African American Female Offender's Use of Alternative and Traditional Health Services After Re-Entry: Examining the Behavioral Model for Vulnerable Populations

Authors

Carrie B. Oser, University of KentuckyFollow
Amanda M. Bunting, University of KentuckyFollow
Erin L. Pullen, University of KentuckyFollow
Danelle Stevens-Watkins, University of KentuckyFollow

Abstract

This is the first known study to use the Gelberg-Andersen Behavioral Model for Vulnerable Populations to predict African American women's use of three types of health services (alternative, hospitalization, and ambulatory) in the 18 months after release from prison. In the multivariate models, the most robust predictors of all three types of service utilization were in the vulnerable theoretical domains. Alternative health services were predicted by ethnic community membership, higher religiosity, and HIV/HCV. Hospitalizations were predicted by the lack of barriers to health care and disability. Ambulatory office visits were predicted by more experiences of gendered racism, a greater number of physical health problems, and HIV/HCV. Findings highlight the importance of cultural factors and HIV/HCV in obtaining both alternative and formal health care during community re-entry. Clinicians and policymakers should consider the salient role that the vulnerable domain plays in offender's accessing health services.

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

5-2016

Notes/Citation Information

Published in Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved, v. 27, no. 2 supplement, p. 120-148.

Copyright © 2015 Meharry Medical College

The copyright holder has granted the permission for posting the article here.

The document available for download is the authors' post-peer-review final draft of the article.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

https://doi.org/10.1353/hpu.2016.0052

Funding Information

This research is funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (R01-DA022967, PI: Oser; K02-DA035116, PI: Oser; and K08-DA032296, PI: Stevens-Watkins).

Repository Citation

Oser, Carrie B.; Bunting, Amanda M.; Pullen, Erin L.; and Stevens-Watkins, Danelle, "African American Female Offender's Use of Alternative and Traditional Health Services After Re-Entry: Examining the Behavioral Model for Vulnerable Populations" (2016). Sociology Faculty Publications. 15.
https://uknowledge.uky.edu/sociology_facpub/15