Access to assistive technology (AT) information in Spanish on state and territory program websites: United States, 2018

BackgroundCompared to non-Hispanic white individuals, assistive technology (AT) utilization is lower among Hispanic individuals.^1–7 In the US, Spanish is the 2nd most frequently spoken language. Greater than one-fifth of Spanish-speaking households are limited English proficiencty (LEP) households (i.e., all individuals over age 14 in the household speak English less than "very well").⁸ Availability of AT materials in Spanish is one factor influencing knowledge about and utilization of AT among Spanish-speakers.ObjectiveTo examine the availability of Spanish-language AT information on state AT program websites and to assess the relationship between availability and state demographic and linguistic characteristics.MethodsIn 2018, we evaluated 56 state and territory AT program websites for the availability of AT information in Spanish. We calculated 4 measures (US Hispanic population in the state/territory; Hispanic individuals as a proportion of state population; overall Spanish-speaking households, and Spanish-speaking, limited English proficient households) from the 2016 American Community Survey and created ranked lists for each measure. Point biserial (r_pb) correlations were calculated to test associations between each measure and availability of AT information in Spanish on each program’s website.ResultsSixteen program websites (15 states, 1 territory) provided access to Spanish-language AT information. None of the 4 measures were strongly associated with this outcome (r_pb ranged from 0.30 to 0.42). For any of the 4 measures, no more than half of states in the top 10 ranks offered online access to AT information in Spanish.ConclusionsImproving the online availability of AT information in Spanish is necessary to increase equity in AT utilization among Spanish-speaking people with disabilities.     

Gender and Acculturation in Relation to Alcohol Use among Hispanic (Latino) Adults in Two Areas of the Northeastern United States

Telephone surveys were conducted in English or Spanish for 665 Hispanic adult residents of Long Island (New York) and Connecticut in 1992. Reported alcohol use was higher among men than women. In multivariate analyses using logistic regression, both gender and level of acculturation (positive association) were associated with drinking 1 day or more during the past month and with drinking at least 1 day per week. The association between drinking and acculturation was much stronger among women than men; thus, the gender difference in drinking declined with increasing level of acculturation. Studies are needed to delineate the processes whereby gender and acculturation influence the drinking behavior of Hispanics in different geographic areas.     

Breast Cancer Risk in Hispanic Agricultural Workers in California

Abstract

In a registry-based case-control study/of breast cancer in farm labor union members in Qalifornia, 128 breast cancer (BC) cases newly diagnosed in 1988-2001 and 640 cancer-free controls were investigated. Stage and grade of disease at diagnosis were about the same asin the California Hispanic population. Risk of breast cancer was not associated with work with any specific crops or commodities except mushrooms, where the adjusted odds ratio (OR) was 6.00 (95% CI 2.01–18.0) Controlling for covariates, adjusted ORs (and 95% CIs) for breast cancer in quartiles of pesticide use were 1.00, 1.30 (0.73–2.30), 1.23 (0.67–2.27), and 1.41 (0.66–3.02). Chlordane, malathion, and 2,4-D were associated with increased risk. Risk associated with chemical use was stronger in younger women, those with early-onset breast cancer, and those diagnosed earlier (1988–1994).     

If we offer,will they come: Perceptions of yoga among Hispanics

ObjectiveYoga is underutilized by the Hispanics. This study examined perceptions of benefits and barriers to yoga among Hispanic adults, to provide information that may increase their participation in this practice.SettingParticipants were recruited from a Community Center serving low-income Hispanics.DesignSelf-administered cross-sectional questionnaires assessing benefits and barriers to yoga were conducted in Spanish and English. Fisher’s exact test was used to examine perceptions of yoga by gender, age, and prior experience.ResultsParticipants (ages 18–85, 65 % women, n = 121) reported several benefits to yoga. Hispanic women, individuals 65 y or older, and those with prior experience, perceived more benefits. Barriers to yoga also differed by demographics. Men reported that time and the perception that they would have to do unrealistic pretzel-like poses as deterrents to yoga practice; younger individuals perceived yoga to be boring, and those with no experience perceived lack of flexibility and feeling like an outsider in class, as barriers to yoga. The most common barrier, across subgroups, was the cost associated with yoga practice. The majority of participants reported being willing to attend yoga classes if offered at a low cost.ConclusionPerceived barriers related to yoga reflect a lack of knowledge about yoga and what it entails and the cost of classes. Despite these barriers, Hispanic adults from a low-income population said they would be willing to attend yoga classes if offered at a low cost. Understanding and addressing these barriers can help researchers and health practitioners improve diversity in yoga classes and research.     

The Multidimensional Influence of Acculturation on Digit Symbol-Coding and Wisconsin Card Sorting Test in Hispanics

Objective: The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the relative contribution of acculturation to two tests of nonverbal test performance in Hispanics.

Method: This study compared 40 Hispanic and 20 non-Hispanic whites on Digit Symbol-Coding (DSC) and the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) and evaluated the relative contribution of the various acculturation components to cognitive test performance in the Hispanic group.

