Document Type
Article
Version Deposited
Published Version
Publication Date
5-27-2025
Publication Title
Journal of Community Health
DOI
10.1007/s10900-025-01483-5
Abstract
Medical mistrust is an ongoing concern in the United States, with patient confidence in both individual practitioners and institutions decreasing sharply in recent years. Atlantic County, New Jersey has some of the worst health outcomes in the state and is below the national average. This study sought to investigate medical mistrust by recruiting participants to complete a survey and/or health screening at 12 food pantry distribution events throughout Atlantic County (N = 124). The mean score for the Medical Mistrust Index was 19.06 (SD = 5.6) for participants who reported receiving the annual influenza vaccine and 16.05 (SD = 4.7) for participants who did not report receiving the vaccine (p = 0.002). Participants who reported an "Excellent" self-perception of overall (M = 13.7, SD = 4.6) and dental health (M = 14.6, SD = 5.5) had significantly less trust relative to their counterparts. There was no significant difference in self-perception of mental health and trust. While not statistically significant, a positive correlation was observed between trust and the number of healthcare information sources used: participants reporting use of 1 source had the lowest trust (M = 16.82, SD = 5.73), while those using 2 (M = 17.86, SD = 4.48; p =.509), 3 (M = 17.33, SD = 0.87; p =.536), or ≥ 4 sources (M = 19.38, SD = 3.97; p =.086) showed progressively higher trust. Our findings highlight the responsibility of improving medical mistrust falls on both providers and patients to take agency of their care.
Recommended Citation
Johnson, Dale; Javed, Adeena; Byrnes, Nathaniel J; Jones, Anne C; and Bertsch, Kristin N, "Influences and Implications of Medical Mistrust on Healthcare Behaviors in a Low Health Outcomes County in the State of New Jersey" (2025). Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine Departmental Research. 293.
https://rdw.rowan.edu/som_facpub/293
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Published Citation
Johnson, D., Javed, A., Byrnes, N.J. et al. Influences and Implications of Medical Mistrust on Healthcare Behaviors in a Low Health Outcomes County in the State of New Jersey. J Community Health (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10900-025-01483-5
Included in
Community Health and Preventive Medicine Commons, Health and Medical Administration Commons, Health Psychology Commons, Health Services Research Commons, Medicine and Health Commons, Public Health Education and Promotion Commons
Comments
The version of record of this article, first published in Journal of Community Health, is available online at Publisher’s website: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10900-025-01483-5