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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Martin Krebill-MacDowell, DrPH, MBA, MS, Family and Community Medicine, Rural Medical Education and Project Export, Univ. of Illinois at Rockford, 1601 Parkview Avenue, Rockford, IL 61109, 815-395-5579, mmacd@uic.edu

The number of rural communities with in-migration of Hispanic residents in the Midwest has increased during the last ten years. The immigration, language, and socioeconomic characteristics of these new residents have major implications for public health and health services organizations. This presentation presents the results from a purposive survey conducted using a PAR approach in cooperation with Hispanic community leaders funded by an NIMH Export grant. An IRB approved purposive (convenience sample) survey approach was needed to obtain participation. Surveys were completed (n=720) at Hispanic events in five communities. Findings will present reported priority health issues, preferences for obtaining health related information, and issues influencing access to health care services. Examination of variations in these characteristics associated with length of residence in the US and socio-economic characteristics of the respondents will also be presented using graphs and tables. Results include: dental care access and ability to obtain health insurance are priority health issues among those surveyed, those having longer residence in the country experiencing less concern about these issues than recent immigrants, a preference for health information to be presented in community oriented Hispanic health organizations instead of conventional health promotion methods (written or media) is indicated, and communication with health care providers is reported as difficult to language barriers. Programmatic implications for public health programs and health care organizations in Midwestern rural communities with growing Hispanic populations and topics for future research will be discussed.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participant (learner) in this session will be able to

• List five priority health related issues identified by rural Hispanic residents the five study communities
• List the three methods most preferred to obtain health information by rural Hispanic residents in the five communities
• Describe 3 major patterns observed between the family, time in the US, and socio-economic characteristics and the health related indictors in the five rural communities

Keywords: Immigrants, Rural Health

Related Web page: www.ncrhp.uic.edu/outreachcore/outreach.htm

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Not Answered

Handout (.pdf format, 5329.3 kb)

Handout (.ppt format, 560.5 kb)