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.
A statewide poll conducted by Fairbank, Maslin, Maullin, Metz & Associates (FM3), in partnership with the California Endowment, recently completed groundbreaking research on the attitudes of California youth toward the social issues that affect their lives. Commissioned by The California Endowment, the Youth Engagement Poll surveyed youths, especially in under served communities such as the state’s Latinos, revealed their attitude concerning racism, inequality, and other social issues. Access to clean drinking water and better access to mental health care are two of the key health issues that were concerns of the Latino youths surveyed. Access to affordable health coverage is also a key issue for the youths surveyed. The surveyed also found that 81% would be “more ...
Obesity and Type 2 diabetes are major public health concerns that disproportionately affect many Latino youths in America. Prediabetes has emerged as major health concern for Latinos. Few diabetes prevention programs exist that focus on such a high-risk population. To address these concerns, the National institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has awarded a team of researchers, clinicians, and community advocates a $3.1 million grant. The grant, titled “Preventing Diabetes in Latino Youth,” will be awarded over 5 years and will test the efficacy of “a culturally-grounded lifestyle intervention program for reducing diabetes risks in obese Latino adolescents with prediabetes.” “Diabetes is an ...
The infant mortality rate is considered one of the most important indicators of an area’s overall general health. The statistic tracks the number of infants that die before their first birthday for every 1,000 live births. Recently a study was done by Denver Health and the Children’s Hospital Colorado to delve into the racial disparities in the infant mortality rate of Colorado, a state with the fifth lowest rate among the states. For Latinos, their infant mortality rate is less than African American infants and are on par with whites with nearly 4 infants dying per every 1,000. Latino infants are also 70% more likely to die than white infants. “Despite the fact that we have some of the best health care in the world, we have one of the worst infant-mortality rates in the world ...
Psychiatric hospitalization among Latino children and young adults in California are dramatically rising, especially among minorities, including Latinos. Among Latinos age 21 and younger, rates rose 86% from 2007 and 2014 according to new state data. The California Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development collected the data, which amounted to over 17,000 Latinos during this time period. The cause for the trend has not been determined, however, theories including a lack of culturally and linguistically engaging mental health services for Latinos as well as the social stigma in the community are thought to be part of the overall problem. “Often, [Latinos] wait until they are falling apart,” said Dr. Sergio Aguilar-Gaxiola, professor at the University of California, ...
Goshen College is partnering with Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital for a study on how communities of color access mental health services. As part of a four-year study, Goshen’s Center for Intercultural and International Education (CIIE) will team with the Disparities Research Unit at Massachusetts General Hospital in an attempt to reduce racial/ethnic mental health disparities and to benefit minority communities, especially in the Latino community. “We’ll play a very important role in providing access to people of color to share what works for them in accessing mental health services,” said Gilberto Perez, senior director of intercultural development and educational partnerships at Goshen College. “We’re the bridge-builder between the research ...
Among racial groups, including Latinos, the risk for being diagnosed is significantly high. A new study from Northern California Kaiser Permanente tracked more than 274,000 of its members over 14 years. This is the largest and longest study ever conducted of this kind. Latinos were the third highest group of reported incidences and were significantly higher than whites. “It’s telling there are these large differences in people who have equal access to care,” said Rachel Whitmer, principal investigator of the study and a research scientist at Kaiser Permanente. “The next big question is ‘why.’ If we can study the lowest-risk groups and the highest-risk groups … we will come away with information that will help everybody.” According to the study, achieving higher ...
Dignity Health Central Coast has announced it recently awarded over $230,000 to five nonprofit organizations in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara County. The funds will help aid in the critical health and human services they provide area residents, including the large Latino population. Among the agencies receiving the awards is the Latino Mental Health Enhancement Project. The group addresses the disparities in Latino mental health care “by expanding access to culturally and linguistically appropriate psychotherapy and reducing barriers to treatment.” Some of its activities include mobilized, peer-based advocacy and support services. The program will provide mental health services for 500 low-income Latino residents. It will also provide peer advocacy, support, referrals, ...
The Cambia Health Foundation recently invested over $300,000 in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Utah to expand curriculum for culturally appropriate palliative care for Latinos. The Foundation grant, gifted to Familias en Acción, will provide palliative care training to 2,400 health professionals and health navigators in the four states. “Culturally appropriate palliative care can help improve health outcomes and quality of care,” said Elyse Salend, Cambria Health Foundation program officer. “This investment fits Cambria Health Foundation’s goals of advancing quality, access, and understanding of palliative care, and transforming health care to be more person-focused, affordable, and equitable.” A key component of reducing health disparities in Latino communities is the ...
A new report from the Heartland Alliance’s Social IMPACT Research Center has uncovered that racial disparities persist in Illinois across a wide-spectrum of quality-of-life measures. Across Illinois, nearly 2 million live in poverty, representing nearly 14% of the overall population. For Latinos, the numbers are somewhat higher, with 19.9% of the population living in poverty. According to the report, the Illinois school districts with the highest numbers of minority students receive 16% less a year in funding than other districts with fewer minority students. Racial and ethnic minority Illinoisans are 2-3 times less likely to have health insurance. Also, poor Latinos are more likely to live within a mile of a hazardous chemical facility compared to poor whites. “The consistency ...
