The use of indigenous health care workers (IHCWs), who were key elements in community health care programs in the United States in the 1960s, has gone in and out of fashion in subsequent years. The author and his colleagues recently established a service program at Wayne State University's Institute of Maternal and Child Health that employs IHCWs. Characterizations of IHCWs in previous health care programs were reviewed in the process of developing criteria and guidelines for the recruitment, selection, training, employing, and evaluating these workers in the Institute's program. The unique applicability of indigenousness to the delivery of health care services is addressed in terms of the rationale for the use of IHCWs as well as criteria for their success, benefits and problems encountered in the use of these workers, and deficiencies in evaluations of IHCWs. A model of program evaluation, action research, is proposed that assesses the processes and outcomes of providing health services by indigenous paraprofessionals.
Seven health habits were shown to be associated with longevity in a longitudinal study initiated in Alameda County, CA, in 1965. These habits (drinking moderately, exercising regularly, maintaining desirable weight for height, eating breakfast, not e...
St Lawrence, J S; Hood, H V; Brasfield, T; Kelly, J A;
Published Date:
1989 Jul-Aug
Source:
Public Health Rep. 104(4):391-395
Description:
Several studies have found reductions in acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) risk practices among gay men in high AIDS-prevalence cities since the start of the AIDS crisis. Much less is known about risk behavior patterns among gay men in smalle...
A critical review of epidemiologic literature on the abuse of phencyclidine (PCP) suggests that current perceptions by the public and among members of the health professions and drug treatment communities about abuse of the drug are distorted. Epidem...
This paper addresses two concerns related to differences in the health status of Hispanic and non-Hispanic children: methodological issues in the measurement of health status across population subgroups and the substantive differences in the health o...
Information collected on all home births in Calgary (Canada) between the years 1984 and 1987, was examined and analyzed according to whether the home birth environment had been planned or unplanned. The two groups were compared to each other and to a...
Unintentional injuries are the leading cause of death and a major cause of morbidity among school age children. A survey of the educational needs concerning injury prevention of a group of fifth and sixth grade children (ages 10-12) in Holliston, MA,...
The relationship between the average cost of home health care and the case mix of patients served by the home health agency is investigated using 1983 data from Wisconsin's home health care agencies. In contrast to previous work, case mix is shown to...
Mortality and hospitalization rates for pneumonia have increased among older Americans during recent years (1979-86), despite a national commitment to the reduction of premature deaths from pneumonia. A prospective study of deaths and hospitalization...
As health education has become a major strategy for addressing current health problems, the need for expertise in health education has increased. Today health education specialists work not only in health agencies and educational institutions but als...
To design a statewide educational campaign, the Vermont Department of Health attempted to measure knowledge about AIDS among residents of the State. During the period November 1986 through January 1987, the authors conducted a telephone survey of non...
Home care for persons who require the prolonged use of life-supportive medical technology is a reality in several nations. France has had more than a quarter of a century of experience with providing home care for patients with chronic respiratory in...
Seven neonaticides were reported during a 14-month period in the State of Iowa. This is an alarming number considering that only one such case was reported in the previous year. The majority of cases involved the birth of a live infant to an adolesce...
Mullner, R M; Rydman, R J; Whiteis, D G; Rich, R F;
Published Date:
1989 Jul-Aug
Source:
Public Health Rep. 104(4):315-325
Description:
The issue of rural hospital closings in the United States in recent years has become of increasing concern to health care policy analysts. Rural communities face unique health needs, necessitating access to local health care. Much has been written ab...
Dignan, M B; Michielutte, R; Sharp, P C; Young, L D; Daniels, L A;
Published Date:
1991 Jan-Feb
Source:
Public Health Rep. 106(1):73-77
Description:
The Forsyth County, NC, Cervical Cancer Prevention Project is a 5-year public health education program designed to increase the proportion of black women in the county who are appropriately screened for cervical cancer. In this paper, the authors rep...
An opportunity to assess the completeness of reporting to the Massachusetts Burn Registry arose when data on the incidence of inpatient burns in Massachusetts became available from an independent source, the New England Regional Burn Program. The ass...
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