May is #HepatitisAwarenessMonth. The number of U.S. Latinos with hepatitis C (2.6%) is higher than the number of overall people with hepatitis C (1.3%). Hepatitis C disease progression has also shown to be faster in Latinos than in Whites. Worldwide, hepatitis C virus (HCV) or hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is the most common risk factor for liver cancer. Latinos have much higher liver cancer rates than Whites, too. Why is this the case? What prevention can be done? What should Latinos know? Let’s use #SaludTues to tweet-chat on Tuesday, May 16, about liver issues, resources, and solutions for Latinos. WHAT: #SaludTues Tweetchat: “Get the Facts – Latinos, Hepatitis, and Liver Cancer”
TIME/DATE: 1-2 p.m. ET (Noon-1 p.m. CT), Tuesday, May 16, 2017
WHERE: ...
By Jackie Edwards
Contributing Writer Unemployment insurance and government benefits are available to qualifying Latinos who lawfully reside in this country, federal policy states. Many Latino homes could benefit from this aid. In fact, more than 5% of adult Latino workers and 15% of teen Latino workers are unemployed, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. But Latino immigrants are much less likely than their white counterparts to receive government benefits.
"Unemployment insurance benefits can provide crucial economic stability during unexpected job loss, provide for basic needs during a job search, and keep families out of poverty," according to the National Employment Law Project (NELP).
Why Latinos Should Care about Federal Aid
A growing share of the U.S. ...
Only about 1 in 10 people don't have health insurance in 2017. That means far more people are covered with health insurance now than in 2013 before the Affordable Care Act, known as Obamacare, went into effect. However, the U.S. House of Representatives today approved a healthcare bill that could leave 24 million fewer people insured by 2026 than under Obamacare, CNN reports. Here's how the bill would work, according to Salon.com. In any case, Latinos will likely still face the biggest uphill climb for healthcare coverage.
The State of Latino Healthcare Coverage
Latinos are among several groups to suffer from lack of health insurance with rates far above the national average, according to U.S. News & World Report. Other groups with less coverage than whites include ...
Latino and black patients were less likely to be offered an implantable cardioverter defibrillator, or ICD, a potentially lifesaving device that shocks the heart when it detects a dangerously irregular heart rhythm, according to a recent study cited by American Heart Association News. The study confirms that long-standing disparities are not going away. Something needs to be done, said Dr. Samir Saba, a cardiac electrophysiologist at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, who was not involved in the study, told American Heart Association News. “Very few insights exist into the root causes,” said Saba, who has treated patients with heart failure for nearly two decades. “Here we are in 2017 … and still we are speculating about what could be going on.” The study, ...
Where you live could be impacting your stress levels (and overall health). SmartAsset, a financial company, recently examined the positive and negative factors of the largest 500 U.S. cities to determine the stress levels facing those residents. They rated things like sleep time, commute time, physical activity, and unemployment. Boulder, Colo. (13.9% Latino) ranked as SmartAsset's least-stressed city. The top-10 “most-stressed” cities, sadly, were heavily Latino-populated areas in the Southern U.S.
Why Do Latinos Face Stress?
Unchecked stress can impact your mental and physical health. It can also contribute to high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity and diabetes, which disproportionately impact Latinos. Broward County, Fla. (27% Latino), provides one ...
Latinos are already the nation's largest racial and ethnic minority group. Their numbers continue to grow and are expected to increase from 1 in 6 today to 1 in 3 by 2060. They also continuously face numerous health disparities compared to whites. Even among Latinos, there are inequities – especially between Latino men and Latina women. According to research, Latino men are much less likely to engage in accessing the healthcare than Latina women. With reasons ranging from cultural – such as stigma and language barriers – to economical, Latino men are far less likely to seek medical treatment, often to greater future detriment. In order to reduce health disparities, it is critical to address inequities in programs, practices, and policies. Join our site, connect ...
We know it’s not easy to quit smoking. You can do it with Quitxt! Quitxt is a UT Health San Antonio service that sends text messages with culturally and regionally tailored support to help South Texans quit smoking. The service, now available in Spanish and English, turns a user’s phone into a personal quit coach by providing texts and links to online support, educational content, music, and videos. This helps with motivation to quit, setting a quit date, handling stress, and more—and are proven to double your odds of quitting. To join in English, text “iquit” to 844-332-2058. For Spanish, text “lodejo” to 844-332-2058. “If you’re thinking about quitting smoking and you’re always on your phone, Quitxt is a perfect program for you, whether you speak ...
Editor's Note: This story was originally published by California Healthline San Francisco has unveiled a tough anti-tobacco proposal that would ban the retail sale of menthol cigarettes and other flavored tobacco or tobacco-related products that are often the first choice of minority group members and teenagers who smoke. Supervisor Malia Cohen, sponsor of the proposed ordinance, joined Tuesday with public health experts and community advocates to announce the measure, which she said goes beyond more narrow laws on flavored tobacco in cities such as Chicago, Berkeley and New York. “The legislation I’ve authored is a full restriction on the sale of all flavored tobacco products, and that does include menthol. There are no exemptions,” Cohen said. This includes cigarettes, ...
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, ...
