Rehabilitation Policy Research Articles

Regional Differences of Environmental Pollution Sources of Ujjani Dam in Indapur Tehsil Area and Its Socio-economic Influencing Factors

Ujjani dam project provides the opportunity to study the current status of livelihoods of the people affected by the dam, and the aftermath of displacement and rehabilitation. The livelihoods of project - affected people (PAP) are still at risk from the development of the ujjani dam. In the case of the dam many studies that have been done on the resettlement and rehabilitation policy. Due to a large submersion of forest and agriculture land by the reservoir, over 4, 000 families were classified as affected according to the Government of India. Those who received official designation as Project Affected People (PAP) some studies estimate that the number of families and people affected is much greater than the number accounted for by the Indian government’s policies. Some estimates project that nearly 10, 000 people have been affected by this phase of the dam development. The numbers of families living around the dam and reservoir who require compensation due to impacts of the dam. Some of the major’s issues and conclusions that emerge from this review. It has invariably led to dispersal of communities, breakdown of traditional support systems and devaluation of their cultural identity and curtailed their access to natural resource base, affecting their mental and physical wellbeing. The resettlement and rehabilitation process is largely dependent and affected by the lifestyle of the families before displacement.

Rehabilitation and Resettlement Policy and its Implementation: A Case Study of Indira Sagar Project in Andhra Pradesh, India

After Independence to achieve rapid economic growth India has invested in various development projects to create new infrastructure. This has been made possible through massive acquisition of land for various development projects in the country. Development projects, such as hydropower, irrigation dams or mines, trigger forced population displacement. Number of people who have been displaced due to development projects are between 60-65 million. Of these displaced, over 50% are tribals. The High Level Tribal Committee Report 2014 reveals that tribal people are the worst sufferers by development projects, when compared to others. It is largely this group that is paying for the development of India. A majority of the displaced people have not been properly resettled or given adequate compensation. Improper implementation of rehabilitation and resettlement policy fail to resettle people sustainably and instead cause their impoverishment. With the above backdrop, the present paper discusses the issues related to implementation of rehabilitation and resettlement policy in India and united Andhra Pradesh. The paper also makes an attempt to assess and evaluate the implementation of the rehabilitation and resettlement policy of Indira Sagar project. It is an empirical study of Indira Sagar Project in Andhra Pradesh. In-depth interviews and focus group discussions tools were used to collect data from displaced community and with government officials. Research findings revealed various impacts experienced by households economically and socially.

Engaging recreational fishers in fisheries’ stewardship: a case of responsibilisation in natural resource management

Neoliberal thought has exerted significant influence over the crafting and delivery of environmental policy. This has manifested in enlisting non-state actors to advance environmental policy agendas in ways that were previously the responsibility of the state. The participation of these non-state actors is positioned as integral to solving intractable environmental challenges, such as the degradation of fish habitat. Drawing on responsibilisation as a technique of governance, this research adopts a case-based study of fisheries rehabilitation policy to explore how recreationists are being mobilized to address environmental problems. Deploying interpretive policy analysis to analyze key policy artifacts this research highlights how fishers as recreational users of aquatic areas are constituted as moral, political and authoritative actors who bear responsibility for ameliorating degraded fish habitats, despite the impacts of recreational fishing on these habitats being contested. We conclude by identifying the implications of this responsibilisation for the implementation of co-management and shared stewardship of fisheries resources.

