ABSTRACT
The major purposes of this chapter are threefold: to provide an assessment of current knowledge on the health of poor and racial/ethnic women, to present an overview of the context of their use of health services, and to propose a research agenda and a model for understanding their health needs. Although the particular needs of women in general have generated serious concern and stimulated research on women's issues in the last decade, the needs of the most disadvantaged sectors of the population, poor women and women of color 1 have not received as extensive attention. The quality of life of poor and minority women, with specific reference to their health, mental health, and family roles, has been a low research priority. Rather, the majority of studies have focused either on the cultural consequences of their behavior or on issues related to acculturation into the dominant society (see reviews by Andrade, 1983; Baca-Zinn, 1982). Most studies also have tended to ignore issues of class (Nelson, 1982). Only a limited number of studies, mainly qualitative or of small sample size, and essays have attempted to identify special health needs of Latina and Black women (Boone, 1982; Jackson, 1981).
