The Hispanic Community of
Paterson N.J.
ANALYSIS OF THE EFFECTS OF CULTURE ON
HEALTH PRACTICES
BARBARA PSAROUDIS R.N.
Objectives of Presentation
 To understand the role that culture plays in health
practices in the community
 To examine beliefs that impede or enhance health
and wellness
 To analyze group patterns in order to facilitate
positive change
 To propose solutions that will promote healthier
lifestyles
 Nurses
Health Care
Workers
 Social Workers
Target
Audience
 Community Health Workers
 Politicians and Policy makers
 Hospital Administrators
 Physicians
 Clergy
Outline of Presentation
 Description of target population
 Analysis of health beliefs
 Illness needs of community
 Management of health and illness needs
 Summary and Analysis
Paterson Population Demographics 2009
 Hispanic - 83,086 (56.7%)
 Black alone - 42,327 (28.9%)
 White alone - 17,858 (12.2%)
 Asian alone - 3,190 (2.2%)
 Other race alone - 1,120 (0.8%)
 Two or more races - 534 (0.4%)

http://www.city-data.com/races/races-Paterson-New-Jersey.html
Population Demographics Comparison
2000 U.S. Census
**Pew Hispanic Center
2000 U.S. Census
 Paterson
 New Jersey
 149,222
 Hispanic– 50.1%
 Median household
income $ 32,778
 29.1% of Hispanics in
Paterson live in
poverty**
8,414,350
 Hispanic– 13.3%
 Median household
income-$55,146
Hispanics currently
acHreHipresent over
50% of
Races HH
in Paterson
Education tEhe Paterson
EDUCATION
EpElation8.2%
Bachelor's degree
or higher, percent
of persons age
25+, 2000 –8.2%
29.8%
EDUCATION
High school graduates,
percent of persons age 25+,
2000 - 58.5%
Number
%
Passaic County Total Population 489,049 100 %
Hispanic or Latino (of any race)
146,492 30 %
Mexican
20,859 4.3%
- Puerto Rican
41,324 8.4%
- Cuban
Other Hispanic or Latino
Not Hispanic or Latino
3,009 0.6 %
81,300 16.6 %
342,557 70 %
Religious Beliefs
 Majority are Catholic with increasing presence of
Pentecostals
 Health is a gift from God and should not be taken for
granted
 Prevention of illness
 through prayer
http://culturediversity.org/hisp.htm
.
Social Customs
 Elders have prestigious status
 Family often looks to elders for advice
 Paternalism– male- dominated family
 Family often turns to home remedies
 More emotionally expressive
 Expectation of being pampered when ill

http://culturediversity.org/hisp.htm
Language
 40.3% of residents of Paterson speak English at home.
 50.7% of residents speak Spanish at home (49% speak
English very well,
 51% speak English less than very well).
 **Language can be a barrier is accessing Healthcare System
Nutrition
 Latino families face disproportionately high rates of
hunger, food insecurity, and obesity.
 Access to nutritious food is key in addressing these
conditions.
 Need to improve nutrition in the Latino community by
increasing access to federal food assistance programs,
resources, and education.
OBESITY
One in four Hispanic adults living
in the U. S. was obese
(having a Body Mass Index of 30
or more).
More than one in six (16.8%)
Hispanic high school students is
overweight.
Food insecurity affects 21.7% of Latino
households compared to 8.6% of
non-Hispanics
Hispanics' rates of being overweight are significantly higher than white
high schoolers (11.8%) Greater reliance on high-calorie and high-fat
foods associated with poverty and food insecurity Hispania News no date
http://www.hispanianews.com/archive/2006/07/21/07.htm
Obesity and Activity
 Diminished physical activity: Nearly half ( 47.6%) of all
Hispanics live in central city households which often
lack opportunities to be physically active

 Many poor urban families typically live in
neighborhoods where getting exercise and being able
to play outside is less feasible and even dangerous.
Education
 According to a 2007 U.S. Census Bureau report,
61 percent of Hispanics in comparison to 89
percent non-Hispanic Whites have a high school
diploma. 12.5 percent of Hispanics in comparison
to 30.5 percent of non-Hispanic whites have a
bachelor’s degree.
Health Practices
 “Present-oriented” society leading to neglect of

preventative care
Birth control other than rhythm is unacceptable due
to Catholicism
Most see thinness as a problem and plumpness as
the ideal
Turn to family and friends to problem
solve before Social Workers
Curandero—holistic healer

