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

Abstract #113826

Belinda M. Reininger, DrPH¹, Ethel Cantu, MS¹, Lisa A. Mitchell-Bennett, MA¹, Marge Chavez, Ed, D², Maria E. Fernandez, PhD³, Pamela Kavanaugh, RN⁴, Michael Seifert, MA⁵, and Erica Cantu¹. (1) Regional Campus at Brownsville, University of Texas- Houston School of Public Health, 1200 Herman Pressler Drive, Houston, TX 77030, 956-554-5161, Belinda.M.Reininger@uth.tmc.edu, (2) School of Health Professionals, University of Texas at Brownsville, 1224 Cedar Ridge Dr., Brownsville, TX 78520, (3) Center for Health Promotion and Prevention Research, University of Texas Houston, 7000 Fannin, School of Public Health UCT 2558, Houston, TX 77030, (4) Brownsville Community Health Center, 2137 E. 22nd Street, Brownsville, TX 78521, (5) San Felipe de Jesus Catholic Parish, 2026 Ave. Rancho Viejo, Brownsville, TX 78521

Health professional's understanding of locally predominant cultural beliefs regarding health is an important factor in providing effective health care. Seven focus groups were conducted with Mexican-American women and two with Mexican-American men (n= 78), all with little U.S. acculturation, living in communities along the Texas / Mexico Lower Rio Grande Valley. Two groups were conducted on the Mexican side of the border and seven groups on the U.S. side. Participants were asked to discuss their attitudes and perceptions of health care systems, provider effectiveness, decision-making, as well as disease causes and treatments. Participants also discussed their reasons for choosing to seek health care on either the U.S. or Mexican side of the border. The focus group data were transcribed and a theme analysis was conducted (using ATLASti 5.0 software). Results indicate that factors in effective treatment and health care delivery include cost, doctor-patient relationships, communication skills (including Spanish language proficiency), perceived interest in patient well-being, minimizing the number of appointments, tests, referrals and treatment visits. Family input and attitudes are also important factors in patients' initial decision to see a health provider, and subsequent adherence to treatment. Decisions to try home remedies and traditional medicines prior to or as an alternative to mainstream healthcare are influenced by negative experiences with health care providers and /or family members. The results may be useful for increasing cultural competency among health professionals, improving health delivery systems and designing effect health promotion programs.

Learning Objectives:

• I. Identify three factors that influence Mexican –Americans in the Lower Rio Grande Valley to seek treatment for illness from traditional healers or by use of home remedies versus solely obtaining mainstream medical care.
• II. Identify two factors that influence Mexican-Americans in the Lower Rio Grande Valley to seek health care across the border in Mexico.
• III. Identify three culturally competent elements specific to the design of health care delivery systems for a population of Mexican-Americans with little U.S. acculturation.

Keywords: Cultural Competency, Hispanic

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.