PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

A G Ramirez

Publications and source records attributed to A G Ramirez.

33 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1982

Communicating health information to urban Mexican Americans: sources of health information.

Data from a six-week hypertension campaign aimed at urban Mexican Americans were analyzed to document how they receive their health information and to identify the communication channels most likely to reach different segments of the Mexican-American community. The nine sources of information examined were doctor, nurse, pharmacist, family, friends, radio, newspaper, television, and magazine. The most common source of health information reported was doctor, followed by television, newspapers, magazines, family, and radio. Interview language (Spanish or English) was a significant predictor of the amount of health information received from all nine sources. Sex, family income, education, and age also were shown to affect the amount of health information received from various sources. Profiles of respondents most likely to use each source of health information are presented and implications for health educators are discussed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1982

Impact on retention: comparison of two CPR training programs.

CPR trainees who completed 8-hour, 3 session and 4-hour single session courses were studied for skill and cognitive retention one year after certification. Knowledge and performance scores were significantly higher for trainees from the long course, but performance skills for both groups were below certification level when compared to American Heart Association standards. The findings suggest the need for further evaluation of course components which could improve retention levels for all trainees.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1982

Indicators of response to a mass media CPR recruitment campaign.

Respondents to a mass media cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) recruitment campaign in Harris County, Texas were more likely than non-respondents to be White, female, and under 45 years of age, to have had previous CPR training, experienced an incident in which knowledge of CPR might have been useful, or to have a friend or relative with a relevant medical history. The majority of the respondents were housewives, and professionals or technical workers, particularly in the health field. Findings can be used to identify audiences for future mass media CPR campaigns.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1981

El asesino silencioso: a methodology for alerting the Spanish-speaking community.

Information describing the health status of the Spanish-speaking population, the nation's second largest minority, is extremely scarce. In particular, few studies have attempted to document the prevalence or ascertain the extent of treatment or the level of public awareness of hypertension or other cardiovascular diseases in this minority population. However, before any large scale effort to determine the prevalence or to determine the treatment and awareness needs related to hypertension is initiated, preliminary questions concerning how to reach and motivate the Spanish-speaking population to adopt cardiovascular health risk-reducing behaviors must be answered.

Attitude to Health↗
PubMed1979

Trainees' retention of cardiopulmonary resuscitation. How quickly they forget.

Lay persons trained in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) were evaluated six months after completion of a four-hour basic life support course to determine the degree to which CPR cognitive and psychomotor performance skills were retained. Evaluation criteria were based on the American Heart Association's recommended standards. The data disclosed a significant decrease in the resuscitators' retention of CPR knowledge and skills.

American Heart Association↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Advancing the role of participatory communication in the diffusion of cancer screening among Hispanics.

Based on previously demonstrated methods, a cancer prevention program combining media and interpersonal communication was conducted in a Texas border city (Brownsville) in 1995-1996. To evaluate the program a quasi-experimental panel design study followed 107 women in a program site and 105 women in a comparison site from 1994 to 1996. Women in the program site reported an increase in levels of Pap screening adherence.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Hispanic women's breast and cervical cancer knowledge, attitudes, and screening behaviors.

PURPOSE: This study examined breast and cervical cancer knowledge, attitudes, and screening behaviors among different Hispanic populations in the United States. DESIGN: Data were collected from a random digit dial telephone survey of 8903 Hispanic adults from eight U.S. sites. Across sites, the average response rate was 83%. SETTING: Data were collected as part of the baseline assessment in a national Hispanic cancer control and prevention intervention study. SUBJECTS: Analysis was restricted to 2239 Hispanic women age 40 and older who were self-identified as either Central American (n = 174), Cuban (n = 279), Mexican American (n = 1550), or Puerto Rican (n = 236). MEASURES: A bilingual survey instrument was used to solicit information on age, education, income, health insurance coverage, language use, U.S.-born status, knowledge of screening guidelines, attitudes toward cancer, and screening participation. Differences in knowledge and attitudes across Hispanic groups were assessed by either chi-square tests or analysis of variance. Logistic regression models assessed the influence of knowledge and attitudes on screening participation. RESULTS: The level of knowledge of guidelines ranged from 58.3% (Mexican Americans) to 71.8% (Cubans) for mammography, and from 41.1% (Puerto Ricans) to 55.6% (Cubans) for Pap smear among the different Hispanic populations. Attitudes also varied, with Mexican Americans and Puerto Ricans having more negative or fatalistic views of cancer than Cuban or Central Americans. Knowledge was significantly related to age, education, income, language preference, and recent screening history. Overall, attitudes were not predictive of mammography and Pap smear behavior. CONCLUSIONS: Factors related to mammography and Pap smear screening vary among the different Hispanic populations. Limitations include the cross-sectional nature of the study, self-reported measures of screening, and the limited assessment of attitudes. The data and diversity of Hispanic groups reinforce the position that ethno-regional characteristics should be clarified and addressed in cancer screening promotion efforts. The practical relationships among knowledge, attitudes, and cancer screening are not altogether clear and require further research.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Smoking cessation in Texas-Mexico border communities: a quasi-experimental panel study.

