The reach and rationale for community health fairs

摘要

Latinos living in the United States account for one-third of the uninsured population and face numerous cultural, linguistic, and financial barriers to accessing health care services. Community health fairs have developed to address the unmet need for no- and low-cost services that target prevention and education among underserved communities. The current research describes an ongoing effort in a community in southern California and examines the barriers to health care among participants registering to receive free breast health screenings, one of the major services offered at a 2010 health fair. A total of 186 adult Latina women completed a brief questionnaire assessing their health care utilization and self-reported barriers to engaging in preventive and screening services. Approximately two-thirds of participants reported never receiving or having more than 2 years passing since receiving a preventive health check-up. Participants identified cost (64.5%) and knowledge of locations for services (52.3%) as the primary barriers to engaging in routine health care services. Engaging with health professionals represents a leading way in which adults obtain health information and health fairs offering cancer health screenings represent a culturally appropriate venue for increased cancer health equity. Implications of the current research for future health fairs and their role in community cancer education are discussed.