Social Determinants of Health and Access to Orthopedic Care Among Seniors in Little Havana

Introduction: Little Havana, Miami, Florida, is a predominantly Hispanic neighborhood with many adults and seniors aged 65 and older at risk for osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, and associated fractures. Despite this need, access to orthopedic care is limited by socioeconomic, linguistic, and transportation barriers. This study aims to descriptively characterize community-specific social determinants of health, hip fracture hospitalization rates, and local orthopedic service availability among seniors in Little Havana to identify potential gaps in service availability and inform future research and quality-improvement efforts. Methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional analysis was conducted using publicly available, aggregate-level data from Statistical Atlas and Miami-Dade Matters. The study population comprised adults and seniors aged ≥65 years residing in six Little Havana zip codes (33125, 33128, 33129, 33130, 33135, and 33136). Variables included insurance coverage, poverty rates, English proficiency, transportation access, hip fracture hospitalization rates, and orthopedic clinic distribution. Data were summarized across zip codes using means and standard deviations and descriptively compared with Miami-Dade County averages. No inferential statistical testing was performed. Results: Public health data showed that seniors in Little Havana had higher rates of foreign-born status (62.6% ± 10.7% vs. 54.1% countywide) and limited English proficiency (66.5% ± 22.4% vs. 54.1% countywide). The adult uninsured rate was 31.1% ± 9.2%, compared with 21.8% countywide, and 39.8% ± 13.7% of seniors lived in poverty, compared with 21.2% countywide. Transportation barriers were notable, with 23.3% ± 10.1% of households lacking a vehicle. Hip fracture hospitalization rates were substantially higher than county levels (female residents: 462.4 vs. 254.2; male residents: 350.8 vs. 122.5 per 100,000). Only seven orthopedic centers serve the neighborhood, with none in the highest need zip code. Conclusion: Adults and seniors in Little Havana are disproportionately affected by social determinants of health that may limit access to orthopedic care, including inadequate insurance coverage, lack of transportation, language barriers, and gaps in local service availability. These findings identify key areas where targeted interventions may help reduce disparities and improve orthopedic outcomes in this population, such as expanding insurance coverage, strengthening translation services, improving transportation support, and increasing the availability of local orthopedic care.