Health Disparities Between Latinos and Non-Latinos in the United States and La Plata County; How Migration Changes Risk Factor Behaviors, Stressors, and Access to Healthcare

The health of the Latino migrant population in the United States is necessary to understand and address, because it affects not only migrant health, but also the non-migrant population. This paper both discusses the health and health disparities of Latino migrants in the U.S as well as the issues in La Plata County. As well as examines the explanatory models behind these disparities, including discussions of issues of access to healthcare in terms of monetary barriers, structural barriers, and cultural barriers. It is important to understand the disparities for this demographic and the explanatory models that offers explanations to these disparities, to contextualize personal research. Personal research explored; how migration changes certain risk factor behaviors and stressors as well as access that can contribute to the health disparities between Latinos and non-Latinos. The hypothesis for this study; there will be significant differences within the Latino population in Durango before and after their migration to the United States. Differences in behavior, stressors and access to healthcare are the result of high risk factors and significant healthcare disparities between Latinos and non-Latinos. Through a mixed methods survey of 25 participants, data shows that certain risk factor behaviors and stressors increase after migration, such as a decrease in fruit and vegetable consumption and less of a social and emotional support. The survey also explored issues of access by seeing if barriers to accessing healthcare changed after migrating. After migrating participants reported less issues with institutional barriers, but a huge increase in cultural barriers to healthcare, while monetary barriers was an issue both before and after migrating. With this information, we now have a basic needs assessment for Latino migrants in our community. To lessen these health disparities we must work from a community and personal level to provide information on nutrition as well as create support systems for Latino Migrants in our community. By discussing health disparities and identifying behaviors, stressors and issues of access that perpetuate these disparities, it is possible to increase the health of Latino migrants in our community