title: Use of HIV primary care by HIV-positive Haitian immigrants in Miami, Florida.
abstract: Little is known about the use of HIV primary care among Haitian immigrants in the USA. The present study utilizes data from a survey of HIV-positive Haitians recruited from an HIV primary care clinic in Miami, Florida, to examine barriers and facilitators of regular use of HIV care by this population. Selection of measures was guided by the Andersen Model of Health Services Utilization for Vulnerable Populations. The dependent variable, regular use of HIV primary care, was operationalized as completion of four or more HIV primary care visits during the previous 12 months. Of the 96 participants surveyed, approximately three-fourths did not graduate from high school and reported an annual income of up to $5000. Seventy-nine percent of participants completed four or more visits in the past year. On univariate as well as multivariate analyses, participants without formal education or those with high psychological distress were significantly less likely to have used HIV primary care regularly than those who attended school or who were less distressed, respectively. The findings emphasize the need for health care practitioners to pay close attention to the education level and the mental health status of their Haitian HIV patients. The data also suggest that once these individuals are linked to care and offered assistance with their daily challenges, they are very likely to stay connected to care and to take their antiretroviral medicines.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA. GSaint@med.miami.edu
authors.forename: Gilbert
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Saint-Jean
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Metsch
authors.forename: Orlando
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Gomez-Marin
authors.forename: Colbert
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pierre
authors.forename: Yves
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Jeanty
authors.forename: Allan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rodriguez
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Malow
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D005431:Florida; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000208:ethnology / Q000628:therapy*; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000208:ethnology / Q000628:therapy; D006205:Haiti / Q000208:ethnology; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000191:economics; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors