MEANINGS OF CHRONICITY AND AGE FOR ETHNIC MINORITIES

University Of California San Francisco, San Francisco CA

Investigators

Linked publications, trials & patents

Abstract

DESCRIPTION: The overall aim of the proposal anthropological research is to examine the complex interaction of ethnicity and health through the exploration of meanings of chronicity and age for ethnic minorities. The five domains of study are: 1) the experience of illness and the use of biomedical and indigenous health care, 2) cultural adjustment, 3) meanings of age, 4) the role of the family in illness management and recovery, and 5) access to/utilization of health care resources--both formal and informal--people consider or utilize in specific situations. The specific aims are: 1) to examine illness experience and the various factors related to it such as beliefs and knowledge of the illness; 2) to examine the changes that occur after onset or exacerbation of a chronic illness (heart disease/hypertension, diabetes, and asthma) in lifestyle, living arrangements, family involvement, social activities, and access to/utilization of health care resources; 3) to examine: a) respondents' understanding of chronicity as it relates to their illness symptoms, and b) the assessment in management of symptoms with potentially serious consequences; 4) to examine the full range of this experience by studying 150 individuals, 30 in each of the following groups: African Americans, Mexican Americans, Filipino Americans, Central American refugees, and Cambodian refugees. Respondents will be interviewed in-depth three times over a one-year period. Qualitative analysis will be undertaken in a systematic, seven-step progression, and will be supported by quantitative analysis of health measurement data and qualitatively-derived data.