Latinos in Georgia Face Growing Health Disparities, Report Finds
Georgia’s Hispanic population has increased 800 percent since 1990.
And along with that growth comes ever-widening disparities related to Latinos’ access to healthcare.
That’s the finding of the Georgia Latino Health Report, released Thursday by the Hispanic Health Coalition of Georgia and Emory University.
Why an increase in health-related disparities?
There are two main reasons, the study finds.
The “Great Recession” has cost many their jobs—and as a result, health insurance.
And more restrictive state laws deter many immigrants from seeking medical treatment.
“Even though [Latino] kids have health insurance, their parents do not,” explains Emory global health professor Karen Andes. “How do unhealthy parents keep their kids healthy?”
Often, they can’t.
Researchers hope the study’s findings allow stakeholders within Georgia’s healthcare community to better understand –and address– the causes of disparities.
And there’s a lot to tackle.
The Georgia Latino Health Report 2012 finds the state’s Latino population is seeing ever-increasing problems related to maternal child health, obesity and diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, cancer and behavioral health.
This story is part of a reporting partnership that includes WABE, NPR and Kaiser Health News.
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