Health Inequities Among Latinos/Hispanics: Documentation Status as a Determinant of Health
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Health Inequities Among Latinos/Hispanics: Documentation Status as a Determinant of Health Jacqueline Cabral 1 & Adolfo G. Cuevas 1 Received: 14 April 2019 / Revised: 17 January 2020 / Accepted: 26 January 2020 # W. Montague Cobb-NMA Health Institute 2020
Abstract The Hispanic/Latino population is the largest minority group in the USA. Research has documented health disadvantages of undocumented Latinos/Hispanics compared to their documented counterparts. The economic and social conditions that influence immigrant health may operate differently for undocumented immigrants compared to their documented counterparts. Access to healthcare, access to health-protective resources (social, economic, and political contributors), and immigration enforcement actions are three mechanisms that affect immigrants and contribute to the social and health inequities within the Latino/Hispanic population. We argue that social factors within these three mechanisms distinctly affect undocumented immigrants. We discuss these factors by synthesizing the existing literature on documentation status and health. In doing so, we highlight opportunities for future research and provide recommendations for policies and interventions that can ease the taxing effects of documentation status on health among Latinos/Hispanics. Keywords Documentation status . Immigrants . Hispanics/Latinos . Health
Introduction Approximately 18% of the Latino/Hispanic population are undocumented in the USA [1]. Research has documented health disadvantages of undocumented Latinos/Hispanics compared to their documented counterparts. Undocumented immigrants, regardless of duration, have higher blood pressure compared to documented immigrants who have been in the USA for a shorter period of time [2]. Undocumented individuals are more likely to report greater depression and social isolation, higher rates of hypertension with longer length of hospital stay, greater anxiety and post-traumatic stress, and higher levels of acculturative stress compared to documented immigrants [2–5]. Moreover, undocumented immigrants present more advanced stage diseases, such as breast cancer and HIV infection, at the beginning of care than their documented counterparts [6, 7]. Concerning maternal and child health, undocumented Latina immigrants are more likely to experience low birth weight cases than documented Latina immigrants [8]. One study revealed that undocumented immigrants * Adolfo G. Cuevas [email protected] 1
Department of Community Health, Tufts University, 574 Boston Ave, Suite 208, Medford, MA 02155, USA
have lower odds of self-rated excellent/very good health status compared to documented immigrants [9]. While undocumented immigrants also have lower odds of having physiciandiagnosed health outcomes (e.g., asthma, hypertension) [9], this may be a result of undocumented immigrants having limited access to healthcare [9]. Undocumented individuals face extremely limited opportunities for social mobility and are often exposed to social environments with poor access to car
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