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Diabetes self-management among low-income Spanish-speaking patients: a pilot study.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of type 2 diabetes and diabetes-related morbidity and mortality is higher among low-income Hispanics when compared to that of Whites. However, little is known about how to effectively promote self-management in this population. PURPOSE: The objectives were first to determine the feasibility of conducting a randomized clinical trial of an innovative self-management intervention to improve metabolic control in low-income Spanish-speaking individuals with type 2 diabetes and second to obtain preliminary data of possible intervention effects. METHODS: Participants for this pilot study were recruited from a community health center, an elder program, and a community-wide database developed by the community health center, in collaboration with other agencies serving the community, by surveying households in the entire community. Participants were randomly assigned to an intervention (n = 15) or a control (n = 10) condition. Assessments were conducted at baseline and at 3 months and 6 months postrandomization. The intervention consisted of 10 group sessions that targeted diabetes knowledge, attitudes, and self-management skills through culturally specific and literacy-sensitive strategies. The intervention used a cognitive-behavioral theoretical framework. RESULTS: Recruitment rates at the community health center, elder program, and community registry were 48%, 69%, and 8%, respectively. Completion rates for baseline, 3-month, and 6-month assessments were 100%, 92%, and 92%, respectively. Each intervention participant attended an average of 7.8 out of 10 sessions, and as a group the participants showed high adherence to intervention activities (93% turned in daily logs, and 80% self-monitored glucose levels at least daily). There was an overall Group x Time interaction (p = .02) indicating group differences in glycosylated hemoglobin over time. The estimated glycosylated hemoglobin decrease at 3 months for the intervention group was -0.8% (95% confidence intervals = -1.1%, -0.5%) compared with the change in the control group (p = .02). At 6 months, the decrease in the intervention group remained significant, -0.85% (95% confidence intervals = -1.2, -0.5), and the decrease was still significantly different from that of the controls (p = .005). There was a trend toward increased physical activity in the intervention group as compared to that of the control group (p = .11) and some evidence (nonsignificant) of an increase in blood glucose self-monitoring in the intervention participants but not the control participants. Adjusting for baseline depressive scores, we observed a significant difference in depressive symptoms between intervention participants and control participants at the 3-month assessment (p = .02). CONCLUSIONS: Low-income Spanish-speaking Hispanics are receptive to participate in diabetes-related research. This study shows that the pilot-tested diabetes self-management program is promising and warrants the conduct of a randomized clinical trial.

Aged↗

Healthy eating for rural low-income toddlers: caregivers' perceptions.

Caregivers exert a powerful influence on young children's eating habits. This qualitative study used focus groups to assess nutritional needs and barriers in establishing healthy eating habits in toddlers. Three focus groups were conducted with rural, low-income caregivers, 2 with men and 1 with women, in 3 rural Michigan counties. Four major themes emerged: (a) barriers to providing healthy meals, (b) division of responsibility, (c) mealtime behavior, and (d) desired nutrition education. The major barriers identified were work schedules; cost of food; inadequate time to shop, plan, and prepare nutritious meals; or a combination thereof. Caregivers expressed concern for the nutritional well-being of their toddlers. The perceived needs and perceptions of low-income caregivers need to be considered when providing nutrition education. Findings from this study provided the basis for developing a nutrition education intervention for low-income parents of young children.

Adolescent↗

First trimester predictors of diet and birth outcomes in low-income pregnant women.

The purpose1 of this study is to test a model describing the relations of various biopsychosocial, behavioral, and cognitive factors on the health outcomes of nutritional adequacy and infant birth weight in low-income pregnant women. Descriptive, cohort design assessed low-income women (N=55) in their 1st trimester of pregnancy. Eighty percent of the women did not meet the recommended number of food servings outlined in the Food Guide Pyramid. Prepregnant body mass index (BMI) and pregnancy-related dietary changes explained 19% of the variance in nutritional adequacy. Maternal age, prepregnant BMI, nutritional knowledge, and infant gestation at birth explained 52% of the variance in infant birth weight. Nutritional adequacy in the 1st trimester and infant birth weight were not significantly related. Most low-income women are not meeting the nutritional requirements of pregnancy. Careful monitoring of dietary quality may help target women in need of additional nutritional education. Providing nutritional education throughout pregnancy may lead to improved dietary patterns that may reduce low birth weight.

