Health disparity

Health inequalities in a single-room-occupancy housing area, Jjok-bang continues to represent severe social problems in South Korea. While the positive association between individual and household socioeconomic status and health outcomes is well established, limited research have examined underpinning mechanisms, marginalization pertaining to entrenched health inequalities among residents in impoverished areas. This study was to understand residents’ experiences as follows: (1) which pathway of exclusion people experience before becoming residents in a precarious housing area; (2) how and why marginalization as a social determinant of health relates to health disparities; and (3) what strategies of intervening actions and policies are receptive and sustainable.
The present study explored the experiences of 21 residents and key informants in a Jjok-bang interviewed using a semi-structured interview guide from May to July, 2013. All qualitative data were analysed using the grounded theory methodology. We used NVivo, version 10 to code, conceptualize, categorize, and theorize data through an iterative comparative process.
Three major themes emerged from the data. First, residents experience past traumatic experiences including extreme material deprivation, illnesses or disabilities, and consecutive loss of labor opportunities before becoming residents in an inner city. Second, residents lost social support and experienced social exclusion in the process of marginalization that leaded to deteriorated mental health and severe alcohol dependency. Third, community-driven health promotion programs based on community empowerment are critical and coordinated health care is needed.
Increased understanding of relationship between marginalization and health inequalities can inform the development and implementation of complex intervening strategies tailored appropriately for vulnerable populations in an inner city at the community and policy levels. It is critical to develop community-based participatory interventions to meet residents’ health and wellness needs. Health and social policy is required to support community-driven health promotion programs to develop and sustain healthy communities.

The demographics in the United States are rapidly changing. In 2012, 47.2% of the children who lived in the United Stated were of color. However, three out of four physicians identified themselves as White non-Hispanic and approximately 83% of nurses are White, non-Hispanic. The changing demographics and increasing diversity of the population has an impact on care and quality of care being delivered by pediatric healthcare providers to children and their families. In 2005, The Office of Minority Health reported that the main ingredient in closing the gap in health care disparities is cultural competency. This scoping literature review investigated how pediatricians and pediatric nurses were progressing with their delivery of culturally competent care. The studies in the review revealed that the delivery of culturally competent care by pediatric health care providers has been a slow and difficult process and that there are identified areas of improvement. Pediatricians, pediatric nurses, other pediatric health care providers and families whose children received health care services from these providers were participants in the studies reviewed. Health care providers reported that more cultural competence training and education was necessary. Families in several studies identified communication/ linguistics and the provider’s ability to be more open and aware as areas where more cultural education and training are needed.

Childhood and adolescent obesity has increased drastically in the past 30 years. While this is troubling, there is also evidence of large disparities among certain ethnic groups such as African American and Hispanic children and adolescents. The Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) Model emphasizes a collaborative, co-learning, mutually beneficial, and community-partnered approach to research. Unique aspects of this model include viewing community members as equal partners in non-hierarchical teams, working together in a strengths-based, action oriented research process. This review consists of an investigation of the CBPR approach, its important tenets, and why such an approach may be more effective for childhood and adolescent obesity intervention program development, especially in stratified communities.

Acculturation discrepancy theory predicts that conflicting cultural preferences between adolescents and their parents will increase the adolescents’ risk for behavior problems such as substance use. This study evaluated this hypothesis in a sample of 1683 Hispanic students in Southern California who completed surveys in 9th and 10th grade. Measures included the students’ own cultural orientations and their perceptions of their parents’ preference for their cultural orientations (“Perceived Parental Cultural Expectations”—PPCE). Hispanic PPCE in 9th grade was a risk factor for lifetime, but not past-month, cigarette, alcohol, and marijuana use in 10th grade. The adolescents’ own Hispanic orientation in 9th grade was protective against lifetime and past-month smoking and marijuana use and lifetime alcohol use in 10th grade. The effects of the acculturation variables did not vary according to generation in the U.S. Change in acculturation between 9th and 10th grade was statistically significant but small in magnitude. Increases in parent–child Hispanic acculturation discrepancy (i.e., the difference between the adolescents’ own cultural orientations and their PPCE, with adolescents perceiving that their parents wanted them to be more Hispanic oriented than they actually were) from 9th to 10th grade were associated with an increased risk of substance use. Family-based interventions for acculturating Hispanic families may be useful in decreasing the likelihood of substance use among Hispanic adolescents.

