According to the recent report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the economy added 138,000 jobs in May with the overall unemployment rate falling to 4.3%. This is the lowest the rate has been in 16 years. While the job rate was not as high as had been predicted, these are indicators that the economy overall has sufficiently rebounded from the Great Recession of the mid-2000s. What does this mean for Latinos? For many Latinos, financial security that comes from employment is crucial to their long-term health. With better paying jobs comes better access to healthcare, better access to physical activity, better access to education for family members, and better access to opportunity. The financial website WalletHub recently ranked the best and worst states for job seekers based ...
Many Latinos face numerous barriers that keep them from attaining the best healthcare possible. These range from a lack of access and a lack of coverage to a language barriers and cultural stigmas. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has recently uncovered another barrier: medical nonadherence. According to the CDC, not following instructions for prescribed medications accounts for 125,000 deaths in the U.S. each year. Medication nonadherence also accounts for 11% of all hospitalizations and between $100 and $300 billion in spending. Medical nonadherence has become a major public health concern, especially for minority and low-income families. In order to reduce health disparities, it is critical to address inequities in programs, practices, and ...
One in five children ages 3 to 17 have a mental health condition. While most kids do not receive care for mental health conditions, it is even less likely for a Latino child to see a mental health provider. Latino children made 58% fewer visits to any mental health provider compared to white children. Latino kids were also less likely than white or black children to see a doctor. In 2013-2014, only 11.6% of Latino kids under age 18 went to a doctor’s office or clinic compared to 7.4% of white and 8.6% of black kids. A lack of mental health care can impact a child in many aspects of life. Kids with untreated mental health conditions are at a higher risk of suspension from school, dropping out, and even have a higher risk of being put in jail. One way to bridge the gap is to ...
Latinos have made great strides in education in recent years, with more enrolling two- and four-year colleges and universities than ever before. However, there is still a significant gap between Latinos and other racial and ethnic minorities in obtaining college degrees. Education is one of the main determinants of health; the more education you obtain, the better your chances for higher paying jobs, financial stability, upward mobility, and better long-term mental and physical health. Overall, the economy has rebounded from the mid-2000s economic downturn. However, according to a new report by the Federal Reserve, those households that do not have a college degree are struggling more than ever. As reported by Reuters, the annual report serves as “temperature check” on the ...
Attaining an education is one of the key social determinants of health. Education impacts future economic well-being, job growth, and your long-term physical and mental health. Latinos have made great strides in education in the last decade. As of recent reports, the rate of Latino high school dropouts is at an all-time low while rates of graduation are at all-time highs. Latinos are also enrolling in more two- and four-year colleges and universities. While things are looking up, there is still a significant gap in educational attainment between Latinos and other racial and ethnic groups. In order to make an impact on this gap, more colleges and universities are addressing this problem in creative and “outside-the-box” manners. In order to reduce health disparities, it is ...
Lack of access to quality healthcare is one of the main inequities that keep many Latinos from obtaining the best quality healthcare possible. However, the advent and proliferation of telehealth or telemedicine looks to be a way to bridge the gap between Latinos and their healthcare providers. Developed as a remote way to monitor patients, treat chronic illnesses and/or conditions, and eliminate barriers (such as a lack of transportation), technology – in the form of telemedicine – looks to be the way of the future as far as healthcare goes, especially for Latinos. Studies have shown that more and more Latinos are accessing the Internet, especially through smart phones and other hand-held devices. This is the essence of telemedicine. Now, in Texas (38.42% Latino population), a ...
A lack of access to quality healthcare coverage has been one of the most persistent causes of health inequity for many Latino families. Despite significant gains made under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), Latinos still remain the largest uninsured population in the country. In May 2016, the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) of California (38.39% Latino population) implemented new legislation that allows for all children in the state under the age of 19 to be eligible for full Medi-Cal benefits. Previously, undocumented children would have only received emergency care benefits through Medi-Cal and would not have had access to dental or mental health care. From May through April of 2017, 189,434 undocumented children had been signed up for the “Medi-Cal for All Children” ...
Despite being the country’s largest racial and ethnic minority group and despite the fact that the Latino population in the United States is growing at exponential rates, they suffer from vast differences in health conditions compared to whites. These health disparities are rooted in “social disadvantage” and affect Latinos in their abilities to access quality healthcare, attain better paying jobs and quality education. With serious issues plaguing them, what can be done? The National League of Cities recently collaborated with the George Washington University Milken School of Public Health to analyze the options that cities have in addressing the educational and healthcare needs of residents. In order to reduce health disparities, it is critical to address ...
Mental Health is a growing public health concern in the United States. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration, during any given year, nearly 25% of the population has a diagnosable disorder, two-thirds of which goes untreated. According to a new study, an estimated 8.3 million adults in the U.S. (close to 3.5%) suffer from serious psychological distress. What’s worse, many are unable to get the help they need to either treat there conditions or even get a diagnosis. Latinos reported the highest stress across four major sources of stress including money, employment, family responsibilities and health concerns, a recent survey reported. In order to reduce health disparities, it is critical to address inequities in programs, practices, and ...
