Support Hispanic and Latino Health this Month

Health Data and Resources for Hispanic Heritage Month Support Hispanic and Latino Health with Resources from DNPAO Everyone should have the opportunity to be as healthy as possible, but health disparities continue to severely impact our nation’s health. Some chronic diseases and conditions disproportionately affect Hispanic and Latino communities. CDC's Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity (DNPAO) has resources to help. Scroll to learn more about promotions, recent data releases, and publications that impact the Hispanic and Latino community.

Hispanic Heritage Month 2019 - Active and HealthyDuring Hispanic Heritage Month, the HHS Office of Minority Health (OMH) joins the national celebration of the culture, achievements and contributions of Hispanics and Latinos in the United States.  In 2019, OMH will focus on raising awareness on the importance of daily physical activity among the Hispanic/Latino community. Physical activity can help to prevent, reduce, or delay the occurrence of many chronic health conditions that disproportionately impact this community, such as Type 2 diabetes and obesity.

Recent Publications by DNPAO Authors

Knowledge of health conditions associated with sugar-sweetened beverage intake is low among US Hispanic adults. This article, published in the American Journal of Health Promotion, found that many Hispanic adults may be unaware of the negative health effects associated with high consumption of sugary drinks. Nearly 88% of Hispanic adults reported having at least one sugary drink a day.  1 in 4 Hispanic adults did not know that sugary drink intake was related to weight gain and type 2 diabetes.  The majority of Hispanic adults are unaware that dental cavities, hypertension, high cholesterol, and heart disease are related to consuming sugary drinks. The authors found that knowing the potential health consequences of sugary drinks did not change behavior .

Perceptions of drinking water safety and their associations with plain water intake among US Hispanic adults. This recent article by CDC authors published in the Journal of Water and Health found that negative perceptions of tap water were common among US Hispanic adults.  Nearly 1 in 4 Hispanic adults consumed water 1 time a day or less. 65% of those surveyed thought that bottled water was safer than tap water, and 69% agreed that they would buy less bottled water if they knew their tap water was safe.  34% of Hispanics thought their home tap water was unsafe to drink, and 41% thought their community tap water was unsafe.

Trends in Meeting Physical Activity Guidelines Among Urban and Rural Dwelling Adults — United States, 2008–2017 Since 2008, the percentage of people meeting the physical activity recommendations increased from among both urban and rural residents. But disparities persist:  Among urban residents, all subgroups reported increases. Among rural residents, no increases were reported among Hispanics and adults living in the South.  This lack of improvement is notable and concerning because of demonstrated burdens of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and related conditions in these groups. Physical activity lowers the risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and depression, helps improve sleep, and reduces anxiety.

New Data Releases from DNPAO

Breastfeeding Rates: Results from the 2018 National Immunization Survey Breastfeeding rates differ by race and ethnicity. The National Immunization Survey (NIS) provides information on the number of children who breastfeed each year, by state. The latest data reports on children born in 2016.  Although more than 4 out of 5 of Hispanic infants start out breastfeeding, just 1 out of 5 of Hispanic infants are exclusively breastfed as recommended at 6 months.

The 2018 Adult Obesity Prevalence Maps Each year CDC releases the Adult Obesity Prevalence Maps for all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and US territories. The maps show self-reported adult obesity prevalence by race/ethnicity and location.  In 2018, nine states reported an adult obesity prevalence at or above 35%.  Combined data from 2016-2018 showed notable differences by race and ethnicity.  See the Animated Obesity Prevalence Maps for Hispanic Adults from 2011-2018 for more on historic trends in obesity among Hispanic adults.

Significant Events

REACH Celebrates 20th Anniversary This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health (REACH) program, one of the only CDC programs that focuses on reducing chronic disease for specific racial and ethnic groups in urban, rural, and tribal communities with high disease burden.  Since 1999, REACH has been at the forefront of CDC’s efforts to address racial and ethnic disparities in health, partnering with the most affected communities to prevent chronic disease and improve health.