Finding Gaps in Hispanic Population Health Research

August 17, 2021 - A new study examines past and present research to determine changes in Hispanic population health findings over the years and necessary improvements still to be made.

In demographic and health research, Hispanic populations often are treated as a homogenous block despite notable differences in race, national origin, immigration status, etc. However, combining the diverse group into one uniform block means that researchers are missing key factors associated with health disparities.

Melissa DuPont-Reyes, PhD, assistant professor at the Texas A&M University School of Public Health, and colleagues from the University of Maryland and the University of Texas searched through datasets of health and sociodemographic research going back to 1960. The team found more than 100 datasets that included Hispanic populations.

The team of researchers then grouped the studies into three age categories: 1960 to 1979; 1980 to 1999; and 2000 to 2019. The researchers then analyzed the study designs and data such as demographics, migration history, socioeconomic status, and health indications within the datasets.

The analysis showed that the percentage of studies including Hispanic populations increased over time, going from about 9 percent in the oldest groups of studies to almost 95 percent in recent years. According to researchers, this indicated a growth in the Hispanic population in the United States, which was driven by immigration and US birth rates at different points during the study periods.

Additionally, the researchers discovered other contributions, including a high level of inclusion of adult populations and a significant increase in older adult Hispanic populations in studies between the oldest and newest age category.

The researchers also found an increase in studies measuring both ethnic and racial identity throughout the age categories, starting at 22 percent (1960-1979) to 50 percent (2000-2019). The increase indicated that researchers are noticing the diverse nature of Hispanic populations.

The team also identified areas in which bodies of research need improvement.

“The first of these is a heavy reliance on cross-sectional data, which gives an incomplete picture of complex social and political factors and their effects on health. Their analysis also noted gaps in data on children and youth, gender identity and sexual orientation and various other factors like discrimination, race and ethnicity, and national origin and immigration history. Studies of children and youth are vital as childhood experiences significantly affect health outcomes later in life,” the press release stated.

Increasingly, studies are including gender identity and sexual orientation data. However, the proportion of studies with this data remains small and lacks information from past generations, impacting the understanding of challenges facing sexual minorities.

Additionally, the researchers found a lack of data regarding place of birth and immigration status, which affects health and sociodemographic outcomes.

“There is also a great need for health research that investigates how race, income, education, location and other factors interact to affect health outcomes and possibly contribute to health disparities,” the press release stated.

The greater amount of data in Hispanic population health research shows the growth in the population. However, areas of data collection still need improvement to better identify health disparities and factors that contribute to them.

“Having a better understanding of how these factors interact and an increased recognition of the heterogeneous nature of the Hispanic population is needed to inform public health interventions aimed at reducing health disparities,” the press release concluded.