Breast cancer is the No. 1 killer of Latinas in the United States. This is a fact many organizations are working to change. One such group, Living Beyond Breast Cancer, has begun accepting applications for its 2017 Hear My Voice: Metastatic Breast Cancer Outreach Volunteer Program. The Hear My Voice program offers tools and training to help volunteer advocates reach out people living with metastatic breast cancer, hoping to make a positive impact on individuals' lives in both their “physical and digital communities.” To reach out to all women, Living Beyond Breast Cancer is looking to recruit a diverse group of volunteers for the program. They are especially looking for Latino and Latina applicants. This year’s Hear My Voice training will be held April 28-30, 2017, at ...
In a world in need of optimism, Blanca Chavez is a shining beacon of positivity. Based on her upbeat grandfather’s legacy and her father’s goal-oriented example, Chavez believes that good health is a human right. She wants to reframe negative concepts into stigma-busting, health-boosting solutions. Before starting her master’s degree in public health, Chavez worked at community health centers throughout Washington to improve the quality of care among immigrant populations. Chavez, a proud bicultural and bilingual Chicana from Washington, said the accounts of cancer that she witnessed in the communities she has lived and served give her motivation to specifically focus on the elimination of cancer disparities. To further her goals, Chavez applied for the Éxito! Latino ...
Latinos suffer fast differences in health and social conditions compared to other racial and ethnic groups, particularly whites. These differences, called health disparities, are rooted in social disadvantage and are often unavoidable. The Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) in Boston, Mass. (18.81% Latino population), has released a new report discussing the growing health and income disparities in the area. Some of the report’s findings include new stats about the rapidly rising rates of youth asthma hospitalizations in Greater Boston. According to the findings, the rate has increased by 22 hospitalizations per 100,000 from 2003-2007 to 2008-2012. One of the chief causes has been the growing number of Latino youth asthma cases. “In the asthma arena what [the findings] ...
The Salud America! national Latino childhood obesity prevention program has received a one-year, $1.5 million grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) to empower people to work for policy changes to help Latino children grow up healthy. Salud America!, established in 2007 and based at UT Health San Antonio, has a national online network of 100,000 parents, health providers, and school and community leaders who support its mission: "Inspire people to drive community change for the health of Latino and all kids." The new funding will allow Salud America! to expand its network and engage members with enhanced educational content—multimedia role model stories, social media events, online resources, digital action campaigns, and marketing—geared toward healthy ...
Latinos are already the largest racial and ethnic minority group in the United States. This diverse population continues to grow and all across the country, communities are looking for efforts to increase outreach among Latinos. In Albany, OR (9.55% Latino population), efforts to reach Latinos have increased significantly in recent months. The Greater Albany Public School district has started hosting regular meetings for Latino families at the Boys & Girls Club of Albany to discuss matters important to the community. Two groups, Amigos Latinos and the Community Outreach Meetings for Parents (COMPAS), have recently organized chats with members of the community to discuss the topics that concern them the most. In order to reduce health disparities, it is critical to ...
New York native Richard Gamarra spent seven years in prison after falling victim to the lures of gangs, drugs, and money. But he used his time in prison wisely. He continued his education and took an interest in public health, specifically the effects of drugs, violence, mass incarceration, and solitary confinement on mental health. Now outside of the prison walls, Gamarra has overcome his early-life troubles with an encouraging, pay-it-forward attitude and has earned a master’s degree in public health at Columbia University in the Ivy League. "The former Latin King gangbanger, after seven years behind bars for assault and weapon convictions, [graduated May 17, 2017] from Columbia University’s renowned Mailman School of Public Health," according to a great profile of ...
In addition to breastfeeding, research suggests that other factors that may also play a critical role in helping Latino kids achieve a healthy weight by kindergarten: mothers’ physical activity and healthy eating habits before and during pregnancy, formula marketing, maternity leave, and kids’ healthy eating and physical activity habits established during early childhood. An expert panel, convened by Healthy Eating Research, a national program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, developed Feeding Guidelines for Infants and Young Toddlers, a report of evidence-based recommendations for promoting healthy nutrition and feeding patterns for infants and toddlers. These guidelines can be used by parents and caregivers in the home, as well as be applied in child-care settings where ...
Did you know this week is National Eating Disorders Awareness week? An increasing amount of Latino and other minority populations deal with "disordered eating"—restrained, compulsive or binge eating and an associated loss of control—in different ways depending on their culture. Let’s use #SaludTues on Feb. 28, 2017, to tweet about #EatingDisorders, their impact on Latinos, and info, resources, and tips how to promote healthy eating patterns for all! WHAT: #SaludTues Tweetchat: “Let’s Talk #EatingDisorders”
DATE/TIME: 1-2 p.m. ET (Noon-1 p.m. CT), Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2017
WHERE: On Twitter with hashtag #SaludTues
HOST: @SaludAmerica
CO-HOSTS: @EDCoalition We’ll open the floor to your stories and experiences as we explore: What are some signs of ...
Growing up as “the minority kid” in school isn’t easy, but it helped Brenda Frutos develop a passion for fighting for health equity among Latinos. Frutos not only earned her master’s degree in public health from West Chester University of Pennsylvania, she also is working as a certified health education specialist. She provides research and technical support in the Department of Family Medicine at Lehigh Valley Health Network in Pennsylvania, and also has experience helping with interventions in breastfeeding among underserved women. Motivated by the hard work of her significant other who overcame challenges to reach medical school, Frutos wants to continue pursuing more education. Frutos applied for the Éxito! Latino Cancer Research Leadership Training program, which ...
