Reproductive characteristics of Mexican-American, mainland Puerto Rican, and Cuban-american women: data from the Hispanic Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

Article Abstract:

Hispanic women (Cuban-Americans, Puerto Ricans, women from Central and South America) are a heterogeneous group, but most studies of these women's reproductive patterns have focused on Mexican-Americans. Evidence shows that Hispanics have different reproductive patterns than non-Hispanic whites; for instance, they have a 50 percent higher fertility rate. This may result from a lower rate of contraceptive use. To learn more concerning these and related issues, data were analyzed from the Hispanic Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (HHANES), a two-year study of Hispanic people in three geographic areas. Information concerning 1,609 Mexican-American women, 271 Cuban-Americans, and 674 Puerto Ricans between the ages of 15 and 45 was included. Sociodemographic, health, and reproductive characteristics were studied. More than half the Mexican-American and Cuban-American women were married, but only 36 percent of the Puerto Ricans were married. Cuban-Americans were least likely to be below the poverty line, while one third and one half the Mexican-Americans and Puerto Ricans, respectively, were in poverty. Mexican-Americans had the highest number of live births per person (1.9), while Cuban-Americans had the lowest (1.1). Puerto Ricans had 1.7 live births per person. Hysterectomy (removal of the uterus) had been performed for a larger proportion of Mexican-American women (5.3 percent) than Cuban-Americans (3.6) or Puerto Ricans (3.5). Mexican-Americans were twice as likely to use oral contraceptives as members of the other groups, and were more likely to have ever been pregnant. When pregnant, more Mexican-Americans (17 percent) reported breastfeeding than did Cuban-Americans (1.9) or Puerto Ricans (1.5). A discussion is presented of possible sociological and cultural explanations for the findings; for instance, Hispanics may breastfeed less often than non-Hispanic whites because of the cultural belief that fat babies are healthy babies. The three groups of Hispanic women studied differed significantly in their reproductive patterns. The January 9, 1991 issue of The Journal of the American Medical Association is devoted to the health of, and health care for, Hispanics in the US. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Reproduction (Biology), Reproduction, Mexican American women, Hispanic American women, Puerto Rican women

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Health insurance coverage and utilization of health services by Mexican Americans, mainland Puerto Ricans, and Cuban Americans

Article Abstract:

Previously documented differences among Hispanic subgroups in their rates of health care utilization - Mexican Americans use physicians less often than whites, who in turn use them less often than Cuban Americans - may result, in part, from differences in insurance patterns. A 1982 survey revealed that 16 percent of Hispanics studied had no insurance, compared with 11 and 7 percent of blacks and whites, respectively. Recent data concerning health insurance and ethnicity are lacking; to address this issue, an analysis was performed of data gathered in the 1989 Current Population Survey (CPS) and the Hispanic Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (HHANES, a two-year survey of Hispanics in three geographic areas). Results from the CPS showed that 10 percent of non-Hispanic whites, 20 percent of non- Hispanic blacks, 32 percent of Hispanics, and 18 percent of other ethnic groups, were without insurance in 1988. Within the category of Hispanics, the proportion of uninsured people was highest for Mexican Americans (37 percent), moderate for Cuban Americans (20 percent), and lowest for Puerto Ricans (16 percent). More Puerto Ricans participated in Medicaid, while Cuban Americans were most likely to have private health insurance. According to HHANES results, 35 percent of the Mexican Americans were uninsured; however, this study found a higher proportion of uninsured Cuban Americans (29 percent) and Puerto Ricans (22 percent) than the CPS. Puerto Ricans were more than 5.5 times as likely as Mexican Americans, and five times as likely as Cuban Americans, to receive Medicaid. Uninsured Hispanics were less likely than those who were insured to have a regular provider of medical care, and to have visited a physician within the previous year. One third of the uninsured Puerto Ricans, and almost 40 percent of Cuban and Mexican Americans had not seen a doctor during the previous year. It is likely that a large number of undiagnosed health problems exist among Hispanic people. Furthermore, all Hispanics do not make the same use of Medicaid. Health care planning should take such facts as these into consideration. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Usage, Medical care, Insurance, Mexican Americans, Puerto Ricans

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Insuring Latinos against the costs of illness

Article Abstract:

Latinos may be less likely to have health care insurance than any other ethnic group in the US. Many Latinos work at low paying jobs that do not provide medical benefits. A study compared health insurance coverage from 1980 to 1990 among Latinos under 65 years old to that among Anglos, blacks, Asians and members of other ethnic groups in the same age range. Thirty-nine percent of Latinos had no health care insurance throughout 1989, compared with 14% of the Anglo and 24% of the black populations. Puerto Ricans and Cubans were twice as likely to have health care insurance than Mexican Americans or Central and South Americans. Latinos who lived in the South or Southwest states were less likely to have health care insurance than those who lived in other parts of the US. Expansion of medical benefits would still leave a significant number of Latinos, such as children, without health care coverage.

Medically uninsured persons

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