Adult↗

Targeting of incoming retroviral Gag to the centrosome involves a direct interaction with the dynein light chain 8.

The role of cellular proteins in the replication of retroviruses, especially during virus assembly, has been partly unraveled by recent studies. Paradoxically, little is known about the route taken by retroviruses to reach the nucleus at the early stages of infection. To get insight into this stage of virus replication, we have studied the trafficking of foamy retroviruses and have previously shown that incoming viral proteins reach the microtubule organizing center (MTOC) prior to nuclear translocation of the viral genome. Here, we show that incoming viruses concentrate around the MTOC as free and structured capsids. Interestingly, the Gag protein, the scaffold component of viral capsids, targets the pericentrosomal region in transfected cells in the absence of any other viral components but in a microtubule- and dynein/dynactin-dependent manner. Trafficking of Gag towards the centrosome requires a minimal 30 amino acid coiled-coil motif in the N-terminus of the molecule. Finally, we describe a direct interaction between Gag and dynein light chain 8 that probably accounts for the specific routing of the incoming capsids to the centrosome prior to nuclear import of the viral genome.

Amino Acid Motifs↗

Promising programs to serve low-income families in poverty neighborhoods.

This review of promising programs to address the challenges facing low-income families living in distressed neighborhoods reveals three key themes: (1) Earnings and asset development programs are used to increase the economic self-sufficiency of low-income families and include: place-based employment programs, a focus on good jobs, the use of work incentives, programs that promote banking, car and home ownership, and the use of the Earned Income Tax Credit; (2) Family strengthening programs are used to improve health and educational outcomes, as well as link families to needed support and benefit services and include: nurse home visitation, parenting education, early childhood educational programs, and facilitating the receipt of support services; and (3) Neighborhood strengthening programs are used to improve features of the neighborhood, collaboration among service providers, and resident involvement in neighborhood affairs and include: the use of community development corporations, comprehensive community initiatives and community organizing strategies.

Family↗

Promising practices for meeting the multiple needs of low-income families in poverty neighborhoods.

This review of promising practices for meeting the multiple needs of low-income families in poverty neighborhoods reveals four main themes: (1) The challenges facing low-income families living in poverty neighborhoods are not discrete-but are multidimensional; (2) Integrated family and neighborhood strengthening practices, such as the Making Connections (MC) Initiative (funded by the Annie E. Casey Foundation), and the Harlem Children's Zone (HCZ), represent innovative strategies to address the multifaceted issues facing low-income families living in poverty neighborhoods; (3) The organizational structure, challenges and successes of the MC and HCZ provide insight into the nature of integrated family and neighborhood approaches; (4) A framework for the design of an integrated family and neighborhood program includes a focus on internal organizational processes, neighborhood processes, and external processes. This framework can assist social service agencies in moving their services toward a more integrated family and neighborhood approach.

Family↗

Do determinants of medicare supplemental coverage choice vary by income.

Using data from the Community Tracking Study Household Survey (1998-99), we estimate the relationship between Medigap premiums and senior Medicare beneficiaries' supplemental coverage decisions. All seniors are more likely to be enrolled in an HMO in markets with higher Medigap prices. Lower income seniors are particularly sensitive to Medigap premiums and are more likely to have no supplemental coverage when faced with higher Medigap premiums. As Medicare supplemental options evolve in response to the 2003 Medicare Modernization Act, it is important to consider that lower income beneficiaries may respond to price changes and other factors differently than their higher income counterparts.

Aged↗

Language, income, education, and alcohol-related fatal motor vehicle crashes.

This paper investigates the role of race/ethnicity, language skills (a proxy for acculturation among Hispanics in Arizona, California, New Mexico, and Texas), income, and education level on alcohol-related fatal motor vehicle crashes. Using the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), we confirmed previous state-based studies showing that high income and education levels have a protective influence on alcohol-related fatal motor vehicle crashes. We also confirmed that language proficiency/acculturation tends to increase the vulnerability of Hispanic women to alcohol-related fatalities. Differences in alcohol-related fatality rates across Hispanic subgroups are observed. Future reductions in alcohol-related traffic fatalities may require prevention policies that take into account existent variations in acculturation, income, and education among racial/ethnic groups and subgroups.

Accidents, Traffic↗

Impact of a personal response system on hospital use by low-income African American and white elders.

