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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Lorraine T. Midanik, PhD, Social Welfare, University of California, Berkeley, 120 Haviland Hall, MC #7400, Berkeley, CA 94720-7400, (510) 642-7974, lmidanik@berkeley.edu

Addressing health disparities among the many diverse communities in California requires a multi-faceted strategy that clinicians, providers, policymakers and researchers are only beginning to develop. Research has shown that a broad range of social, economic, and community conditions interplay with individual factors to exacerbate susceptibility to poorer health status among multi-ethnic populations. Though recent research points to many individual factors associated with an increase in health disparities, rarely do researchers study the impacts of multiple factors impinging on health; this is especially true for communities of color whom continue to show vast differences in health outcomes. Social workers play an instrumental role in reducing the effects of poor health and mental health care for California's growing multi-ethnic communities. Because ethnic minority populations are increasing, yet remain underrepresented in access to specialty mental health care and health care services, the public health system must develop new ways to provide culturally appropriate prevention, outreach and treatment to encourage healthy behaviors for these diverse populations. Six presenters analyzed the California Health Interview Survey (CHIS) datasets in an effort to explore a wide range of approaches to understanding how physical and social environments affect many comorbid conditions, access to care, and mental health treatment for ethnic minority populations residing in the state. CHIS can aid researchers, providers and policymakers in understanding the health concerns of the multi-ethnic population and serve as a catalyst for generating appropriate health policy in California as well as nationally.

Learning Objectives:

• Understand the impact of ethnicity on health and mental health conditions and access to care.
• Describe how physical and social environments affect health and mental health conditions and access to care.
• Serve as a foundation for the development of stronger health policies to address health disparities.

Keywords: Health Disparities, Ethnicity

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No