Emergence of social determinants in conversations about health with an urban Latino population

Background: Indianapolis houses the largest Latino population in Indiana – a population that is young and quickly growing.  From 2000-2010, Latinos alone accounted for 43% of Indiana’s total growth.  Therefore, it is critical to develop effective health promotion strategies for this population as it continues to emerge.  An academic-community partnership was formed to connect with local Latino communities in order to explore perceptions of health needs, with future intention to design culturally-tailored programs to meet identified needs.  Methods: This pilot research focused on one local urban neighborhood, the Near Eastside (NES).  The NES was selected because of its concentration of Latino residents and high level of health risk factors.  Focus groups in various community settings were conducted with 32 NES Latinos.  The focus groups consisted of questions investigating top health concerns and were co-facilitated by an academic and community partner.  Results: While responses about specific health conditions were expected, the reoccurring themes were actually focused around social determinants on health.  Residents intuitively described barriers to accessing healthcare, fresh foods, and physical activity as influencers of their overall health, but also strongly emphasized high rates of crime, trash, and abandoned housing, low-ranking schools, discrimination, and fear in this same conversation.  Conclusions: The main health concerns of the NES Latino community were not specific to any health conditions but rather, were focused on social determinants of such issues.  Given the increasing recognition of the impact of social determinants on health, it is critical to develop health promotion strategies that incorporate these factors.