Cultural Competency

1. CulturalCompetency:
Hispanic
Megan Simpson

2. Population
 Percentage of the population in the state of Missouri
 4.3%
 Percentage of the population in Sedalia or Mid-Missouri
 10.6%

3. Communication
Issues
 29.8 percent of Hispanics in the U.S. stated that they are not
fluent in English.
 Most obvious communication issue is a language barrier
 Language barriers may deter individuals from seeking care or reduce
the effectiveness of care that they receive
 Try not to use family members as interpreters due to privacy
concerns and emotional involvement
 The use of visual aids, repetition, clarification, and open-ended
questions will help to overcome the language barrier

4. Value of
Homecare and
Access toCare
 According to a study done by the Hispanic Dental Association,
45% of Hispanics living in the United States do not have access to
health insurance (Merrill, 2019).
 Childhood caries are very high among Mexican-American children
(Merrill, 2019)
 87% of the urban Mexican-American mothers do not initiate oral
hygiene practices in compliance with ADA recommendations
(Merrill, 2019).

5. Health &
Nutrition
Health
 The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has cited some of
the leading causes of illness and death among Hispanics, which
include heart disease, cancer, unintentional injuries (accidents),
stroke, and diabetes.
 Some other health conditions and risk factors that significantly
affect Hispanics are asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary
disease, HIV/AIDS, obesity, suicide, and liver disease.
 Hispanics also have a higher rate of obesity than non-Hispanic
whites.
Nutrition
 Hispanics tend to eat more rice, fruits, beef, whole milk, and
typically have a diet that contains less consumption of fat and a
higher intake of dietary fiber.
 (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2019)

6. Healthcare
Practices
Pregnancy and InfantConcerns
 Hispanic mothers were 70 percent as likely to receive late or no
prenatal care as compared to non-Hispanic white mothers, in
2017. (OMH, 2019)
 Puerto Rican infants were twice as likely to die from causes related
to low birthweight or maternal complications than non-Hispanic
white infants. (OMH, 2019)
 In 2017, Central and South American mothers were twice as likely
to receive late or no prenatal care as compared to non-Hispanic
white mothers. (OMH, 2019)
Male vs. Female Roles
 The roles of a traditional Hispanic woman are to be a housewife
and mother. Hispanic women are expected to defer to the
authority of their husbands. (NCBI, 2003)

7. PersonalSpace
 Hispanics often make their points quite directly, but in a relatively
quiet and respectful manner.
 Direct eye contact can be viewed as disrespectful to the Hispanic
culture.
 Hispanic cultures often do not mind physical touch and often find
that it is an inviting gesture.
 (Communication Patterns andAssumptions of Differing Cultural
Groups in the United States, 1999)

8. Religion
 Catholicism is the primary religion among Hispanics in the U.S.
 Other common religions that Hispanics practice are Mainline
Protestants, Evangelical Protestants, and Christianity.
 More than 68% of Hispanic-Catholic’s in the U.S. value their
religious beliefs and practice their religion each day. (Pew
Research Center, 2007).

9. References
 Elliott, C. E. (1999). Communication Patterns andAssumptions of Differing
CulturalGroups in the United States. Retrieved from
https://www.lpi.usra.edu/education/lpsc_wksp_2007/resources/elliott.pdf.
 Galanti, G.-A. (2003).The Hispanic Family and Male-Female Relationships: an
Overview. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12861920.
 Hispanic/Latino Americans Department of Health and Human Services.
(2019). Retrieved from
https://minorityhealth.hhs.gov/omh/browse.aspx?lvl=3&lvlid=64.
 Nathe, C. N. (2017). Dental Public Health & Research:Contemporary Practice for
the Dental Hygienist. Boston: Pearson.
 Quality Of Hispanic Oral Health InThe U.S.: Perceptions Of Dentists And A Call
For Improvement. (2019). BrighamYoung University. Retrieved from
https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1078&context=st
udentpub_uht.
 U.S.Census BureauQuickFacts: Sedalia city, Missouri; Missouri. (2019).
Retrieved from
https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/sedaliacitymissouri,MO/RHI725
218.