MEXICAN AMERICAN CHILDREN: HEALTH NEEDS AND USE OF HEAL

美国拥有世界第六大拉美裔人口 (1983年3月为1500万人)。在拉美裔美国人中，墨西哥人 Origin是目前最大的集团(59.4%)，自1970年以来增长了93% 到1980年。然而，直到最近，政策制定者在以下方面仍存在困难 查找有关特征、健康状况的准确和可靠信息 这一群体的卫生服务需求和利用模式。一位少校 差距是对墨西哥裔美国儿童需求的缺乏了解 用于医疗保健。在以下情况下，这一亚组的医生接触率最低 与其他儿童相比(每个儿童每年约3次就诊)。1982年， 卫生与公众服务部发起了一项西班牙裔健康和 营养调查(HHANES)。这项调查将使用数据 由该HANES生成，以检查健康需求和水平 利用以下两种方式利用这些需求(由医疗人员 考官)和自我报告的需要。选定的社会经济、人口和 将对文化因素进行评估，以确定它们对 这一群体的卫生保健利用率。 具体目标包括：1)体检考核和 墨西哥裔美国儿童健康状况的自我报告程序 包括选定的慢性病、急性疾病和风险因素，2) 以确定医生和其他健康人员在多大程度上 在墨西哥裔美国人生病或受伤时联系 儿童，3)确定医生和其他健康的程度 按照以下建议，联系护理人员进行常规预防护理 美国儿科学会指南，4)评估差异 在墨西哥裔美国人家庭中利用卫生保健 不同程度的文化适应(通过出生地点、语言来衡量 口语和受教育的地方)，5)评估 选定的社会经济、人口和健康状况特征有 在墨西哥裔美国儿童的医疗保健利用模式中， 以及6)在此组中确定以下各项之间的一致程度 自我报告和医学评估的健康需求。四大目标 慢性病、六项健康状况指标、四项指标 利用率和与需求相关的八个利用率指标将是 用于评估这一群体的医疗保健需求。通过识别 健康需求和与未满足需求、建议相关的因素 可能会出现目标程序和政策，以有效地服务于 墨西哥裔美国儿童日益增长的健康需求。

The United States has the sixth largest Hispanic population in the World (15 million in March 1983). Among Hispanics the population of Mexican origin is by far the largest group (59.4%) with a growth of 93% from 1970 to 1980. However, until recently policy makers have had difficulty in finding accurate and reliable information about the characteristics, health needs and utilization patterns of health services of this group. A major gap is the lack of knowledge about the Mexican-American Children's needs for health care. This subgroup had the lowest physicians contacts when compared with other children (about 3 visits per child per year). In 1982, the Department of Health and Human Services initiated a Hispanic Health and Nutrition Examnation Survey (HHANES). This investigation will use data generated by this HHANES to examine the health needs and levels of utilization for these needs using both "medically defined need" (by medical examiner) and self-reported need. Selected socioeconomic, demographic and cultural factors will be assessed in order to determine their impact in the utilization rates of health care among this group. The specific objectives include: 1) to assess by medical examination and self-reported procedures the health status of Mexican-American children including selected chronic diseases, acute conditions and risk factors, 2) to ascertain the extent in which physicians and other health are personnel were contacted when illness or injury was experienced by Mexican-American children, 3) to ascertain the extent to which physicians and other health care personnel were contacted for routine preventive care as recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines, 4) to evaluate differences in utilization of health care among Mexican-American families with different level of acculturation (measured by location of birth, language spoken and place of education), 5) to assess the relative importance that selected socioeconomic, demographic and health status characteristics have in the pattern of health care utilization among Mexican-American children, and 6) to identify in this group the degree of agreement between self-reported and medically evaluated health needs. Four major target chronic diseases, six health status indicators, four indicators of utilization and eight indicators of utilization in relation to need will be used in evaluating the health care needs of this group. By identifying the health needs and the factors associated with unmet needs, recommendations may emerge for targetting programs and policies to effectivelys serve the ever-increasing health needs of the Mexican-American children.