Minority Health and Health Equity Archive

Permanent URI for this collectionhttp://hdl.handle.net/1903/21769

Welcome to the Minority Health and Health Equity Archive (MHHEA), an electronic archive for digital resource materials in the fields of minority health and health disparities research and policy. It is offered as a no-charge resource to the public, academic scholars and health science researchers interested in the elimination of racial and ethnic health disparities.

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    Health insurance coverage for vulnerable populations: contrasting Asian Americans and Latinos in the United States.
    (2006) Alegría, Margarita; Cao, Zhun; McGuire, Thomas G; Ojeda, Victoria D; Sribney, Bill; Woo, Meghan; Takeuchi, David
    This paper examines the role that population vulnerabilities play in insurance coverage for a representative sample of Latinos and Asians in the United States. Using data from the National Latino and Asian American Study (NLAAS), these analyses compare coverage differences among and within ethnic subgroups, across states and regions, among types of occupations, and among those with or without English language proficiency. Extensive differences exist in coverage between Latinos and Asians, with Latinos more likely to be uninsured. Potential explanations include the type of occupations available to Latinos and Asians, reforms in immigration laws, length of time in the United States, and regional differences in safety-net coverage. Policy implications are discussed.
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    Prevalence of Psychiatric Disorders Across Latino Subgroups in the United States
    (2007) Alegría, Margarita; Mulvaney-Day, Norah; Torres, Maria; Polo, Antonio; Cao, Zhun; Canino, Glorisa
    Objectives. We examined the prevalence of depressive, anxiety, and substance use disorders among Latinos residing in the United States. Methods. We used data from the National Latino and Asian American Study, which included a nationally representative sample of Latinos. We calculated weighted prevalence rates of lifetime and past-year psychiatric disorders across different sociodemographic, ethnic, and immigration groups. Results. Lifetime psychiatric disorder prevalence estimates were 28.1% for men and 30.2% for women. Puerto Ricans had the highest overall prevalence rate among the Latino ethnic groups assessed. Increased rates of psychiatric disorders were observed among US-born, English-language-proficient, and third-generation Latinos. Conclusions. Our results provide important information about potential correlates of psychiatric problems among Latinos that can inform clinical practice and guide program development. Stressors associated with cultural transmutation may exert particular pressure on Latino men. Continued attention to environmental influences, especially among third-generation Latinos, is an important area for substance abuse program development.