Baltimore, MD (July 18, 2013) - The Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DHMH) has released a new report, "Hispanics in Maryland: Health Data and Resources,” the second in a series to raise awareness of health conditions and provide educational resources for minority populations in the state.
Between 2000 and 2010, Maryland’s Hispanic population doubled to more than 470,000, accounting for 8.2 percent of the state’s population.
The report highlights a number of troubling health disparities facing Hispanics in Maryland. For example, Hispanics in Maryland were three times more likely to not be able to afford seeing a doctor, and were five times more likely to be without health insurance, than Non-Hispanic Whites. Hispanics ages 18-64 were more obese than their Non-Hispanic Whites counterparts, and were significantly less likely to engage in leisure time physical activities. The HIV incidence rate was 3.6 times higher and the AIDS incidence rate was 4.7 times higher, for Hispanics than for Non-Hispanic Whites in Maryland. Tuberculosis incidence was 15 times higher for Hispanics than Non-Hispanic Whites in Maryland.
"As Maryland’s population continues to become more diverse, it is critical for us to understand the health challenges facing specific communities. This knowledge allows us to work to improve outcomes with targeted resources and outreach," said Dr. Joshua M. Sharfstein, DHMH Secretary.
The release of the report coincides with the launch of new Spanish-language website resources on the DHMH website. These include information about various public health issues, as well as translated forms for some of the Department’s core services. The new information can be viewed at http://dhmh.maryland.gov/
This spring, the Department released its report on Maryland’s Asian and Pacific Islander population. The Department also plans to develop and release reports focusing on American Indian and African American health data and resources. For information about the work of the DHMH Office Minority Health and Health Disparities, visit http://dhmh.maryland.gov/
###
