Predictors of condom use in Mexican migrant laborers.

The purpose of this study was to explore predictors of condom use with occasional sex partners and regular sex partners, as well as carrying condoms in a new high-risk group for HIV infection, Mexican migrant laborers. This study extends previous findings by (1) exploring additional predictors not previously examined, (2) utilizing a large sample of male and female Mexican migrant laborers, (3) carefully controlling for the effects of various demographic and lifestyle variables related to condom use, and (4) assessing the interactive effects of gender on predictors of condom use. Snowball sampling was used to survey 501 adult Mexican migrant laborers. Results revealed that condom use with occasional sex partners was predicted by carrying condoms and condom self-efficacy and that women were more likely to use condoms with occasional partners when both men and women knew someone with HIV/AIDS. Condom use with regular sex partners was predicted by procondom social norms, less negative attitudes toward condoms, not knowing someone with HIV/AIDS, and condom self-efficacy. Carrying condoms was predicted by procondom social norms, less negative attitudes toward condoms, condom self-efficacy, worry about contracting HIV/AIDS, and women were more likely than men to carry condoms when both men and women were married. Understanding these findings, future research directions, and implications for condom promotion strategies with Mexican migrant laborers are discussed.

Race, quality of care, and antipsychotic prescribing practices in psychiatric emergency services.

OBJECTIVE: The study examined whether the prescription practices of clinicians in psychiatric emergency services differed for African-American patients. Prescription of antipsychotic medications and its relation to quality of care was a particular focus. METHODS: Data from 442 independently observed evaluations of patients in psychiatric emergency services were examined using multivariate analyses. The observations were made during a five-year period at four urban general hospitals in California. RESULTS: Clinicians in the four emergency services, most of whom were Caucasian, prescribed more psychiatric medications to African Americans than to other patients and devoted significantly less time to their evaluations. African Americans received more oral doses and more injections of antipsychotic medications, and the mean 24-hour dosage of antipsychotics (1,321 milligrams) was significantly higher than for other patients (825 milligrams). The tendency to overmedicate African-American patients was lower when clinicians' efforts to engage the patients in treatment were rated higher. CONCLUSIONS: The results highlight the importance of efforts to engage African Americans in the treatment process and the need for clinical skills and training to help bridge cultural distances.