The Impact of Anxiety on Health Care Utilization Among Hispanic and Non-Hispanic Youth

This study examined differences in health service utilization among anxious and non-anxious youth primary care patients. We further examined the moderating role of Hispanic ethnicity on the relation between anxiety and service utilization. Past 4-year health care utilization was examined in a group of 6962 American youth (51.10% male; 53.10% Hispanic). Youth with an anxiety disorder had significantly more medical visits over the prior 4-year period than youth without an anxiety disorder. Hispanic youth utilized health care services at higher rates than non-Hispanic youth; however, ethnicity did not moderate the relation between youth anxiety and health care utilization.