Maximizing Societal Contributions of Latino Adults by Investing in Latino Children's Health Care

Focuses on the lack of preventive care and health insurance coverage for Latino children, and how this affects their health and school performance and impacts their ability to contribute as adults to California's economy and society

The Rise and Fall of the Latino Dentist Supply in California: Implications for Dental Education

The purpose of this study was to determine the number of Latino dentists in California, identify the schools and countries where they were educated, and compare Latino dentist demographics with that of the state’s new demographics. From the 2000 California Department of Consumer Affairs list of 25,273 dentists, we identified Latino U.S. dental graduates (USDGs) by “heavily Hispanic” surnames and Latino international dental graduates (IDGs) by country and school of graduation. From the 2000 U.S. census Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS), we described Latino dentist characteristics such as Spanish language capacity and practice location. The number of Latino dentists acquiring licenses to practice in California has fallen dramatically, by nearly 80 percent, between 1983 and 2000. This decline is not merely an affirmative action issue; it results in an issue of access. Latino dentists are far more likely to speak Spanish and be located in a heavily Latino area than non-Latino dentists. Currently, although the supply of Latino dentists is dwindling, the Latino population is growing rapidly. In California and out-of-state schools, first-year matriculation of Latino USDG must increase. Further, non-Latino dentists should be prepared and given incentives to learn Spanish and locate practices in areas of need. The reintroduction of IDG Latino dentists needs to be seriously considered

Acculturation and Latino Health in the United States: A Review of the Literature and its Sociopolitical Context

This chapter provides an overview of the concept of acculturation and reviews existing evidence about the possible relationships between acculturation and selected health and behavioral outcomes among Latinos. The effect of acculturation on Latino health is complex and not well understood. In certain areas - substance abuse, dietary practices, and birth outcomes - there is evidence that acculturation has a negative effect and that it is associated with worse health outcomes, behaviors, or perceptions. In others - health care use and self-perceptions of health - the effect is mostly in the positive direction. Although the literature, to date, on acculturation lacks some breadth and methodological rigor, the public health significance of findings in areas in which there is enough evidence justifies public health action.We conclude with a set of general recommendations in two areas - public health practice and research - targeted to public health personnel in academia, community-based settings, and government agencies