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Nativity and Occupational Class Disparities in Uninsurance and Routine Preventive Care Use Among Asian Americans

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Abstract

Using data from 1,530 Asian respondents of the 2002–2003 National Latino and Asian American Study, we examined how nativity and occupational class are associated with uninsurance, no routine physical check-up in the past year and no dental/eye exam use in the past year using weighted multivariate logistic regression models. Recent immigrants had increased odds of uninsurance and no dental/eye exam use than US-born Asians which became nonsignificant after controlling for occupational class and covariates. Unemployed and service workers had increased odds of uninsurance than white-collar workers even after controlling for income and limited English proficiency (LEP). Approximately 35–40 % of blue-collar and service workers reported neither type of preventive care use. Even after controlling for LEP, income, uninsurance, having a regular doctor or place of care, service workers had significantly increased odds of no physical check-up and no dental/eye exam use and blue-collar workers had marginally significant increased odds of no dental/eye exam use. Significant occupational disparities exist in access and preventive care use with workers in service occupations being particularly underserved.

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Acknowledgments

We appreciate responses provided by participants of the National Latino and Asian American Study. We gratefully acknowledge pre-doctoral training support received by Dolly John from the Northwest Center for Occupational Health and Safety and T32 HS013853 AHRQ/NRSA Training Grant from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. We are also immensely grateful for guidance and valuable feedback from David Takeuchi, Domin Chan and anonymous reviewers.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Harvard School of Public Health, Landmark Center, 4th Floor, 401 Park Dr., Boston, MA, 02215, USA

    Dolly A. John

  2. Department of Health Services, University of Washington School of Public Health, Seattle, WA, USA

    Dolly A. John, Bonnie Duran & Diane P. Martin

  3. School of Nursing, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA

    A. B. de Castro

  4. Indigenous Wellness Research Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA

    Bonnie Duran

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  1. Dolly A. John
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  2. A. B. de Castro
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  3. Bonnie Duran
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  4. Diane P. Martin
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Correspondence to Dolly A. John.

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John, D.A., de Castro, A.B., Duran, B. et al. Nativity and Occupational Class Disparities in Uninsurance and Routine Preventive Care Use Among Asian Americans. J Immigrant Minority Health 15, 1011–1022 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-013-9851-3

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