Diabetes, spiritual, family-oriented, fierce, respect to elders.....This list can go on. Stereotypes exist all around us, and, although there is some validity to them, they can often lead to flawed assumptions. My goal is to present research-verified facts on Latinos’ physical and mental health and bring to light the reality of where we, brown-lives, stand.
Physical Health
The Latino population in the US has less access to health care and less daily visits to the hospital per year than that of non-hispanic whites–– yet, despite these risk factors, research indicates that Latinos have lower rates of heart attack, cancer, and chronic lower respiratory disease (CLRD).
This raises the question: Are Latino babies born healthier than non-hispanic white babies? Or are they both born equally healthy, with non-hispanic whites’ health deteriorating and leading to more diseases than that of Latinos. Interestingly, it was found that non-hispanic white mothers were more likely to smoke and have STDs and herpes during pregnancy than that of Latina mothers. This compelling research indicates that, on average, Latinx babies are born healthier than are non-Hispanic white babies.
Could it be that Latinos also age slower than other ethnic groups? A team of researchers at UCLA found this to be true. They studied DNA samples from nearly 6,000 people using several biomarkers to examine a link to aging. According to this study, when scientists accounted for differences in cell composition, the blood of Latinos aged more slowly.
Although the Latino population consists of healthier mothers and babies and has a predisposition to age relatively slower than other ethnicities, we are far from being the perfect prototype of “healthy.” Hispanics have a 51% higher death rate from diabetes than whites. It is well known that obesity and diabetes is prevalent in the Latino community, and there is a lot of work to be done to improve our diets. So remember: Yes, we are healthier than we think, but there are still many strides that must be made in order to become a healthier community.
Mental Health
Modern media and television shows portray Latinos (particularly Latina women) as strong, fiery, and independent people. I have often thought about this in relation to mental health. We are constantly obligated, through a sense of cultural identity, to portray ourselves as capable and fierce. Many people see this attitude as problematic in that it creates a stigma towards seeking professional mental health treatment.
However, there is very little recent research examining this issue or supporting this view. As reported in Psychiatry Online in 2009, “Hispanics or Latinos may have more positive attitude toward mental health treatment seeking than non-Hispanic whites,” suggesting that treatment barriers come about not because of negative attitudes, but because of other structural barriers to care, including language and socioeconomic factors.
Systemic change is necessary. How can we make seeking professional help more accessible to brown lives? In 2005, the American Psychological Association noted that while one in five Americans identifies as Hispanic, only one percent of psychologists identified themselves as Hispanic. APA went on to note that while 70 percent of non-Hispanic whites return for a second appointment after an initial visit to a psychologist, on 50 percent of Hispanics do. More diversity is needed in mental health care in order to better serve the community.
In conclusion, I would like to validate Latinos’ resilience. We are a people that have the potential to be healthy and strong, but we need to improve access. That is, we need to ensure that there are dietitians on board learning about the diversity of Latino diet, and facilitating a smooth transition to healthier options. That is, we need to create a space for Latinos to feel comfortable seeking mental health professional treatment. Brown lives are beautiful and valued, and I hope this article provides grounding as to where we stand and how far we have left to go.
