Health: Educating the Latino Community
After many years as a community health educator targeting the Latino population, I am convinced that the need for more comprehensive, culturally sensitive health education is greater today than ever before.
There are many myths that need to be dispelled. For example, a lot of people in the Latino community believe that diabetes can be cured by drinking home remedies such as herbal teas or just eating cactus plants. They are denying themselves proper treatment. By the time they get to the doctor, they have to go to the emergency room in a comatose state.
Other myths need to be understood and accepted as part of our culture and own beliefs. Yes, some cultural barriers need to be broken in order to succeed in the delivery of health education programs.
Health education is a valuable tool when used with sensitivity to the population we are serving. We need to understand that we do not live in a simple world, rather in a country with a beautiful ethnic and cultural diversity. The need to understand these two factors is very important in our attempts to provide delicate and sometimes controversial information.
Why is it important to have health education and disease prevention programs? Because knowledge is empowerment. We are giving people tools to make informed decisions about their health. We are giving them the responsibility to take charge of their own well-being and the well-being of their families. As a community health educator, I am interested in getting people to understand about their illnesses, get involved in their treatment and develop strong relationships with their health care providers. All of this is an effort to change attitudes, reduce catastrophic illnesses and obtain a quicker recovery.
One out of seven Latinos in the United States is suffering from diabetes. Some don’t even know it. HIV-infected cases are growing at an alarming rate in the Latino community, as well as many other infectious diseases that could be prevented.
Some health agencies are learning that one of the best ways to reach our targeted population is by training lay people from within the same community they are trying to reach. These lay people are called health advocates. I believe this is a great and effective way of delivering health education. Community health advocates understand and have the trust of the people they are serving.
Health education is needed to keep health care costs down. One of the advantages is that people might get sick less often and will not utilize the emergency room for primary care. Also, as people become more educated, they take greater responsibility for their well-being and their chances for a quicker recovery are greater.
As a community health educator, I must remember to be careful in my delivery not just to tell people what to do but rather allow for discussion and participation from my audience. I would like to continue promoting health education programs at the grass-roots level in an effort to help people in their pursuit for healthier bodies and minds.
MARIA M. VARGAS
Executive Director
Mexican American
and Educational Services Center
