Are Latino Children Going to the Doctor Enough?

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About three quarters of Latino children received medical care in the past year, according to a new report from the National Research Center on Hispanic Children and Families.

However, the remaining 1 of 4 Latino children had not seen a doctor, nurse, or urgent/emergency care personnel in at least one year.

Let’s dig deeper into this report and how it impacts families.

What Does the Report Say about Latino Children’s Medical Care?

The National Research Center on Hispanic Children and Families report found that receipt of medical care in the past year varied by child age.

Younger Latino children (birth to age 5) more likely to have received medical care (85%) than older children (ages 6-12, 75%) and teens (ages 13-18, 65%).

Children living in families with low incomes were less likely to receive medical care regardless of age.

In addition, Latino children whose parents were both born in the United States had significantly higher rates of receiving medical care in the last year, compared to Latino children with at least one parent born outside of the United States.

“These differences were only observed when examining children across all income levels,” the report states.

What Are the Benefits of Medical Care for Latino and All Children?

The National Research Center on Hispanic Children and Families report show several benefits to children receiving routine and timely medical care.

Benefits include:

• Improved physical, emotional, and mental health
• Healthy growth and development
• Better academic performance

“Among children with chronic health conditions, routine medical care is key to managing the condition and preventing its progression to a more serious level,” the report states.

In addition, the Bright Futures/American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has Recommendations for Preventive Pediatric Health Care that serves as a schedule of screenings and assessments recommended at each well-child visit from infancy through adolescence.

Go here to get the full list of recommendations.

“Each child and family is unique; therefore, these recommendations are designed for the care of children who are receiving nurturing parenting, have no manifestations of any important health problems, and are growing and developing in a satisfactory fashion,” according to the AAP.

Why Are Latino Children Not Getting Medical Care?

While it’s clear that routine checkups are important, Latino families face many challenges that hinder children’s regular access to medical care in the United States.

These include a lack of insurance coverage and out-of-pockets costs.

“Health care costs are rising rapidly, a trend that is disproportionately affecting families with low incomes,” the report states.

In fact, from 2020-2024, health care premiums for U.S. families rose by 20 percent.

Many parents reported an inability to afford health care coverage at all.

“Rising costs and loss of coverage for families with low incomes place children at risk for negative consequences to their health, development, and well-being,” the report states.

Some programs, such as Head Start and school-based health programs, may facilitate connections to pediatric medical care through community referrals, telehealth delivery, or on-site services, according to the report.

“For example, Head Start Program Performance Standards require center- and home-based staff to partner with families to ensure connections to medical care within 30 days of program enrollment, and to obtain follow-up documentation of up-to-date medical care in coordination with health providers,” the report states.

Examining the Health of Your Community

Routine doctor visits are important to children’s overall health.

But what about the health of your community?

Find out by downloading the Salud America! Health Report Card for your town!

Enter your county name and get auto-generated local data with interactive maps and comparative gauges on several health indicators. This can help you visualize and explore local issues in education, housing, transportation, food, health, and more.

See how your county stacks up compared to the rest of your state and nation.

Then email the Report Card to local leaders to raise awareness, include the data in a presentation or grant proposal, or share it on social media to drive healthy change in your community!

Get your Health Report Card!