title: Correlates associated with the desire for PEG tube placement at the end of life among community-dwelling older Mexican Americans: a pilot study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Use of percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) tubes in older adults remains controversial. This cross-sectional study examines community-dwelling Mexican American older adults' attitudes toward PEG tube placement in the hypothetical event of a terminal illness.
  
  
  METHODS
  Interviews were conducted with 100 community-dwelling Mexican American (MA's) adults, age 60 and over, in San Antonio, Texas. Subjects were screened for cognitive competence using Folstein's mini-mental examination. This was followed by an evaluation of socioeconomic status, depressive symptoms, religiosity, health status and attitudes toward end-of-life care, including PEG tube feeding.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Higher income MA's, professionals, those without a living will, those who saw religious belief as not important and those who attended church less than once a month were more likely to agree with PEG placement (all P < 0.05). Logistic regression analysis revealed that higher income (OR = 3.16, CI = 1.13-8.83), lack of a living will (OR = 3.34, CI = 1.03-20.87) and low importance of religious beliefs (OR = 7.14, CI = 1.25-41.67) were all independently associated with the desire for insertion of a PEG tube at the end of life.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This is the first community-based study to describe older Mexican American's attitudes toward PEG tube placement at the end of life. Older community-dwelling Mexican Americans with higher incomes, lack of a living will or low religious involvement might be more likely to choose PEG tube placement even in the context of a terminal condition.
authors.affiliation: Division of Community Geriatrics, Department of Family & Community Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, 7703 Floyd Curl Drive, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA.
authors.forename: M Rosina
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Finley
authors.forename: R Lillianne
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Macias
authors.forename: Johanna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Becho
authors.forename: Robert C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Wood
authors.forename: Arthur E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Hernandez
authors.forename: David V
authors.initials: DV
authors.lastname: Espino
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005774:Gastrostomy / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D017058:Mexican Americans / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010865:Pilot Projects; D013727:Terminal Care / Q000523:psychology*