An area for concern in public health research is the extent to which USA student loans are associated with poor health. This study's objective examines whether falling behind on student loans may compound ill-health by deterring people from seeking healthcare. The results of this study confirm that borrowers behind or in collections on student loans are forgoing healthcare after self-reporting general physical ill-health. This study used the 2019 Survey of Household Economics and Decision-making (SHED) questionnaire that measures the economic well-being of USA households. There were 337 participants behind or in collections on student loans. The size effects for forgoing mental healthcare and seeing a specialist were observed. Respondents behind on student loans were more likely to forgo mental healthcare (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 1.66, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.18, 2.33) and seeing a doctor/specialist (AOR = 1.53, 95% CI = 1.13, 2.07) even when controlling for sociodemographic variables, health insurance, childcare and eldercare payments, and medical debt. The implications for enlarging access to healthcare among people behind on student loans are discussed.

中文翻译：

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落后：学生贷款对放弃医疗保健的作用

公共卫生研究关注的一个领域是美国学生贷款与健康状况不佳的关联程度。这项研究的目的是检查学生贷款拖欠是否会阻止人们寻求医疗保健，从而加剧健康状况不佳。这项研究的结果证实，在学生贷款背后或收款中的借款人在自我报告一般身体健康状况后放弃了医疗保健。本研究使用 2019 年家庭经济和决策调查 (SHED) 问卷来衡量美国家庭的经济福祉。有 337 名参与者在学生贷款的背后或收款中。观察到放弃精神保健和看专科医生的规模效应。拖欠学生贷款的受访者更有可能放弃心理保健（调整优势比 (AOR) = 1.66，95% 置信区间 [CI] = 1.18, 2.33) 和看医生/专科医生 (AOR = 1.53, 95% CI = 1.13, 2.07)，即使在控制了社会人口变量、健康保险、儿童保育和养老支付以及医疗债务的情况下。讨论了扩大学生贷款落后人群获得医疗保健的影响。