A new poll by NPR, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), and Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health found that many employers do not do enough to reduce the stress of their employees. Of the working adults who say they’ve experienced a great deal of stress in the past 12 months, the vast majority (85%) report that efforts to reduce stress in the workplace are fair or poor. Compared to the general population, Latinos are more likely to engage in healthy behaviors, such as exercising and spending time with friends and family, to manage stress. Unfortunately, stress is still a major health concern for Latinos, as more than half report they are worried about stress in their daily lives. Overall, 43% of working adults reported that their job negatively affects their stress ...
By now you’re most likely aware of Pokémon Go, an app that was more popular than Twitter for a time. Pokémon Go is a GPS-based augmented reality gaming app that forces players to go out and explore the outdoors in order to "catch 'em all" (Pokemon creatures). According to mental health experts, this gaming app can help individuals with depression by forcing them to go out of their home and do physical activity and interact with other individuals and friends. "The developers behind Pokémon Go didn't mean to create a mental health gaming app," psychologist John M. Grobol wrote for his site, PsychCentral. "But they've done so, and the effects seem to be largely positive." A 2018 study found that 33% of Pokémon Go players reported changes in social behavior since they ...
Todos los adultos, especialmente las mujeres embarazadas y madres recientes deben ser examinadas para detectar síntomas de depresión, de acuerdo con las recomendaciones por los expertos en salud, informa NPR. Más del 20 por ciento de los latinos presentan síntomas depresivos. Las recomendaciones de los expertos son similares a los de 2002 y 2009, pero este año están poniendo énfasis en la detección de las mujeres embarazadas y las madres recientes. "La depresión materna puede afectar al bebe, llevando a menos interacción con la madre, mayores tasas de problemas emocionales y de comportamiento,” dijeron los expertos. Según el grupo, el 9 por ciento de las mujeres embarazadas y el 10 por ciento de las mujeres que acababan de dar a luz sufren de ...
Many Latino immigrants arrive in Broward County, Fla. (27% Latino) with no community ties, no possessions, no (or little) money, and no prospects for employment. Aside from the everyday challenges of facing this scenario, they also often face legal questions or citizenship matters. That’s why Hispanic Unity of Florida (HUF) was founded to offer free legal aid to low-income families in their most troubling times, to relieve stress and, in turn, improve people’s health and quality of life. Magaly Alvarado, a program manager with HUF, knew that she and her organization could and should do more to help their community.
Latino immigrants & toxic stress
Broward County, Fla., is home to a diverse immigrant population as it has become a hub for many Latin American and Caribbean ...
Health issues disproportionately plague the immigrant community in Broward County, Fla. (27% Latino), as they often lack access to healthcare due to lack of insurance, language barriers, and other obstacles. Magaly Alvarado, of Hispanic Unity of Florida (HUF), works to improve the lives of this underserved population—especially in health and wellness. They began conducting special registration events and outreach to reduce the barriers Latinos face in enrolling for health insurance and accessing healthcare.
Hard choices due to finances
Magaly Alvarado, program manager of the local immigrant advocate group Hispanic Unity of Florida (HUF), knows that Broward County, Fla. (27% Latino), has a geographic location that has led it to become a popular entry point into the United States ...
The east side neighborhood of San Antonio (63.2% Latino) struggles with socioeconomic hardships, health disparities, and a lack of access to quality healthcare. In the past few years, the nonprofit Eastside Promise Neighborhood (EPN) has sought ways to improve conditions for residents in the city’s east side. To solve the gap in the availability of healthcare options in the area and fight health disparities, the EPN partnered with a provider, CommuniCare Health Partners, to open a new health clinic in the area.
Latinos in need in San Antonio
San Antonio’s historic east side neighborhood is home to 17,955 residents (mostly Latino), more than 200 private businesses, and six schools on 3.5 square miles bounded by Interstate 37 to the west, Fort Sam Houston to the north, AT&T ...
Edmonds School District, in Snohomish County (9.5% Latino), recently approved a Recess Remodel Program based on a program they piloted last spring to reduce bullying at recess and increase concentration in the classroom. The remodel includes “clearly delineated activity zones, such as four square, hopscotch and basketball” on the playground as well as physical education teachers to reinforce rules and safety. This more structured environment makes kid’s activity choices clear, which increases participation in physical activity, thus decreases disciplinary problems on the playground and increases impulse control in the classroom. In addition to reduced bullying and increased concentration, are the health benefits of increased physical activity. Latino kids are typically ...
Obese Latinos struggle more than four times as much with binge eating disorder than the overall population, according to a post by The Bella Vita Eating Disorder Program. Why is binge eating a problem for Latinos? Dr. Patricia Pitts, founder and CEO of The Bella Vita, mentions three reasons: Acculturation (the adjustment to a new culture). "The negative effects of acculturation to American culture on diet and substance use are emerging in the research. Acculturation also carries health risks for both obesity, type two diabetes, and cardiovascular disease."
Income. "Low-income individuals must deal with barriers to affordable, quality fruits and vegetables, walking or exercising in unsafe neighborhoods, and finding the time to engage in healthy eating habits while struggling ...
