Revamped Website Tackles Latino Health Issues



You’re invited to check out the new revamped website of the Institute for Health Promotion Research (IHPR) at The UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, which investigates the causes of and solutions to the unequal impact of cancer, chronic disease and obesity among Latinos in South Texas and across the nation. The website now features: Additional areas for news, research and materials Better organization for rapid access to research Seamless video player Social media integration You can also now sign up to get the latest Latino health news via e-mail. “Our website aims to raise awareness of our work to improve the health of Latinos, a diverse, culturally rich population that faces a higher burden of certain diseases than other groups,” said Amelie G. Ramirez, ...

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Despite Progress, Heart Disease Still a Top Killer of Latinas, Other Women



In 2002, 1 in 3 women died of heart disease. That year, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute launched The Heart Truth campaign to make women more aware of the danger of heart disease. Now 10 years later, 1 in 4 women dies of heart disease. Although significant progress has been made, there is still work to do. Many women still don’t take their risk for heart disease seriously or personally. Check out this infographic that highlights the importance of heart health for women. Also check out this Spanish-language video on the truth about heart disease, plus other materials ...

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Videos: Healthy Eating and You



Check out these healthy eating videos from ...

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IHPR Promotora Programs Take Center Stage at White House



Sandra San Miguel de Majors, a research instructor at the Institute for Health Promotion Research (IHPR) at the Health Science Center at San Antonio, touted the use of community health workers—called promotores—to improve people's health at the Latina Health Policy Briefing for Promotores de Salud on Sept. 26, 2012, at the White House in Washington, D.C. The policy briefing, organized by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to review the affordable care act, united key Latino health care providers, researchers, stakeholders and promotores to discuss successful evidenced-based Latino research initiatives utilizing promotores. The briefing featured Cecilia Muñoz, director of the White House Domestic Policy Council and Kathleen Sebelius, HHS secretary. San ...

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Apply Now: Èxito! Program Helps Latinos Seek Doctoral Degrees, Research Careers



Editor's Note: Apply by March 15 for the 2013 Èxito! Latino Cancer Research Leadership Training program. Elie Benavidez, a master’s-degree student at The University of Texas at San Antonio, already is making strides to improve the lives of Latinos. She teaches elementary-school students and volunteers her time to increase local access to healthy food. Now Benavidez, inspired by her mother’s cancer battle, is considering seeking a doctoral degree and doing cancer research. That’s why she and 19 other master’s-level students or health professionals joined the Institute for Health Promotion Research’s second-annual Summer Institute of Éxito! Latino Cancer Research Leadership Training on June 7-11, 2012, in San Antonio. Exito! encourages participants to pursue a doctoral ...

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Video: How You Can Change School Food for the Better



Parent advocates can use RuddRootsParents.org to learn how to improve the food in their children's schools. Watch this video on how it ...

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Infographic: School Food Matters



Check out this infographic on why school food ...

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Is Obesity Triggering Arthritis, or Vice-Verse, among Latinos?



Latinos, African Americans and women are disproportionately affected by both obesity and osteoarthritis (OA), the most common form of arthritis, which is characterized by the breakdown of cartilage that acts as a cushion at the ends of bones. On Sept. 18-19, 2012, Movement is Life will convene for its third annual National Caucus on Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Health Disparities. At this year’s meeting, the cause and effect relationship between osteoarthritis and obesity will be at the forefront of discussions. “For patients with osteoarthritis, the friction produced when bones grind against one another causes chronic pain and stiffness. As a result, many limit their physical activity, which often leads to weight gain,” said Dr. Mary O'Connor of the Mayo Clinic Florida ...

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Video: Innovative Program Helps Children Who Face Severe Emotional, Mental Stressors



Children exposed to severe stressors like maternal depression, domestic violence, extreme poverty, or substance abuse, can suffer damage to their emotional development and mental health. Child FIRST, an innovative home-visit program in Connecticut, is designed to stabilize families, connect them with social services, and help develop and support nurturing, responsive caregivers. Watch this Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) video about the program, which features some Latino ...

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