Health-Seeking Behaviors among Latinas: Practices and Reported Difficulties in Obtaining Health Services

Background: Latinos experience disproportionate negative health status and health care access. Expanding understanding of factors impacting Latino immigrant health is imperative. Purpose: This study identified health-seeking behaviors among Latinas in a large Midwestern city with rapid immigrant population growth. Health-seeking behaviors like frequency of care, type of health care provider (HCP) sought, and reasons for seeking care were explored. Barriers to health care access and their frequency were identified. Additionally, interactions between demographics, health-seeking behaviors and health care access barriers were explored. Methods: Structured interviews were conducted with a convenience sample of 204 Latinas by trained culturally competent and bilingual interviewers. Results: Most reported moderate to good health. Foreign born Latinas reported lower overall health. Nearly half had experienced difficulty obtaining health care services. Leading access barriers were: cost, communication issues, and lack of insurance. Those reporting difficulty had: significantly lower education and income levels, lower ability for self-sufficiency, less likelihood of having legal status, and more likelihood of being unemployed. Lack of Latino HCPs and cultural insensitivity by HCPs were reported as barriers. Discussion: Incongruities in access to care underscore the importance for novel interventions aimed at reducing health care disparities. Findings emphasize the need for tailored outreach programs that address barriers and that are effective in increasing Latina participation in preventive health care. Continued assessment of acculturation on health-seeking behaviors among Latinas is clearly warranted, as it can have a profound impact on their health seeking behaviors. Translation to Health Education Practice: The continuation of efforts to decrease all health disparities is discussed with emphasis on giving attention to the specific needs of emerging populations for culturally appropriate and effective health care options.