Results: Hispanics performed significantly worse on DSC and WCST relative to non-Hispanic whites. Multiple regressions conducted within the Hispanic group revealed that language use uniquely accounted for 11.0% of the variance on the DSC, 18.8% of the variance on WCST categories completed, and 13.0% of the variance in perseverative errors on the WCST. Additionally, years of education in the United States uniquely accounted for 14.9% of the variance in DSC.

Conclusions: The significant impact of acculturation on DSC and WCST lends support that nonverbal cognitive tests are not necessarily culture free. The differential contribution of acculturation proxies highlights the importance of considering these separate components when interpreting performance on neuropsychological tests in clinical and research settings. Factors, such as the country where education was received, may in fact be more meaningful information than the years of education of education attained. Thus, acculturation should be considered an important factor in any cognitive evaluation of culturally diverse individuals.     

Altar-Making with Latino Families

Summary

This paper explores the uses of making altars in family therapy. Offering artistic expression in the form of altar-making can serve as a creative resource for clients, especially for many Latinos/Hispanics familiar with Catholicism, altars, and/or folk healing beliefs. Altar- making can have many uses. Specifically, altar-making can help people explore spiritual themes in their lives, cope with bereavement and grief, help clients remember their loved ones (White, 1997), memorialize the living, unify families, help families and couples learn to work collaboratively, and strengthen blended families. Suggestions for creating an altar are discussed from a narrative therapy perspective. A case illustration and an artist's perspective are also provided.     

Diet and Acculturation Among Hispanic/Latino Older Adults in the United States: A Review of Literature and Recommendations

Among U.S. and foreign-born Hispanic/Latino older adults living in the United States, associations of dietary acculturation and health outcomes have yielded no consistent findings. The purpose of this review was to present current knowledge and research disparities on acculturation, dietary intake, and health outcomes among the fastest growing minority group in the United States. Fifteen peer-reviewed studies that measured dietary acculturation among Mexican, Puerto Rican, and Dominican older adults living in the United States were identified and examined. This literature review divulged contradictory associations between dietary acculturation and dietary intake, along with nutritional and general health outcomes. Conclusive evidence has yet to be attained due to use of cross-sectional study designs and numerous acculturation measures as well as unique cultural and dietary patterns across diverse Hispanic/Latino populations. Further research is needed to ascertain dietary acculturation among U.S. and foreign-born Hispanic/Latino older adults in the United States and should strive to develop instruments that consider the social, economic, and political environments that influence the dietary acculturation process. Furthermore, longitudinal study designs and qualitative methodologies are warranted.     

A Qualitative Investigation of Cancer Survivorship Experiences Among Rural Hispanics

Cancer survivorship experiences were explored among Hispanic men and women with cancer and family members of cancer survivors, recruited from two rural Washington communities in the Lower Yakima Valley. Five focus groups were conducted from February 2006 to October 2007 with 31 women and 10 men. Disbelief, fear, sadness, strength, courage, faith, and hope were common reactions to diagnosis. Concerns about family/children, losing medical coupons, and feelings of depression/isolation were identified as challenges faced after diagnosis. Participants identified smoking and environmental exposures as causes of cancer, but many believed operating on tumors caused cancer to spread. Participants used conventional treatments but identified herbal/natural remedies as cures. Most participants reported negative experiences with physicians and believed their community would benefit from language-appropriate information regarding prevention and treatment. The importance of linking survivors through support groups was emphasized and information elicited from sessions has been used to organize survivor support groups in these two communities.     

Letting Go of the Land

Abstract

Background: Farmers have high rates of hearing loss, yet little is known about the hearing status of migrant agricultural workers. We performed a cross-sectional survey to assess the prevalence and impact of hearing loss in this population.

Methods: One hundred fifty migrant and seasonal agricultural workers were surveyed at a series of health fairs held at migrant camps. A bilingual questionnaire included items related to hearing loss risk factors and subjective hearing difficulties. Pure tone audiometry and tympanometry were performed in a mobile testing van.

Results: More than half the subjects had some degree of hearing loss at audiometric frequencies between 500 and 6000 Hz, especially in the higher frequencies. Hispanic males in the sample had significantly greater prevalence of high-frequency hearing loss compared to adults in the national Hispanic Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (HHANES). More than 35% of respondents complained of subjective difficulty hearing or understanding speech, yet no workers reported use of hearing aids. Even after adjusting for measured hearing loss, Hispanic farm workers were more likely than their English-speaking counterparts to complain of difficulty hearing or understanding speech, suggesting that language barriers could worsen the impact of hearing loss. Risk factors for hearing loss included age and abnormal tympanometry. Occupational exposures to noise from tractors and other machinery as well as pesticides were frequently reported, while use of hearing protection was rare.

Conclusion: Hearing loss is a significant and under-recognized problem in the migrant worker population. Further preventive and treatment efforts are warranted.