Differences in income-related inequality and horizontal inequity in ambulatory care use between rural and non-rural areas: using the 1998-2001 U.S. National Health Interview Survey data

Table 1 Sample characteristics (%) and means and concentration indices of two-week ambulatory care use

	Total (n = 83,152)	Rural (n = 16,297)	Non-rural (n = 66,855)
Age
18-24	15.54	16.66	15.24
25-44	50.29	46.88	51.21
45-64	34.17	36.45	33.55
Sex
Female	50.43	50.99	50.28
Male	49.57	49.01	49.72
Race
White	79.37	87.18	77.27
Non-white	20.63	12.82	22.73
Limitations*
Yes	10.76	14.34	9.79
No	89.24	85.66	90.21
Illness
Yes	23.61	28.41	22.33
No	76.39	71.59	77.67
Self-assessed health status
Excellent	35.92	31.39	37.14
Very good	33.47	32.57	33.71
Good	21.98	24.49	21.31
Fair	6.57	8.42	6.08
Poor	2.06	3.13	1.77
Education
Below high	10.12	12.61	9.45
High	31.04	37.71	29.24
Above high	58.85	49.68	61.31
Insurance
Uninsured	17.00	19.50	16.33
Private insured	75.50	70.56	76.83
Public insured	7.50	9.94	6.84
Usual Care Source
Yes	87.36	88.47	87.06
No	12.64	11.53	12.94
No. of two-week ambulatory care use	0.384	0.377	0.386
Crude CI (C_U)	- 0.037	- 0.058	- 0.020
Need-predicted CI (C_N)	- 0.155	- 0.107	- 0.117
HI _wv (C _U - C _N )	0.118	0.049	0.097

CI = concentration index: HI_wv = horizontal inequity index
*Limitations: any limitations of activity due to physical, mental, or emotional problems

ISSN: 1475-9276