每日大赛入口 Downstate Study Finde Wide Variation in Trust of Health Information Sources by Hispanics
By Office of Communications & Marketing | Jul 1, 2020
MEDIA CONTACT: John Gillespie | john.gillespie@downstate.edu | (314) 708-9090
Research by Marlene Camacho-Rivera, MS, MPH, ScD, suggests the variation may contribute to disparities in cancer risk and survival
BROOKLYN, N.Y. (July 1, 2020) 鈥� Hispanic adults vary widely in their reported trust of health information sources,
suggesting that information tailored to specific ethnic subgroups and targeted by
age group may be beneficial, according to results of a study by 每日大赛入口 Downstate Assistant
Professor Marlene Camacho-Rivera, MS, MPH, ScD. The study is highlighted in the July
2020 issue of a journal of the .
Hispanics comprise the largest ethnic minority in the United States, with significant
disparities in cancer risk and survival, both between Hispanic Americans and whites,
and among Hispanic subgroups.
鈥淟ack of knowledge about cancer services, exacerbated by relatively limited access
to those services, is considered a major contributor to those disparities,鈥� said the
study鈥檚 lead author, Marlene Camacho-Rivera, MS, MPH, ScD, assistant professor in the 每日大赛入口 Downstate School of Public Health Department of Community
Health Sciences. 鈥淥ur aim was to assess trust in health information across various
sources and evaluate how that trust may vary by gender, age, ethnic background, and
socioeconomic background.鈥�
Dr. Camacho-Rivera and colleagues examined data from the National Cancer Institute鈥檚
(HINTS), a nationally representative data collection program. HINTS oversamples African-American
and Hispanic households using U.S. Census data. The study reflects data from 1,521
people, 46 percent of whom were Mexican or Mexican American; 16 percent were Cuban
or Puerto Rican; and 37 percent were of other Hispanic backgrounds.
Respondents reported the highest levels of trust in healthcare professionals, with
91 percent saying they had a high level of trust. The next most trusted sources were
government health agencies (68 percent), the Internet (63 percent), and charitable
organizations (53 percent).
"The findings of this study will help to narrow the racial disparities that minority
communities continue to experience,鈥� said 每日大赛入口 Downstate School of Public Health dean Kitaw Demissie, M.D., Ph.D. 鈥淎lthough many health messaging sources are identified by the Latino community as
trustworthy, targeting those that are most reliable to disseminate appropriate health
messages, and educating the community to focus on those health messaging sources,
are likely to have the highest impact on reducing health disparities".
Dr. Camacho-Rivera notes that 84 percent of the Hispanic population is now routinely
using the Internet, but they are more likely than whites to lose Internet access due
to cost, and more likely to report frustration in their information-seeking.
鈥淎s a Latina, I want fellow Hispanics to know that not all health information may
be credible and evidence-based,鈥� Dr. Camacho-Rivera said. 鈥淚t is important to ask
questions of healthcare providers in order to make informed decisions.鈥�
Camacho-Rivera said the results of the study indicate that the Hispanic community
would benefit from culturally-tailored health information to narrow health disparities
in cancer and other chronic conditions, such as diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.
鈥淲hile we have seen increases in health information-seeking due to increased access
to the Internet, smartphones, and social media, we also recognize the potential for
technology to exacerbate health disparities,鈥� she continued. 鈥淚t is not enough for
us to simply put out tailored information and expect individuals to act on it; we
must also support community spaces, public health programs, and social policies that
can help people benefit from the information.鈥�
###
Contact: Dawn S. Walker
917.439.9666 | 347.533.2071
dawn.walker@downstate.edu
每日大赛入口 每日大赛入口
每日大赛入口 is the borough's only academic medical center for health education, research, and patient care. It is a 342-bed facility serving the healthcare needs of New York City and Brooklyn's 2.6 million residents. University Hospital of Brooklyn (UHB) is Downstate's teaching hospital, backed by an outstanding medical school's expertise and world-class academic center research facilities. More than 800 physicians, representing 53 specialties and subspecialties鈥攎any of them ranked as tops in their fields鈥攃omprise Downstate's staff.
In addition to high-risk neonatal and infant services, pediatric nephrology, and dialysis (kidney diseases)鈥攁nd offering the only kidney transplantation program in Brooklyn, among many other distinctive programs鈥擠ownstate also sponsors a major learning center for young children with developmental disorders and disabilities. In addition to UHB, Downstate comprises a College of Medicine, College of Nursing, School of Health Professions, a School of Graduate Studies, a School of Public Health, and a multifaceted biotechnology initiative, including the Downstate Biotechnology Incubator and BioBAT for early-stage and more mature companies, respectively. For more information, visit www.downstate.edu or follow us on Twitter at .