J Natl Med Assoc
-
Research on the initial stage of acculturation of new immigrants is crucial for identifying AIDS prevention policies and priorities for this vulnerable population. ⋯ Specific epidemiological, environmental, economic, social and psychosocial factors are identified that provide the context for risk and prevention. The challenges and opportunities faced by these new communities must be distinguished from those of more acculturated immigrant populations if culturally appropriate interventions are to be developed.
-
The HIV Testing Survey (HITS) was developed to examine HIV testing and risk behavior in individuals at risk for HIV infection. The first Seattle HITS was conducted in 2000 (HITS-2000); HITS was conducted in Seattle again in 2002-2003 among Asians and Pacific Islanders (HITS-API). ⋯ Based on self-report from HITS-API, the overall perceived risk for HIV infection was high, many engaged in high-risk behaviors, and HIV testing was suboptimal.
-
The changing racial and ethnic diversity of the U.S. population along with delayed childbearing suggest that shifts in the demographic composition of gravidas are likely. It is unclear whether trends in the proportion of births to parous women in the United States have changed over the decades by race and ethnicity, reflecting parallel changes in population demographics. ⋯ Our findings demonstrate substantial variation in parity patterns among the main racial and ethnic populations in the United States. These results may help in formulating strategies that will serve as templates for optimizing resource allocation across the different racial/ethnic subpopulations in the United States.
-
We assessed maternal characteristics that were predictive of preventive care utilization among children 0-5 years and compared black-white differences in preventive care usage. ⋯ Maternal characteristics are important markers that indicate the risk for underutilization of pediatric preventive care. A particularly important finding with policy implication is the observation that maternal insurance coverage enhances pediatric preventive care use. Health policy planners may consider parallel insurance coverage of both the child and the mother in order to enhance receipt of preventive health services by the child.
-
Historical Article
An unusual odyssey as a physician: an interview with Darrell Pone, MD. Interview by George Dawson.
This issue of the Journal of the National Medical Association highlights an interview with Dr. D. Pone. ⋯ It is both inspiring and quite troubling. It shows the remarkable effort he put into him becoming a practicing physician, from his undergraduate studies to his residency training and, ultimately, his initial practice opportunity. But it also reveals the concerns and travails he experienced while doing so, such as having to change his place of study as an undergraduate and his experience in the OR as a medical student, to name two.