How Hispanic and Latino Americans Navigate Health Decision-Making

Written by Tayla Mahmud

Tayla Mahmud leads Health Equity & Multicultural Strategy (HEMS) for M Booth Health. She believes that the rising interest in health and self-advocacy among historically marginalized communities presents a significant opportunity for health brands and organizations to improve the way they reach and engage these important, yet often overlooked, health consumers.

Hispanic/Latino Americans not only face significant systemic barriers to accessing quality health care, they’re also navigating a scarcity of trusted and culturally relevant health information. But in the face of these challenges, they’re taking control. Whether it’s proactively conducting their own research before agreeing to treatments, or seeking health information from nontraditional sources, Hispanic/Latino Americans are increasingly engaged in their health decision-making.

Our research, which builds on previous reports focused on Black and LGBTQ+ communities, reveals the carefully curated, unexpected networks of trusted health information sources that Hispanic/Latino Americans are creating, and how they’re using them to close the health information gap. We call them Chosen Circles.

Our national survey, conducted in July 2024, highlights these findings:

The Health Information Gap

Health information anxiety: More than one-third (37%) of Hispanic/Latino Americans reported feeling stressed or anxious about accessing necessary health information, compared with 28% of the total U.S. population.
Access barriers: Nearly 25% report difficulty accessing relevant health information for critical issues like cancer screening and treatment and chronic illnesses.
Trust issues with health care providers: More than half (52%) do not consider health care providers as a primary source of health information, indicating a significant disconnect.
Disregarding traditional sources of health information: More than 1 in 3 (35%) have ignored health information from traditional sources.

The Rise of Chosen Circles

Sixty percent have established personal networks of trusted individuals and resources for health decisions.
Sixty-seven percent actively seek health information from sources outside traditional channels, more than any other racial/ethnic group.

Who makes up these Chosen Circles? Hispanic/Latino Americans are turning to trusted—and less expected—groups of people for information and support in health decision-making:

The Family + Community Impact: 48% of Hispanic/Latino Americans seek health information from family members to inform opinions on what is best for their health, and 36% turn to friends and neighbors as a top source.
The Influence of Influencers: 26% of Hispanic/Latino Americans say they get health information from online influencers they follow.
The Therapist: 23% of Hispanic/Latino Americans turn to mental health therapists and counselors for emotional support as they make health decisions.

Breaking Into the Chosen Circles: Action for Impact

The findings underscore the urgent need for health communicators to change how they engage with Hispanic/Latino communities.

I encourage you not just to read Chosen Circles, but to put its recommendations into action. To learn more, download the data summary or access the full Chosen Circles report.