Revista Espanola de Salud Publica
Volume 90, 2016

Risk-taking attitudes of people who seek health care: An exploratory approach through lottery games using generalized estimating equations (Article)

Martín-Fernández J.* , Ariza-Cardiel G. , Polentinos-Castro E. , Gil-Lacruz A.I. , Gómez-Gascón T. , Domínguez-Bidagor J. , Del Cura-González I.
  • a Local Office of Villamanta (Navalcarnero Health Center), Primary Care Management, Madrid Health Service, Consultorio Villamanta Avenida de la Libertad s/n, Villamanta Madrid, 28610, Spain, Faculty of Health Sciences, Rey Juan Carlos University, Madrid, Spain, Research Network in Health Services and Chronic Diseases (REDISSEC), Spain
  • b Research Network in Health Services and Chronic Diseases (REDISSEC), Spain, Family and Community Teaching Unit Oeste, Primary Care Management, Madrid Health Service, Spain
  • c Research Network in Health Services and Chronic Diseases (REDISSEC), Spain, Family and Community Teaching Unit Norte, Primary Care Management, Madrid Health Service, Spain
  • d Management and Organization Bussiness Department, School of Engineering and Architecture, Zaragoza University, Spain
  • e FIIBAP, Ministry of Health, Madrid, Spain, Faculty of Medicine, Complutense University, Madrid, Spain, Research Institute i + 12.12 de Octubre Hospital, Spain
  • f Health Promotion Service, Office for the Promotion, Prevention and Health Education, General Directs of Public Health, Madrid, Spain
  • g Faculty of Health Sciences, Rey Juan Carlos University, Madrid, Spain, Research Network in Health Services and Chronic Diseases (REDISSEC), Spain, Research Support Unit, Primary Care Management, Madrid Health Service, Spain

Abstract

Background: The characterization of the risk-taking attitude of individuals may be useful for planning health care interventions. It has been attempted to study expressions of risk-taking attitude and evaluate characteristics of a standard lottery game in a population that seeks health care to elicit these attitudes. Methods: Multicentric cross-sectional study. Demographic and socioe-conomic characteristics, quality of life (EuroQol-5D), and health risk behaviors were collected from 662 users of 23 health centers selected by random sampling. Risk-taking attitude was evaluated by means of a self-evaluation scale and two lotteries games (L1 and L2; L2 included the possibility of economic losses). Generalized estimating equations (GEE) explicative models were used to evaluate the variability of risk-taking attitude. Results: Nineteen percent out of interviewed people (CI95%: 15.6-22.6%) expressed a high risk appetite, but only 10.0% (CI95% 7.0 to 13.0) were classified as risk-seeking by L2. It was found association between increased risk appetite and having a better perception of health status (0.110. CI95%: 0.007-0.212) or a higher income (0.010. CI95%: 0.017-0.123) or smoking status (0.059. CI95%: 0.004-0.114). Being Spanish was associated with lower risk appetite (-0.105. CI95%: -0.005 -0.205), as being over 65 (-0.031. CI95%:- 0.061- -0.001) or a woman (-0.038. CI95%:-0.064- -0.012). The intraclass correlation coefficient for self-evaluation scale was 0.511 (95% CI: 0.372 to 0.629), 0.571 (95% CI: 0.441-0.678) for L1 and 0.349 (95% CI: 0.186-0.493) for L2. Conclusions: People who seek health care express certain inclination to risk, but this feature is attenuated when methodologies involving losses are used. Risk appetite seems greater in young people, males, people with better health, or more income, and in immigrants. Lottery games such as the proposed ones are a simple and useful tool to estimate individuals' inclination to risk.

Author Keywords

immigrants Primary health care Tobacco use alcohol consumption Risk-taking Games Choice behaviour Experimental

Index Keywords

perception immigrant alcohol consumption sampling correlation coefficient human health status quality of life cross-sectional study smoking self evaluation high risk behavior exploratory research statistical model health center appetite decision making health hazard primary health care
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85025819666&partnerID=40&md5=b054d33e94ffd3378322d6716d00ba92
ISSN: 11355727
Original Language: English