As the average American takes a shower, cooks, or enjoys a drink from the tap, chances are they simply turn on a faucet to access clean, drinkable water. People who live in colonias have a much harsher experience. While the average American uses 88 gallons of water per day, Cochran colonia residents in El Paso County, Texas, use a mere 50 to 100 gallons per month, facing daily struggles for safe water. Join us as Salud America! explores this rising health disparity through a three-part series on Latino drinking water contamination. Part 1 focused on nitrates, how prevalent they are in Latino drinking water, and emerging efforts to promote safer water for Latinos and all people. Part 2 addressed drinking water contamination at Superfund sites, its impact on Latinos, and ...
Research suggests that Latinos are more likely to live near Superfund sites with contaminated drinking water, increasing risks for adverse health effects. This health inequity contributes to a larger issue of Latinos generally having less access to clean, safe drinking water in the US. Join us as Salud America! explores this health disparity through a three-part series on Latino drinking water contamination. Part 1 focused on nitrates in drinking water, how prevalent nitrate-contaminated drinking water is in Latino communities, and how the nation is promoting safer water for Latinos and all people. Today, in Part 2, we will address contaminated drinking water at Superfund sites, its impact on Latinos, and current efforts to promote safer drinking water in these ...
Rural Latinos and farmworkers in the US are disproportionately exposed to nitrate-contaminated drinking water. This health disparity stems from a larger issue of Latinos generally having less access to clean, safe drinking water in the US. Join us as Salud America! explores this rising health disparity through a three-part series on Latino drinking water contamination. Today we will tackle what nitrates are, how prevalent they are in Latino drinking water, and emerging efforts to promote safer water for Latinos and all people. Part 2 will address drinking water contamination at Superfund sites, its impact on Latinos, and current efforts to promote safer drinking water in these areas. Part 3 will focus on water insecurity in colonias and the US/Mexico border, and how we ...
How can you stand up to the tobacco industry? On March 31, you can participate in Take Down Tobacco National Day of Action! Take Down Tobacco, a fresh take on Kick Butts Day, is the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids’ signature platform for empowering people to speak out against the tobacco industry. You can: Join the movement
Host an event
Play games in the Take Down Tobacco Arcade
Plan events or share on ocial media with #TakeDownTobacco The team behind Salud America! is working to help young adults quit smoking with Quitxt, our free English or Spanish text-message service that turns your phone into a personal “quit smoking” coach from UT Health San Antonio. To get help, text “iquit” (for English) or “lodejo” (for Spanish) to 844-332-2058. “On ...
Obesity Care Week 2022 (#OCW2022) is here! From Feb. 27 to March 5, 2022, Obesity Care Week is an annual public awareness effort to end weight bias, as well as raise awareness, educate and advocate for a better world for people living with obesity. Also, World Obesity Day is March 4, 2022. Our Salud America! Latino health equity team at UT Health San Antonio is happy to serve as an OCW2022 Champion to support this awareness week. "Unlike most other diseases, obesity is one that continues to be stigmatized and those impacted struggle to receive any care in many cases, let alone adequate care," said Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez, director of Salud America! at UT Health San Antonio and a leading health disparities researcher. It’s time to change the way we care for obesity, and OCW2022 ...
Consuming sugary drinks like soda and juice may increase the risk of prediabetes for Latino adults, according to a new study from Duke University School of Medicine. “What we found in this study is that unfortunately, having more than two drinks a day does increase your risk and is associated with having prediabetes,” said Dr. Leonor Corsino of the Duke University School of Medicine, according to CBS17. Latinos are at high risk for diabetes and other medical conditions. It’s important that we reduce sugary drink consumption, especially for Latino youth.
What Did the Study Find on Prediabetes and Sugary Drinks?
Corsino and her research team collected data from the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos, which is the most comprehensive long-term study of health ...
Methane gas emissions have been on the rise over the past 15 years, according to recent numbers published by National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration. Methane can deprive the body of oxygen and cause fatigue, dizziness, convulsions, and even death. What makes this especially bad news is that 1.81 million Latino Americans live within a half-mile of an oil and gas well, which raises their risk of methane exposure. This is why 16 members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus are calling on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to tighten its rules on methane emissions. “[U]nder the current proposal, operators that calculate lower potential emissions (less than 3 tons per year of methane) could still escape regular leak monitoring. This is problematic ...
32.1% of Latinos are physically inactive outside of work, putting them in danger of health issues from obesity to cancer, according to a new report from CDC. This is the highest percentage of inactivity among racial/ethnic groups. The disparity is largely due to structural barriers like lack of access to safe and convenient places to exercise, according to the report. “Reducing physical inactivity requires a comprehensive effort from many groups—including states, communities, worksites, and individuals—to make it easier for everyone to move more,” according to the CDC report. Learn more about the data on physical activity, reasons why Latinos have higher rates of inactivity, and what can be done to make physical activity more equitable and accessible for Latinos and ...
Some chemicals cause serious harm and just don’t quit. These substances, known as perfluorinated and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS), can be found in water, cosmetics, food packaging, fire-fighting foam, furniture, and other things that many come into contact with on a regular basis. For years, researchers classified PFAS as permanent, undestroyable. Recent research shows, however, that might not be the case. A study, published in the Journal of Environmental Engineering shows that a technique using water heat and pressure can annihilate 99% of PFAS in water. How does this impact Latinos and all people? Well, one recent National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences study showed that PFAS exposure can increase risk of type 2 diabetes, especially in Latina ...
