Search PubMed⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search PubMed

Results for “Income”

Search indexed PubMed citations on genomics, clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health. Explore titles, authors and supplied subject terms, then open the PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 1,603 records · Page 89Linked to original sources
PubMed2004

Weight and behavioral and psychosocial factors among ethnically diverse, low-income women after childbirth: II. Trends and correlates.

OBJECTIVE: This paper presents a longitudinal analysis of behavioral and psychosocial correlates of weight trends during the first postpartum year. Data are derived from the Austin New Mothers Study (ANMS), a longitudinal study of a low-income, tri-ethnic sample of postpartum women that incorporated serial assessment of weight and behavioral and psychosocial variables. METHOD: Postpartum body mass index (BMI) was measured prospectively (post-delivery, 6 weeks, and 3, 6, and 12 months postpartum). The analytic sample consisted of 382 White, African American, and Hispanic women receiving maternity care funded by Medicaid who had at least three measured postpartum weights. Behavioral and psychosocial variables included energy intakes, fat intakes, physical activity, health related lifestyle, smoking, breastfeeding, contraception, depressive symptoms, emotional eating, body image, and weight-related distress. RESULTS: Using hierarchical linear modeling to incorporate baseline only and time-varying effects, significant associations with postpartum BMI were found for the following variables: ethnicity (p = .001), time of weight measurement (p < .001), the interaction of ethnicity and time (p = .005), pre-pregnant BMI (p < .001), gestational weight gain (p < .001), weight-related distress (p < .001), and energy intakes (p = .005). After adjusting for covariates, ethnic groups displayed differing trends in postpartum BMI resulting in White women having significantly lower BMIs at 12 months postpartum compared to ethnic minority women (p's < .01). CONCLUSION: Behavioral and psychosocial variables contribute to a fuller understanding of BMI status of low-income women during the first postpartum year.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

Beliefs of low-income and rural older women regarding physical activity: you have to want to make your life better.

This study elicited perceptions about physical activity in 28 older rural and low-income women (27 were Caucasian) in four focus groups to identify factors that affected their physical activity levels. This population is greatly understudied and underserved. Overall, themes that surfaced across the groups were consistent with social cognitive theory. Prominent themes included outcome expectations about both physical and mental benefits; beliefs about the sources of motivation to be physically active, including both internal sources and external sources; barriers to being active; and the types of social environments important for physical activity. These findings provide useful information regarding the types of physical activity programs preferred by rural, low-income older women and ways to build self-efficacy and social support among members of this population group with regard to increasing physical activity.

Aged↗
PubMed2006

Obesity in low-income rural women: qualitative insights about physical activity and eating patterns.

Body weight is inversely related to socioeconomic status (SES) in women in the United States (U.S.). Reasons for the social differential in weight are poorly understood. This investigation sought to understand overweight and obesity from the perspective of low-income mothers living in rural New York State, focusing in particular on challenges to maintaining a healthy weight that may be unique to rural poverty. In-depth interviews with 28 women, who were interviewed 3 times over a 3-year period, were audiotaped, transcribed, and analyzed using the constant comparative method. Findings suggest that transportation difficulties confined some women to their homes, which were physical settings offering little opportunity for physical activity. Food insecurity and associated fluctuating household food supplies contributed to disordered eating patterns and to perceptions of dietary deprivation that affected food intake. Rural isolation contributed to negative emotional states that some women alleviated by eating. This research elucidates factors contributing to obesity among rural, economically disadvantaged women, highlighting the interplay between the structural constraints imposed by rural poverty and women's physical activity, eating patterns, body image, and weight. These insights further the understanding of social inequalities in health and could inform the design of future research aimed at improving the health status of low-income women and families.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

Political and organizational barriers to satisfying low-income U. S. seniors' need for affordable rental housing with supportive services.

A substantial share of the low-income older tenants who occupy U. S. government-subsidized rental housing has physical and cognitive limitations. These older tenants are often women living alone in their 70s and 80s, who need help obtaining community-based services, demand-responsive transportation, help with apartment housekeeping and maintenance, self-care assistance, and design modifications made to their dwellings. Other low-income and frail older persons who have large housing expense burdens or occupy physically deficient dwellings also need affordable rental housing with these supportive services. The unmet supportive service needs of these groups persist even as this country's major political and professional stakeholders are aware of their problems and have solutions. This paper examines five major political and organizational barriers that have restricted the availability of supportive services in affordable rental developments. It offers 12 policy recommendations.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed1997

HIV risk among low-income African American mothers of elementary school children.

