Methodological concerns for non-Hispanic investigators conducting research with Hispanic Americans

The fastest-growing ethnic population in the United States, Hispanic Americans are underrepresented in health care research because of an insufficient number of Hispanic American researchers, study teams without Spanish-speaking members, a lack of Spanish-language instruments, and investigator ignorance about cultural differences. Culturally insensitive research produces biased results that can inaccurately represent Hispanic Americans. The purpose of this article is to discuss methodological concerns when conducting research with Hispanic Americans including: instrument response format, translation issues, population-related extraneous variables, and response tendencies that can influence results.