Association of material deprivation status, access to health care services, and lifestyle with screening and prevention of disease, Montreal, Canada, 2012

Abstract

Introduction The objective of this study was to provide information on the effect of disparities in material deprivation, access to health care services, and lifestyle on the likelihood of undergoing screening for disease prevention. Methods We used data from a probability sample (N = 10,726) of the Montreal population aged 15 years or older and assessed 6 dependent variables (screening for breast cancer, cervical cancer, colon cancer, blood glucose, and high blood pressure and receipt of the seasonal influenza vaccination), and 3 independent variables (disparities in material deprivation, access to health care services, and personal lifestyle habits). We used logistic regression to analyze data and determine associations. Results Use of preventive health services increased as material deprivation declined, access to health care improved, and lifestyle habits became healthier. The combined effect of household income, an individual measure, and the material deprivation index (consisting of quintiles representing a range from the most privileged [quintile 1: best education, employment, and income] to the most deprived [quintile 5: least education, employment, and income]) an ecological measure, showed that having a Papanicolaou test was significantly associated with high annual household income (≥ $40,000) even if the woman resided in a deprived neighborhood (quintiles 4 and 5 of the material deprivation index) (odds ratio [OR], 1.38; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.04-1.84), whereas odds of having a mammogram or influenza vaccination were significantly associated with living in a privileged neighborhood (quintiles 1, 2, and 3 of the material deprivation index) even among people with a low annual household income (< $40,000) (mammogram: OR, 1.54; 95% CI, 1.00-2.38; influenza vaccination: OR, 1.31; 95% CI, 1.04-1.66). Conclusion In addition to influencing lifestyle habits and access to health care services, disparities in material deprivation influence whether a person uses preventive health services. Public health professionals need to establish screening outreach programs in socioeconomically disadvantaged neighborhoods to enhance public participation in disease prevention programs and reduce disparities in health.