Factors Related to the Likelihood of Hiring a Health Advocate

Abstract

This study was designed to explore factors related to the likelihood of hiring a health advocate. Independent variables were selected from the health service use model to capture predisposing, enabling, and illness-level factors. Participants were 889 adults (M age = 50.9 years, SD = 17.9 years, 52% female) recruited from a large cultural park in San Diego, California during the spring and summer of 2008. Participants read a description of a health advocate and completed a brief set of questions on age, gender, confidence in health care, effort maintaining health, self-rated health, and the likelihood of hiring a health advocate. Hierarchical regression analysis revealed that participants age 40-64 , non-Caucasians , participants who exerted more effort maintaining their health , and participants 65 and older who were less satisfied with their social support reported greater likelihood of hiring a health advocate. Findings were similar to those of studies that applied the health service use model to predict use of other health services, such as medical visits. These findings suggest factors that health care organizations offering health advocacy services could consider when targeting potential clients.