BACKGROUND: Latinos report higher food insecurity than the national average, and food insecurity has been associated with adverse health outcomes wherein Latinos experience disparities. This study quantified the independent effects of language-speaking proficiency and citizenship on increased food insecurity among a predominantly immigrant Caribbean Latino sample in Lawrence, Massachusetts. METHODS: The analytic sample comprised 574 participants aged 21-83 who visited a community health center in 2011-2013. Food insecurity was assessed via the 6-item US Household Food Security Survey. Multivariable logistic modeling (adjusted for self-reported age group, gender, education, and marital status) examined the independent associations between language proficiency and citizenship on increased food insecurity. RESULTS: One-third of participants were classified as food insecure. Most respondents were citizens (59.5%), foreign-born (92.4%; 70.3% from the Dominican Republic), and spoke monolingual Spanish (72.8%). Monolingual Spanish-speakers had marginally increased odds of food insecurity (odds ratio (OR) = 1.50, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.00 to 2.26), compared to bilingual participants; however after adjustment this relationship was attenuated (OR = 1.25, 95% CI: 0.79 to 2.00). Non-citizenship was not associated with increased odds of food insecurity (OR=1.18, 95% CI: 0.82 to 1.68). CONCLUSION: Food insecurity in this predominantly immigrant Caribbean Latino sample was higher than the national average for Latinos. Future research on food insecurity among different Latino ethnicities is needed in order to inform targeted interventions that promote food security.

Federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) provide essential contraceptive services to low-income individuals; yet, access to all method options, notably intrauterine devices (IUDs) and implants, may be limited at non-Title X FQHCs. The South Carolina (SC) Choose Well initiative is a statewide contraceptive access initiative that was launched in 2017 and extends into 2022. Choose Well established a collaborative network between training and clinical partners and is aimed at facilitating implementation of contraceptive care best practices through capacity-building and training of clinical and administrative staff in partner organizations. The initiative provided funding for workforce expansion and contraceptive methods. We examined perceptions of staff from Choose Well-participating FQHCs regarding contraceptive access during the first 2 years of the initiative, including factors that facilitated or posed access challenges as well as sustaining factors. This study informs the process evaluation of Choose Well while providing data critical for uncovering and scaling up contraceptive access initiatives. Interviews were conducted with FQHC staff ( = 34) in 2018 and 2019 to assess Choose Well implementation and were recorded, transcribed, and double-coded at least 80% interrater reliability or consensus coding. Data were analyzed according to clinical and administrative factors influencing contraceptive access. Increased capacity for contraceptive counseling and provision through training and external funding for IUDs and implants were the most noted clinical factors facilitating access. Streamlining workflow processes was also a facilitator. Buy-in and engagement among staff and leadership emerged as a facilitator at some clinics and as a barrier at others. Policy/structural factors related to costs of devices and insurance coverage were identified as threats to sustainability. The Choose Well initiative contributed to the perception of an increase in contraceptive access at participating FQHCs in SC. Statewide contraceptive access initiatives have the potential to support FQHCs in meeting their clients' contraceptive needs. Organizational buy-in, sustainability of funding, and training are key to realizing the full potential of these initiatives.

O movimento de reafirmação da importância da Atenção Primária à Saúde (APS) nas primeiras décadas deste século ressaltou a necessidade de qualificação dos serviços deste nível de atenção, impulsionando iniciativas de avaliação e monitoramento. No Brasil, correspondeu à implantação da Estratégia Saúde da Família (ESF). No Estado de São Paulo, implantou-se a ESF em uma rede de APS já organizada segundo Programas de saúde. A convivência entre esses dois modos de organizar e operar os serviços gerou grande diversidade de estruturação assistencial da APS.O objetivo desse estudo foi avaliar a capacidade de resposta de serviços do interior do Estado de São Paulo, a necessidades de saúde classicamente reconhecidas como próprias da APS. Os dados utilizados são provenientes do banco de respostas de 2.735 serviços ao questionário QualiAB - Avaliação da Qualidade e Monitoramento da Atenção Básica, composto por 85 questões de múltipla escolha. O quadro avaliativo Capacidade de resposta em APS resultou de determinadas questões do QualiAB, organizadas em 3 domínios: Disponibilidade de recursos (4 subdomínios: 59 indicadores), Operação direta da assistência (4 subdomínios: 50) e Gerenciamento Trabalho (3 subdomínios:25), cujo total resultou em 122 indicadores. Toda resposta positiva correspondeu ao valor 1. A média geral obtida foi 56,6%. Pelos testes de Friedman e Dunn, o domínio Disponibilidade de recursos teve maior contribuição no desempenho, seguido dos domínios Gerenciamento técnico do trabalho e Operação direta da assistência. Os três domínios mostraram correlação positiva (teste de Spearman). As k-médias dos subdomínios constituíram dois grupos de desempenho: Capacidade Satisfatória de resposta (CS), com 39% (1065) dos serviços estudados e o grupo Capacidade Insuficiente (CI), com 61% (1658). Para analisar a distribuição dos serviços nos grupos utilizou-se modelo de regressão logística que considerou como variáveis possivelmente associadas: população e índice de desenvolvimento humano (IDH) do município de localização do serviço, número de consultas do serviço, apoio técnico da gestão estadual, apoio financeiro da gestão estadual e arranjo organizativo, este último a partir daquelas formas de estruturação assistencial dos serviços. Os resultados mostraram que serviços de arranjo organizativo do tipo Mix Centro de Saúde - ESF, que realizam 800 ou mais consultas mensais, localizados em municípios com mais de 100 mil habitantes, que receberam apoio técnico adicional do Estado e de maior IDH mostraram maior chance de pertencer ao grupo de Capacidade Satisfatória de resposta. O apoio financeiro adicional do Estado não mostrou associação. Quando estas variáveis foram ajustadas apenas para serviços localizados em municípios com menos de 100 mil habitantes, o apoio financeiro contínuo desde 2000 mostrou associação, enquanto o IDH não mais se mostrou associado. Diante disto, conclui-se que a capacidade de resposta obtida foi baixa, comprometendo o papel esperado da APS. Arranjos organizativos que mesclem distintos modos de organizar e operar os serviços podem ser mais promissores. Medidas que busquem mitigar as desigualdades devem ser reafirmadas como políticas públicas, especialmente no caso de municípios de menor porte populacional / The movement to reaffirm the importance of Primary Health Care (PHC) in the first decades of this century highlighted the need for qualification in the services of this level of care, fostering assessment and monitoring initiatives. In Brazil, this has corresponded to the implementation of Family Health Strategy (FHS). In the State of São Paulo, FHS was implemented within a PHC network already established according to heath Programs. The coexistence of these two ways of organizing and operating the services generated great diversity in care structuring within PHC. The objective of this study was to evaluate the response capacity of the services located on the countryside of the State of São Paulo to health needs classically regarded as being typical of PHC. The data utilized have come from a response bank to the QualiAB questionnaire - Primary Care Quality and Monitoring Evaluation comprising 85 multiple choice questions, from 2.735 services. The evaluative framework \'Response Capacity\' in PHC resulted from certain questions from QualiAB, organized in 3 dominions: Availability of resources (5 sub dominions: 51 indicators), direct assistance Operation (5 sub dominions: 50 indicators) and Work Management (4 sub dominions: 21 indicators), totaling 122 indicators. Every positive response corresponded to score 1. The overall average was 56,6%. According to Friedman e Dunn\'s tests, dominion Availability of resources had greater performance contribution, followed by dominions work\'s technical Management and direct assistance Operation. The three dominions showed positive correlations (Spearman\'s test). The sub dominions k-means comprised two performance groups: Satisfactory Capacity of response (SC), with 39% (1065) of services studied, and the Insufficient Capacity group (IC), with 61% (1658). In