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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing
Session: Social, Cultural, Environmental and Political Contexts of Women's Health
3163.0: Monday, November 05, 2007: 10:30 AM-12:00 PM
Oral
Social, Cultural, Environmental and Political Contexts of Women's Health
Several socio-cultural factors influence body image, care-seeking and diagnosis of women’s health issues in America. Minority women in America, Hispanics and African Americans in particular, face several health problems due to disparities in health care. Weight management and body image challenges exist among many racial and ethnic groups due to the culturally accepted fit and thin, ‘Caucasian,’ body type. Embracing the curvier Latina body image is especially a concern in this population due to evidence that Latina women are the least likely to remain physically active throughout adulthood. This decrease in physical activity among female minorities leads to an increase of diabetes incidence and more complications among these populations. Despite this increased prevalence, diabetes clinical trials have failed to adequately include minority populations. Cultural limitations also influence diagnosis, care and control of infectious diseases, including Tuberculosis (TB). Fear associated with contracting the illness leads to many women receiving less than optimal medical attention and feeling frustrated by the psychological side effects of dealing with their illness alone. African American women face disparities in morbidity and mortality of every major illness. This session will also present and disseminate the results of the Black Women’s Health Study, a study of the health, behaviors, barriers and factors associated with healthcare, among this underserved minority population.
Learning Objectives: 1. Explain psychosocial and cultural factors that influence body image among Latinas. 2. Understand the need for ethnically tailored health messages for promotion of physical activity among minority women. 3. Understand the stigma of TB, as well as potential strategies to assist with TB control. 4. Describe the findings and implications of the Black Women’s Study. 5. Understand the importance of including minority women in clinical drug trials.
Moderator(s):Winifred W. Thompson, PhD, MSW
10:30 AM   “Real women have curves:” Body image paradox among Latina women in the US
Anahi Viladrich, PhD, Nancy Bruning, MPH, Ming-Chin Yeh, PhD, Rachael Weiss
10:45 AM   Socio-cultural and structural factors and their impact on tuberculosis prevention and control for rural African American women in the South East USA
Muriel J. Harris, PhD
11:00 AM   Influence of marianismo beliefs on physical activity of young immigrant Latinas
Karen T. D'Alonzo, PhD RN , APNC
11:15 AM   Black Women's Health Study: A prospective follow-up of US black women
Yvette C. Cozier, DSc, MPH, Lauren A. Wise, ScD, Julie R. Palmer, ScD, Lucile L. Adams-Campbell, PhD, Lynn Rosenberg, ScD
11:30 AM   Enrollment of women and racial minorities in clinical trials for diabetes medications
Ellen Pinnow, Pellavi Sharma, Ameeta Parekh, Kimberly Thomas, Lina Aljuburi, Kathleen Uhl
See individual abstracts for presenting author's disclosure statement and author's information.
Organized by:Women's Caucus
Endorsed by:APHA-Committee on Women's Rights; Asian Pacific Islander Caucus of APHA; Caucus on Refugee and Immigrant Health; Latino Caucus; Maternal and Child Health; Public Health Education and Health Promotion; Socialist Caucus
CE Credits:CME, Health Education (CHES), Nursing

The 135th APHA Annual Meeting & Exposition (November 3-7, 2007) of APHA