Hispanic Representation in the Health Care Professions: A Study of Ninth Grade Interest

Seng, Suzette, Hispanic Representation in the Health Professions: A Study of Ninth Grade Interest. Masters of Public Health (Community Health), December 2004, 47 pp., 4 tables, references, 24 titles. Across the nation there remains a disparity in the number of Hispanics entering the health care professions. Project Participation and Training in Health was a school-based intervention that used the Salud para su Corazon heart health initiative to deliver a culturally competent health promotion program. This study examines the program’s goal to motivate Hispanic students to be interested in entering the health professions. The sample included 488 Hispanic ninth graders from two inner-city Dallas high schools. Specific health professions studied were dentist, nurse, optometrist, pharmacist, physician, and podiatrist. Statistical analyses included repeated measures ANOVA, chi square, and logistic regression. Results show a significant difference health profession interest between the intervention and control participants. Students in the intervention school expressed interest in a greater number of the health professions and interest for each individual profession was higher among the intervention participants for all 6 professions studied.