Financial stress, especially the cost that comes from struggling to afford housing payments, is one of the most toxic people can experience. While the financial crisis of 2008 is over and the economy as a whole has by and large rebounded, Latinos are still reeling from its lingering effects. More and more Latinos and Latino families are choosing to rent than buy a home. According to research by The Hill, Latino homeownership rates that declined due to the financial crisis are still on the decline. In 2007, nearly 50% of all Latino households owned their own homes. In 2017, that rate is now 47% and sinking. Research also found that the number of Latino families submitting mortgage applications have plummeted 74% from their peak numbers in 2007. The much stricter financial ...
In all 50 states, at least 20% of the population now has obesity, according to The Milken Institute report, "Weighing Down America" that shows in detail the threat of obesity on rising rates of disease, our health care system, and our economy.
Among the report are the facts that: Finds total cost of Americans' obesity equals to 8.2 % of U.S. GDP
Obesity costs our nation’s collective well-being and prosperity $1.4 trillion annually
Obesity and excess weight is an expanding health problem for more than 60% of Americans These are just a few of the findings from the report. Unfortunately, many health conditions are caused by obesity including cancer, type 2 diabetes, kidney failure, hypertension, congestive heart failure, asthma, Alzheimers and more. Cost is also a ...
Low-income Latino kids who attended early education programs at age 4 did better in third grade than other public school children, according to a study conducted using data from the Miami School Readiness Project (MSRP). Unfortunately, fewer Latino children are enrolled in early education programs than non-Latino children. Researchers looked at data from 11,902 low-income Latino children in Miami (66.8% Latino) to assess children's performance on state standardized tests of math and reading as well as children's grade point average (GPA) in third grade. "We found that those children who took part in public school prekindergarten programs started kindergarten with stronger academic skills, more optimal social-behavior skills, and English-language proficiency," Arya Ansari, a ...
After decades of educational messages and campaigns on the grave health consequences of tobacco use, fewer young people than ever smoke cigarettes. But this triumph has come with an unintended side effect. A rising number of middle and high school kids are smoking electronic cigarettes, or "E-cigarettes," according to a National Institutes of Health report. E-cigarettes are electronic devices that vaporize flavored liquids that often times contain nicotine. These alternatives to smoking tobacco come with their own set of health risks, including asthma and respiratory infections. Among Latinos, tobacco use remains a serious problem and an increasing number have begun using e-cigarettes, according to American Heart Association News. "Easy access to these products, the ...
Why do social injustices occur? Noemi Fernandez, who is interested in tackling the reasons for social justice issues, desires to improve health and empower the Latino community. Fernandez is a first-generation Mexican-American bilingual student. She grew up in a predominantly low-income Latino community. With the guidance and support of her older sister and parents who taught her pride in their Latino culture, she gained experience in social work and started working on mental health issues, particularly sexual trauma, among minority groups. She earned her MSW, too. Fernandez also applied for the Éxito! Latino Cancer Research Leadership Training program, which recruits 25 master’s-level students and professionals for a five-day Summer Institute to promote doctoral degrees ...
Cervical cancer is one of the most preventable cancers. By getting regular Pap tests, doctors can find and treat abnormal cells in the cervix before they become cancerous. That’s the good news. The bad news is that black and white women are dying at higher rates from cervical cancer than previously thought. Latinas already have the highest rates of all groups of women. Previous estimates of cervical cancer didn’t account for women who had hysterectomy procedures, which removes the cervix, according to a new study in the journal Cancer, CNN reports. “Prior calculations did not account for hysterectomy because the same general method is used across all cancer statistics,” said Anne Rositch, assistant professor of epidemiology at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of ...
The deadline to sign up for health coverage for 2017 as part of Open Enrollment is today! Those who sign up for coverage through Marketplace have until midnight tonight to sign up. Coverage purchased this year will be good for all of 2017. In shopping for plans, most people have been able to obtain coverage for less than $75 a month due to financial assistance that’s available. In order to reduce health disparities, it is critical to address inequities in programs, practices, and policies. Join our site, connect with others, and get involved. Since the passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), over 910,000 Latino adults – between the ages of 19 and 26 – who would have previously been without coverage were now eligible to remain on their parents’ ...
David Rivas’ grandfather was not only like a father to him while growing up. He was also a mentor who guided him and taught him the valuable skills of adaptability, entrepreneurship and showed him the importance of being “educado” (educated). Rivas puts those life lessons into use and is now studying epidemiology and biostatistics as a master’s student in public health at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). He is passionate about understanding how health conditions turn cancerous. Rivas, a native of California who was raised in Ontario, Calif., is completing a one-year internship with the State of Nevada’s Adult Viral Hepatitis and STD Prevention and Control program as a health research analyst. He also serves as a laboratory assistant and sampling ...
On the eve of the deadline for Open Enrollment, many people who have not registered for coverage have not done so because they still have questions. Groups such as Enroll America have made it a priority in the waning days leading up to the deadline on January 31, 2017, to dispel as many of the myths and answer questions surrounding health coverage. Myth: It isn’t worth it to sign up for coverage. People still need to have coverage for 2017 or they could face steep fines when it is time to file for their income taxes. When Open Enrollment began last November, 100,000 people signed up for coverage on the first day. Any new laws concerning healthcare will more than likely not be implemented in 2017. Myth: I can’t afford the coverage A large number of people who obtain ...
