Language of interview: relevance for research of southwest Hispanics.

Abstract

BACKGROUND. This paper reports the results of a survey investigating health status, access, satisfaction with care, and barriers to care in Arizona. The major focus is on the association between language of interview and the dependent measures; interviews were conducted in English and Spanish. METHODS. The differences between groups were tested using chi-square statistics for each independent categorical variable; the significance of all the independent variables on each of the dependent variables was tested simultaneously using maximum likelihood logistical regression models. RESULTS. Language of interview for Hispanic children was a significant variable, more important than ethnicity itself, in determining health status, access, satisfaction with care, and barriers to care; language of interview for Hispanic adults was not a significant measure, but neither was ethnicity. Instead, income affected access to care for adults. CONCLUSIONS. This pattern of results suggests that in the southwestern United States, studies on health status and access to care that use only ethnicity and do not include language of interview may fail to identify populations of Hispanic children who are remarkably more vulnerable. Public health research of Hispanic populations can be more instrumental toward policy improvement if it increases its specificity with this heterogeneous group. Analysis of language of interview has a low cost and a high benefit toward this specification.

Immigrants and the utilization of hospital emergency departments

“…[51] Although a few studies have examined health care satisfaction among non-English speakers in the United States, these studies have shown the negative impact of language barriers and lack of proper communication on patients' satisfaction. A study [52] from Arizona revealed that the language of interview was a significant variable in determining satisfaction among Hispanic children patients. Furthermore, in another study, [53] it was suggested that language barriers may help explain the lower levels of satisfaction among Asian Pacific Islanders compared to those of the white population.…”

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“…2 Language barriers affect multiple aspects of health care for the LEP patient, including access to care, health status, and use of health services. 3 Studies document that LEP patients often defer needed medical care, 4 have a higher risk of leaving the hospital against medical advice, 5 are less likely to have a regular health care provider, 6 and are more likely to miss follow-up appointments, 7 to be nonadherent with medications, 7 and to be in fair/poor health. 6 A medical interpreter is an essential component of effective communication between the LEP patient and the health care provider.…”

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“…LEP patients are more likely than others to report being in fair or poor health, defer needed medical care, leave the hospital against medical advice, miss follow-up appointments, or experience drug complications; they are also less likely to have a regular health care provider. 5 A survey of Latino parents revealed that language issues were cited as the single greatest barrier to health care access for their children. 6 One-fourth of parents identified language as an access barrier, specifically, with lack of interpreter services and providers who do not speak Spanish.…”