Data from 119 African American low-income mothers of school aged children in Oakland, California show that 38% engaged in behavior that might place them at risk of exposure to the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Risk behaviors that were investigated included having multiple partners and having a partner with an incarceration history. Of women studied, 23% were at risk because of multiple partners, while 15% were at risk as a result of having had an incarcerated partner. Women who were < or = 35 years of age were three times more likely to report having had an incarcerated partner compared to women > or = 36 years of age (22% vs. 6%) mean 2 = 5.59, P < or = .01). Single women were also more likely to report having had a partner who had been incarcerated, 21% compared to 9% of married women (mean 2 = 3.73, P < or = .05). Although no significant relationships were found with respect to condom use, a larger proportion of women with an incarcerated partner reported never using condoms (71%) compared to women without an incarcerated partner (63%); whereas, fewer women with multiple partners reported never using condoms (56%) compared to women without multiple partners (67%). Findings suggest that low-income African American women outside of traditional high-risk groups (i.e., generally studied in high-risk settings such as drug treatment centers, sexually transmitted disease [STD] clinics, hospitals or from the sex industry) may be at risk and should be targeted in HIV risk prevention programs. These women may not consider themselves to be at risk and are not generally targeted in HIV risk prevention programs because they are mothers, housewives, and working women.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

The status of low-income neighborhoods in the post-welfare reform environment: mapping the relationship between poverty and place.

It has long been recognized that children and adults living in poverty are at risk for a number of negative outcomes. As inequality in the distribution of wealth, income and opportunity has grown in the U.S. during the post-welfare reform era, impoverished children and their families have tended to become increasingly concentrated in urban low-income neighborhoods. Research evidence demonstrates that living in these neighborhoods affects family well-being in several key areas: economic and employment opportunity, health and mental health condition, crime and safety, and children's behavioral and educational outcomes. Using the neighborhood indicator approach, public and nonprofit social service agencies will be better positioned to develop a comprehensive and integrated service delivery model at the neighborhood level by using neighborhood assessment to locate services and utilize neighborhood intervention strategies.

Humans↗
PubMed2005

Perceptions of older, low-income women about increasing intake of fruits and vegetables.

Focus groups were conducted with 28 older, low-income women in order to identify factors that affected their fruit and vegetable (F&V) consumption. Themes emerging from data analysis include barriers to making dietary changes, specifically to increasing F&V consumption; beliefs about benefits of consuming F&V as compared with other dietary changes; and use of supplements as a substitution for eating F&V. A prominent subtheme concerned the conflict women felt between their desire to consume more F&V and their desire not to waste food. Focus group participants gave concrete suggestions on how to help older, low-income women increase F&V consumption, which included environmental supports.

Aged↗
PubMed2006

Family structure and income inequality in families with children, 1976 to 2000.

Using 24 years of data from the March supplements to the Current Population Survey and detailed categories of family structure, including cohabiting unions, I assess the contribution of changes in family structure to the dramatic rise in family income inequality. Between 1976 and 2000, family structure shifts explain 41% of the increase in inequality, but the influence of family structure change is not uniform within this period or across racial-ethnic groups. In general, the estimated role of family structure change is inversely related to the magnitude of the changes in inequality. Furthermore, by including cohabitation, I find lower levels of total inequality and a weaker role for demographic shifts in family structure for trends in income inequality.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2004

Low-income women's use of substance abuse and mental health services.

This paper examines the utilization of mental health, alcohol, and drug treatment in a sample of low-income women. We analyze data from the Women's Employments Study, a study examining the barriers to employment for welfare recipients, and compare prevalence rates of mental health disorders and service utilization with the National Comorbidity Survey. Fewer than one in five of the respondents with a current mental health and/or substance dependence problem in the Women's Employment Study (WES) received treatment in the past 12 months. A logistic regression model of the association among demographic variables, risk factors, and service utilization in the WES found that having a co-occurring substance dependence and mental health disorder was significantly associated with receiving treatment. Those respondents with an increased number of barriers were significantly less likely to receive treatment. The authors argue that the success of welfare reform may hinge on low-income women's access to and utilization of appropriate services.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

The Jane Dent Home: the rise and fall of homes for the aged in low-income communities.

