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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
Patricia I. Documét, MD, DrPH, Research Department, Family Health Council, Inc., 960 Penn Ave., Suite 600, Pittsburgh, PA 15217, (412) 288-2130, documetp@yahoo.com and Ravi K. Sharma, PhD, Behavioral and Community Health Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, 130 DeSoto St., Room 228, Pittsburgh, PA 15261.
Nationally, Latinos are the ethnic group with the worst health care access indicators. Culture and language have been studied less than financial determinants of access. Health care access data on Latinos in southwestern Pennsylvania (SWPA) are virtually non-existent. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) funded this study that aimed at investigating how income, culture and language affect health care access. Participant observation served to construct a sampling frame of and to obtain qualitative data to explain quantitative results. A random sample of 206 Latinos was surveyed; analysis included estimate construction and multivariate logistic regression. The percentage of Latinos in SWPA who were uninsured, have no regular source of care, did not visit a doctor or a dentist in the past year, and were not satisfied with care was calculated for all and by income subgroups and did not differ from national data. In multivariate logistic regression, income and education determined having health insurance (OR 6.8 and 7.4; 95% confidence intervals 2.7-17.3 and 2.9-19.0, respectively). Time in the U.S. and health insurance determined having a regular source of care (OR 4.6 and 5.8; 95% confidence intervals 1.7-12.8 and 2.1-16.0, respectively). Having a source of care and being female determined having a visit to the doctor in the past year (OR 6.14 and 6.73; 95% confidence intervals 2.3-16.5 and 2.4-19.3, respectively). Language and culture showed no statistically significant effect on access measures. However, qualitative data showed that language proficiency and several cultural aspects were related to health care barriers.
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of this session, the participant will be able to
Keywords: Access, Latino
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
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.