The Challenge of Reaching Out to LA County Latinos - Metamorphosis

Volume 1.2. 2006The Challenge of Reaching Out to LA County LatinosLA COUNTY LATINOS LEARN ABOUT HEALTH INFORMATION AND SERVICES IN A VARIETY OFWAYS, POSING PRESSING CHALLENGES FOR HEALTH SERVICE PROVIDERS.THE STATE OF HEALTH INTHE LATINO COMMUNITYLos Angeles County Latino familiesare facing a health crisis, as obesity,diabetes and cancer affect the communityin alarmingly disproportionate amounts.Latino women have the second lowestrate of accessing adequate prenatalcare, and the second highest obesityrate compared to other ethnic groupsin California.*Latinos are also twice as likely to havediabetes than non-Latinos of similar ages.**These problems are further exacerbatedby an underutilization of health servicessuch as health screenings, healthmaintenance and early interventions.A large part of the challenge is manyLatinos are simply unaware of theservices available to them. Any numberof factors including country of origin,education, income and language caninfluence how Latinos get information.In order to reach out to the communityin ways that better reflect the increasinglycomplex habits of Latinos, healthorganizations need to promote theirservices in linguistically and culturallyappropriate ways. In an effort to helpthem, First 5 LA is partnering with theMetamorphosis Project at the USCAnnenberg School for Communicationto study how Latinos in three specificLA County neighborhoods learn abouthealth services.REACHING NEW IMMIGRANTCOMMUNITIES:• Place messages on Spanish languagetelevision and radio through advertising,public service announcements orearned media placements.• Because this group relies on friendsand family for information, developcreative ways to promote your messageswithin these social networks.• Engage local health professionalsto spread the word aboutavailable resources.• Create culturally-appropriatepamphlets in Spanish.• Identify your audience’s keyneighborhood social destinations –soccer matches, churches, retailstores, markets – and use printedmaterial and other creative waysto reach families in these places.HOW ARELATINO FAMILIESGETTINGHEALTHCAREINFORMATION?REACHING COMMUNITIESWITH A MIX OF NEW ANDOLD IMMIGRANTS:• Place messages on mainstreamtelevision and radio through advertising,public service announcements orearned media placements.• Enlist doctors and other healthprofessionals in outreach efforts.• Use internet websitesand e-newsletters.• Place advertising and stories in ethnicand health-related publications.• Place pamphlets and promotionalmaterials in strategic locations.* Brett & Hayes, 2004** National Diabetes Clearing House, 2002This is the second in a series of communicationbrochures to a multiethnic Los Angeles.

GLENDALE (N=151):DIFFERENTNEIGHBORHOODS,DIFFERENTLEARNING HABITSSurveys of Latino residents in threespecific neighborhoods in Los AngelesCounty illustrate how a one-size-fits-alloutreach approach is unlikely tosucceed. Families in each of theseareas display strikingly differenthabits when it comes to where theygo for reliable information onhealth issues.DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILEGlendale is the third largest city (a 30.5square-mile area) in Los Angeles County.Surrounded by the San GabrielMountains, it lies eight miles northeast ofLos Angeles with three major freewaystraversing the city. Glendale is an ethnicallydiverse area, with about half the 200,000residents being foreign-born. According tothe 2000 Census, non-Hispanic Whiteresidents (excluding Armenians) constituteWESTSIDE35 percent of the population, while 21percent is Armenian, 20 percent is Latinoand 16 percent is Asian from differentcountries of origin. Seventy-nine percentof the Glendale residents over the age of25 have a high school diploma, nearly 40percent own homes, and the medianhousehold income is approximately $41,800.PICO UNION (N=301):from Central American countries). This area isrelatively poor – the Latino median household incomeis $19,408. Only 12 percent have a high school diploma.Relative to the other study areas and samples, PicoUnion residents are the poorest, least educated,youngest, least likely to own a home, and have thehighest usage rate of public transportation as theprimary mode of travel.DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILEPico Union is an ethnically diverse area, close to theCivic Center (1.7 miles) and also borders Koreatown.According to the 2000 Census, almost 79 percent of thepopulation in Pico Union is Latino; of these, 69percent are first-generation immigrants (primarily

HOW DO YOU REACH THE LATINO COMMUNITYWITH HEALTH CARE INFORMATION?GLENDALESOUTHEAST (N=438):SOUTHPASADENAKOREATOWNP ICO UNIONGREATERCRENSHAWEAST LAHUNTINGTONPARKSOUTH GATECUDAHYDEMOGRAPHIC PROFILEThe southeast region includes the contiguous citiesof Huntington Park, South Gate and Cudahy, anarea of 11.6 square miles east of the Los AngelesRiver and Los Angeles city limits. Although theseareas were historically white suburban communities,dramatic demographic and cultural shifts haveoccurred in the last three decades. These areasare now Latino (mostly Mexican-origin) ethnicenclaves. According to the 2000 Census, 96 percent ofthe total population of Huntington Park, 92 percentof South Gate and 94 percent of Cudahy is Latino.Residents are relatively young and only 34 percenthave completed high school. The median householdincome is about $32,500 and about 22 percent livebelow the poverty line. More than half the residentsare first-generation immigrants.

WHAT ISTHE METAMORPHOSIS PROJECT?The project was born in 1992, in large part as a resultof the riots that shook Los Angeles. Dr. Sandra J.Ball-Rokeach, the developer of Metamorphosis, knewthat as a communication researcher, she should havesomething to contribute to policymakers andpractitioners trying to bring about social change.The Metamorphosis Project—Transforming the Tiesthat Bind, the full name of the endeavor, was officiallylaunched in 1998 at the Annenberg School forCommunication, University of Southern California(USC). First 5 LA has funded Metamorphosis Projectresearch since 2002.Metamorphosis asks:• How can people build a sense of community thatcuts across lines of race and ethnicity?• How can residents come together to solvecommon problems?WHO AND WHAT DOES THEMETAMORPHOSIS PROJECT STUDY?The project studies ethnic areas of Los Angeles.So far research has been conducted with thefollowing groups:• African-Americans in the Greater Crenshaw area.• Anglos on the Westside and in South Pasadena.• Chinese in the Greater Monterey Park area.• Koreans in Koreatown.• Latinos in East LA, Pico Union, and the threesoutheast cities of Huntington Park, South Gate,and Cudahy.• Anglos, Latinos, and Armenians in Glendale.First 5 LA is a unique child advocacy organizationcreated by California voters that invests tobaccotax revenues for programs to improve the lives ofchildren prenatal through 5 in Los Angeles County.First 5 LA champions health, education and safetyissues benefiting young children and families.First 5 LA750 Alameda Ave.Los Angeles CA, 90012www.first5la.org(213) 482-5902To learn more about this topic and other researchbeing done by the Metamorphosis Project at USC’sAnnenberg School for Communication, visit thewebsite at www.metamorph.org.