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Background. It has become conventional wisdom that regular routine check-ups help early detection and control of many chronic diseases that have the potential to have adverse effects in late age and also cause premature death. Primary Care (PC) is intended to address early detection of disease and routine check-ups to maximize health and well being. However, there is little evidence if present PC utilization in terms of PC visit has any favorable outcome for stroke incidence. Objective. The main objective of this study was to explore the relationship between PC utilization and incidence of stroke. Research design. It was a longitudinal prospective type of study comprised of six overlapping panels, and each panel had a duration of 2 years. Multivariate logistic regression model was developed to examine the association between PC utilization and incidence of stroke controlling for age, sex, race, region, insurance status, and risk diseases, which are those that might lead to stroke. Subjects. Over 43,000 respondents' data from the Household component of Medical Expenditure Panel Surveys from 1996 to 2002 were used for the study. Measures. The study considered international Classification of Diseases Code 9th Edition-Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) codes 434 or 436 to identify stroke incidence. Dependent variable was calculated if subjects were coded in any of these two ICD-9-CM conditions during office-based visits or outpatient visits or overall disease status in the respected year of data collection. Results. The PC utilization was negatively associated with incidence of stroke controlling for age, sex, race, region, insurance status, and risk diseases. The adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 0.48, p < 0.01 for same year and AOR = 0.70, p < 0.001 for 1-year lagged analysis. The study failed to prove that there is a difference in age, sex, race, and geographic region in the negative association between PC utilization and incidence of stroke in the United States. Conclusion. At least one PC visit in a year may reduce the incidence of stroke incidence. PC utilization could be a reliable predictor for stroke incidence in the United States.
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