UNLABELLED: BACKGROUDd. Smoking-related disease and injury is prominent among the numerous health problems on the U.S.-Mexico border, but little is known about the methods that might help promote smoking cessation among the low-income populations in this region. METHOD: Media campaigns were combined with different forms of intensive and community-wide interpersonal communication to encourage smoking cessation in a border U.S. city and in a Mexican city. Panels of moderate to heavy smokers were followed in four groups to allow quasi-experimental comparison of smoking cessation rates. RESULTS: Over a five-year study period smoking cessation rates of 17% (self-reported) and 8% (verified) were observed in panels in the program community (N = 160). In the comparison community (N = 135) corresponding rates of smoking cessation were 7% (self-reported) and 1.5% (verified). Within the program community, no differences were observed in smoking cessation among smokers exposed to a community-wide program and those assigned to receive personal counseling. DISCUSSION: Although the observed changes in smoking were unexpectedly small in the treatment and comparison groups, the approximately 8% effect size for the community-wide program was close to what was predicted. Results indicate that such programs may yield effects similar to those of more intensive approaches, but further research with greater statistical power will be necessary to confirm that point.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Family versus individually oriented intervention for weight loss in Mexican American women.

Mexican Americans are more likely to be obese than non-Hispanic whites, yet little research has been conducted on the treatment of obesity in Mexican Americans. The purpose of this study was to compare a family-based intervention with a traditional program oriented to the individual for achieving weight loss by obese Mexican American women. A total of 168 obese women were randomly assigned to one of three groups. Group 1 served as a comparison group and received only printed materials on nutrition, exercise, and behavioral principles for weight loss. Subjects in the individual group (group 2) received the same printed information, but they also attended classes led by bilingual registered dietitians. Subjects in the family group (group 3) received materials and attended classes that emphasized a family-oriented approach to making changes in eating habits and exercise behavior. Spouses and children attended classes with subjects in this group. Results revealed a significant linear trend in both body mass index and weight reduction across the groups, with losses greatest in the family group, followed by the individual group, and least in the comparison group. Both the individual and the family groups lost significantly more weight than the comparison group, although the difference between these two groups was not statistically significant. The results suggest that a culturally and linguistically appropriate program can achieve significant weight reduction among Mexican Americans. More research should be conducted on the effects of family and other types of social support on weight loss by Mexican Americans.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Beliefs about high blood pressure prevention in a survey of blacks and Hispanics.

Beliefs about the potential for high blood pressure prevention were assessed during a telephone survey of cardiovascular risk factor awareness among black and Hispanic adults in Chicago, Illinois. A high proportion of those interviewed-82% of blacks and 69% of Hispanics--thought a person could do something to prevent getting high blood pressure and either selected one or more of several possible preventive measures listed by the interviewer or volunteered other measures. Awareness of two widely cited prevention possibilities that may be particularly important for black and Hispanic populations--lowering salt intake and maintaining ideal weight--was low. Fewer than half of the respondents in this survey (44% of blacks and 26% of Hispanics) thought that lowering salt intake would help prevent high blood pressure. An even smaller number (10% of blacks and 20% of Hispanics) thought that maintaining ideal weight would help prevent high blood pressure. Moreover, other measures that are unrelated to high blood pressure or for which a relation to high blood pressure is not well established were selected frequently. These findings were contrary to our expectations, because black and Hispanic populations have been targeted by the National High Blood Pressure Education campaign and because high levels of awareness in other areas of cardiovascular disease risk were observed in this sample. These data suggest that awareness of potential strategies for high blood pressure prevention among black and Hispanic communities needs to be addressed specifically in related educational campaigns.

Adult↗