Perfil epidemiológico de usuários encaminhados para atendimento fonoaudiológico em um município do Rio Grande do Sul

ABSTRACT Purpose This research aimed to characterize the epidemiological profile of users referred to speech therapy in the city of Canoas/RS. Methods This is an epidemiological, cross-sectional and descriptive study. The research was based on data from the Canoas/RS. Integrated Health Services Management System (SIGSS), with collection of the waiting list for speech therapy, under the control of the Municipal Regulation Board. Results The waiting list included 850 referrals to Speech Therapy, dating from 01/18/2018 to 08/27/2021. The highest number of referrals was from children aged 4 to 7 years, with 244 (28%), 484 male users (56.9%), 702 white (82.6%) and referred by primary care (totaling 76, two%). The waiting time on the regulation list averaged 17.89 months (one year and six months) and varied with 186 users waiting between 7-12 months (21.8%), 168 users waiting between 0.6 months (19.7%) and 167 users waiting between 25-30 months (19.6%). The main complaints were language and speech (60.2%). Conclusion According to the data found, there was a damming of the demand for speech therapy care by the SUS in Canoas/RS., with low turnover and long waiting time for the rehabilitation of users, mostly children. This study is expected to help in the identification of this demand, and thus, enable the creation of public policies of habilitation or rehabilitation in the municipality and improve the population's access to specialized care.

Перезагрузка курса на восстановление промышленного потенциала США

The article examines the effectiveness of the strategy for restoring the competitiveness of the manufacturing industry in the United States. The main vulnerabilities of the “produce more in America” policy, the course to restore and reformat broken supply chains are considered using the example of key manufacturing industries. It is stated that the policy of rehabilitation of the manufacturing industry pursued by Biden is not a unique phenomenon for the United States. It was adhered to, to a greater or lesser extent, by the Obama and Trump administrations. However, only the Biden administration ordered to put it at the center of the ideology of the American revival. It is noted in this article that structural reforms to transform the industrial sector, implemented with unprecedentedly high financial support from the federal authorities, are directed at creating new jobs, forming new industrial clusters and innovation centers. The main efforts are aimed at targeted manufacturing industries: pharmaceuticals, strategic metals and minerals, electric vehicles, and semiconductors. The use of nationally produced goods, reshoring and the formation of supply chains within the United States are proclaimed as the main preconditions for building a truly strong economy. The concept of “real energy independence” promoted by Biden, relies on renewable energy sources. A new impetus to the “greening” of the energy sector may be given to compensate companies investing in renewable energy sources for the costs associated with the forced replacement of foreign suppliers with national ones. Meanwhile, in effect, the attitude of Washington towards hydrocarbon energy remains fairly loyal, at least at the time of high fuel prices. In the domestic economic agenda, the priorities of industrial policy are being revived, aimed at achieving sole technological leadership. However, Washington’s achievements cannot be interpreted solely as the successes of Biden’s economic policy. An equally significant role was played by the expansion of domestic demand against the background of overcoming the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. The vector of further development is determined by the slogan “surpass China and the rest of the world”. The White House is trying to persuade American companies to build new manufacturing facilities in the US in order to compete with Chinese suppliers. However, against the background of China’s obvious desire to develop its own research and production base, the opportunities for American diсtate are narrowing. Import substitution is a slow process – “money speaks louder than economic patriotism”. Only a small portion of the business returns to the country, because of global instability, China is considered by a large part of American investors as a fairly safe haven. Washington’s attempts to squeeze China out of the supply chains have only accelerated the implementation of Beijing’s programs aimed at achieving technological selfsufficiency and “de-Americanization”. In recent years, the epicenter of the policy of technological containment, pursued by the United States against China, has shifted towards Russia. Our country is accused by Washington of deliberately orchestrating disruptions in the supply chains in energy and agricultural commodities markets. The experience of anti-Chinese actions, accumulated in the competitive struggle against companies and state organizations, and coordinated with US allies, is being used now against Russian exporters.

Public housing as urban heritage: experience and research approach in Spain

International conservation policies have incorporated the urban dimension of heritage, which considers the city as a historical continuum connected with the territory. However, the social housing complexes built in Europe throughout the second half of the 20th century lack legal entities and tools for their protection. Urban rehabilitation policies have substituted the initial demolition-replacement processes, by way of combining and coordinating protective measures. The rehabilitation of the Caño Roto Housing Estate (Madrid 1994-2004), as a precursor of a type of intervention widespread in Spain, is analysed with the aim of finding the actors, tools and decisions, so that the model can be optimised in future operations. The heritage dimension involves the development of the necessary means to make possible the conservation and functional updating of the buildings, as well as the development of new cultural, socioeconomic and environmental values, in order to add sustainability to the urban environment.

