Prevalence of Disabilities and Health Care Access by Disability Status and Type Among Adults — United States, 2016

TLDR

Persons with disabilities encounter greater barriers to health care than those without. The study used 2016 BRFSS data to characterize adults with six disability types and evaluate disability‑specific disparities in health‑care access. Prevalence of each disability type and health‑care access were estimated overall and by age group (18‑44, 45‑64, ≥65). Cognitive disability was most common among young adults, mobility disability among middle‑aged and older adults, and higher prevalence and access disparities were observed among women, AI/AN, low‑income, and Southern residents, highlighting significant gaps that can guide public‑health interventions.

Abstract

Persons with disabilities face greater barriers to health care than do those without disabilities (1). To identify characteristics of noninstitutionalized adults with six specific disability types (hearing, vision, cognition, mobility, self-care, and independent living),* and to assess disability-specific disparities in health care access, CDC analyzed 2016 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) data. The prevalences of disability overall and by disability type, and access to health care by disability type, were estimated. Analyses were stratified by three age groups: 18-44 years (young adults), 45-64 years (middle-aged adults), and ≥65 years (older adults). Among young adults, cognitive disability (10.6%) was the most prevalent type. Mobility disability was most prevalent among middle-aged (18.1%) and older adults (26.9%). Generally, disability prevalences were higher among women, American Indians/Alaska Natives (AI/AN), adults with income below the federal poverty level (FPL), and persons in the South U.S. Census region. Disability-specific disparities in health care access were prevalent, particularly among young and middle-aged adults. These data might inform public health programs of the sociodemographic characteristics and disparities in health care access associated with age and specific disability types and guide efforts to improve access to care for persons with disabilities.