Current Health Problems
The Hispanic health profile is marked by diversity, and people of the Hispanic community experience perhaps the most varied set of health issues encountered by any of the emerging majority populations. The diversity in health problems is intertwined with the effects of socioeconomic status, as well as with geo- graphic and cultural differences. The most important health issues for Hispanics are related to these demographic facts: The population is young and has a high birth rate.
Table 12–8 compares selected health status indicators between all races and Hispanics. The leading causes of death among Hispanic Americans illustrate differences between their health experiences and those of the total population, as can be seen in Table 12–9.
Hispanics experience a number of barriers when seeking health care. The most obvious one is language. In spite of the fact that Spanish-speaking people constitute one of the largest minority groups in this country, very few