Dams Displacement and Resettlement in Himachal Pradesh: A Study of Chamera Dam

In the recent years, there has been a growing debate on the usefulness, or otherwise, of large and multipurpose dams being planned and built for irrigation and hydro-electric purposes. While government has been clearing these projects, various environmentalist, scientist, activists and people’s organisations from different parts of the country have been raising critiques and questions about long term contribution of these dams. Large dams have led to the involuntary displacement of millions of people over the last century. The problem of shifting and rehabilitation of settlements is required to be given a thorough consideration. Despite the severity and scale of the trauma of displacement, India is yet to formulate a national rehabilitation policy. The specific purpose of this study has been to investigate the issue of displacement and resettlement by looking into the experiences of people affected by the construction of the large dams, to assess their reaction, receptivity, and outlook towards the projects and to evaluate the rehabilitation process for the affected population in Himachal Pradesh with special reference to Chamera Dam in Himachal Pradesh. The interview method was adopted for collecting the data. Survey has been conducted with the help of a well designed interview schedule.

Harmonization of Rehabilitation Service Standards for Drug Abuse’s Addicts and Victims according to the Regulations

Narcotics addicts and victims of narcotics abuse must undergo medical and social rehabilitation, according to Article 54 of Indonesia's Narcotics Law. The government then issued a rehabilitation policy for them under the authority of three state institutions, namely the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Social Affairs, and the National Narcotics Agency. This causes overlapping and tug-of-war among stakeholders when it comes to developing policies and implementing rehabilitation services for addicts and victims of narcotics abuse, resulting in no method that becomes a guideline for rehabilitation implementation, on the report of an Ombudsman study. The aim here is to investigate how the laws of Rehabilitation Service Standards for Addicts and Victims of Drug Abuse are harmonized. The approach used is normative juridical. According to the study's findings, the regulations are hierarchically aligned, but the implementation of each rehabilitation program has a Service Standard. There is a vertical disparity in the definitions of medical and social rehabilitation and service providers and service recipients. Horizontally, there are differences in the determination of the implementing agency, service standards such as service programs, human resources, infrastructure, and activity funding sources. As a result, medical and social rehabilitation implementation is separated, resulting in a lack of comprehensive services for service recipients.

Criteria and Procedures of Analysis Applicable in the Evaluation of the Archaeological Heritage

Abstract The implementation of the European policy in the field of built heritage involved, for each country, the creation of the legal, administrative and financial means necessary for the implementation of the rehabilitation policy. The research procedures and the intervention measures must be correlated with the degree of damage (degradation) of the materials, as an effect of earthquakes that the construction has endured, of others specific exploitation actions, differential land settlements, uncontrolled human interventions or environmental factors. Archaeologists around the world have developed a procedure for evaluating archaeological resources, so it appeared in the early 1970s, an example being that developed by Schaffer and Gumerman in 1977. Archaeological sites have the ability to demonstrate how the society functioned at a given time, the level of civilization, the progress of science and technology, what processes have taken place, how the activity unfolded and the extent of a technological practice or other occupation history. They can demonstrate the main characteristics of a place or process that may be rare or common. In the article, the authors develop the principles that lie at the base of quantifying the values of archaeological heritage, presenting some case studies.

