Marcia A. Shobe

Self-Prescription Practices in Recent Latino Immigrants

OBJECTIVE Self-prescription involves the purchase and use of restricted medications without medical advice. Although common in Central and South American countries, little is known about this practice among Latino immigrants in the United States. The purpose of this study, therefore, was to explore how Latino immigrants obtain and use prescription medications without accessing the formal health care system. DESIGN This exploratory descriptive study used focus groups to gain an understanding of the use of prescription medications without medical care. SAMPLE Three focus group discussions were held with 19 adult Latino immigrants who were new residents in the United States, and did not have health insurance; most were undocumented. RESULTS Analysis of the data revealed 4 major themes: (a) health care barriers, (b) cultural norms, (c) self-care, and (d) self-prescription. CONCLUSIONS The data indicate that this population experiences significant barriers to accessing health care, forcing them to seek treatment alternatives including the purchase and use of drugs manufactured in Mexico. There are many public health and safety concerns related to self-prescription practices. Nurses need to be aware of the barriers to health care that lead to these potentially dangerous medication practices, and to recognize and understand self-prescription.

Arkansas IDA Programs: Examining Asset Retention and Perceptions of Well-Being

ABSTRACT As the antipoverty initiative known as Individual Development Accounts (IDAs) enters into its second decade of implementation, research needs to examine social policy and program outcomes for both IDA participants and their communities. This pilot study examined the asset retention rate of 85 graduates from three Arkansas IDA programs; the relationship between household assets and economic strain, self-efficacy, and future orientation; and whether the duration of asset ownership had an effect on well-being. Findings indicate that the majority of IDA program graduates were likely to maintain that asset at follow-up (range = 6–36 months). Differences were found based on the asset purchased, with homeowners more likely and small business owners less likely to report higher rates of well-being at follow-up. Implications of these findings include the need to provide support for practitioners to obtain funding for IDA programs and to include information and resources for those starting their own business to help safeguard against potential stressors.

The Role of Economic Resources and Human Capital with Woman Abuse

Abstract This study expands on current knowledge by examining the relationships among household economic resources, human capital, and various types of woman abuse. Logistic regression analyses were performed with a subsample from the 1999 National Crime Victimizaxtion Survey that includes Black, Hispanic, and White abused and non-abused women. Findings indicate that economic variables have divergent relationships with different types of woman abuse. For example, housing tenure is related to physical abuse, and lower levels of human capital are more highly correlated with physical abuse. Implications for policy, practice, and future research are discussed.

Achieving the American Dream: Facilitators and Barriers to Health and Mental Health for Latino Immigrants

Latinos are the largest minority group in the U.S. For Latino immigrants, a shift in migration from larger to smaller cities has recently occurred; the Latino immigrant population in Charlotte, North Carolina, has increased by 634% since 1990. The extent to which immigrants can achieve health and well-being is often related to employment, healthcare access, and social support. This study explored the human, social, and financial capital circumstances of Latino immigrants new to Charlotte and examined the effects of different aspects of capital on health outcomes. Findings indicate that capital is significantly associated with functional status and depression. Implications for social work are discussed.

Intimate Partner Violence in the United States: An Ecological Approach to Prevention and Treatment

Physical, sexual, verbal and economic abuse, also known as Intimate Partner Violence (IPV), comprise a major public health problem. IPV risk factors include poverty, stress, substance use, depression, and history of child maltreatment. Protective factors include human capital (functional health and work competencies/qualifications), social capital (formal/informal relationships and resources) and financial capital (income and assets). Traditional IPV initiatives focus on increasing social capital by changing the cognition and/or behaviour of victims or perpetrators and increasing legal sanctions and supportive resources. The proposed Asset Model of IPV Resolution extends the current model to include an ecological approach to the prevention and resolution of IPV. In addition to human and social capital development, the authors suggest financial capital development through Individual Development Accounts (IDAs) as one social policy initiative to support women at risk of or women who experience IPV.

Savings Experiences Past and Present: Narratives From Low-Income African American Women

Research has found that low-income individuals can and do save when institutional supports are in place; however, little structured data are available on how and why they manage to save. This article presents a study of the long-term savings experiences of 9 low-income African American women who were participating in an Individual Development Account (IDA) savings program in a city in North Carolina. The results indicated that despite many markers of disadvantage, low-income African American women use various strategies to save money for developing their assets. These findings can inform policy, practice, and research by increasing knowledge of facilitators of and barriers to the development of assets among the poor.

Joining an Asset Building Program

Abstract United States anti-poverty efforts traditionally consist of income-based, means-tested policies while wealth promotion generally involves tax code initiatives. Long-established beliefs that underserved populations cannot save money have resulted in exclusionary asset building policies for the poor. Minimal changes in pre-transfer poverty rates have led social workers to examine alternative anti-poverty solutions. This study examined the effects of an Individual Development Account (IDA) savings program on social and economic well-being. Findings suggest that individuals do save when institutional structures are in place and that perceptions of economic strain decrease as savings increase. Implications for future policy, practice, and research are discussed.

The future in anti-poverty strategies

The uneven distribution of income and assets in the United States continues to have negative effects on the personal, social, and economic well-being of adults and children. Poverty affects the entire family and is often associated with household instability, school dropouts, teen pregnancies, and intergenerational poverty. Although income-based anti-poverty policy initiatives have helped individuals with children meet their basic consumptive needs, they have done little to help families lay a foundation for their futures. The implementation of asset-building programs that provide Individual Development Accounts (IDAs) to both adults and children reflects an approach to reducing the incidence and impact of poverty in the United States. Current state and federal policy initiatives that are designed to help economically vulnerable individuals build assets are also described in this paper. Implications of asset-building program and policy initiatives on the well-being of low-income children and adults, households, and communities are discussed to demonstrate the impact that resources and opportunities have on the social and economic growth of the entire family.

Sustaining Our Nation's Seniors through Federal Food and Nutrition Programs

Food insecurity is a pressing issue in the United States where one in six people suffer from hunger. The older adult population faces unique challenges to receiving adequate nutrition. The federal government currently employs four food and nutrition programs that target the senior population in an effort to address their specific needs. These are the Congregate Meals and Home Delivered Meals Programs (provided through the Older Americans Act), and the Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program and Child and Adult Care Food Program (provided by the United States Department of Agriculture). As the older adult population continues to grow, it will be important to evaluate and improve these programs and the social policies related to them. This manuscript describes each policy in depth, considers economic and political elements that have shaped each policy, describes the level of program success, and offers suggestions for future research and program development.

Lessons Learned from Preparing Social Workers for Grant Writing via Connected Learning

Building upon the contributions of women in social work and higher education, this article examines student feedback concerning an innovative application of gender-based, connected learning via a grant writing project in graduate social work education. Qualitative feedback indicates that the project contributed to and facilitated collaborative and cooperative learning emphasizing student capabilities and knowledge. The ramifications of findings for social work education and preparing professionals for grant writing are examined.