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Hispanic/Latinos in Wisconsin

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Health Facts

Chronic Disease¹

• During the years 2001-2005, the three leading causes of death among Hispanics/Latinos in Wisconsin were cancer, heart disease, and unintentional injury. 
• Cancer caused 19 percent of Hispanic/Latino deaths in Wisconsin, and heart disease caused 15 percent.
• Latinos in Wisconsin have lower rates of death and hospitalization from heart disease, compared to the total Wisconsin population.
• In 2001-2005, the age-adjusted mortality rate from heart disease was 80 deaths per 100,000 population among Hispanics/Latinos, compared to 202 per 100,000 in the total Wisconsin population.
• Both male and female Hispanics/Latinos have lower rates of heart disease hospitalization compared to their counterparts in the total population.
• In 2001-2005, the age-adjusted cancer mortality rate for Hispanic/Latinos was 82 deaths per 100,000 population, compared to 184 per 100,000 for the total Wisconsin population.
• Hispanics/Latinos in Wisconsin have a higher rate of death from diabetes, compared to the total Wisconsin population.

HIV/AIDS² 

• Hispanics/Latinos bear a disproportionate share of the burden of HIV/AIDS in Wisconsin. Hispanic/Latinos accounted for 13.1 percent of new cases of HIV infection in 2001-2005, while making up about 4 percent of the total Wisconsin population.
• During the 2001-2005 period, Hispanic/Latinos accounted for 13.1 percent of newly reported cases of HIV infection among males and 12.9 percent of new cases among females.

Health Risk Factors³

• An estimated 24 percent of Hispanic/Latino adults in Wisconsin smoke cigarettes, based on survey results for 2001-2005. This was not significantly different from the percentage who reported smoking in the total adult population (22%). 
• Hispanic/Latino adults reported levels of alcohol use similar to those reported by the total adult population of Wisconsin. For example, the percentage of Hispanic/Latinos who reported binge drinking (28%) was not significantly different from the percentage reported by the total population (24%).
• Nearly half of Hispanic/Latino adults (48%) reported they were physically inactive in terms of leisure-time activity. This was not significantly different from the proportion reported by the total adult population (45%).
• Nearly two-thirds of Hispanic/Latino adults (65 percent) were overweight or obese, compared to 60 percent of the total population.

Health Care⁴

• Based on Wisconsin Family Health Survey results for 2001-2005, Hispanics/Latinos were less likely than the total population to have health insurance at any given point in time. Seventy-seven percent of Hispanic/Latinos, compared with 93 percent of the total Wisconsin population, said they had some form of health insurance at the time of the survey interview.
• Nearly one-quarter (23%) of Hispanics/Latinos were uninsured at the time of the survey interview. This was nearly four times the percentage uninsured in the total Wisconsin population (6%).
• Another measure of health insurance coverage is coverage over the year preceding the survey interview (coverage over "the past year"). Nineteen percent of Hispanic/Latinos were uninsured for all of the past year; this is nearly five times the percent in the total state population (4%).
• Another 10 percent of Hispanics/Latinos had been insured for only part of the past year, meaning they were uninsured for part of the year.

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Citations:

1. Minority Health Report, 2001-2005.
2. Ibid.
3. Ibid.
4. Ibid.

Additional Information About Hispanic/Latinos in Wisconsin:

• More information on Hispanic/Latino population estimates is available from an interactive data query system, Wisconsin Interactive Statistics on Health (WISH), on the Wisconsin Department of Health Services site.
  
• A synopsis of health-related findings about Hispanic/Latinos in Wisconsin is provided by this excerpt from the Department's Wisconsin Minority Health Report, 2001-2005 (PDF, 25 KB). The full report is also available.
  
• The State of Public School Integration project provides information on the racial and ethnic composition of Wisconsin public schools. (Exit DHS)

Related links: 

(Exit DHS)

• Wisconsin Historical Society
• University of Wisconsin, Madison, Chican@ and Latin@ Studies
• University of Wisconsin, Madison, Latin American, Caribbean and Iberian Studies
• Milwaukee Latino Health Coalition
• The Latino Health Council & La Movida
• Collaborative Center for Health Equity
• U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program

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Last Revised: May 18, 2012