Revolutionary Criminal Punishments: Treason, Mercy, and the American Revolution

Abstract This article focuses on the exceptional mildness of criminal punishments for alleged traitors in the wake of the American Revolution. American leaders were disinclined to inflict the death penalty on loyalists who supported British rule in the revolutionary war or on insurgents in the Shays, Whiskey, and Fries rebellions shortly after independence. In fact, the Founding Fathers and other first-generation officials commonly showed remarkable mercy. Numerous “traitors” readily rehabilitated themselves by recognizing their faults, swearing an oath of allegiance to the new American republic, and promising to refrain from further wrongdoing. These revolutionary punishments were a striking prefiguration of modern penal practices: guilty pleas, probation sentences, and rehabilitation policies aiming to reintegrate wrongdoers into society. While American revolutionary punishments comprised stark racial inequities and did not constitute a lost utopia, they were particularly mild for the period. In contrast, the contemporary French Revolution led to wide-scale executions of purported traitors. Besides shedding light on historic events that criminal justice scholars have neglected, the article’s findings are relevant to ongoing debates about American exceptionalism and the peculiar harshness of modern American justice, including originalist and non-originalist interpretations of the Eighth Amendment. The rise of mass incarceration in the United States and its retention of the death penalty can foster cultural essentialism about how American culture traditionally lacks humanistic sensibilities. In reality, the revolutionary criminal punishments of the late eighteenth century demonstrate how America was once a trailblazer in embracing humane conceptions of justice.

Burden of Silicosis among stone crushing workers in India.

In North India, the mining industry is disorganized and profit-driven. It predisposes its workers towards the development of silicosis. Haryana, a major North Indian state, has developed a compensation-rehabilitation policy for mining workers. This study is the review of the policy's functioning and limitation from the first 4 years of implementation. The labour department does surveillance of workers in the mining industry. All suspected cases of silicosis are evaluated by a multidisciplinary team. Based on the final diagnosis, the compensation is decided. Nearly 5000 workers were screened, and 729 appeared before the medical board. Of these 729, 465 were having silicosis, and their data are presented here (data of 7 patients were missing). All workers were males. The mean age was 44.54 ± 9.6 years, and the mean exposure (work experience) was 17.25 ± 6.7 years. Most of the workers were between the age of 40 and 50 years and had exposure for 10-20 years. Chest radiography examination showed that progressive massive fibrosis (large size type C opacities) was the most common type of presentation (23%). Smaller opacities (p, q, r and s, t, u) were combined for further analysis, given their similar prognostic significance. It was found that age and experience both had a linear and significant correlation with the severity of lung involvement. Nearly a quarter of subjects were suffering from the worst type of lung involvement at screening itself. The policy has laid a foundation for the welfare of workers, but there is still a long way to go.

The Identity Crisis of Bengali Dalit Refugees in Manoranjan Byapari’s Autobiography Interrogating My Chandal Life

Manoranjan Byapari is a famous Bengali Dalit writer whose family migrated from East Pakistan and took shelter in a refugee camp in West Bengal. In his autobiography Interrogating My Chandal Life, Byapari has given an account of Bengali Dalits’ victimization on the basis of caste in the pre-Partition Bengal and post-Partition West Bengal. In colonial Bengal, Dalits were known as Chandal or Untouchables. In 1911, their identity was recognized as Namashudras. After migrating to West Bengal, they were identified as Bangal and Dalit refugee. West Bengal and central governments did not warmly welcome the Namashudra refugees. They were sent to refugee camps which were crowded, unhygienic and did not provide adequate dole. Later they were sent to Andaman, Dandakaranya and other parts of India for their rehabilitation. In this dire situation, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) appeared as the Messiah to the Dalits and protested against the rehabilitation policy of the ruling government. The fake sympathy of the communist party had been revealed when they came in power in 1977 in West Bengal. Most of the communist leaders were upper-caste Hindus. In 1979, communist government secretly massacred the Namashudra refugees who were settled on the Marichjhapi Island. The state sponsored murder of Dalits remained undiscovered for many years. This study will examine the impacts of the Partition of Bengal on Dalits. It will further address how the state government provided different treatment to the Namashudra refugees for their lower caste identity.

