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Health Disparities

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The Issue

Issues relating to the health of Latinos have received increasing attention over the past three decades in the United States. The issue of improving the health of Latinos, the largest non-white population group in New Jersey, remains a challenge. There are huge disparities in education, prevention and management of health issues in New Jersey’s Latino community.

The Facts

• Astoundingly, more than one third of the Latino population living in New Jersey (36.9 percent) lack health insurance – significantly more than the Black population (with 22 percent uninsured) and at a rate more than four times higher the white population (4.9 percent).
• The hospitalization rate for asthma in the Latino population in New Jersey is twice as high as the white population.
• Childhood obesity is highest among Latinos.
• HIV/AIDS incidence rates are five times higher for Latinos than whites. HIV death rates are six times higher for Latinos than whites.
• Latinos in New Jersey have the highest prevalence of childhood and adult male obesity.
• Diseases of the heart and stroke rank as the No. 1 killer of Latino/Hispanic Americans. They claim the lives of 28.6 percent of the more than 122,000 Hispanics or Latinos who die each year. Cancer follows, killing 19.7 percent. All other causes of death account for 51.7 percent.
• Compared with non-Hispanic white and black women, Hispanic women are less likely to engage in physical activity.
• The number of New Jersey Latinos with diabetes practically doubled in the eight years between 2000 and 2008 (from 76,000 to 124,000) and will more than double by the year 2025, when 277,000 New Jersey Latinos are projected to have diabetes.
• Diabetes is the 6th leading cause of death among Hispanics/Latinos in the United States and the 4th leading cause of death among Hispanic women and elderly.
• More than two million (or 8.2 percent) of the Hispanic/Latino Americans living in the U.S. who are over 20 years of age have diabetes and many more remain undiagnosed; 90 to 95 percent of all diagnosed cases of diabetes have type 2 diabetes.

LLANJ Vision on Health Disparities

Health Disparities are Eliminated

A strong campaign to meet Healthy New Jersey 2010 targets and eliminates most health disparities between Latinos and the general population. HIV/AIDS, diabetes, asthma no longer afflict Latinos disproportionately. The number of Latinos without any health coverage decreases dramatically from nearly 40% to the general population average of 15%. Everyone in New Jersey, including undocumented workers, are provided primary healthcare through a combination of community health centers and extended Medicaid programs. Access to healthcare is universal.

A strong multicultural program within the Department of Health assures every health provider achieves cultural and language competency for patients needing treatment. Substance abuse and mental health counseling is available in the primary languages of clients seeking help. In part, a strong recruitment of medical professionals from New Jersey’s own diverse population has created this vastly improved health system for all economic and social groups.

Link to important documents about the issue:
Link to Events:
Link to Testimonies:
Link to Press Releases: