MEETING THE HEALTH PROMOTION NEEDS OF HISPANIC COMMUNITIES

This paper conducts a review of the demographic and health status data for Hispanic communities and relates them to the role of culture in health care. The author's recommend that promotion programs for Hispanic communities should focus on specific community data (morbidity rather than mortality), understand the impact of culture and language (cultural competency training and staffing), develop strong outreach components (establish community advisory boards, identify credible community spokespersons and incorporate community residents as health educators), and work in partnership (sharing funds and resources) with community-based organizations.