Acquaintance with Municipal Government Health Services in a Low-Income Urban Population

Abstract

This segment of a larger study deals with the knowledge and attitudes of 210 Negro and 98 white families in low-income sections of central Washington about their Departments of Health, Public Welfare and Vocational Rehabilitation, and some selected hospitals. Information was obtained by personal interviews. These families knew little about the preventive services offered by the health department, but rather looked upon it more as a medical service unit. In addition, they erroneously attributed to it such activities as sewage and garbage disposal. They also were poorly informedabout many of the services provided by the Department of Public Welfare, and least of all about those of the vocational rehabilitation agency. Hospitals could be better identified than health centers and child health clinics, but families with children under 6 years of age were better informed about the latter.