The Hispanic Paradox and Implications for Pharmacy Practice
by Claudia D. Betancourt Perez, 2024 PharmD Candidate, Luis M. Marin, 2024 PharmD Candidate, Robert M. Mueller, PharmD, BCPS
"The Hispanic/Latino population is the largest racial and ethnic minority group in the United States, and has an immense impact on the cultural diversity, economy, and public health of the country. As a minority group, Hispanics often face several health disparities, such as low socioeconomic status, limited access to health services, low health literacy, and language barriers. Despite these disparities and the high prevalence of cardiovascular disease within the Hispanic population, studies have indicated that on average Hispanics have lower all-cause and cardiovascular mortality rates than non-Hispanic Whites. This phenomenon has been described as the “Hispanic Paradox.” Various theories have been proposed to explain the paradox, including the healthy migrant hypothesis, the salmon bias, acculturation, and the dominant resilience hypothesis. Understanding the different aspects of the Hispanic Paradox can help provide pharmacists with an insight on how to provide patient-centered care and potentially improve outcomes by assessing nutritional quality, psychological and social factors, language, health literacy, socioeconomic status, and the use of complementary and alternative medicine."
Keywords: United States, Ethnicity, Acculturation, Minority Groups, Cardiovascular Diseases, Prevalence, Transients and Migrants, Pharmacists, Salmon Bias, Ethnic and Racial Minorities, Hispanic or Latino, Socioeconomic Factors, Cultural Diversity
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2023 July/August Table of Contents
"The Hispanic/Latino population is the largest racial and ethnic minority group in the United States, and has an immense impact on the cultural diversity, economy, and public health of the country. As a minority group, Hispanics often face several health disparities, such as low socioeconomic status, limited access to health services, low health literacy, and language barriers. Despite these disparities and the high prevalence of cardiovascular disease within the Hispanic population, studies have indicated that on average Hispanics have lower all-cause and cardiovascular mortality rates than non-Hispanic Whites. This phenomenon has been described as the “Hispanic Paradox.” Various theories have been proposed to explain the paradox, including the healthy migrant hypothesis, the salmon bias, acculturation, and the dominant resilience hypothesis. Understanding the different aspects of the Hispanic Paradox can help provide pharmacists with an insight on how to provide patient-centered care and potentially improve outcomes by assessing nutritional quality, psychological and social factors, language, health literacy, socioeconomic status, and the use of complementary and alternative medicine."
Keywords: United States, Ethnicity, Acculturation, Minority Groups, Cardiovascular Diseases, Prevalence, Transients and Migrants, Pharmacists, Salmon Bias, Ethnic and Racial Minorities, Hispanic or Latino, Socioeconomic Factors, Cultural Diversity
Download PDF
2023 July/August Table of Contents