title: Overall health and health care utilization among Latino American men in the United States.
abstract: Although the Latino American male population is increasing, the subgroup Latino men's health remains underinvestigated. This study examined the overall pattern of Latino male health and health care utilization in major subgroups, using a nationally representative sample (N = 1,127) from the National Latino and Asian American Study. The authors evaluated rates of chronic, behavioral, and mental health service utilization in this first nationally representative survey. The results identified significant cross-subgroup differences in most physical and chronic conditions with Puerto Rican American men having high rates in 8 of 15 physical ailments, including life-altering conditions such as cardiovascular diseases. Despite differences in racial/ethnic, socioeconomic, and cultural factors, Cuban American men shared similar rates of heart diseases and cancer with Puerto Rican American men. In addition, Puerto Rican American men had higher rates of substance abuse than other Latinos. For health providers, the authors' findings encourage awareness of subgroup differences regarding overall health issues of Latino American men to provide culturally appropriate care.
authors.affiliation: Florida State University, Tallahassee Florida, FL 32306, USA. amyai8@gmail.com
authors.forename: Amy L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Ai
authors.forename: La Tonya
authors.initials: LT
authors.lastname: Noël
authors.forename: Hoa B
authors.initials: HB
authors.lastname: Appel
authors.forename: Bu
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: William E
authors.initials: WE
authors.lastname: Hefley
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001499:Bayes Theorem; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D006296:Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006304:Health Status; D006630:Hispanic or Latino; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D054526:Men's Health; D008875:Middle Aged; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology