Medical Care Needs of Laundromat Users in San Antonio, Texas: A Potentially Unique Setting for Health Interventions

Innovative community-based public-private partnerships are forming to address health needs of underserved communities. This study partnered with laundromats in San Antonio, Texas to understand the health and healthcare needs of laundromat users as a possible underserved population. A total of 193 laundromat users across eight laundromats participated in a survey based on the Texas Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) that asked about health status, access to care, vaccinations, and use of preventive healthcare services. Responses were compared to population estimates from Bexar County and the state of Texas. Results showed that over half of the sample of laundromat users were female, racial/ethnic minorities, living at poverty level, and did not have health insurance coverage. Compared to county and state population estimates, laundromat users were significantly more likely to report poor health and physical impairment; and were less likely to have a primary care provider, to have received a routine medical checkup in the past year, and to have been tested for HIV. Laundromat users were also less likely to receive some gender-specific preventive healthcare screenings such as pap smears and mammograms for women, and prostate exams for men than county or state population estimates. In the laundromat sample, 78% expressed interest in receiving healthcare services on-site at laundromats. Together, these findings suggest laundromats may be a unique setting for healthcare intervention to reach undeserved, racial/ethnic minority communities. Pilot programs that target this setting are needed to explore this opportunity to deliver community-based public health practice.