A new study published in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine suggests that there is no safe level of tobacco smoke exposure and that smoking cessation is the most effective means of harm reduction. Researchers from Columbia University examined the lung function of 25,000 people, including smokers, ex-smokers, and those who have never smoked. The study found that people who smoke five cigarettes a day are doing almost as much damage to their lungs as people who smoke more than 30 cigarettes a day. "Light" or "social" smokers will develop as much lung damage in one year as "heavy" smoking does in nine months. The study also noted that each lit cigarette releases 7,000 chemicals, 69 of which are considered to be cancer-causing substances. "Smoking a few cigarettes a day is much ...
Latino kids have higher childhood obesity rates than their peers at nearly all age groups, according to a new report. For example, the newest data show Latino kids ages 10-17 have higher obesity rates (19%) than their white (11.8%) and Asian (7.3%) peers. They also have higher rates than the nation (15.3%), but lower rates than black kids (22.2%). The new stats are part of a bigger report, the State of Childhood Obesity: Helping All Children Grow up Healthy from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF). It highlights big data on childhood obesity, with policies and stories to drive change. “These new data show that this challenge touches the lives of far too many children in this country, and that Black and Hispanic youth are still at greater risk than their White and Asian ...
The vast majority of major baby foods brands contain toxic heavy metals, recent data show. Of the 168 popular brands tested, 95% contained lead, 73% contained arsenic, 75% contained cadmium, and 32% contained mercury, finds Healthy Babies Bright Futures' newly published report. These numbers should be troubling, as even low levels of these kinds of toxins can cause harm as they build up, according to Dr. Philip Landrigan, pediatrician and Director of the Program in Global Public Health and the Common Good in the Schiller Institute for Integrated Science and Society at Boston College. "Arsenic, lead, and other heavy metals are known causes of neurodevelopmental harm," Landrigan said. "Low-level exposures add up, and exposures in early life are especially dangerous. The cumulative ...
Who is your hero? Well, Salud Talks’ is Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez, the director of Salud America! and it's home, the Institute for Health Promotion Research in the Department of Population Health Sciences at UT Health San Antonio. Despite being one of the busiest people in this field, Dr. Ramirez joins us for a discussion on public health, the Latino community, and why both topics influence everyone. Check out this discussion on the #SaludTalks Podcast, Episode Seven, "Public Health's Wonder Woman"! WHAT: A #SaludTalks discussion on public health and the Latino community
GUESTS: Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez, director of Salud America! and it's home, the Institute for Health Promotion Research at UT Health San Antonio
WHERE: Available wherever fine podcasts are downloaded, ...
Merely being a minority person of color can be worse for your mental health than low income or experiencing neighborhood violence. Puerto Rican teens and young adults growing up in the South Bronx of New York City are more likely to experience anxiety and depression than their peers growing up in San Juan, Puerto Rico, says a new study in World Psychiatry. Both of these groups live in similar conditions — the big difference is the youth in New York grow up as a minority. “How others interact with you as a minority can affect your mental health and how you see yourself,” said lead author Dr. Margarita Alegria of the Disparities Research Unit at Massachusetts General Hospital. Members of minority groups often experience racism and discrimination. They also hold the idea ...
Down syndrome affects all race and ethnicity groups, with 1 in 700 U.S. babies born with Down syndrome every year and 1 in 1,200 children and adults currently living with this condition, according to federal data. But did you know that Latinos have an unusually higher risk for Down syndrome? October is Down Syndrome Awareness month. This is a good time to discuss Down syndrome knowledge, disparities, and support for Latino families.
What Is the Risk of Down Syndrome for Latinos?
Down syndrome is a genetic disorder where a person has three copies of chromosome 21 instead of two. However, the exact cause is unknown. "In a process called non-disjunction, the two copies of chromosome 21 fail to separate during the formation of the egg, resulting in an egg with two copies of the ...
More teens in Mexico feel distracted and addicted to their mobile devices than in other countries, according to a new study. With 67% of the U.S. Latino population hailing from Mexico or having Mexican heritage, this addiction could complicate life here, too, say researchers from USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism and Common Sense. “Parents today are facing unprecedented challenges navigating both their children’s and their own mobile device use," said USC Annenburg Dean Willow Bay, in a news release. "We’re seeing that in Mexico, for example, over half of parents feel their teen’s mobile device use has negatively impacted family meals, conversations and activities.”
The New Normal: Parent, Teens, and Mobile Devices in Mexico
The study surveyed more ...
1 in 6 Latinos living with HIV/AIDS don't even know they have it. With 10,292 Latinos newly diagnosed with HIV in the U.S. in 2016, this population group needs access to culturally competent care and prevention education. To celebrate Natinoal Latinx AIDS awareness day (Oct. 15) and Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept. 15-Oct. 15), let’s use #SaludTues on Oct. 15, 2019, to tweet about Latinos and HIV/AIDS WHAT: #SaludTues Tweetchat: Latinos and AIDS: Problems + Solution
DATE/TIME: Noon CT (1 p.m. ET) Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2019
WHERE: On Twitter with hashtag #SaludTues
HOST: @SaludAmerica
CO-HOSTS: The National Latino AIDS Awareness Day @NLAAD, PublicHealthMaps @PublicHealthMap, Communicate for Health Justice @_CFHJ, Eudes Foundation USA @FEudesUSA, US Department of Health ...
Bullying is a fact of life for many kids, especially those of color. 24.7% of African-American students and 17.2% of Latino students report being bullied at school. Race-related bullying is significantly associated with negative emotional and physical health effects, according to a Salud America! research review. On the plus side, many resources—including many in Spanish—can help prevent or address bullying.
Website: StopBullying.Gov En Español
StopBullying.gov, an initiative of the US Department of Education's Office of Safe and Healthy Students, has a Spanish-language website. Like the English-language version, the site provides teachers, parents and community leaders with the resources they need to prevent bullying. It also contains research and best practices on ...