The Jane Dent Home was established in 1898 (as the Home for Aged and Infirm Colored People) to serve African American elderly barred from admission to most homes for the aged. Sustained by community leadership through difficult times, the Home finally closed in 1975 after growing and persistent racial and economic segregation of Chicago's low-income neighborhoods combined with pressure from state government to ensure fire safety. This history illustrates the decline of not-for-profit homes for the aged while for-profit nursing homes were capturing market share. In Chicago this trend is strongest in low-income communities of color, which may lead to lower quality of care for such communities. Support for indigenous not-for-profit long-term care may promote the goals of health care equity articulated by Healthy People 2010.

Aged↗
PubMed2005

Reducing disparities in dental care for low-income Hispanic children.

Using a social ecological model, this study examined the influences of socio-demographic factors, mother's attitudes, financial barriers, and the health care delivery system on the use of dental services for 4-8 year-old Hispanic children. Initiating dental care during the preschool years was significantly related to the mothers' beliefs and her social network's beliefs in the value of preventive dental care. The mother was almost four times more likely to continue the care if she believed that dentist visits would keep the child's teeth healthy. Extended clinic hours in the evenings also increased the likelihood of the mother's return to the dentist to continue child's care. It was not the mother's attitudes but provider availability, dental insurance (including Medicaid) and family income that were related to frequency of planned visits. The study findings can be used in improving access to care and reducing barriers for low-income, urban Hispanic children.

Chicago↗
PubMed2006

Factors associated with health service utilization patterns in low-income women.

Little is known about the relationship of demographic, health, and psychosocial factors with health services utilization over time among low-income female heads of household. In a case-control study conducted between 1991 and 1997, 273 homeless and low-income housed mothers living in Worcester, Massachusetts were interviewed at baseline and at a two-year follow-up. The use of outpatient and emergency department care in this study sample was examined. High usage patterns were found at baseline. At the two-year follow-up, poor health status, non-White race, and fewer supportive relationships were significantly associated with frequent emergency department visits. Women with higher rates of ongoing outpatient medical care visits were more likely to have fewer social supports and more bodily pain than women with lower rates of ambulatory care usage. Mental health and victimization were not associated with service use patterns. In order to address poor women's needs in a more effective and potentially less costly way, health programs must understand their need for social support and culturally responsive services.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Improving prenatal care services for low-income African American women and infants.

Increasing the level of prenatal care among African American women may be one method of improving the health and well-being of African American women and children. This article identifies factors influencing access to and use of prenatal care and strategies for increasing the use of prenatal care among low-income African American women. Barriers to prenatal care, the strengths and limitations of prenatal care in reducing infant mortality and improving infant outcomes, and the importance of providing more comprehensive prenatal care that addresses both the medical and psychosocial needs of the low-income African American mother and her infant are discussed. Changes in prenatal care services that include the medical and lay communities, public health organizations, public policy organizations, and medical financing institutions are identified.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Difficulty in reaching low-income women for screening mammography.

Low-income women have a high mortality from breast cancer. Yet, they participate in breast cancer early detection screening programs less than women in the general population. An intervention study to improve screening mammography rates of low-income women participating in Tennessee's TennCare program (state Medicaid and Medicare program) revealed significant barriers to reaching these women. Intervention methods included mail, telephone calls, and home visits. Results indicate that only 38 percent of the women could be contacted for a baseline survey. Reasons for noncontact included absence from home (39 percent), having moved (22 percent), refusal to participate (17 percent), having no physical domicile (15 percent), language barriers (4 percent), and miscellaneous other factors (4 percent). Women with telephones tended to have a relatively higher economic status and were more successfully reached than women without telephones. These findings provide useful insights for future program planning and research design.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Behaviors, attitudes, and knowledge of low-income consumers regarding nutrition labels.

