Latino young men and health promotion, emerging adulthood, and acculturation: a qualitative exploration

The purpose of this qualitative study was to identify factors that influenced health promotion behaviors in young Latino men. The participants consisted of 16 Latino men between the ages of 18 and 25 who were attending a Hispanic-serving academic institution. The respondents were asked to participate in an individual interview and focus group interview. The findings of this study indicate that respondents were concerned with love, work, and the multiple worlds they inhabited. They were influenced by both their Latino ethnicity as well as their inability to access the health care system. The qualitative findings may provide some important insights into the lived experience of these Latino young men.