The workforce for rehabilitation in primary health care in Brazil

BackgroundStudies on the workforce in rehabilitation in primary health care services are still unusual in health systems analysis. Data on the health worker density at the subnational level in rehabilitation in primary health care are not commonly observed in most health systems. Nevertheless, these data are core for the system's planning and essential for finding the balance between the composition, distribution, and number of workers for rehabilitation actions.ObjectiveThis study aims to analyze the temporal space distribution of health professionals with higher education who performed rehabilitation actions in primary health care in Brazil from 2007 to 2020.MethodThis is an ecological, time-series study on the supply of physiotherapists, audiologists, psychologists, and occupational therapists in primary health care, vis-a-vis the implementation of the Brazilian health policy denominated the Integrated Health Service Network for People with Disabilities. The data were obtained from the National Registry of Health Facilities. The period of analysis was from 2007 to 2020. The health worker density coefficient was calculated per 10,000 inhabitants annually, considering the five geographic regions of Brazil. The time trends of the coefficient of health professionals per year in Brazil and geographic regions were analyzed. For this purpose, joinpoint regression analysis was carried out. The average annual percentage variation was estimated, considering the respective confidence interval of 95%.ResultsIn 2007, there were 0.12 physiotherapists/10,000 inhabitants (2326), 0.05 audiologists/10,000 inhabitants (1024), and 0.205 psychologists/10,000 inhabitants (3762). In 2020, there was an increase in the coefficient of professionals/10,000 inhabitants in all professional categories to 0.47 psychologists (> 268.1%), 0.46 physiotherapists (> 424.8%), 0.14 audiologists (> 297.1%), and 0.04 occupational therapists (> 504.5%). There was a significant increase in the supply of physiotherapists (AAPC: 10.8), audiologists (AAPC: 7.6), psychologists (AAPC: 6.8), and occupational therapists (AAPC: 28.3), with little regional variation.ConclusionPublic health policies for rehabilitation have contributed to an increase in the workforce caring for people with disabilities in primary health care services. An increase in the workforce of physiotherapists, audiologists, psychologists, and occupational therapists was observed throughout the period studied in all regions.

Housing Evaluation Methodology in a Situation of Social Poverty to Guarantee Sustainable Cities: The Satisfaction Dimension for the Case of Mexico

Currently, one in eight people live in neighborhoods with social inequality and around one billion people live in precarious conditions. The significance of where and how to live and in what physical, spatial, social, and urban conditions has become very important for millions of families around the world because of mandatory confinement due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Today, many homes in poor condition do not meet the basic requirements for residential environments in the current framework. Theoretical models for the urban evaluation of this phenomenon are a necessary starting point for urban renewal and sustainability. This study aims to generate a model for evaluating homes in a situation of social inequality (hereinafter Vrs) with indicators on physical, spatial, environmental, and social aspects. The methodology used in this study evaluates housing, taking into consideration habitability factors (physical, spatial, and constructive characteristics), as well as the qualitative characteristics assessing the satisfaction of users with the adaptation and transformation of the housing and its surroundings. The application of 51 indicators distributed in four previous parameters was established for this study. This quantification identifies the deficiencies of the dwellings and sets the guidelines for the establishment of future rehabilitation policies for adapting the dwellings to current and emergency scenarios. The innovation of this study is the construction of a tool for social research surveys designed to include individual indicators from the dwellings’ users, to provide a more dependable representation of the problems found in Vrs. The results of this research identified the deficiencies of precarious housing and could be used for applying effective proposals for improvement of habitability and their surroundings in the future. Furthermore, the results showed that when all the indicators were considered, the level of lag reached would be similar to that of a real housing situation, further confirming the suitability of the methodology applied in this investigation.

Law and social protection for the and the handicapped their families in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia A comparative analytical study of rehabilitation, empowerment and integration policies in the Saudi and Egyptian systems

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia presented great attentiveness for handicapped, considering their suffering specific problems, so it issued legislations and laws to facilitate respectable life for them. Within this framework, issue of current research has identified in identifying in, what does the social policies of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia including legislation provide and achieve for handicapped in three fields rehabilitation, empowerment and integration. And analyzing these policies by using a social and legal perspective, also comparing the Saudi and Egyptian policies to determine differences between them. After applying we deduced that Kingdom undertaked efforts to achieve handicapped social and legal protection which began before the ratified international agreements, because of values and teachings of Islamic Sharia were the main basis for providing health, educational, social and rehabilitation services. ... and others, for the handicapped and other groups whom deserving of care, although those efforts still need to develop philosophy of their policies, to activate the participation of the disabled in development, to empower them ueing benefits of achieved development. On the basis of that results, a proposed plan has been developed for what can be added or made to the amendments to these texts to achieve more protection for the category of the handicapped, both legal and social, in the Saudi system.

Stroke Rehabilitation in Nigeria: Challenges and Opportunities

Stroke rehabilitation offers opportunity for people with impairments and disabilities secondary to stroke. In this regard, there are many advances particularly in the developed countries. Whereas, in the developing countries such as Nigeria there are still many challenges such as lack of guidelines to guide clinicians and other stakeholders, dearth of the neurological rehabilitation professionals, inadequate training of the existing rehabilitation professionals, poor infrastructure, and lack of policies for stroke rehabilitation. However, there are also opportunities as well such as increased national and global focus on non-communicable diseases, partnership with stakeholders in national and global health, leveraging on democratic governance, leveraging on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and leveraging on the systems through which communities deal with stroke. When these opportunities are harnessed, they can help to improve stroke rehabilitation in the country. Additionally, tackling the challenges headlong can help to improve stroke rehabilitation in Nigeria.

A chasm: Consequences of poor collaboration between health and education in paediatric cerebral palsy care in Johannesburg.

BackgroundNearly 20 years since the establishment of the National Rehabilitation Policy, strides have been made within the health and education sectors to improve accessibility to rehabilitation services as well as the quality of life of children with cerebral palsy (CP). Shortfalls, however, still exist in implementing the policy. An in-depth study into the implementation of policy would be beneficial in identifying and understanding the shortfalls of the rehabilitation process.ObjectivesTo investigate the perceptions of Speech-Language Therapists (SLTs) working in the Gauteng Department of Health (GDH) and Gauteng Department of Education (GDE), in Johannesburg Region A, about systemic strengths and weaknesses surrounding the service delivery for children with CP, from birth to 6 years.MethodA qualitative study was conducted. Thirty-one (31) SLTs working in public hospitals, clinics and schools for Learners with Special Educational Needs participated in eight focus group interviews. Interviews were audio-recorded for transcription and subsequent thematic analysis.ResultsThe participants reported a lack of resources and knowledge that contributed to a perceived chasm between the GDH and GDE, resulting in fragmented and uncoordinated service delivery for children with CP leaving the health system and entering the education system.ConclusionThe results suggest that a cohesive plan should be formulated to bridge the perceived chasm between GDH and GDE in the referral process of children with CP from the health setting, into the school environment. This may facilitate communication, collaboration, education, as well as resource-sharing between the departments. Rehabilitation professionals should actively participate in such planning processes.

Interface of Gender and Caste in the Resettlement and Rehabilitation of Displaced Women in the Rayagada District of Odisha

Kashipur block in Rayagada district of Odisha has witnessed displacement of tribal and Dalit people because of the establishment of Utkal Alumina International Limited (UAIL). During the process of establishing UAIL, the local communities were promised adequate compensation and a fair resettlement and rehabilitation policy by the state government as well as the company. However, there has been a lack of equitable distribution of resettlement and rehabilitation facilities, widespread gender bias and caste-based discrimination against Dalits and tribals while the company offered semi-skilled jobs. Moreover, the Dalit and tribal women have been subjected to gender-based discrimination on top of the caste-based discrimination faced generally by these communities. The present study is an attempt to examine such discriminations and the effect that this has had on the traditional livelihood practices of Dalit and tribal women. The study also explores how upper-caste people are controlling the legal and informal power in the region.

The impact of obstacles to health and rehabilitation services on functioning and disability: a prospective survey on the 12-months after discharge from specialist rehabilitation for acquired brain injury

Purpose Little is known about obstacles to health and rehabilitation services experienced by people with acquired brain injury (ABI) over time and what impact these have on recovery. This study utilised the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health model to better understand the impact of service obstacles. The aims were: (1) describe and compare service obstacles reported in the 12-months post-discharge from inpatient rehabilitation; (2) examine service obstacles as a moderator of the relationship between functional impairment and activities and participation. Materials and methods Prospective survey of 41 people who received ABI inpatient rehabilitation in Queensland, Australia. Validated self-report measures of service obstacles, functional impairment, and activities and participation were administered at 6- and 12-months post-discharge. Results Transportation was the highest-rated obstacle at 6-months post-discharge, and this decreased at 12-months. Dissatisfaction with treatment resources and financial obstacles were, on average, low-to-moderate and remained constant. Specifically, the moderation analyses showed that financial obstacles may exacerbate the negative impact of functional impairment on independent living skills. Conclusions Our findings suggest that people living in Queensland, Australia, who experience financial obstacles to services after brain injury may be at risk of poorer recovery outcomes. Rehabilitation policy should consider prioritising individuals who experience financial obstacles to accessing services. IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATION In Queensland, Australia, financial obstacles to accessing health services after brain injury may exacerbate the negative impact of functional impairment on independent living skills, in the first 12-months after hospital discharge. There may be a need to prioritize rehabilitation policy that targets individuals who experience financial obstacles to accessing health and rehabilitation services, after brain injury, irrespective of a health system’s potential to enable access.

Multi-Dimensional Impact of Chronic Low Back Pain among Underserved African American and Latino Older Adults.

Chronic low back pain is one of the most common, poorly understood, and potentially disabling chronic pain conditions from which older adults suffer. The existing low back pain research has relied almost exclusively on White/Caucasian participant samples. This study examines the correlates of chronic low back pain among a sample of underserved urban African American and Latino older adults. Controlling for age, gender, race/ethnicity, education, living arrangement, and number of major chronic conditions, associations between low back pain and the following outcome variables are examined: (1) healthcare utilization, (2) health-related quality of life (HR-QoL) and self-rated quality of health; and (3) physical and mental health outcomes. Methods: We recruited nine hundred and five (905) African American and Latino older adults from the South Los Angeles community using convenience and snowball sampling. In addition to standard items that measure demographic variables, our survey included validated instruments to document HR-QoL health status, the Short-Form McGill Pain Questionnaire-2, Geriatric Depression Scale, sleep disorder, and healthcare access. Data analysis includes bivariate and 17 independent multivariate models. Results: Almost 55% and 48% of the Latino and African American older adults who participated in our study reported chronic low back pain. Our data revealed that having low back pain was associated with three categories of outcomes including: (1) a higher level of healthcare utilization measured by (i) physician visits, (ii) emergency department visits, (iii) number of Rx used, (iv) a higher level of medication complexity, (v) a lower level of adherence to medication regimens, and (vi) a lower level of satisfaction with medical care; (2) a lower level of HR-QoL and self-assessment of health measured by (i) physical health QoL, (ii) mental health QoL, and (iii) a lower level of self-rated health; and (3) worse physical and mental health outcomes measured by (i) a higher number of depressive symptoms, (ii) a higher level of pain, (iii) falls, (iv) sleep disorders, (v) and being overweight/obese. Discussion: Low back pain remains a public health concern and significantly impacts the quality of life, health care utilization, and health outcomes of underserved minority older adults. Multi-faceted and culturally sensitive interventional studies are needed to ensure the timely diagnosis and treatment of low back pain among underserved minority older adults. Many barriers and challenges that affect underserved African American and Latino older adults with low back pain simply cannot be addressed in over-crowded EDs. Our study contributes to and raises the awareness of healthcare providers and health policymakers on the necessity for prevention, early diagnosis, proper medical management, and rehabilitation policies to minimize the burdens associated with chronic low back pain among underserved older African American and Latino patients in an under-resourced community such as South Los Angeles.