What is the Future of Preventive Care for Minority Children?

By Nancy Lemus, Daisy Gomez, Donna De Loera and Janette Garfias, Advance Social Policy Students, California State University, Long Beach

During recent times, access to health care coverage has become a common topic of conversation. In taking a look at the barriers that stand in the way of minority children, the list varies with factors that are often dismissed or taken for granted. Minority children compose 53 percent of uninsured American children (Flores et al., 2016). Minority parents are often unaware that their children qualify for Medicaid or CHIP programs. This lack of knowledge often limits children’s ability to access preventive care services that can reduce the number of chronic illness [frequency of chronic illness or number of chronic illnesses] that Latino and African American children face.

In addition, geographical location and the community in which minorities live can also contribute to the health care disparities minority children receive (Hasnain-Wynia et al., 2007). Preventive care services are limited in low-income communities where primary populations tend to be minorities. In a study conducted by Uwemedimo et al. (2011), it was found that preventive care in the form of flu shots was low among minority children in inner-city communities. This can be due to providers not being able to provide services with cultural competency and in languages representative of the communities they work in. Patients may not feel comfortable speaking with their providers about vaccines and other preventive measures they can provide for their children.

High rate of children without health care is in part attributed to the lack of accessibility to appropriate health care coverage. As the Affordable Care Act rolls out, the number of uninsured minority children may increase. Thus, it is critical that we advocate for a comprehensive care reform that not only grants access to health care, but that also helps minority parents navigate the health care system in California. By doing so, parents will increase knowledge and awareness about the importance of accessing preventive care services.

References

Flores, G., Hua, L., Walker, C., Lee, M., Portillo, A., Henry, M. & Massey, K. (2016). A cross-sectional study of parental awareness of and reasons for lack of health insurance among minority children, and the impact on health, access to care, and unmet needs. International Journal for Equity in Health, 151-13. doi:10.1186/s12939-016-0331-y.

Hasnain-Wynia, R., Baker, D. W., Nerenz, D., Feinglass, J., Beal, A. C., Landrum, M. B. & Weissman, J. S. (2007). Disparities in health care are driven by where minority patients seek care: examination of the hospital quality alliance measures. Archives of internal medicine, 167(12), 1233–1239. Chicago.
Uwemedimo, O., Findley, S., Andres, R., Irigoyen, M. & Stockwell, M. (2012). Determinants of influenza vaccination among young children in an inner-city community. Journal of Community Health, 37(3), 663–672.