Poverty, Ethnic Identity and Preventive Health Care

Abstract

To investigate the roles of 3 types of alienation; powerlessness hopelessness and social isolation as barriers to the utilization of health services 806 low income mothers from three Los Angeles neighborhoods were interviewed about the preventive health care they received. Alienation has a minimal effect on the dental care received for the children but is a highly significant (p less than .001) barrier to family planning.