Key points are not available for this paper at this time.
A previous paper, based on clinic records, showed high levels of utilization of Health Center Services by a low income community, approximating comparable figures for a more affluent population. A great majority of community residents, based on a before-after health survey of a random sample of households, currently report the Health Center as their regular source of health care. Residents make extensive use of not only curative services but also of preventive medical services, e.g., asymptomatic checkups and immunizations. The main focus here is to seek to account for such changes in health behaviors and utilization in terms of two sets of possible explanatory factors: attitudes and circumstances. Attitudes are examined towards health, health care, and sources of such care. In addition, consideration is given to the possible role of several situational factors—time, money, and convenience—in influencing patterns of utilization. Significant changes are reported in all attitudes, paralleling changes in utilization of services. A marked decrease also is reported in such potential barriers to use of services as expenditure of time and money. Inferences are drawn about the implication of these findings for health services planning.
Bellin et al. (1972) studied this question.