University Offers Help For Latinos And Addiction
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Indiana University's Indiana Prevention Resource Center has created an online search tool, the Hispanic/Latino search engine, that links users to resources for substance abuse and related topics in Spanish, English and Portuguese. It was created to support the needs of an underserved and growing population.
"The Hispanic/Latino community is the largest minority (16 percent) in the United States, and many persons of Latin American heritage face language and other barriers in access to health care," said Barbara Seitz de Martinez, deputy director for the IPRC, which is part of IU's School of Health, Physical Education and Recreatoin. "While there is a wealth of resources to be tapped, there is no comparable portal on the Internet."
The website is found at www.latino.prev.info. The population of Hispanic or Latino persons in Indiana, according to 2009 estimates, was approximately 331,500 or 5.2 percent of the total population. Spanish is spoken in more than 187,000 Indiana households. The website includes links to online resources for the following categories of topics: prevention and treatment; alcohol, tobacco, and other specific drugs; HIV/AIDS; general health information; information targeted to special populations; research tools like databases and bibliographies related to health issues; and sites for children that promote cultural pride. It can be searched by topic or publisher, or by a word from the title or description. The target audience for this site includes people of Latin American heritage, people who work with this population such as health care providers and teachers, and those interested in the languages and cultures of Latin America, such as students and program leaders. "This website was created primarily as a service of the Indiana Prevention Resource Center for the residents of Indiana, but its reach extends far beyond," Seitz de Martinez said. The IPRC plans to continue adding resources to the search engine. To access the Hispanic/Latino search engine, visit: www.latino.prev.info. The Indiana Prevention Resource Center is part of the Department of Applied Health Science in the School of HPER.
