Articles by Cliff Despres

Mercedes Watson: Social Worker Brings Healing to Others

December 5, 2016

The soft touch of a crocheted blanket reminds Mercedes Watson of her grandmother, who taught her how to crochet and speak Spanish. Watson, who has put a lot of time and creativity into making many beautiful hand-crocheted blankets, she also is dedicating her efforts toward cancer research will bring healing and unique benefits for Latino health via community resources and patient navigation. Despite becoming pregnant as a high-school senior with her daughter, Ally, Watson overcame many struggles and was determined to continue her education. She earned a master’s degree from San Diego State University. She has gone on to become a medical social worker for Cancer Resource Center of the Desert, Aria Hospice, and Gentiva Home Health. To increase her training, she applied for ...

Sugary Drinks Can Seriously Impact Health for Latino Preschoolers

December 5, 2016

Sugary drinks are a rising threat to the health of Latino preschoolers. Being Latino and drinking sugary beverages at least once in the past week were associated with 2.3 times the odds of severe obesity in kindergarten, which can lead to obesity-related diseases, according to a study. The study is part of a research review, Sugary Drinks and Latino Kids, released today by Salud America!, an obesity prevention network at UT Health San Antonio, and Bridging the Gap, an obesity research team at the University of Illinois. “We have to work together to do more to reduce sugar consumption and help kids grow up at a healthy weight, well before they ever enter kindergarten,” said Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez, director of Salud America! and the Institute for Health Promotion Research at UT ...

One Group’s Epic Effort to Solve Hunger and Boost Latino Health

December 2, 2016

nclr charla food health education promotor

SaludToday Guest Blogger UnidosUS, Formerly: National Council of La Raza (NCLR) The holidays are upon us. So is the temptation for Latino and all families to eat, drink and be merry—but there are ways to approach the season with an eye toward choosing nutritious food, cooking healthy meals, and increasing physical activity in order to enjoy better health. These lessons are at the heart of UnidosUS's Comprando Rico y Sano program. The program, led by UnidosUS's Institute for Hispanic Health with support from WalMart Foundation, uses a culturally and linguistically sensitive approach and community health workers—called promotores de salud—from 20 partner groups to reduce local hunger and instill healthy shopping and eating habits among Latinos. UnidosUS trains the ...

Tweetchat: How to Solve the Crisis of Sugary Drinks and Latino Kids

December 1, 2016

Latino toddler kid with sugury drink obesity

Three of every four Latino kids have had a sugary drink by their second birthday, compared to less than half of white kids. Regular consumption can have alarming health consequences. In fact, being Latino and drinking sugary beverages at least once in the past week were associated with 2.3 times the odds of severe obesity in kindergarten, which can lead to diabetes and worse, according to new research package to be released Dec. 5, 2016, from Salud America!, an obesity prevention network at UT Health San Antonio, and Bridging the Gap, an obesity research team at the University of Illinois. Let’s use #SaludTues on Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2016, to tweet about the new research and strategies to reduce consumption of sugary drinks among Latino kids: WHAT: #SaludTues Tweetchat: “The ...

How Many of Us Really Brush Twice a Day?

November 28, 2016

Salud America! Guest Blogger Jefferson Dental Care You've heard it before: Brushing your teeth twice a day and flossing are two of the best ways to keep your mouth healthy. But do Latinos and others follow this advice? Actually, 30% of Americans do not brush their teeth twice a day, according to figures from the American Dental Association. Skipping brushing can lead to tooth decay—which disproportionately occurs in Latino children—tooth loss and other serious health problems. “Poor oral health has been linked to chronic illnesses like diabetes, heart attack, stroke, breast cancer and many others,” said Dr. Leslie Renee Townsend, regional dental director for Jefferson Dental Care. “Moreover, at-home dental care is crucial to keeping plaque and tartar from ...

Zandra Perez: Nursing Latinos to Health

November 28, 2016

Although she wasn’t allowed to speak Spanish growing up, Zandra Perez’s grandmother made sure she knew her roots by helping her become bilingual. Perez also draws on her faith and believes in the value of all lives. As such, Perez is working hard as a nurse to provide quality care for underserved Latinos. She earned her nursing degree from the UT Health Science Center at San Antonio and is currently one of two educators working to recruit rural area clinics to participate in eradicating tuberculosis by screening and treating for latent tuberculosis. Perez hopes to educate her patients on the importance of health screenings and preventative care. So she applied for the Éxito! Latino Cancer Research Leadership Training program, which recruits 25 master’s-level students ...

Salud America! Is Thankful for You!

November 24, 2016

YOU are the reason we are so thankful this Thanksgiving. Thank you for visiting our blog, reading our posts, and most of all for your strong interest in improving Latino health! The Salud America! team, led by Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez of the Institute for Health Promotion Research at The UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, is also thankful for the opportunity to drive messages of healthy change to inspire Latinos across the nation. We're also thankful for some recent recognition from peers. A few weeks ago we were named Best Health Advocate Reaching Latino(a)s Through Social Media by LATISM (Latinos in Social Media), a nonprofit promoting Latino issues. The national Academy of Interactive and Visual Arts also just named us winners of two W³ awards for digital ...

7 Consejos para Aliviar el Temor de Agujas en los Niños

November 21, 2016

Si hay algo que a los niños no les gustan oír, es lo siguiente: “Es tiempo recibir las vacunas.” Cuando se trata de recibir la vacuna contra la gripe, cada año muchos niños – casi un tercio de todos los niños vacunados – lo evitan y en vez reciben el “FluMist”, un método de forma de aerosol nasal que es alternativo a la inyección tradicional. Pero después de más de una década de ser un alternativo confiable, este año no está disponible debido a que el CDC ha encontrado que no es un método efectivo. Pero la inyección tradicional contra la gripe sí está disponible y es efectiva. El CDC y Kaiser Permanente recomiendan que personas mayores de seis meses deban recibir la vacuna cada año. La gripe es una enfermedad grave y la vacuna es la mejor forma de ...

The Brutal Lack of Hispanics in Genetic Research

November 18, 2016

Genetic researchers are overwhelmingly focused on white populations, which could have negative implications for the health of minorities, Vocativ reports. The report cites a new op-ed in the journal Nature that found that 81% of participants were of European descent (white) and only 19% non-European descent in all scientific studies that "correlated a genetic mutation with a particular disease." The white participant percentage, while down from 96% in the same analysis in 2009, means minorities remain vastly underrepresented. In fact, less than 1% of genetic research had Hispanic-descent participants in 2016. Only 3% of participants were of African descent. Genetic research can uncover the causes of many diseases, and allow scientists to create drugs to treat the underlying ...

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Cliff Despres

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