Use of health services by ninth grade adolescents in rural Mississippi.
Rural Mississippi adolescents have not been surveyed regarding their use of health services. Prior to Hurricane Katrina we found that at least 43% of ninth grade students in Hancock County received healthcare in the previous three months, but a third had no regular place of care. Students (37%) did not seek health care that they needed with two-thirds of them feeling that the problem would go away. They minimally used the school clinics that varied considerably in availability. Strikingly, at that time, over 20% reported serious emotional/mental health problems for which they did not seek care and nearly 15% had problems for which they had sought professional help. This information highlights the need to encourage students to seek and have access to services.
Bradford
Judith Young
JY
School of Nursing, College of Nursing & Health Sciences, Southeastern Louisiana University, Hammond 70402, USA. judithyo@bellsouth.net
O'Sullivan
Patricia S
PS
D000293:Adolescent; D016497:Adolescent Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000367:Age Factors; D001294:Attitude to Health; D005260:Female; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008922:Mississippi; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D012424:Rural Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires