Impact on Minority Women's Health Research Background Numerous reports and research studies have documented major disparities between key health indicators among racial/ethnic minorities and those among white populations. These disparities show that minorities are among those most in need of quality health care, but in order to improve the health of any population, detailed information on their health is necessary to plan and target intervention programs. To address the gaps in current minority health data that hamper the effectiveness and efficiency of public health programs, the Disadvantaged Minority Health Improvement Act of 1990 (P. L. 101-527) authorized the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to establish a grants program to improve minority health statistics. Several projects funded through this program recognize the unique health needs of minority women. "Advancing the Understanding of the Health of Racial and Ethnic Populations and Subpopulations" Program Director Jane Delgado Populations Studied: Hispanics Contributions to the Minority Health Statistics Grants Program Goals Five projects that explored differences between the health of Hispanic subpopulations were completed through the COSSMHO project, "Advancing the Understanding of the Health of Racial and Ethnic Populations and Subpopulations." This research enabled NCHS, CDC to address several of the goals documented in "Setting a Research Agenda: Challenges for the Minority Health Statistics Grants Program." "Factors Affecting Risk of Chronic Degenerative Diseases in Hispanic Women" Senior Fellow Felipe G. Castro, M.S.W., Ph.D. Junior Fellows Kathryn Coe, M.A. and
Mary Patricia Harmon, M.A. Increased special studies of minority subgroups. Using data from the Hispanic Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (HHANES), this project compared Mexican American women with non-insulin dependent diabetes with those who are non-diabetic. Differences in health-related variables, such as exercise and diet, were examined to inform intervention programs for diabetic Mexican American women. Expanded the pool of minority researchers. Each subgrant research team was structured to ensure that the senior fellow mentored Ph.D. student(s). This team completed two papers: "Effects of Exercise, Age and Body Mass Index on Diabetes Prevalence in Mexican American Women" and "Dietary Profile Differences Among Diabetic and Non-Diabetic Mexican American Women." "Determinants of Insurance Status of Latinas. . .Using the Hispanic HANES Data Set" Senior Fellow Adela de la Torre, Ph.D. Junior Fellow Lorena Garcia Increased special studies of minority subgroups. HHANES data were used to determine the correlates and predictors of health insurance status for Mexican American, Puerto Rican, and Cuban American women aged 20 to 64. Further analyses were performed on data for older women, who are considered more vulnerable to lack of coverage. Developed a greater understanding of the relationship between socioeconomic status (SES) and health. For each subpopulation, sociodemographic (education and marital status), employment/income (employment status and sector, poverty status, and family income), and language acculturation variables were analyzed in relation to health insurance coverage. Expanded the pool of minority researchers. Each subgrant research team was structured to ensure that the senior fellow mentored Ph.D. student(s). This team completed two papers: "Determinants of Health Insurance Status of Hispanic Women: A Profile of Uninsured Hispanic Women Using the HHANES Data Set" and "A Population at Risk: The Health Insurance Status of Older Hispanic Women." "Correlates of Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors among Mexican-American, Puerto Rican, and Cuban Women" Senior Fellow Caroline A. Macera, Ph.D. Junior Fellows Luis Castellanos and
Pas Goslar Increased special studies of minority subgroups. Using HHANES data, the correlates of hypertension and serum lipoproteins, the leading risk factors for cardiovascular disease, were compared for Mexican American, Puerto Rican, and Cuban American women. These correlates include acculturation and dietary fat intake in relation to serum high-density lipoproteins and diet, acculturation, and physical activity in relation to blood pressure. Expanded the pool of minority researchers. Each subgrant research team was structured to ensure that the senior fellow mentored Ph.D. student(s). This team completed two papers: "The Role of Acculturation and Dietary Fat on Serum high Density Lipoprotein Levels Among Mexican American, Cuban American and Puerto Rican Women" and "Blood Pressure in Hispanic Women: The Role of Diet, Acculturation and Physical Activity: HHANES, 1982-84." "The Impact of Depression and Social Risk Indices on the Health of Hispanic Women" Senior Fellow Carmen J. Portillo, R.N., Ph.D. Junior Fellow Maria del Carmes Eribes Increased special studies of minority subgroups. This study examines HHANES data to determine the relationship between chronic diseases, such as (angina, hypertension, diabetes, or anemia), and depressive symptoms among Mexican American, Cuban American, and Puerto Rican women. Functional impairment and activity level are also examined as factors. Expanded the pool of minority researchers. Each subgrant research team was structured to ensure that the senior fellow mentored Ph.D. student(s). This team completed two papers: "Angina, Functional Impairment and Physical Activity Among Mexican American Women with Depressive Symptoms" and "The Impact of Chronic Disease Comorbidity and Functional Impairment on Depressive Symptoms for Hispanic Women." "Health, Family, and Work: The Experience of Puerto Rican Women in the United States" Senior Fellow Ralph Rivera, Ph.D. Junior Fellows Francoise Carre and
Maria I. Torres Increased special studies of minority subgroups. This study analyzed data from the 1990 Panel Study of Income Dynamics/Latino National Political Survey (PSID/LNPS) Early-Release File to study how family responsibilities affect the health of employed versus unemployed Mexican American, Puerto Rican, and Cuban American women. The impact of sociodemographic characteristics, ethnicity, and language were also examined. Developed a greater understanding of the relationship between SES and health. Unlike most studies on the interrelationships between work, family, and women's health, this project recognizes racial/ethnic and class differences in health status and includes SES and cultural variables in its analyses. Expanded the pool of minority researchers. Each subgrant research team was structured to ensure that the senior fellow mentored Ph.D. student(s). This team completed two papers: "The Impact of Family Responsibilities on the Health Status of Unemployed Hispanic Women" and "The Impact of Employment and Family Responsibilities on the Health Status of Employed Hispanic Women."
This page last reviewed January 11, 2007
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