The Healthy Americas Institute of the National Alliance for Hispanic Health (the Alliance) has released a far-ranging survey of attitudes toward health care in the Hispanic community.

In addition to providing insight into the Hispanic community, the survey was powered to allow comparisons with the perceptions of non-Hispanic whites and non-Hispanic blacks.

“A key insight from the study is that Hispanics are fully engaged in individual and community health. However, compared to non-Hispanic whites, the cost of care was more likely to prevent Hispanics from obtaining a range of health services. Likewise, Hispanics were more likely to report cost as a constraint in choosing healthy options like buying fruits and vegetables,” said Jane L. Delgado, Ph.D., MS, President and CEO of the National Alliance for Hispanic Health, the nation’s leading Hispanic health advocacy group.

“The study also found that Hispanics saw environmental concerns as central to health and supported policy changes to improve community health.  When asked to cite factors that have a strong effect on health the top factor cited was ‘physical environment, such as clean air or water.’ Also, Hispanics were more likely than non-Hispanic whites to report that they support public health initiatives being tested in cities across the country, such as taxes on sugar-sweetened beverages and increasing the legal age to 21 to buy tobacco cigarettes,” emphasized Dr. Delgado.

Other key findings from the study:

• Role of Health Insurance: Hispanics with health insurance are significantly more likely (53%) than uninsured Hispanics (37%) to report that their health is excellent or very good.
• Mental Health: Hispanics are significantly less likely (48%) than non-Hispanic whites (59%) and non-Hispanic blacks (61%) to report their emotional and mental health is excellent or very good.
• Community Priorities: When asked to cite top priorities for health in their community, Hispanics and non-Hispanic blacks were significantly more likely than non-Hispanic whites to cite the availability of decent housing (74% and 88% v. 63%) and availability of bike lanes sidewalks, and public transportation (63% and 59% v. 45%).
• Role of Government: Hispanics (63%) and non-Hispanic blacks (70%) were significantly more likely than non-Hispanics whites (53%) to say that the government should do more to make sure that Americans are healthier, even if it costs the taxpayers more.

“This new study demonstrates the importance in Hispanic communities of individual and community action to improve health. It provides policymakers with a new source of information to ensure the best health for all by crafting policies and programs that recognize the importance of both common interests and diversity,” concluded Dr. Delgado.

The 2017 Healthy Americas Survey, was conducted between September 15 and October 1, 2017, and involved a nationally representative sample of 869 respondents age 18 and older.

The survey included 310 Hispanics, 288 non-Hispanic Whites, and 271 non-Hispanic Blacks.

Interviews were conducted by telephone by SSRS, an independent research company via a dual-frame (landline and cell phone) bilingual telephone survey designed to meet the standards of quality associated with custom research studies.

The 2017 Healthy Americas Survey is an initiative of the Healthy Americas Institute of the National Alliance for Hispanic Health at the University of Southern California (USC) Keck School of Medicine. The survey received support from the Healthy Americas Foundation.  Support for this survey was also provided in part by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF). The views expressed here do not necessarily reflect the views of RWJF.

For more information please visit http://www.healthyamericasinstitute.org