142nd APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition

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Moderating effects of neighborhood on Latina mother's stress and healthcare: Feeling overwhelmed is a significant barrier to healthcare among low-income Latina-mothers

142nd APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition (November 15 - November 19, 2014): http://www.apha.org/events-and-meetings/annual
Monday, November 17, 2014 : 8:30 AM - 8:50 AM

Lourdes Baezconde Garbanati, PhD , Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
Meghan Bridgid Moran, PhD , School of Communication, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA
Joyee S. Chatterjee, PhD , Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, University of Southern California, Marina del Rey, CA
Jimi Huh , Department of Preventive Medicine, University of Southern California, Alhambra, CA
Nan Zhao, MPH , Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
Sheila Murphy, PhD , Annenberg School of Communication, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
Sandra Ball-Rokeach, PhD , Annenberg School of Communication, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
Audio (mp3) recording Recorded Presentation (mp4)
Background: Maternal stress plays a significant role in the development and progression of cervical cancer. We examined whether being overwhelmed with “too much to deal with” impacts being up-to-date with Pap-testing, having one’s daughter vaccinated against HPV and self-efficacy to engage in these behaviors. Using a place-based framework, we examined whether characteristics of one’s neighborhood, such as presence of health resources, moderate the effects of being overwhelmed.  

Methods: We conducted a clinic/community-based survey Latina mothers (N=1010) living in one of 24 Los Angeles neighborhoods. We examined the direct effect of “having too much to deal with” and the moderating effect of neighborhood characteristics on the cervical cancer-related outcomes.

Results: Over one-third (37.3%) of participants reported “having too much to deal with” prevented them from seeking health care. Women who felt overwhelmed were significantly less likely to be up-to-date with their Pap test (OR=.296, p < .001), and had lower levels of self-efficacy to obtain a Pap test (β = -.077, p < .05) than women who did not feel overwhelmed. Feeling overwhelmed was not associated with self-efficacy to vaccinate one’s daughter against HPV or actually having one’s daughter vaccinated. Neighborhood characteristics moderated the effect of feeling overwhelmed with on Pap test behavior and self-efficacy.

Conclusions:  Mothers who feel pulled in too many directions prioritize their children’s healthcare needs over their own. One’s neighborhood plays a critical role in mitigating this effect, providing social and functional support and allowing “overwhelmed” Latina-mothers to take care of their own and their children’s health.

Learning Areas:

Advocacy for health and health education
Diversity and culture
Other professions or practice related to public health
Planning of health education strategies, interventions, and programs
Social and behavioral sciences

Learning Objectives:
Describe how being overwhelmed with "too much to deal with" impacts a mother's being up-t0-date with Pap-testing, having one's daughter vaccinated against HPV and feelings of self-efficacy to engage in both of these behaviors. Discuss how neighborhood characteristics mitigate the impact of having too much to deal with on Pap test and HPV vaccination behaviors.

Keyword(s): Stress, Cancer

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have received doctoral training in health communication and post-doctoral training in preventive medicine. I am a heavily involved co-investigator on this project and have been involved in research on cervical cancer for the past 5 years. I worked with Dr. Baezconde-Garbanati to conceptualize this analysis and analyze and interpret the data. I am an assistant professor at San Diego State University where I teach mainly health communication.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

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