Data Spotlight on Hispanic Health in Colorado

Colorado’s Hispanic community faces unique and substantial barriers to achieving good health, according to data from the latest Colorado Health Report Card Data Spotlight.

The new report, a collaboration between the Colorado Health Institute and the Colorado Health Foundation as part of the Colorado Health Report Card project, examines the extent of racial and ethnic disparities on key indicators, such as obesity rates and insurance coverage, as well as ongoing trends in Hispanic health.

This Data Spotlight analyzes health by life stage. The data show concerning disparities in access to health care and health outcomes across the life span:

Healthy Beginnings: One of five Hispanic mothers either aren’t getting any prenatal care, or they aren’t getting it until late in their pregnancies.

Healthy Children: More than a third of Hispanic children live below the poverty level in Colorado, compared with 11 percent of white children.

Healthy Adolescents: Birth rates are higher among Hispanic teens than white teens, but the number of births to Hispanic teens declined from about 3,400 to 2,000 between 2009 and 2013.

Healthy Adults: Nearly one of three Hispanic adults are obese compared with 19 percent of white adults.

Healthy Aging: Diabetes is twice as prevalent among Hispanic seniors compared with white seniors.

But some measures of Hispanic health are trending in the right direction. For example, uninsured rates for Hispanic youth in Colorado declined five percentage points in five years, dropping from 18.5 percent to 13.5 percent between 2009 and 2013.

Another bright spot: adult physical activity. A higher percentage of Hispanic adults in Colorado exercise compared with Hispanics nationally. Still, there are opportunities for improvement on the healthy living front. More than one of four Hispanic adults in the state report no physical activity in the past month.

Colorado’s ability to address health disparities will be crucial as it works to create an environment in which all residents have the opportunity to be as healthy as possible. Make sure to read the report to learn about some strategies designed to reduce health-related disparities. The report is available in both English and Spanish.