Disease Affecting Hispanic Americans Backgrounder

Hispanics are the largest minority group at 42.7 million. They account for almost half (49%) of the national population growth of 2.8 million between July 1, 2004 and July 1, 2005. U.S. Census Bureau, www.census.gov

Seventy-three percent of Hispanic Americans either lack insurance coverage themselves or know someone who is uninsured. The Pew Hispanic Center/Kaiser Family Foundation 2002 National Survey of Latinos

SELECTED FACTS ABOUT DISEASE AND HISPANIC AMERICANS

HIV Infection/AIDS – In 2002, Hispanics accounted for 20 percent (8,672) of the new 42,514 new HIV/AIDS diagnoses in the United States. The diagnoses rates for adults and adolescents was highest for African Americans (72.1 cases per 100,000) followed by the rates for Hispanics (25 cases per 100,000). U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, www.cdc.gov

Cancer – About 67,400 new cancer cases were diagnosed among Hispanics in 2003. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death among Hispanic- American men and the second leading cause of cancer death among Hispanic- American women. In the year 2003 alone, 3,900 Hispanic Americans died form lung cancer.American Cancer Society, www.cancer.org

Diabetes – On average, Hispanic Americans are nearly two times more likely to have diabetes than non-Hispanic whites of similar age. About 2.5 million, or 9.5 percent, of Hispanic Americans have been diagnosed with diabetes. In 2002, Hispanics were 1.6 times as likely as non-Hispanic whites to die from diabetes. The Office of Minority Health, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, HHS Office of Minority Health

Asthma – Nearly 3 million Hispanics have been diagnosed with asthmain their lifetime, and about 2 million of them currently have asthma. More than 1 million Hispanics had an asthma attack in the past year. American Lung Association, www.lungusa.org

Stroke – The average age for stroke in Hispanics is 67 compared to 80 for non-Hispanic whites. Among Hispanic Americans, the risk of stroke is 1.3 times higher at ages 35-64 than for non-Hispanics. Stroke causes the deaths of one in four Hispanic men and one in three Hispanic women. In 2002, Hispanic men were 20 percent less likely to die from a stroke than non-Hispanic white men, and Hispanic women were 30 percent less likely to die from a stroke than non-Hispanic white women. American Stroke Association, a Division of the American Heart Association, www.strokeassociation.org

Obesity - From 1999-2000, Mexican Americans ages 20-74 reported higher rates of overweight (11 percent higher for males and 26 percent higher for females) and obesity (7 percent for males and 32 percent higher for females) than non-Hispanic whites. U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, www.cdc.gov