Utah: Language problems single greatest barrier to health care for Latino youth

[Harold F. Schiffman]

>>From the Salt Lake Tribune
Article Last Updated: 7/07/2006 04:30 PM

Curb dangerous Latino youth risks with better policy, health care

By Glenn Flores

Latino youth are at risk, and we must do something about this.  A new
report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows
disturbing trends for Latino youth in America.  On June 8, the agency's
"2005 Youth Risk Behavior Survey" revealed that, compared with white youth
and black youth, young Latinos are significantly more likely to use drugs.
For example, one in eight Latino youth reports having used cocaine at
least once. For ecstasy, it's one in 10; methamphetamine, one in 11; and
heroin, one in 28, according to the survey.  Latino youth are most likely
to have not used a condom during their last sexual intercourse, with 42
percent reporting not using one. This is particularly concerning, since
not using condoms greatly increases the risks of teen pregnancy, as well
as the risks of contracting HIV/AIDS and other serious sexually
transmitted diseases.

    In terms of physical health, Latino youth have the highest rate of
being overweight, at 17 percent, versus 12 percent for non-Latino white
youth.  Mental health is not much better. Latino youth are most likely to
report feeling sad or hopeless - at 36 percent overall, and 47 percent
among Latino girls. Latino teens have the highest rates of seriously
considering attempting suicide - 18 percent overall, and an alarming in
one in four girls. Overall, 11 percent of Latino youth have actually
attempted suicide, including 15 percent of young Latinas.  Data from other
recent studies indicate that the health-care system is part of the
problem. Latinos are the most uninsured racial/ethnic group, with 21
percent uninsured, versus 8 percent of whites and 13 percent of blacks.
One in three Latino children has no regular source of medical care, and 33
percent experience problems getting specialty care.

    Language problems are the single greatest barrier to health care for
Latino children, according to a survey of mothers that was published in
the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine. And one in six Latino
children was not brought in for needed medical care due to language and
cultural issues.  We can't let this go on any longer.  First, we need to
make sure that our schools are doing all they can to address the problem.
The CDC study revealed that 62 percent of Latino youth have no physical
education class in school. Public schools must provide regular physical
education. And they need to provide healthier school lunches, eliminate
soda vending machines and make health education classes mandatory.

    And schools can do more, even after the last bell rings. We need
affordable and culturally accessible after-school programs that sponsor
healthy activities, such as organized sports, dance, the arts and job
training.  Second, as a society, we should provide every American child
with health insurance and dental insurance. Right now, 8.3 million kids in
America have no health insurance, and Latino children are at greatest
risk.  Third, states should provide interpreters for Medicaid and State
Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP)-covered patients who are not
yet proficient in English. A language barrier should not be a barrier to
health care.

    And finally, families themselves can improve their children's health
simply by eating dinner together on a regular basis. Compared with
children who have dinner with their family zero to two times weekly,
children who have dinner with their family five to seven times per week
have half the risk for substance abuse and high stress, are significantly
less likely to have tried marijuana, alcoholic beverages and cigarettes,
are twice as likely to receive A's in school and are more likely to eat
five daily servings of fruits and vegetables and consume less soda, fried
food and fat, according to a 2005nationwide survey by the National Center
on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University.  Eliminating
racial and ethnic disparities in the well-being of our youth should be an
urgent national priority. It's both the right thing to do and the smart
thing to do for the future health and productivity of our nation.
    ---
    Dr. Glenn Flores is director of the Center for the Advancement of
Underserved Children and a professor of pediatrics, epidemiology and
health policy. He works at the Medical College of Wisconsin and Children's
Hospital of Wisconsin, in Milwaukee.

http://www.sltrib.com/opinion/ci_4025261