Cultural influences on health care use: differences in perceived unmet needs and expectations of providers by Latino and Euro-American parents of children with special health care needs.
This study compares service use, perceived unmet needs, and expectations of providers of Latino and Euro-American families of children with disabilities enrolled in a Title V Program. Eighty-four families and 20 providers participated in open-ended, semistructured, and structured interviews. Latino families underused Title V services (p <.001). The Latino families were more likely to cite unmet needs in the following areas: an unresolved health problem (p <.05), rehabilitation therapy programs (p <.001), or need for more information or a support group (p <.001). The Euro-American families cited unmet needs in the following areas: lack of day care (p <.001), respite services (p <.001), recreational programs (p <.001), and home health aides (p <.007). Textual analysis of open interviews revealed that the two groups of families had different expectations of providers. Latino cultural values play a role in these differences, creating barriers for effectively communicating with providers and for meeting children's needs.
Gannotti
Mary E
ME
Global Health Division, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA. Gannotti@hartford.edu
Kaplan
Lawrence C
LC
Handwerker
W Penn
WP
Groce
Nora Ellen
NE
D001294:Attitude to Health; D002648:Child; D002662:Child Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D003469:Culture; D019988:Children with Disabilities; D005060:Europe / Q000208:ethnology; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology