Health perceptions of low-income, immigrant Spanish-speaking Latinas in the United States

The health outcomes and health practices of immigrant Latinas tend to decrease with acculturation to U.S. culture. The purpose of this pilot study was to investigate health perceptions of first- and secondgeneration, low-income, Spanish-speaking women from Mexico and Central America to learn their views of health and also to identify any differences between subcultures. This investigation was the first phase of a larger study to understand the relationship of physical activity to health, as Latinas define it. Seven focus groups were conducted in Spanish with women, ages 25 to 64, by country of origin. Fifteen themes emerged, with more similarity than differences between the two countries. With the burgeoning and diverse Hispanic population in the United States and high rates of inactivity of Hispanic women that increase with age and double to triple the incidence of obesity and type 2 diabetes in Hispanics, a cultural understanding of concepts and methods that promote health is essential.