Latinos in Los

Angeles

By: Melissa Polo

HSCI 342
November 19, 2014

Why this population?

As a future public health educator, I want to

work with populations in Los Angeles. I feel
that of all the areas in California this region
needs the most help in regards to health.
Latinos are mostly concentrated in Southern
California and Los Angeles holds one of the
biggest portions of Latinos in California. Why
not work with the most vulnerable population?

Socioeconomic Status

Is there a presence of
chronic disease?

Yes!
Diabetes
. In the studies done by UCLA, Latinos were
shown to have one of the highest incidence rate
of diabetes right behind American Indians.
Cancer is also of high incidence in the Latino
population in Los Angeles with prostate cancer
being the cancer afflicting the majority of Latino
males and breast cancer afflicting the majority
of Latinas.

Food Environment
looks like

There is an overabundance of fast food

restaurants surrounding every population.
There are a number of grocery stores in the
Los Angeles but the amount of fast food
locations far outnumbers the grocery stores.

Food Environment looks

like

Physical Activity
Environment
looks
like

There are a few parks and a number of gyms

but for Latinos it is still a struggle to get the
physical activity in their daily lives.
Crime rates and safety are a big concern for
Latinos in the city because it inhibits them
from participating in physical activity

Los Angeles
Environment and

Latinos
The commuter and city lifestyle of Los Angeles
definitely affects the health of Latinos in that
area!
In regards to:
Physical Fitness
What they eat
Socioeconomic Status

Public Health
Interventions

Latino Healthy Living put on by the League of

Latin American Citizens.
This program seeks to educate, inform and distribute
resources in regards to health to those individuals that
would not have had access to it.

Political Factors and

Latinos

Immigration-Their status as immigrants causes

many to pay out of pocket for costly health
care services
It also raises fear in the community to seek
medical attention because many Latinos dread
deportation if they do seek help.

To sum it all up!

Latinos in Los Angeles have many factors to

overcome in order to live a healthy life:
Safety Concerns
Fast Food
Politics (Immigration)
Public Health efforts are going forward to ease
some of the burden Latinos have.