Child Health Needs of Rural Alabama Latino Families

Abstract

This article presents findings from a study ¹ that used focus group methodology to identify perceptions of Latino parents living in rural Alabama related to their children's health needs. Sixteen focus groups were held with a total of 89 parents (54 mothers and 35 fathers). The groups were led by native Spanish speakers, and group meetings were tape recorded. The main themes that emerged related to (a) what children need to be healthy, (b) common children's health problems, (c) what we do when children are ill, (d) barriers to receiving health care, (e) parenting issues and concerns, (f) experiences with children's schools, and (g) services needed. The findings can be used to guide the development of culturally appropriate, community-based programs to address the priority health needs of the growing Latino community in rural areas of the United States.

This study was funded by pilot study Grant U50OH07551–05 from the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health through the Southern Agromedicine Institute at East Carolina University.

Notes

This study was funded by pilot study Grant U50OH07551–05 from the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health through the Southern Agromedicine Institute at East Carolina University.