Family medicine
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Because minority physicians are more likely to practice in minority or medically underserved communities, meeting the health care needs of underserved populations requires that programs not only train such physicians but train minority faculty to act as teachers and role models. The Faculty Development Center in Family Medicine at Cook County Hospital has had more than 120 graduates, most of whom are teaching and practicing in underserved settings. ⋯ The curriculum is specifically geared to prepare faculty to work in underserved settings and nurture future physicians for these settings. Workforce diversity can be achieved only by major changes in the institutional culture of medical education, which federal policy can encourage by setting high standards for grant funding preferences and supporting centers of excellence for training minority physicians and faculty.
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This study determined the proportion of community-dwelling Hispanics who present for medical care for their panic attacks and identified factors associated with seeking care. We also compared characteristics of Hispanic subjects with those of non-Hispanic white panic sufferers. ⋯ Half of the Hispanics with panic attacks seek no medical care for their attacks. Predictors of seeking care among Hispanics in San Antonio included coping style, symptom perceptions, and access to transportation.
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Ethnic background and family resources have not been sufficiently examined in relation to emotional disorders and their treatment in primary care settings. This study examined the diagnosis and management of psychological disorders in family practice patients to explore how ethnicity may affect the diagnosis and treatment of emotional disorders. ⋯ Women's ethnicity is significantly associated with the diagnosis of emotional disorders and their treatment.
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Race and ethnicity are variables frequently used in medical research. However, researchers employ race and ethnicity in different ways and with differing intent. This leads to confusion over the interpretation of racial or ethnic differences. This study sought to determine how race and ethnicity are used in research on infant mortality. ⋯ There are several problems and ambiguities in the use of race and ethnicity in clinical research. Researchers who use racial or ethnic categories should do so for specified reasons and adopt clear definitions of the categories used.
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The physical activity levels of US children are declining. Opportunities for physical activity within city schools are constrained by time and space limits. This study determined whether a supplemental program of physical activity would significantly alter the fitness levels of low-income, minority, urban elementary schoolchildren. ⋯ This investigation indicates that a program of fitness activities conducted within the classroom can significantly improve levels of fitness in urban elementary schoolchildren.