In 1994, the American Red Cross initiated a subsidized personal response system program for low-income elders in the Detroit area to help these elders maintain their independence at home. Data were collected on 379 low-income, at-risk elderly clients from Detroit and surrounding Wayne County, Michigan. More than 80 percent of the sample were African American (n = 313), and the remainder were white (n = 66) elders. Statistically significant changes in number of emergency room visits only occurred among white subscribers, increasing on average by 1.4 annual visits. One year after the installation of the personal response system, white users were twice as likely as the African Americans to make an emergency room visit or to stay overnight in the hospital. Subsidized personal response system may be an appropriate third-party government-supported secondary intervention for home-based low-income and at-risk elders to prevent premature emergency room use, hospitalizations, and institutional placements.

Activities of Daily Living↗

Poor knowledge regarding the Pap test among low-income women undergoing routine screening.

CONTEXT: Many women undergoing cervical cancer screening lack appropriate understanding of the Pap test. It is important to evaluate knowledge and informational needs about Pap testing among groups who may have difficulty accessing care or a relatively low likelihood of obtaining follow-up for an abnormal result, such as minority and low-income women. METHODS: A sample of 338 women undergoing cervical screening at two clinics in Texas completed a questionnaire measuring their knowledge of Pap testing and asking what specific information they would like to know about the test. Group comparisons and qualitative analyses were conducted. RESULTS: Women correctly answered an average of 8.7 out of 20 questions; the range was 0-17. Mean scores were higher among white women (10.2) than among blacks (8.4) and Hispanics (7.4), among women with more than a high school education than among their less educated counterparts (10.0 vs. 7.9) and among women with an annual household income of at least $10,000 than among those with a lower income (9.3 vs. 8.4). Knowledge scores did not differ according to Pap history. Open-ended questioning identified a need for information on the purpose of the test, exam procedures, abnormal test results and prognosis. CONCLUSIONS: Minority women and those of low socioeconomic status had poor understanding of Pap testing. Identifying misunderstandings in this vulnerable population and improving patient education on the most basic aspects of Pap testing may increase adherence to follow-up when abnormalities are detected.

Adolescent↗

Depressive symptoms in low-income mothers and emotional and social functioning in their preschool children.

OBJECTIVE: To determine which factors modify the relationship between maternal depressive symptoms and emotional and social functioning in low-income preschool children. METHODS: A cross-sectional, self-administered survey of 295 low-income (< or =185% poverty level) mothers of 3- and 4-year-old children. Both child emotional functioning and social functioning were measured with the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory. Low emotional functioning and social functioning were defined as scores in the lowest tertile for each measure. Maternal depressive symptoms were measured by the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D). RESULTS: Of the children, 92% were white and 55% were boys. Of the mothers, 31% had clinically significant depressive symptoms (CES-D scores > or =16) and 30% were smokers. Among girls, the percentage with low emotional functioning was significantly higher in those whose mothers had clinically significant depressive symptoms than in those whose mothers did not (62% vs 27%, P <.001), but the same was not true among boys (36% vs 30%, P = NS). When mothers were smokers, the percentage of children with low social functioning was higher if mothers had clinically significant depressive symptoms (54% vs 29%, P =.02); however, this was not the case when mothers were nonsmokers (25% vs 28%, P =.69). Maternal education, marital status, and age did not modify the relationship between maternal depressive symptoms and child emotional or social functioning. CONCLUSIONS: Among low-income preschool children, both the sex of the child and the smoking status of the mother appear to influence the relationship between maternal depressive symptoms and children's emotional and social functioning.

Adult↗

Urban low-income African American men, HIV/AIDS, and gender identity.

In a 1993 Human Organization article, Jerome Wright called for more research on African American male sexual behavior and the risk for HIV infection. The present article is a response to that call. Wright pointed out a well-known fact of HIV/AIDS prevention programs: such programs have not been very successful in reaching low-income African American males. The present article suggests that perhaps the key to better understanding sex-related health-risk behavior is to conduct more systematic research on gender identity, and the historical and sociocultural origins of such identities. I argue that if we are truly interested in developing effective HIV/AIDS programs targeting low-income African American males, then the sociocultural "meanings" that this population attaches to AIDS-related phenomena must be understood in the broader contexts of American constructs of masculinity, and in the real and perceived experiences of black men in America. Data from several ethnographic and qualitative research projects carried out among low-income African American male and female residents of Baltimore, other parts of Maryland, and Washington, D.C. are used in support of my primary arguments.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

