Medical Care
Volume 56, Issue 11, 2018, Pages 919-926

Health Care Access and Physical and Behavioral Health among Undocumented Latinos in California (Article)

Ortega A.N.* , McKenna R.M. , Kemmick Pintor J. , Langellier B.A. , Roby D.H. , Pourat N. , Vargas Bustamante A. , Wallace S.P.
  • a Department of Health Management and Policy, Dornsife School of Public Health, Drexel University, 3215 Market Street, Nesbitt Hall 3rd Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19104, United States
  • b Department of Health Management and Policy, Dornsife School of Public Health, Drexel University, 3215 Market Street, Nesbitt Hall 3rd Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19104, United States
  • c Department of Health Management and Policy, Dornsife School of Public Health, Drexel University, 3215 Market Street, Nesbitt Hall 3rd Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19104, United States
  • d Department of Health Management and Policy, Dornsife School of Public Health, Drexel University, 3215 Market Street, Nesbitt Hall 3rd Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19104, United States
  • e Department of Health Services Administration, School of Public Health, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, United States
  • f Department of Health Policy and Management, United States
  • g Department of Health Policy and Management, United States
  • h Department of Community Health Sciences, Fielding School of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, United States

Abstract

Background: This paper provides statewide estimates on health care access and utilization patterns and physical and behavioral health by citizenship and documentation status among Latinos in California. Methods: This study used data from the 2011-2015 California Health Interview Survey to examine health care access and utilization and physical and behavioral health among a representative sample of all nonelderly Latino and US-born non-Latino white adults (N=51,386). Multivariable regressions estimated the associations between the dependent measures and citizenship/documentation status among Latinos (US-born, naturalized citizen, green card holder, and undocumented). Results: Adjusted results from multivariable analyses observed worse access and utilization patterns among immigrant Latinos compared with US-born Latinos, with undocumented immigrants using significantly less health care. Undocumented Latinos had lower odds of self-reporting excellent/very good health status compared with US-born Latinos, despite them having lower odds of having several physical and behavioral health outcomes (overweight/obesity, physician-diagnosed hypertension, asthma, self-reported psychological distress, and need for behavioral health services). Among those reporting a need for behavioral health services, access was also worse for undocumented Latinos when compared with US-born Latinos. Conclusions: Patterns of poor health care access and utilization and better physical and behavioral health are observed across the continuum of documentation status, with undocumented immigrants having the worst access and utilization patterns and less disease. Despite fewer reported diagnoses and better mental health, undocumented Latinos reported poorer health status than their US-born counterparts. © 2018 The Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.

Author Keywords

Health care access Health care reform citizenship immigrants Hispanic Americans

Index Keywords

mental health human Health Behavior middle aged Overweight statistics and numerical data Stress, Psychological mental stress priority journal health status hypertension obesity controlled study Health Surveys ethnology Hispanic Americans Undocumented Immigrants Young Adult Humans migrant undocumented immigrant Hispanic Adolescent California male Emigrants and Immigrants asthma female Socioeconomic Factors medical documentation socioeconomics Article major clinical study adult health care access distress syndrome patient attitude Patient Acceptance of Health Care citizenship Health Services Accessibility health care delivery health survey
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85053807959&doi=10.1097%2fMLR.0000000000000985&partnerID=40&md5=48df654a8b0c66431a2a122023e1ea5b
DOI: 10.1097/MLR.0000000000000985
ISSN: 00257079
Cited by: 6
Original Language: English