Hispanics' Health: Explanations of and Attempts to Meet Unmet Needs
Abstract
Health disparities between Hispanics and whites are a complex topic. The
disparities themselves differ depending on the health indicator measured. Even the
measurements themselves reveal biases, making it difficult to know how accurate our
data is. Despite these issues, there are a number of indicators that health disparities
between Hispanics and whites are as drastic as those between African Americans and
whites.
Just as the disparities are difficult to identify, so are the causes. Various theories
have been developed to explain disparities, identifying cultural, socioeconomic and
psychosocial causes. Each of these theories explains an aspect of the disparities, but none can explain their entirety. Likewise, a variety of programs have been developed to
address the causes identified by theory. No single program is able to address all the
causes identified by the different theories. Often, programs are forced to adapt
theoretical causes at the societal level to a local level.