title: [Access to social networks and health care among extremely poor people].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Extremely poor people have more problems to have access to social networks and health care.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the access to health services and the perception about these services of adults living in conditions of extreme poverty.
  
  
  METHODS
  A survey was applied to 361 people living in slums aged 15 to 77 years (83% females), that were living in these conditions for a mean of 11 years. Twenty six in-depth interviews were also performed to prototypical subjects living in extreme poverty.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Ten percent of subjects were illiterate. Sixty two percent were unsatisfied with their access to health services and 32% were not registered in primary health clinics. Among children of less than 6 years of age, 22% were delayed in their vaccination schedule and 32% were not withdrawing the milk delivered by the complementary feeding program of the clinic. The qualitative analysis revealed that the lack of access to health care is associated with the feeling of exclusion, mutual distrust and lack of resolution of health problems.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  People living in extreme poverty are distrustful and perceive obstacles to have access to the health care system.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Salud Pública, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Chile. pbedrega@med.puc.cl
authors.forename: Paula
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bedregal
authors.forename: Cynthia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zavala
authors.forename: Jorge
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Atria
authors.forename: Gabriela
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Núñez
authors.forename: María José
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Pinto
authors.forename: Soledad
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Valdés
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017060:Patient Satisfaction / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011203:Poverty / Q000145:classification / Q000523:psychology; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012944:Social Support; D055815:Young Adult