Barriers to Healthcare Seeking and Provision Among African American Adults in the Rural Mississippi Delta Region: Community and Provider Perspectives.

Barriers to health care access and utilization are likely to be perceived differently for receivers and providers of health care. This paper compares and contrasts perspectives of lay community members, volunteer community health advisors (CHA), and health care providers related to structural and interpersonal barriers to health care seeking and provision among African American adults experiencing health disparities in the rural Mississippi Delta. Sixty-four Delta residents (24 males, 40 females) participated in nine focus groups organized by role and gender.

Maternity Nurses' Knowledge and Practice of Breastfeeding in Mississippi.

Background: Mississippi has the lowest rates of breastfeeding of all states at 6 months and at 1 year. Registered nurses working in the maternity setting can be influential in mothers' decision to breastfeed.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine registered nurses' knowledge and practice related to breastfeeding; and to identify facilitators and barriers to implementing the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding in Mississippi hospitals.

Breastfeeding Practices and Barriers to Implementing the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding in Mississippi Hospitals.

Background: Mississippi has the lowest rates of breastfeeding in the United States at 6 and 12 months. There is growing evidence that the rates and duration of infant breastfeeding improve after hospitals implement the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding; moreover, the Ten Steps approach is considered the standard model for evaluation of breastfeeding practices in birthplaces. Research aim: This study aimed to examine the implementation level of the Ten Steps and identify barriers to implementing the Ten Steps in Mississippi hospitals.

"We Need Help in the Delta".

The purpose of this study was to better understand the barriers to health promotion among African American older men living in the rural Mississippi Delta. A qualitative, intrinsic case study approach was used to explore the phenomenon of health and the barriers to promoting men's health within the unique context of the Delta. Data included one key informant interview and two focus group interviews with 14 men, with the majority between the ages of 41 and 55 years.

Mississippi Communities for Healthy Living.

Background: Improving the diet of communities experiencing health inequities can be challenging given that multiple dietary components are low in quality. Mississippi Communities for Healthy Living was designed to test the comparative effectiveness of nutrition education using a single- versus multiple-message approach to improve the diet of adult residents in the Lower Mississippi Delta.

Method: The single-message approach targeted discretionary calories while the multiple-message approach also targeted vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and lean protein.