Acculturation discrepancy theory predicts that conflicting cultural preferences between adolescents and their parents will increase the adolescents' risk for behavior problems such as substance use. This study evaluated this hypothesis in a sample of 1683 Hispanic students in Southern California who completed surveys in 9th and 10th grade. Measures included the students' own cultural orientations and their perceptions of their parents' preference for their cultural orientations ("Perceived Parental Cultural Expectations"--PPCE). Hispanic PPCE in 9th grade was a risk factor for lifetime, but not past-month, cigarette, alcohol, and marijuana use in 10th grade. The adolescents' own Hispanic orientation in 9th grade was protective against lifetime and past-month smoking and marijuana use and lifetime alcohol use in 10th grade. The effects of the acculturation variables did not vary according to generation in the U.S. Change in acculturation between 9th and ...

Acculturation discrepancy theory predicts that conflicting cultural preferences between adolescents and their parents will increase the adolescents' risk for behavior problems such as substance use. This study evaluated this hypothesis in a sample of 1683 Hispanic students in Southern California who completed surveys in 9th and 10th grade. Measures included the students' own cultural orientations and their perceptions of their parents' preference for their cultural orientations ("Perceived Parental Cultural Expectations"--PPCE). Hispanic PPCE in 9th grade was a risk factor for lifetime, but not past-month, cigarette, alcohol, and marijuana use in 10th grade. The adolescents' own Hispanic orientation in 9th grade was protective against lifetime and past-month smoking and marijuana use and lifetime alcohol use in 10th grade. The effects of the acculturation variables did not vary according to generation in the U.S. Change in acculturation between 9th and ...

Although deaths from cervical cancer are declining, Latinas are not benefiting equally in this decline. Incidence of invasive cervical cancer among Los Angeles', California Latinas is much higher than among non-Latina Whites (14.7 versus 8.02 per 100,000). This paper examines cervical cancer screening among Latinas. Ninety-seven women of Mexican origin participated in 12 focus groups exploring barriers to screening. Saturation was reached. All participants knew what a Pap test was and most knew its purpose. More acculturated participants understood the link between HPV and cervical cancer. More recent immigrants did not. There was confusion whether women who were not sexually active need to be screened. Most frequently mentioned barriers were lack of time and concern over missing work. Lower income and less acculturated women were less likely to be aware of free/low-cost clinics. Older and less acculturated participants held more fatalistic beliefs, were more embarrassed about g...

Acculturation discrepancy theory predicts that conflicting cultural preferences between adolescents and their parents will increase the adolescents’ risk for behavior problems such as substance use. This study evaluated this hypothesis in a sample of 1683 Hispanic students in Southern California who completed surveys in 9th and 10th grade. Measures included the students’ own cultural orientations and their perceptions of their

Acculturation discrepancy theory predicts that conflicting cultural preferences between adolescents and their parents will increase the adolescents’ risk for behavior problems such as substance use. This study evaluated this hypothesis in a sample of 1683 Hispanic students in Southern California who completed surveys in 9th and 10th grade. Measures included the students’ own cultural orientations and their perceptions of their parents’ preference for their cultural orientations (“Perceived Parental Cultural Expectations”—PPCE). Hispanic PPCE in 9th grade was a risk factor for lifetime, but not past-month, cigarette, alcohol, and marijuana use in 10th grade. The adolescents’ own Hispanic orientation in 9th grade was protective against lifetime and past-month smoking and marijuana use and lifetime alcohol use in 10th grade. The effects of the acculturation variables did not vary according to generation in the U.S. Change in acculturation between 9th and 10th grade was statistically significant but small in magnitude. Increases in parent–child Hispanic acculturation discrepancy (i.e., the difference between the adolescents’ own cultural orientations and their PPCE, with adolescents perceiving that their parents wanted them to be more Hispanic oriented than they actually were) from 9th to 10th grade were associated with an increased risk of substance use. Family-based interventions for acculturating Hispanic families may be useful in decreasing the likelihood of substance use among Hispanic adolescents.