Increasing prevalence of overweight among US low-income preschool children: the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention pediatric nutrition surveillance, 1983 to 1995.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether the prevalence of overweight in preschool children has increased among the US low-income population. DESIGN: Analysis using weight-for-height percentiles of surveillance data adjusted for age, sex, and race or ethnicity. SETTING: Data from 18 states and the District of Columbia were examined. SUBJECTS: Low-income children <5 years of age who were included in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Pediatric Nutrition Surveillance System. RESULTS: The prevalence of overweight increased from 18.6% in 1983 to 21.6% in 1995 based on the 85th percentile cutoff point for weight-for-height, and from 8.5% to 10.2% for the same period based on the 95th percentile cutoff point. Analyses by single age, sex, and race or ethnic group (non-Hispanic white, non-Hispanic black, and Hispanic) all showed increases in the prevalence of overweight, although changes are greatest for older preschool children. CONCLUSION: Overweight is an increasing public health problem among preschool children in the US low-income population. Additional research is needed to explore the cause of the trend observed and to find effective strategies for overweight prevention beginning in the preschool years.

Body Height↗

Determinants of health and service use patterns in homeless and low-income housed children.

OBJECTIVE: Previous studies of homeless children have described more health problems and service use than in housed children, but failed to control for potential confounding factors that may differ between these children. This observational study examines the relationship of homelessness and other determinants to health status and service use patterns in 627 homeless and low-income housed children. METHODS: Case-control study of 293 homeless and 334 low-income housed children aged 3 months to 17 years and their mothers conducted in Worcester, Massachusetts. Information was collected about mothers' housing history, income, education, emotional distress, and victimization history. Standardized instruments were administered to assess children's health. Health service use questions were adapted from national surveys. Main outcome measures included health status, acute illness morbidity, emergency department and outpatient medical visits. Multivariable regression analyses were used to examine the association of family and environmental determinants, including homelessness, with health status and service use outcomes. RESULTS: Mothers of homeless children were more likely to report their children as being in fair or poor health compared with their housed counterparts. Homeless children were reported to experience a higher number of acute illness symptoms, including fever, ear infection, diarrhea, and asthma. Emergency department and outpatient medical visits were higher among the homeless group. After controlling for potential explanatory factors, homeless children remained more likely to experience fair or poor health status (adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 2.83; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.16, 4.87), and a higher frequency of outpatient (OR = 1.71; 95% CI, 1.18, 2.48) and emergency department visits (OR = 1.21; 95% CI, 0.83, 1.74). Mothers' emotional distress was independently associated with acute illness symptoms and frequent use of outpatient and emergency department settings. CONCLUSIONS: Homelessness is an independent predictor of poor health status and high service use among children. The present findings highlight the importance of preventive interventions and efforts to increase access to primary care among homeless children.

Adolescent↗

Effects of a videotape to increase use of poison control centers by low-income and Spanish-speaking families: a randomized, controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Poison control centers (PCCs) reduce health care costs for childhood poisonings by providing telephone advice for home management of most cases. Past research suggests that PCCs are underutilized by low-income minority and Spanish-speaking parents because of lack of knowledge and misconceptions about the PCC. A videotape intervention was designed to address these barriers to PCC use. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness of a videotape intervention (videotape, PCC pamphlet, and PCC stickers) in improving knowledge, attitudes, behaviors, and behavioral intention regarding use of the PCC in a low-income and predominantly Spanish-speaking population in Northern California. METHODS: Two hundred eighty-nine parents of children <6 years of age, attending educational classes at 2 Women, Infant, and Children (WIC) clinics participated in a randomized, controlled trial. WIC classes were randomized to receive the video intervention (video group) or to attend the regularly scheduled WIC class (control group). Participants completed a baseline questionnaire and 2 to 4 weeks later, a follow-up telephone interview. Changes from baseline to posttest were compared in the treatment and control groups using analysis of variance. RESULTS: Compared with the control group, the video group showed an increase in knowledge about the PCC's function, its hours of operation, and staff qualifications; was more likely to feel confident in speaking with and carrying out recommendations made by the PCC; was less likely to believe the PCC would report a mother for neglect; was more likely to have the correct PCC phone number posted in their homes; and when presented with several hypothetical emergency scenarios, was more likely to correctly answer that calling the PCC was the best action to take in a poisoning situation. CONCLUSIONS: This videotape intervention was highly effective in changing knowledge, attitudes, behaviors, and behavioral intentions concerning the PCC within this population. As a result, use of this video may help increase use of the PCC by low-income and Spanish-speaking families.

