Mental Health and Healthcare Utilization among Latinas Residing in a new Latino Destination

Introduction: Latino women, Latinas, experience health care disparities. There is growing interest in Latino experiences in new Latino destinations. We will describe the effects of self-reported anxiety and depression on delaying health care among Latinas residing in a new Latino destination, net of sociocultural factors associated with healthcare utilization.

Methods: This study employed a community based participatory research approach. A survey was developed based on focus groups and a town hall meeting. Snowball sampling resulted in a sample of 287 predominantly Puerto Rican and Dominican women in Northeastern, NY. Acculturation, chronic conditions, place of birth, past health care experiences, and demographics were also analyzed in multivariate models.

Results: Women reporting depression and/or anxiety were more likely to also report delaying care (OR: 3.1, 95% CI: 1.6 – 6.0), after controlling for acculturation, having a chronic health condition, age, education, and place of birth. Other factors associated with delays include reporting a chronic health condition (OR: 2.2, 95% CI: 1.2 – 4.2) and reporting less than a high school education (OR: 2.3, 95% CI: 1.1 – 4.7). Women younger than 40 were less likely to delay care (OR: 0.4, 95% CI: 0.5 – 0.9). Acculturation and nativity did not explain the findings.

Conclusions: Results suggest that depression and anxiety may be a potent barrier to obtaining health care. Sociocultural factors and past experiences using health care may also play a role. This study suggests that addressing mental health needs as well as sociocultural factors may be necessary for eliminating health care disparities among Latinas.