Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #110001

Deborah Parra-Medina, PhD, Norman J. Arnold School of Public Health and Women's Studies Program, University of South Carolina, 300 Sumter Street, Columbia, SC 29208, 803 777-3892, dpmedina@sc.edu, DeAnne K. Hilfinger Messias, PhD, RN, College of Nursing and Women's Studies Program, University of South Carolina, 1601 Greene Street, 1601 Greene Street, SC 29208, Kristen Hudgins, Language for Healthcare Access, College of Nursing, University of South Carolina, 1601 Greene Street, Columbia, SC 29208, and Janice C. Probst, PhD, Health Administration, University of South Carolina, 800 Sumter Street, Columbia, SC 29208.

We developed a Spanish-language instrument to measure healthcare knowledge and self-efficacy as part of a randomized trial testing the effectiveness of an educational intervention to increase appropriate, cost-effective healthcare utilization. In the first wave of recruitment, baseline data were collected from 85 limited English proficient (LEP) Spanish speakers enrolled in English-as-a-Second Language classes (female = 53%, male = 47%; mean age = 31.9 years, SD= 9.9). The majority were born in Mexico (65.9%) and Central America (19.3%). Preliminary analysis suggests statistically significant gender differences in relation to marital, employment, and health insurance status. More men were employed (94.3% versus 33%) and had health insurance (21.1% versus 15.9%); more women were married or partnered (63.7% versus 50%) and reported having a household member with Medicaid insurance (55.7% versus 22.2%). Women were more likely to know that health services are available to the uninsured and identify county residence as an eligibility requirement for public health services. Only 4.7% of participants described their health as “excellent” and 38.9% self-described their health as “fair” or “poor.” Most frequently cited reasons for delayed access included being uninsured (45.8%); not knowing where to get care (45.6%); and lack of interpretation services (43.1%). Lack of self-efficacy related to respondents' ability to complete medical history (86.2%) and health insurance forms (85.3%), read prescriptions (70.4%), describe symptoms in English (78.4%), locate nearby services using zip code (78.4%), and make an appointment with an English-speaking receptionist (78.5%), indicates the Language for Healthcare curriculum is targeting identified needs of LEP immigrants.

Learning Objectives:

• 1. Identify knowledge and self-efficacy barriers to navigating the U.S. healthcare system among limited English proficient (LEP) Spanish speakers in South Carolina.
• 2. Identify gender differences in healthcare access knowledge and self-efficacy among LEP Spanish speakers in South Carolina.
• 3. Describe an innovative educational intervention to improve the capacity of LEP Spanish speakers to access the U.S. healthcare system.

Keywords: Latino Health, Health Care Access

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.