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Eric Moreno

Eric Moreno is a Content Curator with the Salud America! program at UT Health San Antonio. He specializes in covering the topics of health equity and family and social support. He holds a BA from the University of Texas at San Antonio and an MA from Gonzaga University.


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Articles by Eric Moreno

New Policy Would Bring Food Pantries to Texas Schools



Overall Latinos are disproportionately affected by poverty, food insecurity, and unemployment compared to their white peers. According to Feeding America, Latinos are also more likely to receive emergency food assistance than their White, non-Hispanic peers and less likely to receive SNAP benefits and are Latinos are more than twice as likely to be food insecure as White, non-Hispanics. Food insecurity can often lead to adverse health outcomes and can cause extreme stress. Both outcomes can negatively impact the long-term health of Latinos. In Texas (38.42% Latino population), members of the legislature have proposed laws with the aim of alleviating some of the problems for food insecure kids in the state. According to The Dallas Morning-News, lawmakers are trying to make it ...

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How a Unique Café is Using Food to Fight Cancer


sloan kettering cafe

What you eat can affect your cancer risk. That's important for Latinos, for whom cancer is the No. 1 killer. Cervical, liver, and prostate cancer are some of the most common types that disproportionately affect Latinos. How can food help? Your diet can help combat cancer. This is not a new concept—the team behind SaludToday has even published a cancer-fighting cookbook along these lines. But one hospital is taking the idea to the next level. Food vs. Cancer At the Kettering Cancer Center, part of the Kettering Health Network, in Kettering, Ohio (1.9% Latino population), planners have created an on-site healthy food café with a menu full of antioxidant-rich, high-protein foods, food management reports. The menu is ideal for cancer patients. When planning the menu, ...

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Increased Enrollment led to Increased Number of Hispanic-Serving Institutions in the U.S.



There is an undeniable link between education and health. In fact, educational attainment is one of the key social determinants of health. Lack of access and opportunity are often some of the barriers that keep many Latinos from furthering their education beyond high school. However, the numbers from several studies have pointed to the fact that Latinos are making some headway into earning more degrees from two- and four-year universities. One study from Excelencia in Education correlates the rise in Latino enrollment with the growing number of Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) in the U.S. HSIs are defined by federal law as “accredited and degree-granting public or private nonprofit institutions of higher education” that have 25% or more total undergraduate Hispanic ...

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New Research Shows Racial, Ethnic & Gender Differences in Medicare



As part of National Minority Health Month 2017, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Office of Minority Health (CMS OMH) released two reports detailing the type of care received by individuals as part of Medicare Advantage (MA). “This is the first time that CMS has released Medicare Advantage data on racial and ethnic disparities in care separately for women and men,” said Dr. Cara James, Director of the CMS Office of Minority Health in a news release. “Showing the data this way helps us to understand the intersection between a person’s race, ethnicity, and gender and their health care.” One report focuses on gender and revealed “sizable differences” (both positive and negative) in the quality of treatment for certain conditions among MA ...

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Stress, Anxiety, Depression Affect Latinos More than Ever



More Americans than ever before are stressed, depressed, and coping with anxiety on a regular basis. According to a new study, an estimated 8.3 million adults in the U.S. (close to 3.5%) suffer from serious psychological distress. What’s worse, many are unable to get the help they need to either treat there conditions or even get a diagnosis. In a separate report, the American Psychological Association (APA) found disparities in their recent Stress in America survey, noting that Latinos in particular suffer from the highest levels of stress. “Latinos reported the highest stress across four major sources of stress including money, employment, family responsibilities and health concerns,” the survey said. From the survey, 1 in 5 Latinos report never having engaged in any ...

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Narrowing the Wealth Gap for Latinos is Goal of New Initiatives



Economic stability is often one of the most important determining factors of a person’s – and a family’s – overall health. The stress associated with money often leads to severe negative health conditions and can severely impact children’s abilities to succeed in school. Recognizing that many Latinos live in low-income, high-poverty, and high-crime areas, the Hispanic Wealth Project (HWP) has made it its mission to triple Hispanic household wealth by the year 2024. To accomplish this goal, they have defined three components to help them achieve this: advancing sustainable homeownership improving the success of Latino entrepreneurs increasing Latino investments beyond cash assets “The Hispanic Wealth Project is built on the premise that all Americans ...

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Report Sheds Light on Hunger & Homelessness Problem for Many College Students


college enrollent among Latinos students studying

For many Latinos, the dream of going to and attending college is a lifelong dream. More and more are enrolling in two- and four-year colleges and universities. While the numbers don’t quite match other racial and ethnic minorities, more Latinos are earning secondary degrees. However, for many, the college experience quickly turns from dream to nightmarish. Because of the expenses associated with education, many students suffer from food insecurity and are homeless. “‘Homeless college student’ seems like a contradiction in terms,” said Paul Toro, a psychology professor at Wayne State University who studies poverty and homelessness in an interview with The New York Times. “If you’re someone who has the wherewithal to get yourself into college, well, of course you ...

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Most U.S. Smokers Face at Least 1 Big Hurdle toward Quitting


no-smoking

When it comes to smoking, there is always “good news” and “bad news.” The good news is that smoking rates have been steadily declining in the U.S. for decades. Bonus good news: Latino adults generally have lower rates of smoking than other racial/ethnic groups with the exception of Asian Americans. Now, the bad news. A study from the University of Colorado has determined that about 15% of all adults in the country – over 36 million – continue to smoke cigarettes. Of that number, nearly 3 of 4 are plagued by one or more key social disadvantages: low income, no college education, no health insurance, or a disability. According to the study’s findings, Americans with lower socioeconomic status “suffer from epidemic smoking rates.” “In the last ...

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New York to Give Tuition-Free College to Middle Class Students



Educational attainment is one of the key determinants of health. While Latinos have made great strides in attaining greater education – the Latino high school dropout figures are at all-time lows and more are enrolling in two- and four-year universities – there is still a long way to go before they are achieving secondary degrees at the level of whites. In the state of New York (18.4% Latino population) the dream of attending college just got a lot easier for many. Governor Andrew Cuomo introduced a plan for tuition-free college in January and state lawmakers approved the plan mid-April. For residents who earn up to a specific “income cap,” tuition will be free. The income figure will be determined over the next three years. Starting this fall, however, students whose ...

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