State Hispanics lag in hospital trips, receive more maternity care - Arkansas

“Across Arkansas, statistics compiled by the state Department of Health and Human Services show Hispanic patients accounted for only 2 percent of all hospital discharges in the past five years — while comprising at least 4.7 percent of the state’s population. Scholars and health officials say language barriers, financial constraints, their younger age and better health may be keeping Hispanics out of hospitals nationwide.

Hispanics also are receiving a proportionally larger share of maternity and childcare support from the state. Since 2002, Hispanics accounted for 12 percent of all users of the state’s Women, Infants and Children program, which provides food and education to mothers. Overall, Hispanics represented 18 percent of all maternity patients served by the state so far this year.”

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