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.
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 ...
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 ...
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,” ...
Many Latinos struggle with cultural, language, and other barriers to healthcare, which is why they face disproportionate rates of diabetes, obesity, certain cancers, and other issues. The good news: Promotores are an emerging solution. Promotores, also called community health workers, patient navigators or health advocates, increasingly play an important role in promoting community-based health education and prevention in a manner that is culturally and linguistically appropriate for Latinos. Let’s use #SaludTues on Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2017, to tweet how to utilize, train, and incorporate more promotores for Latinos: WHAT: #SaludTues Tweetchat: “The Power of Promotores”
TIME/DATE: 1-2 p.m. ET (Noon-1 p.m. CT), Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2017
WHERE: On Twitter with hashtag ...
Metro areas are more dangerous for pedestrians, especially Latinos and other minorities, than in previous years, according to a new study. The study, Dangerous By Design 2016 by Smart Growth America, found that pedestrians of color, older adults, and low-income metro areas are more likely to die. Pedestrian safety is worsening in largely Latino metro areas like Dallas, Houston, Las Vegas, Phoenix, San Jose and Riverside, Calif., due to issues of policy, design, enforcement, and culture. Latinos, who comprise 16.9% of the U.S. population, account for 21.5% of pedestrian deaths overall. There's more reason for concern, too. Unsafe streets are a major hurdle for people trying to be physically active, stay healthy, or get to school or work. This situation collides (pun ...
Did you know, 1 in 3 women experience physical or sexual violence? Maurice Gomez of Los Angeles knows this personally. In 1996, Gomez received news that his girlfriend had been raped and killed by a stranger. The tragedy eventually led him to dedicate his life teaching women to protect themselves. Gomez, an L.A. Police Department tactical self-defense instructor, has offered free self-defense classes for women since 2010, according to a fantastic profile of Gomez by Monica Luhar of NBC News. "It was a real point in my journey where I knew this was something that I wanted to do for the rest of my life," Gomez told Luhar. Most women who participate in Gomez's classes are Latina. Luhar's profile of Gomez indicates that there has been a national surge in enrollment in ...
The Praxis Project, an California advocacy group led by Latino advocate Xavier Morales, filed a legal complaint against Coca-Cola and the American Beverage Association for deceptive marketing practices that push sugary drinks to communities of color. The legal complaint indicates "the world’s largest soft-drink maker and the trade association run ads that tout the energy boost from drinking soda, and disregard scientific findings that sugary beverages can lead to obesity, diabetes and heart problems," according to a CBS News report. The complaint was filed in federal court in California. Both Coca-Cola and the American Beverage Association called the lawsuit as unfounded, and said they are working to lower the public’s sugar consumption, CBS News reports. The Praxis ...
Jose Ramos never gives up. He learned how to persevere from his mother, who survived breast cancer, and his parents, who worked hard to provide for their family. He managed to stay out of the same trouble—crime and dropping out of school—that afflicted his siblings. And he is keeping his goal in sight: becoming an MD/PhD. Ramos, who was the first in his family to graduate high school and college, is currently studying global disease as a master’s student in public health at Columbia University. He’s not just limiting his efforts to the classroom, either. In 2016, Ramos earned a fellowship with the Ministry of Health in Cape Town, South Africa. He also will intern with the Brazilian Health Association in Rio de Janeiro, where he will conduct community-based ...
Editor’s Note: This is the story of a graduate of the 2016 Èxito! Latino Cancer Research Leadership Training program. Apply now. Stephanie McCoy isn’t just her family’s first college student and graduate. She is their first master’s-degree student and—should she decide to pursue it—could become their first doctoral degree student, too. McCoy, who is strongly motivated by her personal experiences and her immigrant parents who overcame adversity, is ardently pursuing a career in public health and currently is a master’s student in health behavior and health education at the University of Texas at Austin. She already is already gaining experience working in underserved communities. McCoy has spent several years working with nonprofit organizations, as well as ...
