Latinos in United States feeling impact of pandemic on mental, physical health

The pandemic has taken a heavy toll on the mental and physical health all Americans, but some groups and geographic areas have felt the impact more severely than others.

The MRKT, a multicultural marketing and communications firm, and mitú InTell, its research division, recently surveyed 1,000 U.S. Hispanics across a number of demographic segments about their attitudes, perceptions and behaviors relative to the broader topic of health and wellness.

“What we discovered was at times surprising, alarming and comforting,” mitú President Stephen Brooks said. “Our community has always been resourceful and optimistic, and that remains so, but some of the data are concerning, particularly as it relates to mental health.”

The survey covered four wellness topics:

Mental health

Mental health has declined for all segments since the pandemic began nearly two years ago. This decline is most pronounced among those earning $100,000-plus and least pronounced among those 55 or older. Nearly two-thirds of respondents indicated that mental health is very important to them, particularly the youngest respondents (18-24), who also are less optimistic about their overall health.

Medical

Latinos’ access and use of the health care system often is affected by financial limitations, as well as trust and preferences. Options such as telemedicine may not be closing that gap. Nineteen percent of respondents in the lowest income bracket are uninsured, with 37% of them citing their financial situation as the primary reason they lack this important indicator of medical well-being.

Nutrition

Although nutrition is deemed an important facet of overall health and wellness, its relevance and importance shifts with age and acculturation. Respondents born in the United States indicated a much higher rate (29%) of intergenerational health issues within the family than those born outside the country. U.S.-born respondents also are less likely to rate nutrition as relevant to their lifestyle, less likely to prepare breakfast and lunch at home, and more likely to order meal delivery.

Fitness and exercise

Of the four categories, Latinos aren’t placing as much importance on fitness and exercise (43% vs. 61% for physical health, 49% for nutrition and 65% for mental health). However, their reported habits demonstrate that they are exercising at higher rates compared to two years ago, with 45% saying that they are exercising more often. Latinos are more likely to use exercise to manage a health condition, while Latinas are more likely to use exercise to manage stress and anxiety.

Read more: 

• Hispanic and Latino health and the Affordable Care Act
• Developing DEI: What can your claims data tell you?
• Cultivating wellness: Mental health training in the workplace