Dimensions of Health System Distrust among Mexican-American Smokers of Low Socioeconomic Status

• In Event: 193 - Regular Session. Decision Making and Trust in Health Care

Abstract

Smoking cessation rates among populations of low socioeconomic status (SES) remain low despite the development of interventions designed to address known barriers and raise awareness of the dangers of smoking among these populations. Drawing on a nascent literature identifying distrust of the health system as a barrier to pursuing preventive health care services, this study investigates dimensions of system distrust among low SES Mexican-American cigarette smokers living in the metro Denver area. Forty interviews and two focus groups (n=20) were conducted with participants. Three dimensions of distrust informed participants’ opinions toward and experiences with the health care system, including distrust of health care providers, of the process of establishing medical knowledge, and of the financial motivations of the medical industry. Analysis of these dimensions suggests the ways in which distrust may be a relevant factor in the low rates of smoking cessation among low SES populations. Better understanding of the dimensions and pervasiveness of distrust is crucial for development of effective interventions.

Author

• Karen Albright, University of Colorado