Disparities in ADL and IADL disabilities among elders of Hispanic subgroups in the United States: results from the National Health Interview Survey 2001-2003.

The authors compared disability and functional limitation among elder Hispanic subgroups by using data from the 2001-2003 National Health Interview Survey (National Center for Health Statistics 2008a). The authors applied chi-square analysis for bivariate comparisons and used multiple logistic regression analyses for making comparisons, estimating odds ratios, and predicting disabilities. Results revealed a 21.

Organizational culture in a terminally ill hospital.

This study analyzed an organizational culture in a community hospital in Texas to measure organizational culture change and its impact on Patient Satisfaction (PS). The study employed primary and secondary data, combining quantitative and qualitative methods for a case study. Participant observation was used and archival data were collected to provide a better understanding of the organizational culture and the context in which change was taking place.

Gender disparities: a medical detoxification program.

Significant gaps exist in health care regarding gender in the United States. Health status, social roles, culturally patterned behavior and access to health care can be influenced by gender. Women have been the primary users of health care and minority women usually have received poorer quality care than Non-Hispanic White (NHW) females.

Disparities in access to healthcare: the case of a drug and alcohol abuse detoxification treatment program among minority groups in a Texas hospital.

The authors analyzed ethnic/racial disparities in healthcare access and length of stay from a defined population of individuals seeking medical detoxification services at a hospital in Texas. Results indicated Blacks were more likely to be insured compared with Whites, mostly by public insurance, but this did not hold for Hispanics, who were about three times more likely to be uninsured compared with Blacks. In addition, the authors observed lower median of length of stay in the Medicaid category among Hispanics.

Race and ethnic disparities in cervical cancer screening in a safety-net system.

Objectives: The three objectives of this research were: 1) to examine the use of Pap smear tests among low-income women, including minority and immigrant women who were patients in a safety-net healthcare system; 2) to identify policy relevant variables that could lead to changes in use of Pap smear screening services for these women; and 3) to contribute to the literature on use of Pap smear screening, especially among minorities and immigrants. The Behavioral Model for Vulnerable Populations was used as the theoretical framework.

Methods: Pap smear screening predictors were examined using telephone interviews with a random sample of women aged 18-60, including 465 Non-Hispanic Whites, 285 African Americans, 164 Hispanic Americans, and 256 Hispanic immigrants, enrolled in a safety-net healthcare system in Texas in Fall 2000.

Prognostic factors of severe asthma in Puerto Rico.

Asthma in Puerto Rico is a serious Public Health Problem. This study extends our cross-sectional self-reported asthma prevalence survey of 3,000 volunteers. The purpose of the present study was to analyze the importance of known prognostic factors of asthma severity among 486 self-reported participants.

Age, gender and seasonal patterns of asthma in emergency departments of southern Puerto Rico.

We report findings derived from 55,547 emergency department records of asthmatic patients in the city of Ponce, Puerto Rico over a period of six years. The analysis of the data revealed that mean age of the asthmatic cases were 18.7 +/- 17.