Hispanics are the fastest growing minority population in the country and in 2000 they comprised almost 17% of Florida’s population. Like other racial and ethnic minorities, Hispanics in Florida experience health disparities for some critical risk factors and chronic diseases, such as poor nutrition, insufficient physical activity, overweight and obesity, and heart disease. In other areas, such as diabetes, high blood pressure and stroke, Hispanics have better health status than other groups.

In 2003, CDC Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) data indicate that African Americans (20.6%) and Hispanics (20.7%) were less likely to consume 5 servings of fruits and vegetables per day than whites (24.4%). Hispanics also had lower rates of participation in leisure time physical activity (61.8%, compared with 67.6% for African Americans and 75.4% of whites). Based on these risk factors, Hispanics were more likely to be overweight than whites (41.7% versus 38.5%) and more likely to be obese than whites (21.6% versus 19.1%). From 1996 to 2000, Hispanics in Florida had a higher heart disease death rate than Hispanics nationally (369 per 100,000 versus 348 per 100,000).

However, from 1991 to 1998, Hispanics had a lower stroke death rate (66 per 100,000) than whites (97 per 100,000) or African Americans (102 per 100,000). In addition, Hispanics in Florida had a lower stroke death rate than Hispanics nationally (66 per 100,000 versus 79 per 100,000). BRFSS data from 2003 also indicate that Hispanics in Florida were less likely than whites to report having been told that they have diabetes (6.0%, compared to 8.6% for whites).

The state of Florida passed a law in 2000 that provided funding for a grant program to begin to address disparities in health. Grants are provided to local counties and organizations with the intent to increase community-based health promotion and disease prevention activities.