order to analyze the distribution of the services in the groups, a logistics regression model was utilized. This model considered the following variables as being possibly associated: population and human development index (HDI) of the service municipality, number of appointments in the services, technical support from the state government, financial support from state government, and an organizational arrangement based on models of care previously structured. Results showed that services whose organizational arrangements were Health Center-FHS mixed-type, with 800 or more monthly appointments, located in municipalities with more than 100 thousand inhabitants, receiving additional technical support from the state, and with a higher HDI showed higher probability of belonging to the Satisfactory Response group response. Additional financial support from the state did not show association. When those variables were adjusted only to the services located in municipalities with less than 100 thousand inhabitants, a continuous financial support since 2000 showed association, whereas HDI did not show association any longer. Therefore, it was concluded that the response capacity obtained was low, which compromised the expected role of PHC. Organizational arrangements combining different modes of organizing and operating the services might prove more promising. Measures seeking to mitigate inequalities must be reaffirmed as public policies, especially in the case of municipalities with smaller populations

Bisher wurden die Einzugsgebiete der Gesundheitszentren mit den administrativen Grenzen des Sektors, in dem das Gesundheitszentrum liegt, gleichgesetzt. Das Hauptanliegen dieser Arbeit ist es, die tatsächlichen Einzugsgebiete zu erfassen und bisher verwendete methodische Ansätze auf ihre Eignung zu testen, Einzugsgebiete für Gesundheitszentren möglichst realistisch zu modellieren. Darüber hinaus sollen Gründe für räumliche Unterschiede in der Inanspruchnahme von Gesundheitszentren ermittelt werden. Fragenbögen, die mit Patienten in den Gesundheitszentren ausgefüllt wurden, sowie aus Registrierungsbüchern erfasste Daten geben Aufschluss über die räumlichen Unterschiede bei der Inanspruchnahme und dienen als Referenzdaten für die weiteren Analysen. Die Studie zeigt, dass keine der getesteten Methoden dazu geeignet ist, die Einzugsgebiete zufriedenstellend zu modellieren. Ein selbst entwickelter Ansatz, der verschiedene Methoden kombiniert, liefert bezüglich der Bevölkerung nur zweitbeste Ergebnisse nach Thiessen Polygonen, während für keine der Methoden die Grenzen mit den Grenzen übereinstimmen, die für die tatsächliche Nutzung ermittelt wurden. / Until now catchment areas of health centers are considered as the administrative boundaries of the sector where the health center is situated. The main objective of this study is to determine the actual catchment areas of health centers in Huye District (Southern Province, Rwanda) and to test approaches used in other studies in a geographical information system for an improved estimation of catchment areas. Furthermore reasons for disparities in health center utilization are to be revealed. Questionnaires filled with patients at health centers as well as data retrieved from registration books aim to give information about spatial disparities in health center utilization and serve as evaluation basis for further analysis. The study shows that none of the tested methods is able to predict catchment areas or the population to be served in a satisfying accuracy. An own approach that combines different methods gives only second best results after Thiessen polygons regarding the served population while for none of the methods the boundaries match well the catchment areas as they are defined by the data.

The Johnson City Community Health Center is one of over 1200 community health centers serving over 22 million patients across the United States. Community health centers primarily serve patients with low income or without health insurance, but most serve all the members of their communities. These centers provide many services and treat health problems in a holistic manner in order to improve the health of their communities and also allow the members of those communities to progress. The Johnson City Community Health Center is compared to successful CHCs from across the nation to determine if it has characteristics to be successful in this community. A SWOT Analysis is conducted by evaluating the Marketing Mix, or the Product, Price, Placement, and Promotion, of the center and also by examining the Political, Economic, Social, and Technological environments it operates in. This research determines the internal Strengths and Weaknesses and external Opportunities and Threats of the Johnson City Community Health Center and concludes that it does have the characteristics needed to be successful in the community. This research can be used by center management to improve services, but it can also be used by other researchers to continue evaluations of community health centers across the nation.

