I am director of Salud America! at UT Health San Antonio. I have spent 30 years directing research on human and organizational communication to reduce chronic disease, cancer, and obesity health disparities affecting Latinos.
This content is from the "Advancing the Science of Cancer in Latinos: 2024 Conference Proceedings."
Healthcare Gaps in the Latino Community
The Latino population both within and outside the US has significant heterogeneity. [Velazquez-Villarreal] After all, Latin America has been a melting pot of mixed populations for 500 years, with over 20 heritage groups recognized by the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos. These groups are distinct, with unique backgrounds, language, and US influence, but are also connected by more similarities than differences. [Perez-Stable] Latino individuals are the largest and youngest overlooked community in the US and are projected to account for more than half of the overall growth through 2060. Compared to non-Hispanic White individuals, ...
Hispanic Heritage Month is here! This annual U.S. observance, from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, celebrates the histories, cultures, and contributions of Americans whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America. We at Salud America! invite you to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month in these surprising ways.
1. Learn How Hispanic Heritage Month Began
U.S. Congressmen Edward R. Roybal of Los Angeles and Henry B. Gonzales were among those who introduced legislation on the topic in 1968. President Lyndon Johnson implemented the observance as Hispanic Heritage Week that year. U.S. Rep. Esteban E. Torres of Pico Rivera proposed the observance be expanded to cover its current 30-day period. President Ronald Reagan implemented the expansion to ...
Recently, the FDA sought public comment on strategies to reduce added sugar consumption. Sugary drink consumption, which is heavy among Latino children, represents a large portion of the added sugar intake in the diets of Americans. This increases risk of obesity and disease. Salud America! created a model comment that people could submit to FDA to share five pediatrician-approved ways to limit sugary drink consumption among children! Comments were due Jan. 22, 2024. Update 1/24/24: Salud America! members submitted 260 of the 418 comments that FDA received to reduce added sugars and limit sugary drinks in the American diet!
View the Salud America! Model Comment to Reduce Added Sugars, Sugary Drink Consumption
Greetings, I applaud FDA for seeking public input on reducing ...
In the next few years, Latinos face a 142% rise in cancer rates. Latinos also experience cancer differently — from genetics to healthcare access to survivorship. That’s why Dr. Amelie Ramirez, director of Salud America! and the Institute for Health Promotion Research at UT Health San Antonio, partnered with the Mays Cancer Center to create the Advancing the Science of Cancer in Latinos (ASCL) biennial conference. Read the proceedings from the 2018 and 2020 ASCL Conferences. The 2022 ASCL Conference on Feb. 23-25, 2022, in San Antonio, Texas, welcomed over 250 prominent researchers, physicians, healthcare professionals, patient supporters, and students from across the globe to address cancer health differences among Latinos. Conference sponsors included major supporters ...
This is part of the "Advancing the Science of Cancer in Latinos: 2022 Conference Proceedings," which summarizes findings and discussions of the 2022 Advancing the Science of Cancer in Latinos Conference on Feb. 23-25, 2022, in San Antonio, Texas.
Conclusion
To eliminate cancer differences in Latino populations, Advancing the Science of Cancer in Latinos brought together researchers, scientists, physicians, healthcare professionals, patient advocates, and students from across the US and Latin America. These presenters shared research advancements, identified gaps, developed actionable goals, updated clinical best practices, described effective community interventions, and detailed professional training programs aimed at addressing differences. In the process, most of the speakers made ...
This is part of the "Advancing the Science of Cancer in Latinos: 2022 Conference Proceedings," which summarizes findings and discussions of the 2022 Advancing the Science of Cancer in Latinos Conference on Feb. 23-25, 2022, in San Antonio, Texas.
Using Science to Address Latino Health Inconsistencies in Research
Eliseo J. Pérez-Stable, M.D., is Director of the NIMHD at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Health Differences and Non-Medical Drivers of Health Dr. Pérez-Stable began his presentation by discussing the ways in which science can reduce differences in healthcare. First, standardized surveys, tools, and measurements are needed so that data can be combined, facilitating discovery through large data sets. Science should also be an engine for promoting variety in ...
This is part of the "Advancing the Science of Cancer in Latinos: 2022 Conference Proceedings," which summarizes findings and discussions of the 2022 Advancing the Science of Cancer in Latinos Conference on Feb. 23-25, 2022, in San Antonio, Texas.
Transformative Strategies in Science and Access in the US
Dr. Edith A. Perez is the Serene M. and Frances C. Durling Professor of Medicine at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and the Chief Medical Officer at Bolt Biotherapeutics. Her presentation outlined strategies for health improvement as exemplified by important committees of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) and Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C). The NASEM initiative, which was requested by congress, focuses on improving the reflectivity of people in ...
This is part of the "Advancing the Science of Cancer in Latinos: 2022 Conference Proceedings," which summarizes findings and discussions of the 2022 Advancing the Science of Cancer in Latinos Conference on Feb. 23-25, 2022, in San Antonio, Texas.
Leading Pathways: The Hispanic/Latino Survivorship Study
Dr. Frank Penedo is Associate Director of Cancer Survivorship & Behavioral Translational Sciences at the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Miami. The Leading Pathways Study Dr. Penedo began by presenting a summary of Leading Pathways, a Hispanic/Latino survivorship study, a collaboration between the Mays Cancer Center at UT Health San Antonio and the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Miami. The study has five key aims, the ...
This is part of the "Advancing the Science of Cancer in Latinos: 2022 Conference Proceedings," which summarizes findings and discussions of the 2022 Advancing the Science of Cancer in Latinos Conference on Feb. 23-25, 2022, in San Antonio, Texas.
Novel Therapeutic Approach to Reduce Health Challenges in B-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in Hispanic/Latino Children
Dr. Sinisa Dovat is Professor of Pediatrics, Pharmacology, and Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine. He is also Four Diamond Endowed Chair and Director of Translational Research and Experimental Therapeutics in Pediatric Hematology/Oncology at Penn State University. B-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia and Latino Children B-Cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) ...