http://culturediversity.org/hisp.htm




Health Concerns
 Leading causes of illness and death among Hispanics,
which include heart disease, cancer, unintentional
injuries (accidents), stroke, and diabetes (CDC).
 Other health conditions and risk factors that significantly
affect Hispanics are: asthma, chronic obstructive
pulmonary disease, HIV/AIDS, obesity, suicide, and liver
disease.
http://minorityhealth.hhs.gov/templates/browse.aspx?lvl=2&lvlID=54
Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD)
 Gonorrhea prevalence rate among Hispanics/Latinos was 69.2. This rate is 1.9
times higher than the 2007 rate among whites (34.7 cases per 100,000
population).
 Chlamydia prevalence rate among Hispanics/Latinos (473.2) was also three
times higher than that of whites (162.3) in 2007.
 Syphilis prevalence rate increased 22.9% among Hispanics/Latinos (from 3.5 to
4.3 per 100,000 population). (from 2006-2007)
Diabetes
Mexican American adults were 2 times more likely than nonHispanic white adults to have been diagnosed with diabetes by a
physician.
In 2005 Hispanics were 1.6 times as likely as non-Hispanic Whites
to die from diabetes.
End-stage renal disease (ESRD).
Male Hispanics had substantially
higher proportions of ESRD
attributed to diabetes
than did Blacks or Whites,
•
http://minorityhealth.hhs.gov/templates/browse.aspx?lvl=2&lvlID=54
TB
 Tuberculosis (TB)

For the fourth
consecutive year,
Hispanics/Latinos
exceeded all other racial
or ethnic groups with the
largest percentage (29%)
of total cases in the
United States.
HIV/AIDS
Hispanics/Latinos are disproportionately affected by
HIV/AIDS. The overall prevalence rate for
Hispanics/Latinos (585 cases per 100,000 population)
was nearly three times the rate for whites (224 cases
per 100,000 population).
In 2005, HIV/AIDS was the fourth leading
cause of death among Hispanic/Latino men and women
aged 35 to 44 years.
http://www.cdc.gov/nchhstp/healthdisparities/Hispanics.html
Health Promotion and Disease Prevention
.
 a. Cervical Cancer. Because of the very high incidence of cervical
cancer among Hispanic/Latino women, special attention to appropriate
screening is recommended.
 b. Diabetes. Periodic blood glucose monitoring for Puerto Rican and
Mexican American elders is recommended because of the high
incidence of diabetes,
 c. Depression. Appropriate assessment of depression is important,
especially among less acculturated older women.

(Espino et al, 2000)
Economic
Roadblocks
Hispanics are
more likely to
be uninsured
than whites or
AfricanAmericans,
face elevated
rates of obesity,
diabetes, and
asthma.
Community Resources
 Hispanic Multi-Purpose Services Center
911 East 23rd Street, Paterson, NJ 07504
(973) 684-3320
Relocation assistance, shelter, housing, emergency food, education, and
employment services.
 Hogar Infantil
560-566 Main Street, Paterson, NJ 07503
(973) 279-4486
A child development and day care center open to all residents of Paterson, with
before- and after-school programs for income-eligible families.
 Community Action for Social Affairs (CASA)
84-86 Mill Street, Paterson, NJ 07505
(973) 523-5452
 Provides employment services, emergency food, vouchers, translation services
Abstract
 Hispanics are currently the largest ethnic minority group in the
United States and are expected to comprise approximately 30%
of the total U.S. population by 2050. More generally, barring
significant policy changes, immigrants and their descendants
across all ethnic groups will account for most population growth
during the next several decades(Pew Hispanic Center, 2008). As
these trends indicate, there is an urgent need for research
focused on Hispanic health
 Paterson N.J. is an urban city, located in northern N.J., just 25
miles from New York City. Its Hispanic residents face crime,
poor education, and increasing health problems, for the most
part brought on by poverty, language barriers and decreased
access to primary care physicians
References
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http://pewhispanic.org/states/?stateid=NJ on May 5, 2011
Espino, D.V., Palmer, R.F., Miles, T.P., Mouton, C.P., Wood, R.C., Bayne, NS, &
Markides, K.P., (2000). Prevalence, incidence, and risk factors associated with hip
Health disparities in HIV/AIDS, viral hepatitis, stds, and tb: Hispanics/ Latinos. Jan 25, 2010.
Center for Disease Control and Prevention. retreived from
http://www.cdc.gov/nchhstp/healthdisparities/Hispanics.html. May 4, 2011.
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http://www.nclr.org/index.php/issues_and_programs/health_and_nutrition/healthy_foods
_families
Hispanic/Latino Profile 2009. The Office of Minority Health.. Department of Health and Human
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