Do Regular Cholesterol Screenings Lead to Lower Cholesterol Levels and Better Health Behaviors for All? Spotlight on Middle-Aged and Older Adults in the United States

Abstract

Objective: This study investigates how the causal effects of cholesterol screening differ by likelihood of using this preventive care service in terms of accessibility gaps and effects on health-related outcomes across groups with advantaged and disadvantaged backgrounds. Method: We use propensity score matching to analyze a nationally representative sample using data from 2008, 2010, and 2012 waves of the Health and Retirement Study (N = 3,907). Results: We find that respondents who are least likely to get their cholesterol tested benefit most from the use of cholesterol screening when they do use it, while its effects are smallest for those who are most likely to use this service. Discussion: Understanding the heterogeneous effects of preventive health service has important policy implications, particularly in terms of how to maximize the public health benefits of preventive care.

Keywords

cholesterol screening preventive health services cholesterol level Health and Retirement Study (HRS)heterogeneous effects

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