• by Cynthia Nelson , Columnist, September 3, 2009

It's no surprise that Hispanic moms are overwhelmingly interested in information that helps them prevent sickness and live healthier lives and be better parents. But many are also paying out of pocket for healthcare at clinics, as insurance is not always accessible. With over 25% of births in the U.S to Spanish-speaking parents, these children are going to be 100% bilingual, which is a great asset for our country. And, while having a multi-lingual population is a competitive advantage, we must also ensure that this population is healthy.

The preliminary results of our survey, "Health & Wellbeing Of Hispanic Families," include responses to over 100 questions that covered six major areas: General Health Messaging & Access to Health Care; Personal & Family Health History; Children's Health History; Early Education & Child Development (TV, Reading & Parental Involvement); Meal Preparation, Fast Food and Family Gathering, and Home & Child Safety.

General Panel Demographics

• 87% are women ages 18-34
• 79% are married or living with a partner
• 35% are currently pregnant
• 26% say their HH income is less than 15k
• 30% say their HH income is between 15k - 30k
• 60% are stay-at-home moms
• 74% have children 0-5 in the home

Key Outcomes & Marketing Opportunities

Access to health care

• Finances definitely play a role in access to healthcare. Of our moms surveyed, 58% reported that if they did not have health care coverage, it was because it was too expensive
• 59% use a free or low cost clinic for their health care
• Over 50% said that during the last year they had not gone to the doctor (themselves) due to cost, yet only 10% had not taken their child to the doctor due to cost (again, children first, mother second - protection, making sure that their children are healthy)
• 97% received information about H1N1/Swine Flu via TV and over 50% via the Internet
• 96% want information, tips and content about health and wellness and 74% want it in Spanish

For pharmaceutical, insurance companies or other health advocates, the ability to partner with clinics or develop retail-based (e.g., Walmart, CVS, Walgreens, Kroger, Publix) health clinics maps directly to where this mom is spending her time (and money) and also meets her needs regarding simplified health care access.

In addition, make sure that your media mix includes the Internet! Even low-income moms are online searching for information and seeking answers to their families' health questions.

Development

• 78% are not enrolled in any form of nursery or pre-K (again, the mom in the home is the central point for communication, development, etc.)
• 43% have concerns about their child's development - in particular speech and language and social and emotional development
• 26% began exposing their child to TV at the age of 6 months
• On average, their children watch 1-2 hours per day of TV with 77% of that being cartoons
• 94% read to their children and over 50% read to them nightly with 46% reading to them in both English and Spanish

The gaming and toy industry should sit up and take notice! There is a clear opportunity to affect the development of children 0-5 who do not have access to traditional pre-K, but are home with their families. The development of games, toys and activities that help stimulate speech, language and provide moms with "infotainment" opportunities that help to ensure that her children reach their full potential.

Nutrition

• 60% eat at least one meal together every day (dinner)
• 80% eat fast food and of those 90% eat it 1-2 x per week
• 78% say that the most challenging part of cooking for their family is making healthy meals that their family will like

For CPG, Food and QSR's this should be a no-brainer. These moms are in charge of their families' health and affect it every day with what food they serve and how they prepare it. Developing and marketing content and simple recipes and providing menu items that are healthy (lower sugar/fat) yet are tasty and convenient, would provide moms with alternatives and support a healthy lifestyle.

Key Take-Aways

There are many, many ways to positively affect the next generation of youth by making mom the central point of your marketing communication plan:

• Understand her needs/walk in her shoes in terms of her fears, thoughts and perceptions about health & wellness

• Provide her with tips and information that help her and not just advertise your product or service!

• Don't limit yourself to TV - the Internet, Grass Roots, In-Retail, non-traditional media, are all great ways to reach this busy mom.

• Remember she is a viral creature. If you build her trust, she will share your data with her friends and family - priceless for any marketer!

This initial study was developed with inputs and questions from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Office of Minority Health, Environmental Protection Agency, National Head Start Association, the American Diabetes Association, the March of Dimes, Safe Kids Worldwide, One Economy and the Alliance for Consumer Education.