Driving Research on Latino Health

Georgia has the country’s third fastest-growing Latino population, but the last report on their health status largely was based on 2000 census data and did not account for the impact of the economic recession or Georgia’s strict immigration law. It was time, the Hispanic Health Coalition of Georgia (hhcga) decided, to provide updated health information on the state’s Latinos.

Coalition leaders needed an experienced research partner. After just one call to Emory’s Office of University-Community Partnerships, a committee of health experts helped hhcga write a successful grant proposal. The Healthcare Georgia Foundation provided $150,000 to hhcga to update its Report on the Health Status of Latinos in Georgia in collaboration with Rollins.

Project director Karen Andes, assistant professor of global health, has studied Latino health issues for more than 25 years. Under her guidance, five Emory graduate students conducted the research, with each student responsible for specific health issues such as maternal and child health or chronic illness. Brianna Keefe-Oates 13mph sought data from the 2010 census; reports, databases, and websites; and journal articles to research hiv/aids and domestic violence.

“I’ve learned a lot about the specific health needs and challenges that Latinos in Georgia face,” says Keefe-Oates, who is from California. “A lot of services that exist in California aren’t available in Georgia, where the Latino population is fairly new.”

All of the students are working with Andes to prepare a report that will debut at the Latino Health Summit, organized by Emory’s Urban Health Initiative and being held at Rollins in June.

Heidy Guzman, hhcga executive director, welcomes the students’ contributions. “They are helping describe and improve the health status for a growing segment of Georgia’s population.”

—Sylvia Wrobel