Mental illness is not only the leading cause of disability among adults, but there is also an emerging public health crisis in childhood mental illness. A majority of parents do not recognize symptoms of psychological disorder in their children, and current policies and programs for mental health service delivery are not sufficiently responsive to the early help-seeking dynamics of families. Using a concurrent mixed methods design, this study explored how parents in the Pikes Peak region of Colorado learned to recognize their child's mental illness. Phenomenological interviews, augmented by poetic inquiry and quantitative measurements, were used to discover factors that inhibited or enhanced five mothers' recognitions. These factors were then evaluated using a frequency distribution analysis and a rank-order correlation. The phenomenon of recognition was, for these mothers, a process of waiting to hear that 'normal' had stopped, wherein they miscategorized symptoms as normal behaviors in a passing developmental phase. Prior experience with mental illness appeared to significantly decrease both the length of time and the level of distress necessary for recognition. Ultimately, recognition did not occur until someone in their social network validated their concerns and provided explicit confirmation, which galvanized them to seek treatment. Governance network collaborations can facilitate positive social change by standardizing guidance on how to differentiate symptoms of a disorder from normal childhood development. Public policies and programs such as universal mental health screening, mental health literacy, and more supportive and responsive school policies can foster dialogue for parental recognition in Colorado and throughout the country.

In 1963, President John F. Kennedy signed the Mental Retardation and Community Mental Health Centers Construction Act, establishing the beginnings of deinstitutionalization in the United States. By some counts, this Act was a stupendous policy success—by others, a dismal failure. 50 years later, no cohesive national mental health care policy has emerged to deal with increased rates of mental illness among the homeless and the incarcerated. However, California has made enormous strides to create a state policy which provides adequate services to the mildly, moderately, and severely mentally ill as well as adequate funding for those services through Proposition 63, the Mental Health Services Act, passed in 2004. This paper reviews mental health policy history from Colonial America to the present, paying special attention to JFK's deinstitutionalization in 1963 and the discontents that followed. It takes a special look at California's mental health care policy history and the strides the state has made to better serve the mentally ill.

Diss. Linköping : Univ.

Trata-se de um estudo qualitativo, do tipo estudo de caso, com pressupostos da pesquisa participante. O caso se constitui na capacitação participativa dos profissionais que atuam no pré-natal de uma unidade básica de saúde. Os objetivos foram desenvolver a capacitação participativa com os profissionais (eu retiraria prá não ser repetitivo) e refletir sobre as ações desenvolvidas por eles durante a capacitação. A humanização foi o referencial teórico para o desenvolvimento da capacitação e seus princípios foram empregados como norteadores da atenção pré-natal.. O estudo se desenvolveu em uma unidade básica de saúde da região da Lomba do Pinheiro, na cidade de Porto Alegre-RS, no período de outubro de 2007 a novembro de 2009. Utilizou-se o diário de campo coletivo para a coleta dos dados e estes foram analisados segundo a análise temática de Minayo. A capacitação consistiu em dez encontros, geradores de discussões e reflexões dos pré-natalistas sobre seu cotidiano de atendimento, inserindo-os na busca por estratégias para melhorar o trabalho. Os encontros provocaram mudanças nas práticas, as quais favoreceram o atendimento à mulher no quesito do acesso à unidade de saúde e ao hospital de referência para o parto; nas questões do cotidiano do atendimento, como modificações na sala do atendimento, a inclusão do acompanhante nas consultas, o aumento no tempo das consultas, a uniformização no tempo das consultas entre os pré-natalistas das equipes da UBS e PSF, o acompanhamento da enfermeira no atendimento pré-natal, a sugestão de alteração da carteira de pré-natal e a inclusão de lembretes escritos para as consultas de puerpério. Acredita-se que essas modificações poderão contribuir para aprimorar os indicadores da qualidade da atenção pré-natal. / It is a qualitative study, developed as a case study, using the procedures of the participative research. The case comprises the participative development of skills of the