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Abstract
<p class="first" id="P1">Although the reasons for immigrating to the U.S. vary by
Latino groups, many Latinos
cite economic or political motivations for their migration. Once in the United States,
Latino immigrants may face many challenges, including discrimination and blocked opportunities
for social mobility, and difficulties in obtaining health services and quality health
care. The purpose of this study was to explore how changes in social mobility from
the country of origin to the U.S. may relate to Latina women’s health care interactions.
We examined whether self-reported social mobility among 419 Latina women immigrants
is associated with satisfaction with health care.We also examined the association
among social mobility and self-rated health, quality of care, and medical mistrust.
Upward social mobility was associated with greater number of years lived in the U.S.,
and downward social mobility was associated with more years of education. Those who
reported no changes in social class (stable social mobility) were older and were the
most satisfied with their medical care. Multiple regression analyses indicated that
downward social mobility was associated with less satisfaction with care when controlling
for demographic covariates, quality of care, and medical mistrust. Results suggest
that perceived social mobility may differentially predict Latina immigrants’ satisfaction
with the health care system, including their trust in U.S. medical institutions. We
conclude that perceived social mobility is an important element in exploring the experiences
of immigrant Latinas with health care in the United States.
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