The purpose of this presentation is to describe the health needs of immigrant Hispanic peri/postmenopausal women. Design: Four focus groups of 40 Spanish-speaking women ages 39-63 and a focus group of 5 health care providers were held. The women were asked about their attitudes towards menopause, health changes, symptom management, hormone replacement therapy and access to health care services. Providers' were asked what they saw as immigrant Hispanic women's health risks, needs, and impediments to care. Results: Women saw menopause as a normal phase of life with variations among individuals, including hot flashes, irritability and depression. Many women had limited information about symptom management, hormone replacement therapy and potential health risks such as heart disease and osteoporosis. Providers saw language differences, their limited time, migratory patterns of Hispanic patients, low knowledge and compliance as impediments to care. The women, dissatisfied with what they saw as the impersonal, harried nature of their U.S. health care providers, described a preference for doctors' in their home countries. Finally, although the women expected providers to anticipate their need for health information, the providers expected the women to specifically request needed information. Conclusions: Spanish-speaking women in the United States have limited access to women's health information and care. Providers and women face communication barriers leading to ineffective cross-cultural care. Incongruent expectations of health care providers and the women exacerbate the gaps in effective health care. Enhancing communication and bridging cultural gaps remain a goal for caring for Hispanic immigrant populations in the future.
Learning Objectives: At the end of this session, the participant will be able to: 1. Articulate the research design and methods used in this cross-cultural research project 2. Describe menopause experiences of immigrant Hispanic women in northern Manhattan. 3. Identify Spanish-speaking women's experiences with access to care. 4. Contrast the women's perceived health care needs with perceptions of a group of primary health care providers
Keywords: Immigrant Women, Menopause
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.