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Cliff Despres

Cliff Despres, who has more than a decade of experience in journalism and public relations, is communications director for Salud America! and its home base, the Institute for Health Promotion Research at UT Health San Antonio.


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Articles by Cliff Despres

Students Deliver Critical News to Latinos ‘En Español’


(Source: Cindy Ortiz, La Placita Wellness and Education Center)

More Latinos get their news via smartphones, but the number of Hispanic newspaper journalists has dropped by half since 2005. That's why Arizona State University has created a digital platform where students get real-world experience reporting critical health, education, economic, and other news in Spanish for local Latinos. The platform is called Cronkite Noticias/Mixed Voces. It is led by ASU's Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication and funded by Raza Development Fund, which fosters economic growth and opportunities for Latino families across the country, ASU Now reports. The platform is guided by bilingual multimedia journalist Valeria Fernández who works "with a team of six bilingual Cronkite students to produce a variety of in-depth, Spanish-language ...

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Language Can Endanger Care for Latinos with Diabetes


diabetes blood sugar latina girl

Are you a Latino with diabetes and limited English skills? You may be less likely to take prescribed diabetes medications than others, perhaps even if you see a Spanish-speaking doctor, a new study suggests, Reuters reports. The study, published in JAMA Internal Medicine, examined 31,000 Latino and white patients with diabetes in Northern California. About 60% of Spanish-speaking Latino patients skipped filling prescriptions at least one-fifth of the time in the two years after they were told they needed the drugs to help control diabetes, according to the research. That was much worse than 52% of English-speaking Latinos and 38% of whites. "Latino patients with diabetes, even when insured and facing relatively low barriers to healthcare, are much more likely to have poor ...

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Yadira Montoya: Cultural Food Faves with Cancer-Fighting Flare


Yadira Montoya

Certain foods can lessen your risk for cancer, research shows. Yadira Montoya takes food to another level by sharing healthy cultural favorites and using her “molcajete” to spark important conversations. Her commitment to help improving the health profile of her community and her bicultural background has positioned her to take on several roles in health education, outreach and research in health literacy and nutritional interventions. As the coordinator of community engagement at the Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center, she works on initiatives to boost access to Alzheimer’s education, family support services, and research opportunities among older Latino adults, particularly individuals and families with limited English proficiency. To expand her training and prepare for ...

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Athens, Georgia: A Microcosm for American Health


gerogia kids (via @sistersreport)

Athens, Ga., is like a lot of other U.S. communities. The Latino population in the 123,912-person city doubled in recent years, including many immigrants who have kids, speak Spanish, lack healthcare, and have low incomes, according to a new report. One certainty: They face many barriers to health. "Truly understanding what their needs are and the barriers they face when trying to access existing services for themselves and their children is a cornerstone to the development of relevant programs and policies that affect their overall well-being," Alejandra Calva, part of a Latino research institute at the University of Georgia, told UGA Today. What can be done in Athens and communities like it? Some communities are working hard to reduce the barriers that many Latinos ...

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#SaludTues Tweetchat 1/24/17: Crush Cervical Cancer!


cervical cancer lady

Latinas are more prone to certain cancers? Cervical cancer is a big one. But did you know that most cases of cervical cancer among Latinas (and all women) can be prevented? How? Making sure that screenings are done starting at age 21 and women who are ages 21-29 get a Pap test every 3 years, don’t smoke, and encourage young women to get vaccinated now to help make this cancer part of the past. Let's use #SaludTues on Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2017 to tweet what all Latinas should know about cervical cancer, including the warning signs and the prevention steps. Follow #SaludTues to join the conversation: WHAT: #SaludTues Tweetchat: Crush Cervical Cancer! TIME/DATE: 1-2 p.m. ET (Noon-1 p.m. CT), Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2017 WHERE: On Twitter with hashtag #SaludTues HOST: ...

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The Dangers of Considering Latinos as One Single Group


hispanic man heart attack

Significant differences in heart disease death rates exist among the three largest U.S. Latino subgroups, suggesting that combining these groups could endanger health for all Latinos, according to new data, Healio reports. The heart disease study examined death data for U.S. Mexicans, Puerto Ricans, and Cubans and found that: Mexicans and Puerto Ricans died of heart disease at younger ages (67 and 68, respectively) than Cubans (77). More Mexicans (19.5%) and Puerto Ricans (16.4%) died at a young age (25-49 years) than Cubans (5.3%) and non-Hispanic whites (6.6%). Heart disease caused a higher portion of deaths among Cubans. Puerto Ricans had the highest rates of death from ischemic heart disease. Mexicans had the highest rates of death from cerebrovascular ...

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Marisabel Afanador: Helping ‘Las Mujeres de la Isla’


The 2014 Éxito! program graduates

Editor’s Note: This is the story of a graduate of the 2016 Èxito! Latino Cancer Research Leadership Training program. Apply now. Pride for Puerto Rico runs deep in Marisabel Roman Afanador’s blood, from the traditional Bomba traditional musical style to the rich cultural heritage. Still, the country historical has struggled with health issues and domestic violence. That’s why Afanador, a San Juan native who learned from her grandmother’s resilience in the face of domestic violence, is dedicated to make a difference in the lives and health of women—specifically las mujeres de la isla (women of the island). Afanador works as a licensed social worker and is passionate for public health promotion and education because of all the possibilities it provides. She wants ...

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Rosario Silva: Helping Latinos Access Healthcare


Rosario Silva

Both her mother and uncle knew Rosario Silva was destined for something greater than growing up to be a factory worker, like many Latinos in her Missouri community. Silva was meant for helping Latinos get health care they need. Indeed, Silva grew up and become her family’s first college graduate when she earned a bachelor’s degree at Brown University in Rhode Island. She went on to study behavioral science and earned a master’s degree in public health from Saint Louis University. Now she wants to study Latino healthcare disparities and implement sustainable interventions that will alleviate many of chronic conditions that affect Latinos. To increase her training, she applied for the Éxito! Latino Cancer Research Leadership Training program, which recruits 25 ...

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Latina Researcher, Cancer Experts Back New HPV Vaccine Guidelines


hpv psa redes

Vaccinating pre-teens against human papillomavirus (HPV) is easier with new CDC guidelines, which recommends two HPV shots for younger adolescents instead of three. The three-injection series is still recommended for older teens. Today the Cancer Therapy & Research Center (CTRC) of UT Health San Antonio is uniting with each of the other 68 National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated cancer centers in issuing a joint statement to support these recommendations with the hope of improving the national vaccination rate. January is National Cervical Cancer Awareness Month. "We must amplify and unify our efforts to increase awareness of the HPV vaccine to prevent cervical and other cancers, and to motivate pediatricians to encourage parents to get their children vaccinated,” ...

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