Community Based Participatory Research to Assess Health Practices in Women of Childbearing Age
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Date
2015-05
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The Ohio State University
Abstract
Health disparities among low-resource women and their children have had a constant presence in urban neighborhoods throughout the United States. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to identify common health behaviors among low-resource women of the Weinland Park area of Columbus, Ohio, which may contribute to present health disparities in the community. Health behaviors include preventative healthcare, health seeking behavior, and illness-based healthcare. Method: A Community Based Participatory Research model was used to collect qualitative data that revealed health behaviors of thirty-three low-resource women of reproductive age. The study used a respected member of the community to recruit voluntary participants and gather data using the interview guide. These surveys were constructed by an advisory board of women of child bearing age from Weinland Park in order to provide questions specific to the population. Theoretical framework: A theoretical framework based on Pender’s Health Promotion Model was used in order to identify the different elements that contribute to an individual’s health promotion behavior, including perception of health, individual characteristics and situational influences. Results: Sixty-seven percent of women in the survey stated they have a primary care provider (PCP), however their behavior in seeing their PCP is inconsistent. Women indicated they may report to a PCP or to an emergency department for treatment of health problems (54.5%, n=18). Thus, the working definitions of a PCP may be misconstrued. Other health maintenance activity, such as seeing a dentist, was not routine, but episodic. Conclusions: These discrepancies in the data indicate a misunderstanding of what constitutes primary care, and implies a need to further educate the population on preventative health practice. This is significant not only to the health of the women and their community but also to healthcare institutions in a financial aspect. The data collected from this study can help to inform institutional policies to provide resources and preventative health practice tailored to the problems found in low-resource communities in order to avoid expensive illness-based healthcare.
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Keywords
health practices, healthcare utilization, preventative healthcare