Relationships between lifestyle, health behaviors, and health status outcomes for underserved adults

Abstract

Findings provided selective support for the links between lifestyle, health behaviors, and health status. Nurses can use the results as a basis for future assessments and interventions with underserved adults.

Influence of lifestyle, health behavior, and health indices on the health status of underserved adults

“…It is dependent on a person's perception of health and health behaviors. When examining the health status of the underserved, these adults typically report poorer health status as compared to the general adult population (Alverson & Kessler, ; Bharmel & Thomas, ; Salsberry et al, ; Schrop et al, ). Adults with the lowest income or education reported more unhealthy days than did those with higher income or education (CDC, ).…”

“…The underserved tend to report an increased rate of smoking (CDC, ; Schrop et al, ), an increased consumption of alcohol (CDC, ), and a failure to engage in leisure time physical activity (CDC, ). For health behaviors such as participating in screening behaviors or taking prescribed medications, data support the fact that the underserved tend to engage in screening behaviors less frequently than the general population (Alverson & Kessler, ; CDC, ). For prescribed medication usage, the underserved tend to use fewer prescription medications when needed than the general population (U.S. Census Bureau, ).…”

“…Few researchers have examined the effects of these health behavior actions or inactions on health status. In one study, taking prescribed medications was inversely related to measures of health status, while engaging in recommended screening behaviors was not related to health status outcomes (Alverson & Kessler, ).…”

“…Factors found to provide a greater link with health status include those related to illness such as having an increased BMI (Alverson & Kessler, ; Ford et al, ), being diagnosed with acute and/or chronic medical conditions, and experiencing daily symptoms (Alverson & Kessler, ). According to the literature, those with lower income levels are less likely to be at a healthy weight compared to the general population (CDC, ; Larson, Schlundt, Patel, Beard, & Hargreaves, ).…”

Effects of dance on upper extremity activities in underserved adults

“…Underserved adults are often defined as those who lack healthcare coverage, have limited access to healthcare resources, experience increased prevalence of comorbidities and logistical barriers, and accrue more out‐of‐pocket expenses than those who are not underserved (Hill et al., ). Underserved adults also do not receive appropriate, effective, and timely care for prevention and treatment of many chronic health conditions (Alverson & Kessler, ). To meet these needs, nurse‐managed clinics (NMCs) provide primary care with an emphasis on health promotion and disease prevention by serving adults who would otherwise be underserved or not served at all (Coddington & Sands, ).…”