More Than Half of Hispanic Boomers Like to Consider Alternative Health Treatments According to a New Report from Focalyst

Business Wire,  June 18, 2008  

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Two-thirds of Bicultural Hispanic Boomers say they value the information provided by alternative health practitioners

NEW YORK -- Hispanic Boomers' perceptions of healthcare and health information differ significantly from those of the General Market Boomer according to a new report from Focalyst, "A Continued Look at Diversity Among Hispanic Boomers." The report focuses on the 7 million Hispanic Boomers in the United States and examines attitudinal and behavioral differences between English-speaking Hispanic Boomers and the General Market in specific industries such as health, finance, home and technology.

"A Continued Look at Diversity" is a follow-up to a Focalyst report released earlier this year that found that marketers using language as the defining characteristic in differentiating their target communications may be missing important segments. This is particularly true when looking at health-related messages.

When compared to both Acculturated Hispanic Boomers and General Market Boomers, Bicultural Hispanic Boomers are the most likely to be experiencing confusion around health-related issues and to turn to alternative health practitioners and advertisements as valued health-related information sources.

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"It is obvious that possible language barriers and the huge amount of information available is causing confusion among Bicultural Hispanic Boomers," according to Jack Lett, Executive Director of Focalyst. "Marketers of heath-related products and services need to communicate in simple, understandable language to get their messages across to this market."

Other notable findings from the report:

* Almost half of Bicultural Boomers and one-third of Acculturated Boomers have no savings or investments, compared to only 1 out of 4 General Market Boomers.

* Hispanic Boomers say they will spend an average of about $2,700 on household items in the next 12 months, about 25% more than General Market Boomers.

* Compared to General Market Boomers, the connected segment of Hispanic Boomers are more likely to be online for paying bills, education/training, job searches, instant messaging and downloading music.

* Hispanic Boomers do not think that keeping abreast of changing technology products is a hassle and they are more likely to upgrade their technology products on a regular basis.

* Hispanic Boomers plan on spending more on technology products than the General Market Boomer - about $1,350 in the next year, compared to about $1,100.

For the full report, visit the Knowledge Center at www.Focalyst.com.

About Focalyst

Focalyst(TM) (www.focalyst.com) is a leading source of information and insights about Baby Boomers and Mature consumers. As a Millward Brown specialty practice supported by AARP Services Inc.,(SM) Focalyst offers a broad range of qualitative and quantitative custom research solutions. Focalyst pioneered the largest, most comprehensive study ever conducted about Boomers and Matures and has the unique expertise to help marketers better understand and connect with this important demographic. For more information about Focalyst call 212.548.7270 or email Jackie.Bartolotta@focalyst.com.

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