Latino Health
Latino Health
- Ana Abraído-Lanza, Ana Abraído-LanzaColumbia University
- Lillian Amanda RuizLillian Amanda RuizNew York Medical College
- , and Sonia Mendoza-GreySonia Mendoza-GreyColumbia University
Summary
Latinos are the fastest-growing population in the United States and comprise nearly 20% of the population with approximately 63 million residing in the United States in 2021. The Latino population in the United States is a diverse community with approximately one-third of Latinos living in the United States being foreign born and representing every country in Latin America. Given the high proportion of recent immigrants to the United States within the group, the Latino community has unique social and policy needs that impact health and access to medical care. Latino immigrant country of origin, political trajectories, and nativity status are particularly relevant in regard to disease prevalence, treatment, and prevention. Although being foreign-born is a protective factor for some forms of cancers and cardiovascular disease among Latinos, for example, recent immigrant Latinos are susceptible to acute mental health distress and lack of access to medical care. Despite the observation that Latinos as a whole persistently exhibit longer life expectancies relative to non-Latino whites at the face of high comorbidity rates, the recent COVID-19 pandemic has impacted this health advantage for several age groups within the community. As one of the fastest-growing populations in the United States, Latino youth health is important to address, especially with prevention measures for metabolic disease, and the impact of poverty on family access to healthcare. Understanding the nuanced and varying social and political determinants of health for Latinos, as well as differences within subgroups, sheds light on the effects of environment, behavior, and the impact of access to health on morbidity and mortality.
Subjects
- Special Populations