Part 3: Family Health in an Economically Disadvantaged Population

Abstract

An ethnographic study completed in an Appalachian county in southeastern Ohio included eight families (N = 25) and community informants. The purpose of the study was to identify ways economically disadvantaged families with young children defined family health within household contexts. Families were recipients of public assistance and entitlement programs. Taped and later transcribed data were gathered through a series of home interviews with multiple family members. Family health was nestled within unique member perspectives and described as a dynamic household construction affected by the community. Subjects described health routines as patterns affected by the household context. Mothers played key roles as health leaders, caregivers, and gatekeepers in family health. Study implications include guarding against semantic slippage when using the term family health, developing family-focused care models where mothers are pivotal, identifying the contextual factors most predictive for promoting family health, and including health routines in plans of care.

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