Document Type
Article
Abstract
Background and aims
This study examined disparities in hospitalization for COVID-19 within the U.S. by racial and ethnic groups, health insurance status, and social support structure.
Methods
Using publicly available ecological case and contextual data from July 2020 to April 2021, a longitudinal hierarchical model for the 51 U.S. states was constructed.
Results
Racial/ethnic disparities were observed, such as that hospitalization rates were higher in states with a higher percentage of Black (β = .002, P = .009) and American Indian or Alaska Native persons (β = .003, P = .03). Conversely, lack of health insurance was related to a lower hospitalization rate (β = −.005, P = .002), and so was a stronger social support system (β = −.015, P = .05).
Conclusion
These differences suggest disparities in COVID-19 incidence, symptom severity, and demand for hospital care. Understanding how they contribute to geographic differences in hospitalization can help guide public health decisions and resource allocation to address COVID-19-related health inequalities.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
Publication Info
Published in Health Science Reports, Volume 5, Issue 1, 2022, pages e441-.
Rights
© 2022 The Author. Health Science Reports published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.
This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
APA Citation
Messner, W. (2022). Disparities in demand for COVID ‐19 hospital care in the United States: Insights from a longitudinal hierarchical study. Health Science Reports, 5(1). https://doi.org/10.1002/hsr2.441