While numerous existing studies have explored the relationship between health and various socioeconomic factors that impact access to healthcare services, access to healthcare services remains a significant challenge, particularly for individuals affected by socioeconomic disparities. This dissertation builds upon the existing literature by empirically exploring a unique combination of socioeconomic factors —namely, housing availability, transportation access, and the utilization of social welfare programs —to examine their effect on accessing healthcare services within counties in the states of North Carolina and California.
The study employed Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) to predict and evaluate these relationships while assessing the moderating effect of geographic area. Following the social determinants of health and Levesque et al. (2013) conceptual frameworks, the findings show that housing availability is the socioeconomic factor providing the best access to healthcare services. The findings also validate the importance of offering National Housing First programs that prioritize providing decent, safe, and affordable housing as quickly as possible for individuals experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity before other supportive healthcare services.