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New research from Oregon State University (OSU) published in the Journal of Immigration and Minority Health found that discrimination by healthcare providers may be preventing young Latinos from seeking access to health services.
The findings show that 40% of participants said they experience discrimination when obtaining healthcare services. It was also shown that discrimination was found to be higher for foreign-born Latinos.
“We’ve seen in our work with the communities … this theme around discrimination and fear of deportation and stress playing out in different ways,” said Daniel Lopez-Cevallos, Director of Research with the Center for Latino/a Studies and Engagement at OSU.
The study, called The Latino Health Project, was funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and is part of a larger project to assess rates of institutional discrimination against the country’s Latinos.
Per the report, it was determined that if an individual feels discriminated against, they are less likely to access healthcare services in a timely manner. They are more likely to delay easily treatable health issues until the situation is too urgent to ignore.
“It’s not just enough to speak the language,” Lopez-Cevallos said. “There’s something else about understanding the context of where these young adult Latinos come from that I think is important as we move forward with healthcare reform.”
By The Numbers
25.1
percent
of Latinos remain without health insurance coverage
