SaludToday Guest Blogger
Jefferson Dental Clinics "You have a cavity." You've probably heard this exact phrase from your dentist about your teeth. In fact, 82% of Latino adults have had a cavity. What should you do? First, bone up on what cavities are. "Demineralization" is the process of how tooth enamel loses minerals. Tooth enamel is comprised of a pattern of minerals and when they are lost, gaps in the pattern form that eventually widen and deepen as minerals are lost faster than the rate of rebuilding occurs. A common misconception is that sugar itself erodes tooth enamel; however, the sugars simply act as a food for the bacteria. The bacteria produce lactic acid, which erodes the enamel when it is left to settle onto teeth. Can you see or feel a cavity? If ...
Editor’s Note: This is the story of a graduate of the 2015 Èxito! Latino Cancer Research Leadership Training program. Apply now for 2016. Breann De Santiago
Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. A packing warehouse may not seem inspirational on the surface, but for Breann, it is a symbol of her family’s and her father’s dedication and perseverance in the face of big hardships. She certainly shares these characteristics, because she’s already become one of the first in her family to go to college and is gaining research project experience as she pursues her master’s degree. Her education and research experiences at Whittier College and her internship at John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health have led her to career goals of becoming a public health professional. Breann received ...
On average, Americans are not getting enough sleep according to a recent study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The study found that, on average, over 60% of Latinos ages 18 to 60 get the recommended hours of sleep compared to Whites (67%) and African Americans (54%). “As a nation we are not getting enough sleep,” said Dr. Wayne Giles, director of CDC’s Division of Population Health. According to the CDC, sleeping less than 7 hours each day is associated with an increased risk of developing high blood pressure, heart disease, and mental distress. “Lifestyle changes such as going to bed at the same time each night; rising at the same time each morning; and turning off or removing televisions, computers, mobile devices from the bedroom, can help ...
Dr. Deborah Parra-Medina, a Latino health researcher and professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at the Institute for Health Promotion Research (IHPR) at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, recently became a national research fellow, and is co-leading regional health education centers in South Texas. Parra-Medina was named a Fellow by the American Academy of Health Behavior (AAHB), a national group of researchers who apply study results to improve public health. Fellows are selected for their significant contributions to advancing health behavior knowledge, as well as a strong record of scientific investigations, publications, and presentations. She is being recognized at the AAHB’s scientific meeting Feb. 21-24, 2016, in Florida. Parra-Medina also ...
Research shows the prevalence of the Human papillomavirus (HPV) in the United States is down by 60% among teenage girls, since the introduction of the HPV vaccine, Fox News reports. For the study, researchers pulled data from the CDC’s National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and concluded that HPV is down 64 percent among teenage girls ages 14 to 19 and 34 percent among young women ages 20 to 24. Although the HPV vaccine has the potential to prevent thousands of individuals from getting HPV related cancers (cervical cancers, penile cancers, head and neck cancers) uptake of the vaccine remains low. “We have this cancer-prevention vaccine that is severely underutilized in the United States,” Dr. Kevin Henry of Temple University said in news update from Fred Hutch ...
Editor’s Note: This is the story of a graduate of the 2015 Èxito! Latino Cancer Research Leadership Training program. Apply now for 2016. Juanita Preciado
Ponoma, Calif. Influenced by her hard-working immigrant family and a teacher who taught her to set high self-expectations, it’s not a shock that first-generation college graduate Juanita Preciado has set a very high career expectation: "Do research that will shift cultural beliefs." Juanita is interested in changing perceptions of how parents view mental health and fatalistic views of cancer. Juanita received her bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of California, Riverside and is currently pursuing her master's in public health from Claremont Graduate University "The [Éxito!] program enabled me to consider PhD ...
Health disparities continue to plague Latinos, who often lag in many key health equity issues. Many organizations are taking aim to reduce these disparities. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently released an update to their CDC Health Disparities and Inequalities Report that highlights U.S. programs that help reduce health disparities through “meaningful community and local health authority involvement” among different groups, including Latinos. “Reducing and eliminating health disparities is fundamental to building a healthier nation,” said CDC Director Dr. Tom Frieden. “With science-based and effective interventions, we can close health disparity gaps in America.” Eight programs were highlighted in the CDC’s supplement; they ...
A new study reveals striking data on Latino millennials and their health, The Houston Chronicle reports. The Hispanic Millennial Project revealed that U.S. born Latino millennials describe health as being happy while foreign-born describe it as not being sick. "I was surprised by that," Beatriz Mallory, vice president of SensisHealth, a Los Angeles-based national advertising agency that works with healthcare providers, drug companies and insurers told The Houston Chronicle. "We've been making the wrong assumptions all these years, which can hamper any attempt to change behavior." Among other findings Latinos “as a whole were less vigilant than non-Hispanic whites in checking calorie counts in food. They were also less likely than other ethnic groups to see processed food as a ...
Editor’s Note: This is the story of a graduate of the 2015 Èxito! Latino Cancer Research Leadership Training program. Apply now for 2016. Erika Sisneros
Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. Although she grew up in Colorado, Erika Sisneros' family’s New Mexican red chili sauce reminds her of home. Having grown up in a community with great need, Erika gained a passion for finding ways to prevent teen pregnancy, substance abuse, and dating violence. Just as her grandmother, Patricia, always stood by her side during trying situations, she hopes to serve as an advocate for low-income populations. With her strong sense of faith, and desire to implement change, Erika is on her way towards having a great impact on Latino communities. Erika obtained her bachelor's in Integrative ...
