Attributions and emotions regarding health care mistreatment impact continuity of care among Latino and Anglo American women

Ethnic minority and lower socioeconomic status (SES) populations report less positive health care encounters and lower continuity of health care compared with higher SES and non-Latino White (Anglo) Americans. This study examined similarities and differences concerning the influence of patients' causal attributions for health care mistreatment and related emotions on continuity of health care among 335 Latin American (Latinas) and Anglo American women in Southern California. A mixed methods research approach was implemented to identify and assess perceptions of health care mistreatment, causal attributions for mistreatment, negative emotions, and continuity of cancer screening care. Multigroup structural equation modeling revealed that causal attributions for health care mistreatment and related emotions explained continuity of care above and beyond what was explained by patients' exposure to health care mistreatment alone, for both ethnic groups. Still, the improvement in variance accounted for by including attributions and emotions was considerably more for Latinas (194%) than Anglo women (109%). Compared with attributions having to do with the health care environment (e.g., time constraints), attributions to the health care professional (e.g., uncompassionate) were related to higher levels of negative emotions for both Latinas and Anglo women and lower continuity of care, particularly for Anglo women. Results also suggest that for Latinas continuity of care was more a function of the attribution- emotion process, particularly the negative emotions associated with attributions concerning mistreatment, whereas for Anglo women it was more a function of mistreatment and the attribution itself. Interventions designed to improve professionals' communication and interpersonal skills may help enhance continuity of health care and reduce health disparities.