Keywords
Hispanic Americans; Hispanic health paradox; socioeconomic status; health status; review
Ever-increasing evidence suggests that the health of a population is greatly determined by the
social and economic circumstances of that population, as well as its access to health care
services.1–6 Yet, for many Hispanics living in the United States today, health outcomes are
equal to, or better than, those of non-Hispanic whites, despite higher poverty rates, less
education, and worse access to health care. This paradox has been described in the literature
as the epidemiological paradox or Hispanic health paradox.7–8 In this paper, we selectively
review data and research supporting the existence of a Hispanic health paradox. The paper is
broadly organized into three main sections: (1) a review of indicators of social, economic, and
behavioral determinants of health for Hispanics in the United States, including a brief review
of the demographics of Hispanics in the United States; (2) a review of indictors of health
outcomes among Hispanics in the United States; and (3) a review of some potential alternative