Articles by Pramod Sukumaran

Major Steps toward Affordable Housing in Austin, Texas

November 28, 2018

M Station affordable housing units in Austin, Texas (via Hatch + Ulland Owen Architects)

Access to safe, affordable housing is a priority for good health. Access to housing protects families and promotes feelings of security that can reduce stress. Affordable housing located near safe parks, full-service grocery stores, and living-wage employment helps to build community and encourages healthy eating and exercise. Two new initiatives will try to help solve the lack of affordable housing in Austin, Texas (34.5% Latino). $250 Million for Affordable Housing In November 2018, Austin voters overwhelmingly approved a $250 million bond for affordable housing. Here's where the money will go: $100 million for the Austin Housing Finance Corporation to buy land. The city then can give the land to affordable housing developers. $94 million to go to ...

Colorado City Could Mandate More Affordable Housing

November 21, 2018

construction hard hat housing development

Longmont City Council preliminarily approved an ordinance that would mandate 12% of the livable square footage in a new residential development be dedicated to units affordable to low- and moderate-income home buyers and renters. Home buyers making 80 percent of the area median income and renters making 60 percent of the area median income can afford these units. The ordinance still needs final council approval. In many “big cities” in the United States, housing costs force some low-income and Latino families to make difficult financial decisions, new initiatives like these must be promoted in many cities. Longmont, Colo., has a population of 90,719 people with a median age of 36.9 and a median household income of $62,847. Longmont has 26% Latino population. The ...

Study: Latinos Underestimate their Own Contributions in the United States

November 14, 2018

Most Latinos in America underestimate their contribution to the United States, according to a new study from the We All Are Human foundation. The study of more than 2,500 Latinos ages 14 and older analyzed their political, business, and educational views. Participants shared thoughts on 16 positive Latino accomplishments, such as launching more new business and achieving higher levels of education More than 77% of participants expressed disbelief around six of these significant Latino achievements. "Overwhelmingly, Latinos are saying that they're under-valued and that their contributions aren't fully appreciated," said Claudia Romo Edelman, founder of We All Are Human, in a press release. More Study Findings on Latino Confidence 82% of Latinos feel their community should ...

#SaludTues Tweetchat 11/20: Enrolling Latino Families in Healthcare Coverage

November 13, 2018

Only 1 in 10 who enrolled for healthcare coverage via HealthCare.gov were Latino, a lower rate than their black and white peers, according to the federal data. Many Latinos thus miss out on better healthcare access. How can we help? Let’s use #SaludTues on Tuesday, Nov. 20, 2018, to tweet how to help Latino parents and kids get the healthcare coverage they need before the end of Open Enrollment on Dec. 15! WHAT: #SaludTues Tweetchat: How to Encourage Latino families to Enroll in Healthcare Coverage TIME/DATE: 1-2 p.m. ET (Noon-1 p.m. CT), Tuesday, November 20th, 2018 WHERE: On Twitter with hashtag #SaludTues HOST: @SaludAmerica CO-HOSTS: The National Hispanic Medical Association (@NHMA) OPTIONAL HASHTAGS: #GetCovered #OpenEnrollment ...

Most People Underestimate Latinos’ Environmental Concerns—Even Latinos

November 2, 2018

Are Latinos are concern about Environment

Most Americans underestimate just how concerned Latinos and other minority groups are about environmental threats, including members of those groups, according to a new study by Cornell University. Researchers surveyed 1,200 Americans about their levels of concern for the environment. They found widespread underestimation of the environmental concerns of a broad range of racial/ethnic and sociodemographic groups. This underestimation was largest for judgments of minorities’ and low-income Americans’ concerns—groups that indicate high levels of environmental concern in public opinion surveys. Also, most people associate the term "environmentalist" with whites and the well-educated. "We found a very consistent pattern that if the American public thought a group was very ...

Study: Latino Men Born in the U.S are More Inclined to Obesity

October 26, 2018

Latino men who are born or live in the United States for more than five years are twice as likely to be obese than those born outside the U.S., according to a new study from Florida State University study in the American Journal of Men's Health. This could become a problem for the U.S. workforce. "[Latinos] are also gradually becoming the majority of blue-collar workers. It is important to know about the health conditions of our labor force. If we do not, those conditions could become a public health burden in the future," said Amy Ai of Florida State, who led the study, in a press release. Why More Obesity in U.S.-Born Latinos? Ai and her team found that those who lived in the U.S. for more than 21 years were 1.5 times more likely to become obese than other foreign-born men. ...

Neighborhood Characteristics Affect Latino Caregivers’ Wellness, Stress

October 19, 2018

In Latino culture, family is at the heart and center of life. As parents begin to age, children are often expected to become their caregivers. 1 in every 3 U.S. Latino households has at least one family caregiver. These Latino caregivers—mainly women in their 40s—often juggle multiple jobs or leave the workforce entirely to enter, the respectable but high-stress, role of taking care of aging family members. How Do Neighborhood Characteristics Affect Caregivers? Latino caregivers who provide support to older family members and report high levels of neighborhood cohesion, have fewer depressive symptoms than those caregivers living in less cohesive neighborhoods, according to one recent study. The study goes on to highlight the protective role that neighborhood characteristics ...

Study: Even If Thin, Some Latinos Genetically Predisposed to Diabetes

October 12, 2018

Even if you're thin, you might be genetically at risk for diabetes. A new study, led by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Gillings School of Global Public Health, examined data from 9,000 Latino adults ages 21-76 and found that a well-known gene variant linked to Type 2 diabetes—transcription Factor 7-like 2 (TCF7L2) gene—also may predispose a person to being leaner. Individuals with the TCF7L2 gene variant may be at risk for Type 2 diabetes even while maintaining a low body weight. The findings is novel, given many individuals with diabetes are obese. "The counterintuitive discovery that some people are predisposed both to being thin and developing Type 2 diabetes refocuses our attention on the need to collect data in diverse populations and across ...

#SaludTues Bilingual Tweetchat 10/16: Latinos & Clinical Trials

October 9, 2018

The rise of the Latino population makes it urgent to tackle disparities in obesity, diabetes, and cancer. But did you know fewer than 5% percent of Latinos participate in federal clinical trials? Researchers thus have less chance to develop new cancer treatments for this population, which suffers a heavy burden of certain cancers, obesity, and mental health issues. That's why we're excited to use #SaludTues on Oct. 16, 2018, to tweet about how to increase Latino participation in clinical trials to prevent health disparities, as Hispanic Heritage Month draws to a close! WHAT: Bilingual Tweetchat: “Hispanic Heritage Month: Latinos and Clinical Trials” TIME/DATE: 1-2 p.m. ET (Noon-1 p.m. CT), Tuesday, Oct. 16, 2017 WHERE: On Twitter with hashtag #SaludTues HOST: ...

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Pramod Sukumaran

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