A new national survey commissioned by Cultur Health shows healthcare marketers should target insured Hispanic women ages 25-35. These young Latinas, representing a rapidly growing Hispanic demographic, are key healthcare gatekeepers – managing their own health needs and frequently those of their families, parents, grandparents and other relatives as well.
Key survey findings:
- Latinas rely heavily on family contacts and community word-of-mouth for healthcare information and product recommendations; healthcare providers a close second
- This age group prefers English-language healthcare information
- Vast majority have health insurance through employer or spouse, increasing their purchasing power for healthcare products, services
Cultur Health survey findings
The survey, which was administered by ORC International on behalf of Cultur Health, was conducted online among a sample of 501 Hispanic women who are between the ages of 25 and 35 and are employed full time. Key findings related to this population’s healthcare utilization and attitudes include the following:
La comunidad (the community)
Survey findings identified which resources Latinas most commonly turn to for healthcare information and recommendations. When asked where they first go for help with a healthcare concern, the majority named a “doctor” (59 percent); however, over 30 percent named other sources, including a relative, spouse, friend or pharmacist.
Similarly, personal connections play a large role in purchasing decisions. When asked who influences their decisions to buy consumer or over-the-counter healthcare products, respondents’ most frequent response was “friends, family and neighbors” (64 percent), followed by “pharmacist” (52 percent). Conversely, only 21 percent cited “advertising.”
“Reliance on social networks is a hallmark of Latin culture, with family members, neighbors and local figures of authority influencing even the most important healthcare decisions,” said Roberto Ramos, the vox collective’s president and CEO. “Cultur Health programs use these networks to deliver messages through trusted influencers and in familiar environments.”
Health insurance and Latinas
The vast majority of women surveyed (89 percent) reported that they pay for healthcare expenses through either their own employee insurance, or their spouse/partner’s. “Our survey results should send a strong message to marketers,” said Lake. “Increasingly, younger Hispanics are insured, and companies that target them will be well positioned now and in the future.” Indeed, a key finding of the 2010 Census was that the Hispanic population skews much younger than the white population.
English… or Espanol?
A key survey finding revealed that among the younger generation of Latinas, Spanish-language healthcare content is no longer required. The majority of respondents (76 percent) said that they prefer consuming this information in English, and even “culturally relevant English content” was preferred by more respondents (13 percent) than Spanish-language content (3 percent); additionally, 9 percent reported that the language didn’t matter.
Furthermore, when asked whether the news media influence their purchasing decisions for healthcare products, more than twice as many respondents (15 percent) said that they are influenced by English-language news outlets (newspapers, magazines, TV/radio stations and websites) than Spanish-language news outlets (5 percent).
“Language is only one part of a culture,” explained Ramos. “The younger, acculturated Latinos who handle their family’s health needs now consume health information in English, and then ‘translate’ it for their older, Spanish-speaking relatives. Healthcare communication programs need to speak to both generations, through both the message and the medium.”
La prevencion (prevention)
Survey results also show that Latinas take disease prevention seriously, with 64 percent of respondents reporting that they take a vitamin, multivitamin and/or food supplement daily.
