Health Care Blog (Page 166)

Satisfaction with and Perceived Cultural Competency of Healthcare Providers: Research Design

Research Design The CAI was developed to assess the Omaha minority communities’ satisfaction with healthcare providers and their knowledge and willingness to participate in healthcare research. The CAI consisted of over 70 survey items that were pilot-tested on 12 members of the minority community before being administered to 80 members of the minority and majority community. The minority community included African Americans, Hispanic Americans, Native Americans, Sudanese and Vietnamese. The last two groups are recent immigrants to the Omaha area. The majority community were whites/Caucasians and were included as a reference group.

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Satisfaction with and Perceived Cultural Competency of Healthcare Providers

INTRODUCTION Despite the overall improvement of health in the American population, statistics has shown that there is a disparity in the health of certain racial groups. Infant mortality rates for African Americans and Native Americans are twice those of whites, heart disease is 40% higher for blacks than for whites, and Hispanic and Native Americans have a higher rate of diabetes than non-Hispanic whites. In addition, maternal mortality for African-American women is almost three times that of the nation. This pattern of disparity is evident in both healthcare utilization and outcome.

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Initial Acculturation and HIV Risk among New Hispanic Immigrants: DISCUSSION

Although it would be inappropriate to generalize about national and ethnic groups based on the small and nonrepresentative study sample, the identification of a range of sociodemographic and contextual factors can inform institutional and community-based action as well as directions for future HIV ( treating HIV infection) prevention research. Findings illustrate the urgency of reaching these communities as their new residents begin the process of adaptation and acculturation. Such efforts must be guided by current and in-depth information on the strengths and resources of these immigrant groups as well as their vulnerabilities within the U.S. epidemic. Furthermore, providers, including U.S. and native Spanish-speaking professionals, have expressed their need for information on these new groups from largely rural and indigenous communities whose beliefs and behaviors can be significantly different from other, more established, Spanish-speaking communities in their areas.

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Initial Acculturation and HIV Risk among New Hispanic Immigrants: RESULTS

Sample Men and women (n=51) from each of the target countries participated in individual interviews. Eleven focus groups were conducted (n=86), organized by nationality, sex and site. Overall, the average age of respondents was 31, with a length of residence in the United States of <2 years. One focus group and individual interviews (n=26) were conducted with key informants.

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Initial Acculturation and HIV Risk among New Hispanic Immigrants

Hispanics are disproportionately represented in the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the United States. In 2002, the estimated AIDS rate among adult and adolescent Hispanic men was 39.7 per 100,000, more than three times the rate for non-Hispanic white men (12.3). The discrepancy is larger among Hispanic women, with rates of 11.3 per 100,000 compared to 2.1 for white women. Hispanics are also more likely than whites to be concurrently diagnosed with HIV (еreating HIV infection when used along with other medicines) and AIDS, receiving medical care later in the course of their illness.

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Breast Is Best for Babies: WHEN AND HOW TO BREASTFEED

Breastfeeding should be initiated as soon after delivery as possible, preferably within the first half-hour after birth. Delaying breastfeeding for four hours or more results in a lower incidence of successful breastfeeding. Mothers should be encouraged to nurse on cue, usually 10-12 times a day, including during the night, for as long as the infant seems interested. Frequent feeding is important in establishing a good milk supply. Supplementary feeding of water, glucose water or formula should be avoided, as these fluids tend to mute the appetite and interfere with lactation. Proper positioning pro vides comfort for the mother and the infant and is important in the establishment of an effective latch-on and adequate milk intake for the infant. The most frequently used positions that work well are the cradle position, football position and side-lying position. Enough of the areola should be in the infant’s mouth to permit the tongue to…

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