title: Demographic characteristics and needs of families at an urban, low-income, multicultural paediatric clinic.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe the demographic characteristics and identify the needs of a population attending an urban, low-income area, multicultural paediatric clinic.
  
  
  METHODS
  Surveys were distributed to caregivers of children zero to 16 years of age (n=299).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the children attending appointments, 55% were female and 51% were five years of age or younger. Of the caregivers, 29.5% were born outside of Canada and 25% reported that their primary spoken language was not English. Sixty-six per cent of families had been living in Edmonton for more than three years, with two-thirds of respondents living in Edmonton's second-lowest average household income region. Seventy-six per cent of respondents lived in households with four or more persons.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Challenges facing individuals attending an urban, low-income area, paediatric clinic include language barriers, lower household income and larger family size. Immigrants living outside of major Canadian cities are under-represented and may have different needs compared with their counterparts in 'gateway' cities. More studies are needed to determine their needs, and will ultimately lead to the provision of culturally competent care.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of Alberta;
authors.forename: Bonnieca
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Islam
authors.forename: Samina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ali
keywords: Immigrant health; Multicultural; Urban paediatric clinic
references.citation: Child Maltreat. 2011 Feb;16(1):63-73
references.pmid: 21041234
references.citation: Pediatrics. 1996 Dec;98(6 Pt 1):1028-34
references.pmid: 8951250
references.citation: Prof Geogr. 2011;63(1):73-91
references.pmid: 21488318
references.citation: Environ Plan A. 1995 May;27(5):699-714
references.pmid: 12290048
references.citation: CMAJ. 1998 Aug 25;159(4):388-91
references.pmid: 9732723
references.citation: Paediatr Child Health. 2005 May;10(5):277-81
references.pmid: 19668632
references.citation: Ambul Pediatr. 2007 May-Jun;7(3):258-62
references.pmid: 17512888
references.citation: Can J Public Health. 2004 May-Jun;95(3):I22-6
references.pmid: 15191128
references.citation: Soc Sci Med. 2000 Dec;51(11):1573-93
references.pmid: 11072880
references.citation: Soc Sci Med. 2008 Mar;66(6):1271-83
references.pmid: 18194831