Adult↗

Mammography and Pap test screening among low-income foreign-born Hispanic women in USA.

Little is known about the factors influencing screening among low-income Hispanic women particularly among recent immigrants. A sample of 148 low-income, low-literate, foreign-born Hispanic women residing in the Washington DC metropolitan area participated in the study. The mean age of the sample was 46.2 (SD=11.5), 84% reported annual household incomes ($15,000. All women were Spanish speakers and had low acculturation levels. Ninety six percent had reported having a Pap smear, but 24% were not in compliance with recommended screening (Pap test within the last 3 years). Among women 40 and older, 62% had received a mammogram, but only 33% were compliant with age appropriate recommended mammography screening guidelines. Women in this study had more misconceptions about cancer than Hispanics in other studies. Multivariate logistic models for correlates of Pap test and mammography screening behavior indicate that factors such as fear of the screening test, embarrassment, and lack of knowledge influenced screening behavior. In conclusion, women in this study had lower rates of mammography screening than non-Hispanic women and lower rates of compliance with recommended Mammography and Pap test screening guidelines.

Adult↗

[Income inequality, corruption, and life expectancy at birth in Mexico].

OBJECTIVE: To ascertain if the effect of income inequality on life expectancy at birth in Mexico is mediated by corruption, used as a proxy of social capital. MATERIAL AND METHODS: An ecological study was carried out with the 32 Mexican federative entities. Global and by sex correlations between life expectancy at birth were estimated by federative entity with the Gini coefficient, the Corruption and Good Government Index, the percentage of Catholics, and the percentage of the population speaking indigenous language. Robust linear regressions, with and without instrumental variables, were used to explore if corruption acts as intermediate variable in the studied relationship. RESULTS: Negative correlations with Spearman's rho near to -0.60 (p < 0.05) and greater than -0.66 (p < 0.05) between life expectancy at birth, the Gini coefficient and the population speaking indigenous language, respectively, were observed. Moreover, the Corruption and Good Government Index correlated with men's life expectancy at birth with Spearman's rho -0.3592 (p < 0.05). Regressions with instruments were more consistent than conventional ones and they show a strong negative effect (p < 0.05) of income inequality on life expectancy at birth. This effect was greater among men. CONCLUSION: The findings suggest a negative effect of income inequality on life expectancy at birth in Mexico, mediated by corruption levels and other related cultural factors.

Aged↗

Acculturation, socioeconomic status, obesity and lifestyle factors among low-income Puerto Rican women in Connecticut, U.S., 1998-1999.

OBJECTIVES: To examine the associations of socioeconomic status and acculturation with obesity and lifestyle characteristics that may be risk factors for diabetes and cardiovascular disease among low-income Puerto Rican women. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted between 1998 and 1999 by interviewing a convenience sample of 200 low-income Puerto Rican female caretakers of young children in Hartford, Connecticut, United States of America. Various recruitment methods were used to ensure adequate representation of the target community. The associations of obesity (body mass index > or = 30.0) and lifestyle factors (physical activity, cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption, food intake) with socioeconomic status (education, employment, car ownership), acculturation, age, and marital status were examined with Spearman rho, chi-squared, and Mann-Whitney U tests and logistic regression analyses. RESULTS: Mean age was 29 years. Obesity (40%), physical inactivity (47%), and cigarette smoking (32%) were common. Less acculturated participants were 57% less likely to smoke and 54% less likely to be obese than their more acculturated counterparts. Lower socioeconomic status (not finishing high school or not owning a car) was associated with a higher likelihood of obesity, but unemployed (vs. employed) women were less likely to be obese (P < 0.05). Women who did not own a car consumed meat, eggs and fish less often than those who owned a car. Smokers were more likely to have an unhealthy food intake pattern than nonsmokers. CONCLUSIONS: The associations of acculturation and socioeconomic status with some lifestyle characteristics suggest the need for culturally appropriate programs to promote healthy lifestyle behaviors in this low-income community.

Acculturation↗