Language spoken and differences in health status, access to care, and receipt of preventive services among US Hispanics.
OBJECTIVE
We examined self-reported health status, health behaviors, access to care, and use of preventive services of the US Hispanic adult population to identify language-associated disparities.


METHODS
We analyzed 2003 to 2005 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System data from 45 076 Hispanic adults in 23 states, who represented 90% of the US Hispanic population, and compared 25 health indicators between Spanish-speaking Hispanics and English-speaking Hispanics.


RESULTS
Physical activity and rates of chronic disease, obesity, and smoking were significantly lower among Spanish-speaking Hispanics than among English-speaking Hispanics. Spanish-speaking Hispanics reported far worse health status and access to care than did English-speaking Hispanics (39% vs 17% in fair or poor health, 55% vs 23% uninsured, and 58% vs 29% without a personal doctor) and received less preventive care. Adjustment for demographic and socioeconomic factors did not mitigate the influence of language on these health indicators.


CONCLUSIONS
Spanish-language preference marks a particularly vulnerable subpopulation of US Hispanics who have less access to care and use of preventive services. Priority areas for Spanish-speaking adults include maintenance of healthy behaviors, promotion of physical activity and preventive health care, and increased access to care.
DuBard
C Annette
CA
Cecil G Sheps Center for Health Services Research, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7590, USA. adubard@schsr.unc.edu
Gizlice
Ziya
Z
D000069:Acculturation; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D040343:Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000208:ethnology; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior / Q000208:ethnology*; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000193:education / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007802:Language; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D011314:Preventive Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011788:Quality of Life; D012647:Self-Assessment; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D035862:Vulnerable Populations
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