MEXICAN AMERICAN CHILDREN: HEALTH NEEDS AND USE OF HEAL

美国拥有世界上第六大西班牙裔人口 (15 1983年3月）。 在西班牙裔人口中， 原籍国是迄今为止最大的群体（59.4%），比1970年增长了93% 到1980年 然而，直到最近，政策制定者一直难以 寻找关于特征、健康状况、 这一群体的卫生服务需求和利用模式。 一个主要 差距是对墨西哥裔美国儿童的需求缺乏了解 for health健康care保健. 该亚组的医生接触率最低， 与其他儿童相比（每年每个儿童约3次就诊）。 一九八二年， 卫生与公众服务部发起了一项西班牙裔健康计划， 营养检查调查。 这项调查将使用数据 由HHANES产生，以检查健康需求和水平 利用这些需要使用“医学定义的需要”（由医疗 自我报告的需求。 选定的社会经济、人口和 将评估文化因素，以确定其在 这一群体的保健利用率。 具体目标包括：1）通过体检评估， 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、急性病和危险因素，2） 确定医生和其他卫生人员的程度， 当墨西哥裔美国人生病或受伤时， 3）确定医生和其他健康人员在多大程度上 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， 不同程度的文化适应（按出生地、语言 （5）评估教育的相对重要性， 选定的社会经济、人口和健康状况特征， 在墨西哥裔美国儿童的医疗保健利用模式中， 和6）在该组中确定 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 利用率和与需求有关的八项利用率指标， 用于评估这一群体的医疗保健需求。 通过识别 卫生需求和与未满足需求相关的因素，建议 可能会出现针对性的计划和政策，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.