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. 2009 Fall;16(3):120-6.

No te entiendo y tú no me entiendes: language barriers among immigrant Latino adolescents seeking health care

Carolyn M Garcia  1 , Laura J Duckett
Affiliations

No te entiendo y tú no me entiendes: language barriers among immigrant Latino adolescents seeking health care

Carolyn M Garcia et al. J Cult Divers. 2009 Fall.

Abstract

Purpose: Immigrant Latino adolescents experience health disparities and barriers to accessing health care. The purpose of this study is to describe barriers experienced by immigrant Latino adolescents seeking U.S. health care.

Design: Focused ethnography using one-to-one interviews.

Results: Participants identified language barriers to accessing care at all stages in the process.

Discussion: Immigrant Latino youth experience barriers when accessing U.S. health care, resulting in negative perceptions and likelihood of reduced health seeking.

Implications for practice: Health care providers can lead positive change in health care delivery resulting in minimized language barriers and improved culturally relevant care for immigrant Latino youth and their families.

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