Publications by authors named "Dulce M Ruelas"
Background: Using healthcare, whether for routine preventative examinations, chronic condition management, or emergent conditions, is an essential element of achieving and maintaining health. Over 44 million migrants live in the US today and nearly half (44.6 %) are Latino.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe CDC recommends that persons aged 13-64 receive an HIV test at least once in their lifetime and that some groups test annually or more frequently. Nearly one-half of US Latino immigrants have never been tested for HIV. To the extent that immigration-related laws deter documented and undocumented immigrants from engaging in communicable disease control measures, these laws undermine public health efforts.
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- Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) is increasingly affecting children, particularly among Latino adolescents in Phoenix, highlighting social inequalities in health risks.
- The study analyzed data from multiple sources to explore how various neighborhood factors, such as fast food density, contribute to T2D risk in these youth.
- Findings revealed a significant link between the number of fast food restaurants and higher blood glucose levels in adolescents, showing the negative impact of the local food environment on health outcomes.
: To understand student perceptions, interest and intentions of pursuing public health as a result of COVID-19 during educational experiences. Two hundred seventy-seven students completed the survey representing 38 states and two countries. : An online survey was administered to current undergraduate and graduate students at two institutions.
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- - The study explored Latinx immigrants' views on US policies that restrict their access to public resources and how these policies affect their use of healthcare services.
- - Through 16 focus group discussions with 130 Latinx immigrants, four key themes emerged: perceptions of limited healthcare resources, fears about immigration consequences from seeking medical care, avoidance of entitled health services, and the impact of accurate vs. inaccurate information on healthcare access.
- - Participants were aware of the negative portrayal of immigrants as burdens on public resources, leading to misunderstandings about laws and regulations that hindered their healthcare utilization; thus, providing clear information is essential to combat misinformation and improve immigrant access to healthcare.