Gilbert Saint-Jean, MD, MPH, PhD and Lee A. Crandall, PhD. Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Miami, 1801 NW 9th Avenue, Room # 324, Locator D-93, Miami, FL 33136, 305-243-6571, gsaint@med.miami.edu

This study’s objective was to identify the health care needs of the Haitian community of Miami-Dade County, Florida, to determine whether those needs are met by the existing health care structure, and to assess the consequences of barriers to care on the health outcomes of this community. A questionnaire was used to obtain information on demographic characteristics, need for health services, and health care access and utilization from a probability sample of 650 Haitians and Haitian Americans living in or near the ‘Little Haiti’ area of the county who were recruited using census and county property appraisal data. The dependent variable was utilization of health services and key dependant variables were health care coverage and the availability of a usual place of care. Logistic regression and Pearson chi-square were used for data analysis. Hypertension, arthritis, and diabetes were serious health concerns for this community. Only fifty-two and 77 percent of the population had health care coverage and a usual place of care, respectively. Compared to those without insurance, participants with coverage were 2.5 and three times as likely to have had a physical or a medical check-up for a serious health condition during the past 12 months. Compared to those without a usual place of care, participants with a place of care were three times as likely to have had a physical. In adjusted analysis, citizenship status was the single most important determinant of health care utilization (odds ratio = 2.5 and 45 for physical and medical check-up, respectively).

Learning Objectives: