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Health: Hispanic health is often shaped by factors such as language/cultural barriers, lack of access to preventive care, and the lack of health insurance. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has cited some of the leading causes of illness and death among Hispanics, which include heart disease, cancer, unintentional injuries (accidents), stroke, and diabetes. Some other health conditions and risk factors that significantly affect Hispanics are: asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, HIV/AIDS, obesity, suicide, and liver disease.
Other Health Concerns: Hispanics have higher rates of obesity than non-Hispanic Caucasians. There are also disparities among Hispanic subgroups. For instance, while the rate of low birth weight infants is lower for the total Hispanic population in comparison to non-Hispanic Caucasians, Puerto Ricans have a low birth weight rate that is 50 percent higher than the rate for non-Hispanic Caucasians. Also Puerto Ricans also suffer disproportionately from asthma, HIVAIDS and infant mortality. Mexican-Americans suffer disproportionately from diabetes.
Quick Facts
Cancer
- In 2004, Hispanic men were 13% less likely to have prostate cancer as non-Hispanic white men.
- In 2004, Hispanic women were 33% less likely to have breast cancer as non-Hispanic white women.
- Hispanic men and women have higher incidence and mortality rates for stomach and liver cancer.
- In 2003, Hispanic women were 2.2 times as likely as non-Hispanic white women to be diagnosed with cervical cancer.
Diabetes
- Mexican American adults were 2 times more likely than non-Hispanic white adults to have been diagnosed with diabetes by a physician.
- In 2002, Hispanics were 1.5 times as likely to start treatment for end-stage renal disease related to diabetes, as compared to non-Hispanic white men.
- In 2004 Hispanics were 1.5 times as likely as non-Hispanic Whites to die from diabetes.
Heart Disease
- In 2005, Hispanics were 10% less likely to have heart disease, as compared to non-Hispanic whites.
- In 2004 Mexican American men were 30% less likely to die from heart disease, as compared to non-Hispanic white men.
- Mexican American women were 1.3 times more likely than non-Hispanic white women to be obese.
HIV/AIDS
- Hispanics accounted for 18% of HIV/AIDS cases in 2005.
- Hispanic males had over 3 times the AIDS rate as non-Hispanic white males.
- Hispanic females had over 5 times the AIDS rate as non-Hispanic white females.
- Hispanic men were 2.6 times as likely to die from HIV/AIDS as non-Hispanic white men.
- Hispanic women were 4 times as likely to die from HIV/AIDS as non-Hispanic white women in 2004.
Immunization
- In 2005 Hispanic adults aged 65 and older were 10% less likely to have received the influenza (flu) shot in the past 12 months, as compared to non-Hispanic whites of the same age group.
- In 2005, Hispanic adults aged 65 and older were 50% less likely to have ever received the pneumonia shot, as compared to non-Hispanic white adults of the same age group.
- Although Hispanic children aged 19 to 35 months had comparable rates of immunization for hepatitis, influenza, MMR, and polio, they were slightly less likely to be fully immunized, when compared to non-Hispanic white children.
Infant Mortality
- In 2004, infant mortality rates for Hispanic subpopulations ranged from 4.6 per 1,000 live births to 7.8 per 1,000 live births, compared to the non-Hispanic white infant mortality rate of 5.7 per 1,000 live births.
- In 2004, Puerto Ricans had 1.4 times the infant mortality rate of non-Hispanic whites.
- Puerto Rican infants were twice as likely to die from causes related to low birthweight, as compared to non-Hispanic white infants.
- Mexican American mothers were 2.5 times as likely as non-Hispanic white mothers to begin prenatal care in the 3rd trimester, or not receive prenatal care at all.
Stroke
- In 2004, Hispanic men were 14% less likely to die from a stroke than non-Hispanic white men.
- In 2004 Hispanic women were 30% less likely to die from a stroke than non-Hispanic white women.
Taken from the US Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Minority Health. To read more, please click here: http://www.omhrc.gov/templates/browse.aspx?lvl=2&lvlID=33
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