professionals that work in the prenatal program of a basic health care unit. The objectives were to develop a participative training of those professionals as well as to reflectively think about the actions developed by them during the training. Humanization was the theoretical landmark for the training development and its principles were employed as guidelines of the prenatal attention. . The study was carried out on a basic health care unit at Lomba do Pinheiro Area in the city of Porto Alegre–RS, from October 2007 to November 2009. A collective field diary was used in order to gather the data which was analyzed according to the thematic analysis by Minayo . The development of skills process consisted of ten meetings that generated discussions and reflective thoughts of the prenatal professionals about their daily care activities in a way that they wished to search for strategies to improve their work. The meetings provoked changes such as finding better ways to care for the women to ease their access to the basic health care unit and to the reference hospital for childbirth, as well as in regard to issues of the daily attendance, as the presence of companionship during consultations, physical changes on the offices area, longer consultation hours by all the professionals, prenatal consultation attended by nurses, changes on the Prenatal Card, written reminders of the Postpartum Consultation date, and so on. The author believes that those changes will contribute favorably to the qualitative indicators of prenatal care. / Se trata de un estudio cualitativo de estudio de caso con los presupuestos de la investigación partícipe. El caso se constituye en la capacitación partícipe de los profesionales que actúan en el prenatal de una unidad básica de salud (USB). Los objetivos fueron desarrollar la capacitación partícipe con los profesionales y reflexionar acerca de las acciones desarrolladas por ellos durante la capacitación. La humanización fue el referencial teórico para el desarrollo de la capacitación y sus principios fueron empleados como orientadores del cuidado prenatal. El estudio se desarrolló en una unidad básica de salud de la región Lomba do Pinheiro, en la ciudad de Porto Alegre - RS, desde octubre de 2007 hasta noviembre de 2009. Se utilizó el diario de campo colectivo para la recolección de los datos que fueron analizados según el análisis temático de Minayo. La capacitación consistió en diez encuentros, generadores de discusiones y reflexiones de los profesionales de prenatal acerca de su cotidiano de atendimiento, insertándolos en la búsqueda por estrategias para mejorar el trabajo. Los encuentros provocaron cambios en las prácticas, las cuales favorecieron el atendimiento a la mujer en cuanto al acceso a la unidad de salud y al hospital de referencia para el parto así como en las cuestiones del cotidiano del atendimiento, o sea, cambios en la sala de atendimiento, la inclusión del acompañante en las consultas, el aumento del tiempo de las consultas, la uniformización del tiempo de las consultas entre los profesionales de prenatal de los equipos de la UBS e del PSF (Programa de la Salud de la Familia), el acompañamiento de la enfermera en el atendimiento prenatal, la sugestión de alteración de la tarjeta de prenatal y la inclusión de apuntes para recordar las consultas de puerperio. Se acredita que estas modificaciones podrán contribuir para mejorar los indicadores de calidad de la atención prenatal.

A Saúde Coletiva é um espaço privilegiado para atuação das enfermeiras, pois nessa área as profissionais podem influir efetivamente no atendimento das necessidades de saúde das populações, utilizando, em suas práticas, os recursos do Sistema de Saúde com criatividade e comprometimento. Existem distorções na imagem profissional das enfermeiras, mas entende-se que é em seu trabalho cotidiano que a valorização profissional se constitui. Assim, o objetivo deste estudo é conhecer e compreender as práticas das enfermeiras em Unidades Básicas de Saúde da rede do município de Porto Alegre, identificando limitações e alternativas utilizadas pelas profissionais que podem contribuir para modificações na representatividade de seu trabalho e na proposição de práticas inovadoras, na atenção à saúde das populações. Trata-se de um estudo qualitativo, no qual se realizaram entrevistas semi-estruturadas com 15 enfermeiras atuantes em Unidades Básicas de Saúde de Porto Alegre. O tratamento dos dados baseou-se na análise de conteúdo do tipo temática. Elaborou-se uma árvore associativa com as palavras associadas pelas enfermeiras à expressão "Enfermeira na Saúde Coletiva". Os resultados indicam que as enfermeiras são identificadas pela população conforme as ações que executam e são procuradas para resolver problemas que