Two Sides of the Same Coin

Study states low income linked to poor health; social worker argues family support and community are key.

A recent Gallup article dicussing health discrepancies based on income levels invited a response from social worker Nilda Perez, LCSW-R, CCLC, a member of the National Association of Social Workers, who contends that the Latino community’s focus on family and community may mitigate the effects of low income on health.

After reading Elizabeth Mendes’ article, In the U.S., Health Disparities Across Incomes Are Wide-Ranging, I set out to research how health disparities affect Latinos. To my surprise, my findings were that Latinos more longevity than whites and black non-Hispanics. I also found that the U.S. Census Bureau had very interesting statistics: the Latino population is 48.4 million. Latinos constitute16 percent of the nation’s total population, with a projection that by 2050 it will grow to 30 percent. They also state that the median age of Latinos in America are 36.8 years and that there are 107 males to every 100 females.

The Census also indicates that there are 2.3 million Latino-owned businesses. Sixty-six percent of Hispanic family households consist of a married couple, and forty-one percent Hispanic family households consist of a married couple with children younger than 18. Sixty-nine percent of Hispanic children live with two married parents.  The U.S Census continues to report Latinos median household income as $37,913 in 2008.  They state that the poverty rate was 23.2 percent in 2008 and that 30.7 percent of Latinos lacked health insurance down from 32.1 percent in 2007.

In 2009, sixty-two percent of Latinos aged 25 and older have at least a high school education and 13 percent of those aged 25 and older have a Bachelor’s degree or higher. Furthermore, 3.7 million Latinos aged 18 and older have at least a Bachelor's degree; 12 percent are full-time college students (both undergraduate and graduate) and 935,000 25 and older have advanced degrees (e.g., Master's, professional, doctorate). 

The jobs statistics are: 69 percent of Hispanics aged 16 and older who are in the civilian labor force and 18 percent of civilian-employed are Latinos aged 16 years and older who work in management, professional and related occupations in 2008.  The U.S. Census also states that 18 percent of Latinos worked in production, transportation and material moving occupations, 15 percent worked in construction, extraction, maintenance and repair occupations and 24 percent of workers aged 16 or older worked in service occupations; 22 percent work in sales and office occupations; and 2 percent in farming, fishing and forestry occupations.

Associated Press Medical Writer Mike Stobbe states that “findings show that risk factors are not deterministic and suggest that culture, family, and community may have a powerful positive impact on well-being. Our health models need to better incorporate the health experiences of all communities. Data released today by the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) find Hispanic life expectancy is 80 years compared to 77.5 years for non-Hispanic whites and 72.3 years for non-Hispanic blacks. For all groups, life expectancy for women is longer than that for men. These data are the first time that the NCHS has released Hispanic life expectancy data.”

Jane Delgado, MD , of the National Alliance for Hispanic Health (NAHH) also states that, “New data from the federal government show that Hispanic life expectancy is more than two years longer than for non-Hispanics, confirming what the Alliance has argued has been evident for more than a decade in population and health survey data.” 

Delgado states that researchers have observed a link between poverty, lack of education and health problems and shorter life-spans.  Latinos for the most part are disadvantaged in all of these areas—19 percent live below the federal poverty level, which is three times more than whites. 

She also states that Centers for Disease Control studies have shown that Hispanics suffer some diseases at higher rates than whites, including diabetes and heart disease. But their death rates from those diseases were lower, not higher. Data from the federal government supports that Hispanic life expectancy is more than two years longer than for non-Hispanics.  Delgado argues that the NAHH proved this research more than a decade ago with population and health survey data.

Delgado makes a poignant observation, maintaining that, “These findings show that risk factors are not deterministic and suggest that culture, family, and community may have a powerful positive impact on well-being. Our health models need to better incorporate the health experiences of all communities.”