Socioeconomic Status and the Management of Chronic Conditions: Implications for the Socioeconomic Gradient in Health

The second chapter of my dissertation reveals large and statistically significant income and race disparities in patient adherence to various components of the diabetes treatment regimen. The mechanisms largely responsible for these disparities are differences in patients' education levels and gaps in insurance coverage. For a few components of the regimen, marital status and delay in adherence by recently diagnosed patients also explain some of the socioeconomic disparities. While reliance on routine contact with a doctor for diabetes care increases the probability of adherence compared to reliance on emergency or hospital care, controlling for sites of care does not explain socioeconomic disparities in adherence. Adherence to most components of the regimen is also improved if the patient has a usual source of care and if that usual source of care is a specialist instead of a general practice physician or a facility but these factors do not account for socioeconomic disparities in adherence.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Economics

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2015

Author dc:creator

• Zutshi, Aparajita

Contributors dc:contributor

• Lubotsky, Darren H.

• Health Sciences, Public Health

Language dc:language

eng

Identifier

(MiAaPQ)AAI3301260

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/85589