Cancer continues to be a leading cause of death in Latinos.
Systemic racism and discrimination have led to disproportionate exposure to risk factors for cancer, such as obesity, diabetes, and stress.
These risk factors are compounded by the social and economic inequities such as access to healthy foods, transportation, and health insurance that many Latinos face, making it difficult to seek healthcare, culminating in worse health outcomes.
Another big factor is driving worse health for Latinos – a lack of preventative care.
64% of Latinos skipped recommended health screenings, such as colonoscopies, pap smears, mammograms, and more, according to a news release about the second annual Wellness Matters Survey published by Aflac.
Let’s unpack the survey findings and what it means for Latino preventative healthcare.
Latino Preventative Care Habits
The 2024 Wellness Matters Survey polled 2,000 employed US adults ages 18-65.
Among the Latinos surveyed, 80% admit to postponing a checkup beyond the recommended time frame at least occasionally, according to the survey.
Survey results also show that there is a correlation between those who skipped common health screenings and cancer diagnoses.
“Hispanics reported receiving a cancer diagnosis at nearly twice the rate of the general population, with 40% of those diagnosed finding out during a regularly scheduled cancer screening, compared to 30% of non-Hispanics,” the news release stated.
Latinos with a family history of chronic illness or disease who were polled (56%) have knowingly skipped an important health or cancer screening.
Of the Latinos who have a family history of chronic illness/disease, 64% have owned up to skipping a vital health or cancer screening.
“Family history matters to preventive care because history and genetics can often help inform the future of our own health,” Aflac Senior Vice President and Chief Actuary Thomas Morey said in the news release.
Some Latinos may delay health visits because they don’t perceive a strong need for one.
Over one-fourth (27%) of Latino survey takers admitted to delaying wellness appointments because they felt healthy or didn’t believe they needed a checkup given their age.
“As our study shows, young people, and certainly Hispanics, are often less concerned about health care issues than older generations, and the statistics support the idea that becoming ill is often a function of age,” Morey said.
Another reason for the delay could also be related to worrying about the actual appointment and possible negative health results, such as a cancer diagnosis.
The survey found that Latinos tend to worry about health visits more than non-Latinos.
29% of Latino survey takers worry about annual checkups, compared to 23% of non-Latinos.
Survey results also show that 37% and 35% of Latinos worry about their physical and mental health, respectively, compared to 30% and 27% of non-Latinos, respectively.
But sometimes fear is a driving force behind a change in preventative care attitudes. Two-thirds of Latino survey takers said it took a major health scare to get them more proactive about their health.
When and Why Do Latinos Seek Care?
When it comes to seeking medical care, the intervention and concern of loved ones play a large role for Latinos.
85% of Latino survey respondents depend on someone other than themselves as their biggest health advocate, compared to 80% of non-Latinos, according to the survey.
Survey takers regarded parents as their top health advocates at 37%, compared to 25% of non-Latinos.
Of the Latinos who say they rely on others, 88% admit that family encouragement is at least somewhat effective in reminding them to take care of their health.
In fact, 75% of Latinos were more likely to advocate for their health or the health of a loved one, compared to 66% of non-Latinos.
73% of Latinos who felt confident in advocating for their health, or the health of a loved one, say this advocacy resulted in a better health outcome, compared to 64% non-Latino.
Latino survey takers also report nagging as an effective strategy for seeking care. 88% said it’s somewhat or very effective, compared to 72% non-Latinos.
However, Latino men were found to be slightly more susceptible to nagging than women at 94% and 80%, respectively.
For Latinos who made an appointment following being nagged, 60% say the visit resulted in a diagnosis or treatment, compared to 48% non-Latinos.
“Life moves quickly, and sometimes, we can lose sight of what’s important for good health and wellness, which is why a gentle nudge from a loved one is so effective, particularly within the Hispanic culture,” Morey said in the news release.
Barriers to Preventative Care
Latinos continue to face many barriers to preventative care, including lack of access to healthcare centers, transportation, and financial means.
The survey reveals that 54% of Latinos struggle with getting timely health screenings due to conflicts with work hours, challenges taking time off work, and difficulty getting a babysitter or transportation.
What’s more, 20% of Latino survey takers don’t think there are appropriate preventative care resources available to their community.
When asked if they were more likely to seek preventive care advice from health care professionals or community organizations than online resources, 19% of Latino survey takers said no, compared to 13% of non-Latinos.
There are also other factors keeping Latinos from seeking preventative care , such as discrimination, lack of Latino representation, and limited culturally competent resources.
Many poll takers agreed to being more likely to seek out preventative health care from sources who share a similar cultural background, including 50% of Latinos.
The need for more Latino representation in healthcare also extends to language, which is persistent barrier to care for many Latinos.
42% of Latino survey takers say that the language barrier keeps them from understanding health care needs and insurance policies that make seeking care difficult or keep appointments delayed.
When the need for care does arise, 58% of Latinos turn to urgent care and emergency rooms as their primary source for health care, compared to 52% of the general population.
“Hispanics use urgent care facilities and emergency rooms at a higher frequency than their non-Hispanic counterparts, and that could be a result of language barriers or a need for more culturally relevant family practices within Hispanic communities. While there is tremendous value for urgent care and emergency rooms, establishing a relationship with a family doctor has its advantages in both health maintenance and financially as it could help save money for consumers while reducing financial strain on health care systems in the long run,” Morey said in the news release.
The survey emphasizes the critical need for Latino representation and culturally competent educational resources to reach communities about preventative care.
58% of Latinos and 62% of Black Americans expressed this need.
Lack of Latino representation in healthcare, ultimately leads to a stronger distrust in the system, more cultural and language barriers, and worse health outcomes due to discrimination and racial stereotyping.
Increasing Preventative Care for Latinos
To eliminate some of the barriers to preventative care for Latinos, we must address the root causes of delayed healthcare, such as racial bias and discrimination.
Experience with racial bias and discrimination or fear of it can keep many from seeking the care they need or delaying it.
Physicians may exhibit something known as implicit bias, which is defined as subconscious or conscious stereotypes formed that could potentially impact the way we think about another person and influence our decisions based on those stereotypes.
Implicit bias is dangerous because it can impact someone’s ability to receive care or influence what kind of care or treatment they receive.
The best way to tackle implicit bias is to become more aware of any biases that you may exhibit and work to correct them.
Download the free Salud America! Action Pack “Health Care Workers and Researchers: Find If You Have Implicit Bias and What to Do Next.”
“This Action Pack will help you see if you have implicit bias, learn from others who have overcome their own implicit bias, and encourage colleagues to learn about implicit bias, too,” said Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez, director of the Salud America! Latino health equity program at UT Health San Antonio, who created the Action Pack.
With the Action Pack, you can take an “Implicit Association Test (IAT)” to identify any implicit bias you may have, get help from experts on how to overcome these biases to help others, and share resources with colleagues so that we can eliminate implicit bias and create better health outcomes for all!
The post What Do Latinos Think about Preventative Care? appeared first on Salud America.
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