citation

Lyeo JS, Tiznado-Aitken I, Farber S, Brown HK, Spence N. J. Public Health (Heidelberg) 2023; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2023, Holtzbrinck Springer Nature Publishing Group)

DOI

10.1007/s10389-023-01916-2

PMID

37361303

PMCID

PMC10120494

Abstract

AIM: To identify predictors of transportation-related barriers to healthcare access in a North American suburb. SUBJECT AND METHODS: Data from the 2022 Scarborough Survey were used, comprising n = 528 adults living in Scarborough, which is a subu
RESULTS: Of the sampled individuals, 34.5% experienced the outcome. In the multivariable model, younger age (RR = 3.03), disability (RR = 2.60), poor mental health (RR = 1.70) and reliance on public transit (RR = 2.09) were associated with greater risk of experiencing the outcome. Full-time employment, reliance on active travel and reliance on others for transportation were specifically associated with greater risk of experiencing a transportation-related barrier to vaccination.

CONCLUSION: In suburban areas such as Scarborough, transportation-related barriers to healthcare access have a disproportionate impact on groups defined by important demographic, health and transportation-related characteristics. These results corroborate that transportation is an important determinant of health in suburban areas, the absence of which may exacerbate existing inequities among the most vulnerable individuals in a given population.

Language: en

Keywords

Transportation; Health care quality, access, and evaluation; Healthcare disparities; Suburban health; Suburban population