Does Health Value and Practice Make Difference on Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Health Outcomes

• Activity Number: 90 - Novel Statistical Methods for COVID Pandemic and Other Current Health Policy Issues
• Type: Contributed
• Date/Time: Monday, August 9, 2021 : 10:00 AM to 11:50 AM
• Sponsor: Health Policy Statistics Section
• Author(s): Shuying Sha*
• Companies: Scho
• Keywords: health disparity; health value; active health behavior; Path analysis; multiple regression

Abstract

This study investigates 1) Racial/ethnic difference in health value and health behaviors after controlling for socioeconomical variables 2) Do health value and health behaviors predict health outcomes and, 3) Do health value and health behavior mediate the relationship between racial/ethnicity and health outcomes? Data used was from American Health Values Survey (2019-2020). Multiple linear regressions were performed to answer research question 1 and 2; Path analysis was conducted to answer question 3. It was found that 1) Hispanic and Black put more value on health compared to White though Black had worse health outcomes. When income and education were controlled, Black no longer value health more than other groups, though still demonstrated more active health behaviors. 2) Those put more value on health and approach health more actively has better health outcome. 3) health value and active health behavior did not mediate the relationship between racial/ethnicity and health outcomes. The results suggests that other factors contribute to the disparity in health outcome between Black and White beyond income, education, health value and health behaviors.