Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #111034

Gunjeong Lee, Mailman School of Public Health, Department of Sociomedical Sciences, Columbia University, 722 West 168 St, New York, NY 10032, 212 305 6080, gl65@columbia.edu and Peter Messeri, PhD, Joseph L. Mailman School of Public Health, Sociomedical Sciences Division, Columbia University, 600 West 168 St, New York, NY 10032.

This study examines the effects of gender and various forms of social capital on health related service utilization for individuals living with HIV/AIDS in New York City. This study hypothesizes that individuals' social capital impacts on people's patterns of service use. Study participants are divided into three groups by gender, women, heterosexual men, and men who had ever had sex with men (MSM). Social capital, defined as resources embedded in social relationships in this study, is measured by three sources: networks of interpersonal relationships; organizations and collectivities to which the person belongs; neighborhoods and geographical communities in which people reside and conduct daily activities. Health related service use is measured at three categories; the number of service uses, the number of service providers including the level of co-located service uses, and the distances to service providers measured by ArcGIS. The community Health Advisory and Information Network (CHAIN) project, longitudinal survey study during 1995 to 2002 with 4,159 interview cases, 2000 census, AIDS/ HIV surveillance data and information about medical service facilities from the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene are used. Preliminary study shows gender differences in social capital and the pattern of health service use among people with HIV. Women are more likely to have organizational social capital, but less likely to have interpersonal and neighborhood based social capital than men. Women visited service providers more often than men, but their providers are located farther. Women and heterosexual men used co-located services more than MSM.

Learning Objectives:

• 1.Discuss the method how to measure social capital at individual level
• 2.Identify the level of service use including physical distances to providers
• 3.Find out the relationship between individual characteristics, such as gender and ethnicity, and the patterns of health service use.
• 4.Demonstrate social capital as one of indicators of health service use

Keywords: Access and Services, Women and HIV/AIDS

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.