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Poster Session 6, 4:15 PM - 5:00 PM: Room 163 [C28]

Presenter: Elise Huimin Fornaro

Faculty Sponsor: Dean E. Robinson

School: UMass Amherst

Research Area: Public Health and Epidemiology

ABSTRACT

Barriers to preventative care uptake in older populations exist in a multitude of forms, differing significantly by demographics including race, age, gender, and other critical social determinants of health. This study examines how social cohesion moderates the relationship between census tract racial composition and low preventative care uptake among women aged 65 and older in Boston, MA, situating these patterns within a broader political economy context. The interaction model will draw from both federal and municipal data gathered from 2010 to 2014, a period selected for the availability of comprehensive neighborhood, demographic, and health data at the census tract level, as well as the significant changes in healthcare politics during this period. The primary outcome is the overall core preventive care rate among older women in each census tract, while the main predictor is the percentage of racial minority residents. This paper hypothesizes that high social cohesion will buffer the negative association between a higher percentage of minority residents and preventive care uptake, although this effect may vary across different racial and ethnic groups. A focused analysis of differing historical contexts and community structures will be carried out to better understand social cohesion as a moderator in different racial contexts. Broadly, this research aims to improve understanding of neighborhood factors affecting healthcare utilization in older women of color, informing community health interventions that aim to reduce these racial disparities in access and utilization.