This exploratory study interviewed 130 participants in federal food assistance programs and 51 low-income nonparticipants to assess their behaviors and attitudes toward and awareness of the nutrition label. Regarding label use, 35.4 percent of participants and 45.1 percent of nonparticipants seldom/never read labels while grocery shopping, 31.5 percent of participants and 19.6 percent of nonparticipants sometimes read them, and 33.1 percent of participants and 35.3 percent of nonparticipants always/frequently read labels in the grocery store. In addition, 38.5 percent of participants and 41.2 percent of nonparticipants seldom/never read labels at home, 33.1 percent of participants and 27.5 percent of nonparticipants sometimes read them, and 28.5 percent of participants and 31.4 percent of nonparticipants always/frequently read labels at home. There were no significant differences between mean scores of participants and nonparticipants on how to use the nutrition label. Findings challenge nutritionists working with low-income individuals to develop more learning opportunities that teach how to use nutrition labels.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Addressing coverage gaps for low-income parents.

This paper examines how rates of uninsurance for low-income parents have been changing over time and the extent to which expanding coverage to parents through Medicaid and the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) could help them. We find that uninsurance rates have been rising for low-income parents, especially those living in poverty, and that Medicaid and SCHIP could greatly reduce uninsurance among parents and would likely increase their access to care. Such expansions would still leave many noncitizen parents uninsured and would require reaching and enrolling families whose children have remained uninsured despite being eligible for public coverage.

Child↗
PubMed2003

Evaluation of health-related quality of life in low-income patients with COPD receiving long-term oxygen therapy.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To assess health-related quality of life (HRQL) in a low-income population of patients with hypoxemia and COPD receiving long-term oxygen therapy (LTOT). DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: Large, tertiary care, university teaching hospital. PATIENTS OR PARTICIPANTS: Thirty-six patients with COPD requiring LTOT (mean age, 63.5 years; mean FEV(1), 32.1% of predicted; PaO(2), 50.2 mm Hg) and 33 control subjects with COPD but no severe hypoxemia (mean age, 63.1 years; FEV(1), 35.7%; PaO(2), 66.5 mm Hg). INTERVENTIONS: Patients underwent pulmonary function testing to assess physiologic function and the degree of respiratory impairment. A baseline dyspnea index (BDI) was used to determine levels of dyspnea, and a 6-min walk test was performed to evaluate physical performance and exercise capacity. The St. George Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) and the Medical Outcomes Study Short-Form 36-item questionnaire (SF-36) were used to assess health status and HRQL. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: The scores on the SGRQ and SF-36 indicated severe impairment. Patients receiving LTOT showed a trend toward worse scores on most dimensions of the SGRQ and SF-36, but differences between groups were only statistically significant for the physical functioning and social functioning dimensions of the SF-36. Dyspnea, as measured by the BDI, significantly correlated with all questionnaire domains except the SF-36 pain index. CONCLUSIONS: The HRQL of these low-income patients with COPD was markedly impaired, with more pronounced impairment in those receiving LTOT. The severity of dyspnea was a significant predictor of various components of quality of life in these patients.

Cross-Sectional Studies↗
PubMed2004

Perception of HIV/AIDS risk among urban, low-income senior-housing residents.

Despite the rising number of cases of HIV in adults over age 50, older persons rarely are considered to be at risk for HIV/AIDS, and even though they may be involved in risky behavior, such as unprotected penetrative sex, they may not consider themselves vulnerable to becoming infected. Informed awareness of risk is essential to making positive decisions about adopting preventive measures. We examined demographic, sociobehavioral, and contextual factors that predict urban, low-income older adults' perception of HIV/AIDS risk. Logistic regression results from 398 residents aged 50-93 living in six buildings in two American cities found that males, younger participants (aged 50-61), those living in higher risk buildings, and those who worried more about contracting HIV/AIDS were more likely to perceive themselves to be at HIV/AIDS risk. Findings accounted for 32% of the variance and the prediction success rate was 72%. Results point to the importance of considering sociodemographic characteristics and environmental (contextual) factors as they influence heuristic decision making in understanding HIV/AIDS risk perception among low-income urban older adults and when designing HIV/AIDS education and intervention strategies targeting this population.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