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Stacy Cantu-Pawlik

Stacy Cantu completed both her BS & MPH at Texas A&M University (gig ‘em!), and is passionate about all things public health. She curates content on Healthy Food and Healthy Minds.


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Articles by Stacy Cantu-Pawlik

5 Reasons to Attend ‘Advancing the Science of Cancer in Latinos’ Conference


Latino Cancer Conference 2020 in San Antonio UT Health

In the next 20 years, Latinos are expected to face a 142% rise in cancer rates. Cancer is the top cause of premature death among Latinos. Latinos have higher rates than their peers for many cancers. Latinos also experience cancer differently—from genetics to the environment to healthcare access. This Latino cancer crisis is especially alarming given the growing Latino population. That's why, in 2018, Dr. Amelie Ramirez of Salud America! at UT Health San Antonio hosted the 1st-ever “Advancing the Science of Cancer in Latinos” conference. Now Ramirez is bringing back the conference on Feb. 26-28, 2020 in San Antonio! “We are excited to again bring together the brightest scientists, clinicians, advocates, policy leaders, and students to share what they're learned ...

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Racial Bias Infiltrates Emergency Rooms


Emergency room doctor examining woman

Minorities who visit an emergency room in the U.S. are less likely to receive prescriptions for certain medications than Whites, according to a new study. Researchers found that Latinos and Blacks specifically face disparities in obtaining analgesics, which include a wide range of pain killers. The study also noted that other minority communities might undergo similar experiences, but further research is needed in the topic. “The reasons for these disparities are likely complex and multifold and may include factors such as implicit bias, language barriers, and cultural differences in the perception and expression of pain and institutional differences in ERs that serve mostly Black and Hispanic patients,” Dr. Andrew Meltzer, senior author of the study and a researcher at George ...

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Will Removing Race from Criminal Court Charging Decisions Help Latinos?


police in SF implicit bias health equity

The San Francisco district attorney’s office said it plans to enable prosecutors to make charging decisions in some criminal cases without knowing the race or background of the suspects and victims, a move aimed at reducing the potential for implicit bias in prosecutions, according to the L.A. Times. This is great news for Latinos and minorities, who traditionally face negative stereotypes and police discrimination. What is Implicit Bias? This unconscious thinking is preconceived attitudes or stereotypes that affect our understanding, actions, and decisions. Assumptions like these then influence your actions and judgments: A widely held, simplified, and essentialist belief about a specific group (race or ethnicity, language, socioeconomic status, sex, sexuality, and so ...

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Type 2 Diabetes in Latinos Linked to Food Insecurity


Latino dad with diabetes

New data suggests that Latinos who are food insecure are at a more significant risk of type 2 diabetes, according to a collaborative study. Researchers from UConn School of Medicine, UConn School of Dental Medicine, Yale School of Public Health, Quinnipiac University, Hartford Hospital, and the Hispanic Health Council studied the two factors and their correlation in low-income Latinos. "Our findings support the plausibility of links between food insecurity and poor health," Dr. Angela Bermúdez-Millán, assistant professor in the Department of Community Medicine and Health Care at UConn School of Medicine, said in a press release. About the Study The study, which was published in the Journal of Nutrition, shows that more than 40 million Americans, including 6.5 million children, ...

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Latino, Minorities’ Lack of Specialized Medicine Due to Research Prejudice


65 gene research

Researchers have recently discovered 65 genetic variants in minority populations, which could lead to improved specialized medicines for those groups. Up to this point, doctors have conducted the majority of medical discovery research using data from people with European ancestry, according to the international science journal, Nature — leading to a lack of diversity that hinders precision medicine for minority populations. The news is excellent for Latinos and all minorities who have traditionally been understudied or left out of clinical research. “This is an extremely important public health issue,” Misa Graff, assistant professor in the school’s epidemiology department and co-author of the paper told UNC News. “We need to work hard to make sure that the ...

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#SaludTues Tweetchat 7/2: The Importance of Minority Mental Health Month


latina hispanic woman mental health eating disorders

July is Minority Mental Health Month. Mental illness does not discriminate based on race. However, Latinos are far more likely than their peers to have mental health issues, according to a Salud America! Research Review. Additionally, Latinos and blacks are less likely than whites to get the mental health services they need, thus leading to a plethora of problems such as missing work. Join us for #SaludTues on Tuesday, July 2, 2019 for a tweetchat in honor of Minority Mental Health Month. What: #SaludTues Tweetchat –  The Importance of Minority Mental Health Month Time/Date: 1-2 P.M. ET (Noon-1 P.M. CT), Tuesday, July 2, 2019 Where: On Twitter with hashtag #SaludTues HOST: @SaludAmerica CO-HOSTS: Stamp Out Stigma (@StampStigma) and The American Foundation ...

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Speak Up: Trump Wants to Weaken Your Healthcare!


Latina-Hispanic-women-healthcare-lgbtq-spanish

Under the Trump Administration, U.S. health leaders are proposing to weaken the Affordable Care Act’s ban against discrimination in healthcare. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) revision to ACA would erase references to protections against discrimination by health care programs on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, and disability. The revision, according to Health Affairs, would remove: Certain definitions (such as terms like “on the basis of sex”); Nondiscrimination protections based on sex, gender identity, and association; Language-access requirements (such as translated taglines on notices and communications to consumers), affecting people with limited English proficiency Requirements for a compliance coordinator and ...

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4 Ways to Reduce Latino Workplace Fatalities


latino worker coronavirus low wage construction

We already know that Latinos are more likely to die on the job compared to their white and black counterparts. The majority of Latino work-related deaths happen in the construction industry, and most fatalities affect foreign-born Latinos. However, there is good news: This issue was addressed at the Safety 2019 Conference. “There is a lack of communication between foreign-born Latinos, their superiors and even their coworkers because of limited language capabilities,” Carmen Julia Castellon, Health and Safety Specialist for U.S. Cellular and a Bolivian immigrant, told EHS Today. Latinos & Workplace Harms Latinos make up 19% of all workforce fatalities, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. In 2016, 879 Latino workers were killed on the job. Just one year ...

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Latino Kids Face Chronic Skin Condition Disparities


hispanic kid skin face swimming summer water

A skin disease is harming the health of children — and causing them to fall behind in their education. Latino and black children are more likely than white children to miss school due to eczema, according to researchers are the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine. "Most people don't realize the serious impact eczema can have on a person's life, and our research shows minorities may be disproportionately affected," said the study's senior author Dr. Junko Takeshita, assistant professor of dermatology and epidemiology, according to Penn Medicine News. What is Eczema? Eczema, or atopic dermatitis (AD), is a common inflammatory disease that causes red and itchy skin. It affects 30 million Americans, including up to 20% of all children, according to the ...

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