Having a Primary Care Provider and Receipt of Recommended Preventive Care Among Men in New York City

To assess the role of having a primary care provider (PCP) in men's up-to-date receipt of recommended preventive services (colonoscopy, pneumococcal and seasonal influenza vaccination, cholesterol and blood pressure screenings), data from the 2005 and 2006 New York City Community Health Surveys (N = 3,728 [2006], 2,810 [2005]) were analyzed. PCP prevalence and men's uptake of each service, overall and by age, race/ethnicity, education, income, insurance status, marital status, and nativity, were evaluated. After controlling for insurance status and other factors, having a PCP significantly predicted receipt of each service (adjusted prevalence ratio from 1.12 [1.08, 1.16] to 1.72 [1.35, 2.22]) and total services. Colonoscopy and seasonal influenza and pneumococcal vaccination receipt were below 70% with or without a PCP. Efforts to increase the proportion of men having a PCP are needed to improve receipt of recommended services. Maximizing awareness and provision of low-use preventive services may be useful.