Children of color continue to struggle with obesity. Obesity rate continues to be significantly higher for Latino (20.7%) and black children (22.9%) than for white children (11.7%) ages 10-17, according to the new State of Childhood Obesity report from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF). Obesity—and other chronic diseases—are more prevalent among those of color and those in poverty because discriminatory systems have disinvested in healthy policies and basic resources for them. In the midst of the current COVID-19 pandemic, which is worsened by obesity, it is more critical than ever to prioritize children’s health. Latino children and young adults account for over 40% of the COVID-19 deaths among people ages 0-24, according to the CDC. To prioritize children’s ...
Latinos face many transportation inequities that impact their ability to build health and wealth. This is due in part to a lack of diversity among decision makers, planners, and engineers and ethnocentric policies, projects, and investments that reinforce the auto-centric status quo. Ultimately, past and present planning practices have failed to be inclusive of Latino needs, failed to represent historic and existing inequities, and failed to responsibly evaluate and measure impacts, targets, and performance. Two new reports from our year-long workgroup of planners and planning scholars provide recommendations to prioritize Latino experiences and needs in the planning process; address inequities and promote racially/economically mixed communities, and modify metrics used to ...
Almost 60% of Americans believe that racism can impact the health care an individual receives, according to the National Cancer Opinion Survey conducted by the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO). The survey also found that about two-thirds of Americans have skipped or delayed scheduled cancer screenings due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which is disproportionately harming Latinos. These results have wide-ranging implications for preventative care and the perception of health care disparities in the United States.
About the Survey on Racism, Health Care
The National Cancer Opinion Survey is conducted annually. This year, ASCO surveyed over 4,000 U.S. adults older than 18, with over 1,000 of them former or current cancer patients. “This survey assesses Americans’ ...
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is celebrating pedestrians by designating October as the first-ever Pedestrian Safety Month and creating a playbook with social media materials to raise awareness. This is good, because pedestrians deserve safety on a road, parking lot, or crosswalk. But it’s not all good. NHTSA is mostly focused on individual pedestrian safety, as opposed to systemic policy changes. This is a form of pedestrian-blaming. By blaming the pedestrian, like in victim-blaming or justifying inequities, Pedestrian Safety Month actually distracts from efforts to address the very transportation systems that endanger pedestrians in the first place. We are excited to see that Transportation for America’s Twitter thread that modified NHTSA ...
Exposure to the fumes from harmful tobacco products, such as cigarettes and cigars, can severely affect people, especially in children. Recent research shows that children who live with a smoker are more likely to become hospitalized than their peers living in smoke-free households. According to Dr. Ashley Merianos, an associate professor in the School of Human Services at the University of Cincinnati, this data does not come as a complete surprise. "In past studies, we found up to nearly one-in-two children who come to the pediatric emergency department are exposed to tobacco smoke," Merianos told The Denver Channel. "We also found that the children who had been exposed had increased respiratory-related procedures, increased diagnostic testing. So, for example, being tested for ...
Not all COVID-19 experiences are equal. For some, the illness’s side effects can last for weeks or even months. This group of severely affected individuals, referred to as “long haulers” by experts, is experiencing infection and lasting consequences. These maladies include shortness of breath, chest pain, fatigue, and other symptoms. While there is only a general understanding of those who deal with prolonged coronavirus side-effects, there is enough data to see there is a problem, according to officials. “Anecdotally, there’s no question that there are a considerable number of individuals who have a postviral syndrome that really, in many respects, can incapacitate them for weeks and weeks following so-called recovery and clearing of the virus,” Dr. Anthony Fauci, ...
Despite the many advances in gene technology and the biomedical sciences, not everyone benefits from the latest medical treatments. Precision medicine is a type of medical treatment that takes into account individual variability in genes, environment, and lifestyle. According to a recent study published, many Latinos have never even heard of precision medicine. So how then can they benefit from these novel types of treatments? Together we can work to spread the word about precision medicine and work change this! WHAT: #SaludTues Bilingual Tweetchat: “Advancing Precision Medicine for Latinos / #SaludTues Chat en Twitter Sobre: La importancia de Avanzar la Medicina de Precisión Para Latinos"
DATE: Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2020
TIME: 1:00-2:00 p.m. EST (1-2 p.m. ET, 12 ...
The United States has one of the highest childhood obesity rates in the world. That statistic sounds worse when considering the ways companies target unhealthy foods and drinks to Latino and other children of color — all contributing to health inequities and a higher obesity. This is why civic leaders in Berkeley, Calif., passed legislation to make it the the first U.S. city to ban junk food and candy in grocery checkout aisles. The will will go into effect early next year. "Placement of unhealthy snacks near a register increases the likelihood that customers will purchase these foods and drinks when willpower is weak at the end of a long shopping trip," City Council member Kate Harrison said in a press release.
The Ban of Junk Food in Store Checkout Aisles
Although a ...
Latinos face many transportation inequities. Years of unjust planning practices have cut them off from opportunities for health and wealth. To promote transportation equity for healthier communities, our leaders must ensure that transportation policies and practices are inclusive of Latino needs, address existing disparities, and are responsibly evaluated and measured, according to expert recommendations in two new reports from Salud America! at UT Health San Antonio. The two reports stem from Salud America!’s year-long workgroup of U.S. transportation and planning leaders that explored all aspects of equity in transportation for Latinos, thanks to an Innovation, Equity and Exploration grant from the Voices for Healthy Kids network at the American Heart Association. "These ...
