title: Socio-ecological influences on health-care access and navigation among persons of Mexican descent living on the U.S./Mexico border.
abstract: The study reported here examines factors influencing decision-making concerning health care access and navigation among persons of Mexican origin living along the U.S./Mexico border. Specifically, the study examined how persons with limited financial resources accessed these two systems. Seven focus groups were held with 52 low income Mexican American people aged 18-65 years. Transcripts were analyzed to identify themes in Atlasti 5.0 software and the theory used included a socio-ecological framework and complemented by constructed from the Social Cognitive Theory. We found that in addition to a lack of insurance and financial resources to pay for health care; fear, embarrassment and denial associated with a diagnosis of illness; poor medical personnel interactions, and desire for quality but streamlined health care also influenced decision making. This theory-based study raises important issues if health care is to improve the health and welfare of disadvantaged populations and points to the need for greater focus on medical homes and prevention and early intervention approaches.
authors.affiliation: Health Promotion and Behavioral Science, University of Texas Health Science Center, School of Public Health, Brownsville Regional Campus, 80 Fort Brown, Brownsville, TX, 78520, USA, Belinda.M.Reininger@uth.tmc.edu.
authors.forename: Belinda M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Reininger
authors.forename: Cristina S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Barroso
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mitchell-Bennett
authors.forename: Marge
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chavez
authors.forename: Maria E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Fernandez
authors.forename: Ethel
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cantu
authors.forename: Kirk L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: Susan P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Fisher-Hoch
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003657:Decision Making; D005260:Female; D005382:Financing, Personal; D017144:Focus Groups; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D054624:Health Status Disparities; D006801:Humans; D019458:Insurance Coverage / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D017058:Mexican Americans / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008800:Mexico / Q000208:ethnology; D008875:Middle Aged; D011204:Poverty Areas; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013781:Texas