Health Needs and Health Access Issues in a Sub-population of Hispanic Women from an Urban Community

Abstract listed under Eastern Nursing Research Society 26th Annual Scientific Sessions Abstracts

Background/Purpose: In the US, two of the most salient factors determining access to care are whether or not a person has health insurance and the person’s race or ethnicity. Hispanics account for about one third of the uninsured in the US. In the absence of adequate primary care, the uninsured go without care, utilize the emergency department (ED) as a primary care facility and ultimately experience health disparities. Accurate assessments of present service use by specific sub-populations will allow for improved planning of services and the development of policy that will target the needs of ‘invisible’ populations. The objective of this study was to examine knowledge and beliefs regarding access to health care services and health issues among an underserved community of Hispanic women.

Methods: A cross sectional design was used to survey 66 Hispanic women from a church community. A 94-item Health Needs Assessment survey was used to collect data. Descriptive statistics, chi square and t-tests were used to analyze the data.

Results: Thirty-two percent of women were not US citizens. The most common health issue among this population was obesity/overweight. Satisfaction with care was significantly associated with insurance, citizenship status and having a diagnosis of a chronic medical condition. Thirty seven percent of women used the ED as their usual source of care; 41% reported their health as fair to poor and use of preventive services were lower than what has been reported in the literature.

Conclusions and Implications: Health needs assessments are useful in understanding health issues in sub-populations of women whose culture and country of origin may influence how interventions will be received. Healthcare providers who have a better understanding of their client’s access and utilization of preventive and primary care services will be better positioned to develop appropriate interventions to meet their clients’ needs.