Hispanic Health Care International
Volume 5, Issue 2, 2007, Pages 73-80

Health care access and utilization among Latino immigrants (Article)

Coffman M.J.* , Shobe M.A. , Dmochowski J. , Fox S.D.
  • a University of North Carolina at Charlotte, 9201 University City Boulevard, Charlotte, NC 28223-001, United States
  • b University of North Carolina at Charlotte, 9201 University City Boulevard, Charlotte, NC 28223-001, United States
  • c University of North Carolina at Charlotte, 9201 University City Boulevard, Charlotte, NC 28223-001, United States
  • d University of North Carolina at Charlotte, 9201 University City Boulevard, Charlotte, NC 28223-001, United States

Abstract

The Latino immigrant population settling in Charlotte, North Carolina, has grown at a rate of over 634% since 1990. The health care system has had difficulty responding to the needs of this unique population. When Latino immigrants do access health care services, it is inconsistent and fragmented. This descriptive correlational study examined the effects of health insurance coverage, health status, legal status, educational level, and health literacy on access to health care. The majority of the participants (N = 99) reported undocumented legal status (69.7%) and lacked health insurance (85.9%). Education predicted health care use when interacted with illness (F [1, 83] = 8.65, p = .004), income (F [1, 83] = 1.11, p = .001), and age (F[1, 83] = 6.73, p = .01). The findings suggest that newly immigrated Latinos face many barriers to health care access and limited access to preventive health services results in overutilization of emergency departments.

Author Keywords

Health care access Health care utilization Health literacy Hispanic/Latino

Index Keywords

priority journal health status educational status preventive health service immigrant emergency care income health care system emergency ward public health service Article health care utilization health insurance United States social status health education Hispanic health care access
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-58149357850&doi=10.1891%2f154041507780978923&partnerID=40&md5=1b9e974bb2e2ca85a0db3404db2d6e64
DOI: 10.1891/154041507780978923
ISSN: 15404153
Cited by: 15
Original Language: English