nem sempre apresentam relação com seu trabalho, demonstrando a diversidade de suas práticas. As atividades realizadas nas Unidades de Saúde são permeadas de limitações impostas pelo Sistema de Saúde, como a falta de trabalhadores de enfermagem. O trabalho em equipe evidencia diferentes realidades nas Unidades de Saúde, representando tanto integração e igualdade entre os trabalhadores como limitações às práticas das enfermeiras. Conclui-se que as profissionais podem contribuir para modificar as realidades de saúde dos usuários atendidos, por meio de ações de qualidade, criativas e inovadoras, caracterizando a essencialidade das práticas das enfermeiras em Unidades Básicas de Saúde. / Public Health is a privileged space for the nurses´ performance because in this field they can influence effectively in the care of the health needs of the population by utilizing in their practices, the resources of the Health System with creativity and commitment. There are distortions in the professional image of the nurses but it is understood that it is in their daily work that the professional appreciation is built. Therefore, the objective of this study is knowing and understanding the practices of the nurses who work at Health Basic Units of the network in the city of Porto Alegre, by identifying limitations and alternatives utilized by the professionals that can contribute to modifications in the representativeness of their work and in the proposition of innovating practices in the health care of the population. It is a qualitative study whereby semi-structured interviews were made with 15 nurses who work at Health Basic Units of Porto Alegre. The treatment of the data was based on the analysis of content of the thematic type. An associative tree was elaborated with the words connected by the nurses to the expression “Nurse in the Public Health”. The results of the interviews indicate that the nurses are identified by the population according to the actions that they perform and are asked to solve problems that not always are related to their work, demonstrating diversity in their practices. The several activities performed at the Health Units are impregnated with limitations imposed by the Health System like the lack of nursing workers. The teamwork evidences different realities in the Health Units by representing integration and equality among the workers as well as limitations regarding the nurses´ practices. The conclusion is that the professionals can contribute to modify the health reality of the assisted users by means of quality, creative and innovating actions featuring the essential character of the nurses´ practices at Health Basic Units. / La Salud Colectiva es un espacio privilegiado para actuación de las enfermeras pues, en esta area, las profesionales pueden influir efectivamente en la atención de las necesidades de salud de la gente, utilizando, en sus prácticas, los recursos del Sistema de Salud con creatividad y cometido. Hay distorsiones en la imagen profesional de las enfermeras pero se entiende que es, en su trabajo cotidiano, que la valorización profesional se constituye. Así, el objetivo de este estudio es conocer y comprender las prácticas de las enfermeras que actúan en Unidades Básicas de Salud de la red del municipio de Porto Alegre, identificando limitaciones y alternativas utilizadas por las profesionales que puedan contribuir para modificaciones en la representatividad de su trabajo y en la proposición de prácticas innovadoras en la atención a la salud de la gente. Se trata de un estudio cualitativo en lo cual se hicieron entrevistas semi-estructuradas con 15 enfermeras que actúan en Unidades Básicas de Salud de Porto Alegre. El tratamiento de los datos se basó en el análisis de contenido del tipo temático. Se elaboro un árbol asociativo con las palabras asociadas, por las enfermeras, al termo "Enfermera en la Salud Colectiva". Los resultados indican que las enfermeras son identificadas por la gente según las acciones que ejecutan y son procuradas para resolver problemas que ni siempre presentan relación con su trabajo, demostrando la diversidad de sus prácticas. Las diversas actividades realizadas en las Unidades de Salud son impregnadas de limitaciones impuestas por el Sistema de Salud, como la falta de trabajadores de enfermería. El trabajo en equipo evidencia diferentes realidades en las Unidades de Salud, representando tanto integración e igualdad entre los trabajadores como limitaciones a las prácticas de las enfermeras. Se concluye las profisionales pueden contribuir para modificar las realidades de salud de los usuarios atendidos, por medio de acciones de calidad, creativas e innovadoras, caracterizando la esencialidad de las prácticas de las enfermeras en Unidades Básicas de Salud.