Short Assessment of Health Literacy-Spanish and English: a comparable test of health literacy for Spanish and English speakers.

Objective: The intent of the study was to develop and validate a comparable health literacy test for Spanish-speaking and English-speaking populations.

Study Design: The design of the instrument, named the Short Assessment of Health Literacy-Spanish and English (SAHL-S&E), combined a word recognition test, as appearing in the Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy in Medicine (REALM), and a comprehension test using multiple-choice questions designed by an expert panel. We used the item response theory (IRT) in developing and validating the instrument.

Latino patients' preferences for medication information and pharmacy services.

Objectives: To examine (1) Latino patients' language preferences for receiving verbal and written medication information in community pharmacies, (2) the types of problems and concerns Latino patients report about using their medications, and (3) the factors that Latino patients believe are important when choosing a community pharmacy.

Methods: Individuals were eligible to participate if they were 18 years of age or older, if they self-identified as being Latino, and if they or their children were currently taking prescription medications. All 93 participating individuals were interviewed in Spanish.

Social support and dental utilization among children of Latina immigrants.

Latino children use fewer professional dental services and experience more dental decay than non-Hispanic White and non-Hispanic Black children. This study tested the association between four types of social support (information, influence, material aid, emotional aid) and dental use among children of Latina immigrants in North Carolina. Latina mothers age 15-44 years (N=174) were sampled from four counties using a multistage church-based sampling design.

Perceptions of quality of reproductive care services in Bolivia: use of photo prompts and surveys as an impetus for change.

Surveys are sometimes used to assess women's perceptions of the quality of reproductive health care, but less empowered women may feel uncomfortable expressing their views in this method. We demonstrate the use of a participatory approach, combining a standard survey with an innovative photonarrative method. Women in Cochabamba, Bolivia, were asked to participate in exit surveys (n = 108).

Development of an easy-to-use Spanish Health Literacy test.

Objective: The study was intended to develop and validate a health literacy test, termed the Short Assessment of Health Literacy for Spanish-speaking Adults (SAHLSA), for the Spanish-speaking population.

Study Design: The design of SAHLSA was based on the Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy in Medicine (REALM), known as the most easily administered tool for assessing health literacy in English. In addition to the word recognition test in REALM, SAHLSA incorporates a comprehension test using multiple-choice questions designed by an expert panel.

Perceived insufficient milk as a barrier to optimal infant feeding: examples from Bolivia.

In its recently adopted Global Strategy on Infant and Young Child Feeding, the World Health Assembly called for urgent action in addressing the barriers to optimal feeding practices. This paper examines mothers' concerns about milk insufficiency as a major contributor to suboptimal infant feeding decisions, using survey data from peri-urban areas of two Bolivian cities. Mothers in the lowland modernizing city of Santa Cruz were more likely than mothers in the highland traditional city of Cochabamba to express concern about insufficient milk, and also less likely to feed their infants according to international recommendations.

The Americans With Disabilities Act: explaining legislative intent through experiential learning.

Imparting the requirements of healthcare workforce legislation to students is only one aspect of preparing undergraduate healthcare management students to be effective managers. On first review, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) appears quite straightforward. The Act applies to any employer with 15 or more employees and covers a full range of employment practices.

Social support among Latina immigrant women: bridge persons as mediators of cervical cancer screening.

New Latina immigrants face numerous linguistic, cultural, logistical, and material barriers to cervical cancer screenings. Promotoras (lay health advisors) are a proven strategy to promote utilization of care. Since the mid-1990s, interventions in North Carolina have aimed to connect Latina immigrants to a broader range of bridge persons.

Improving access for Latino immigrants: evaluation of language training adapted to the needs of health professionals.

The number of Latinos in North Carolina grew by almost 400% between 1990 and 2000. The rapid change in demographics in this state and other southeastern states has caught healthcare providers unprepared. Lack of ability to communicate with Latino patients may result in errors in diagnosis or reduced compliance with recommended treatments.