Many minorities, including Latinos, are disproportionately affected by diabetes. New data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has shown that almost 13% of all Latinos have the disease compared to just over 9% of the overall U.S. population. Latinos are also more likely to experience complications from the disease and, according to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) Office of Minority Health, they have a higher death rate from diabetes, as well. However, having support from peers can help Latinos cope with and live with the disease. A study from the University of Missouri School of Medicine looked at how well interventions work in the Latino community when a person with diabetes gets support from someone who understands the disease. In ...
After Nikki Van Strien delivered her first son in Mesa, Ariz. (30.5% Latino), she realized the discharge package given to all new moms by the hospital could undermine a woman’s breastfeeding goals by pushing formula. She wanted to do something to support breastfeeding moms immediately after delivery. In 2011, Van Strien and some other moms developed the AZ Breastfeeding Bag Project to provide all new breastfeeding mothers with a bag filled with educational material and breastfeeding supply samples. They became a non-profit and recruited volunteers and donations to reach new mothers birthing in the hospital, birth center, or home.
Breastfeeding Rates Low in Arizona
Nikki Van Strien, a new mom in Mesa, Ariz., wanted to connect with other moms for support. She joined a local group she ...
Editor’s Note: This is the story of a graduate of the 2016 Èxito! Latino Cancer Research Leadership Training program. Apply now. Stephanie McCoy isn’t just her family’s first college student and graduate. She is their first master’s-degree student and—should she decide to pursue it—could become their first doctoral degree student, too. McCoy, who is strongly motivated by her personal experiences and her immigrant parents who overcame adversity, is ardently pursuing a career in public health and currently is a master’s student in health behavior and health education at the University of Texas at Austin. She already is already gaining experience working in underserved communities. McCoy has spent several years working with nonprofit organizations, as well as ...
According to a 2015 report published by the William T. Grant Foundation, 1 in 3 Latino kids live in poverty vs. 1 in 7 non-Latino white kids and 1 in 7 Asian children. Such differences are believed to be a central issue which compounds disparities in mental health. The report goes on to list 4 primary issues at the root of inequality in mental health including: Pervasive differences in family Socio-Econoimic Status;
Adverse childhood experiences;
Family structure; and
Neighborhood-level Factors Read more about mental health and Latino ...
Hawai'i is a place known for its beauty, but now it may be known for more than beauty as it strives for health and wellness with Kaiser Permanente Hawai'i who has awarded nearly $800,000 dollars towards supporting nonprofits that focus on behavioral health support, preventive screenings, and healthy eating. The commitment behind Kaiser's support is to reduce health disparities in Hawaii, where the Latino population (10.4%) saw a 165% growth since 1990 and continues to grow consistently, according to Hawaii News Now. Taking a stand to help all those in Hawaii, Kaiser Permanente is working in low-income communities to help improve access to healthy lunches in schools, vision and oral screenings, education, mental health and more. Over eight non-profits have received the funds and ...
The deadline to obtain health coverage by January 1 has been extended through December 19. Open Enrollment for the Health Insurance Marketplace is currently underway. On Friday, Dec. 16, President Barack Obama announced that more than 670,000 people signed up before the Dec. 15 deadline; due to this overwhelming response, the deadline has been extended. “Millions of Americans have already signed up for coverage and tens of thousands more are in the process of getting coverage today,” said Health Insurance Marketplace CEO Kevin Counihan. “As we did last year, because of extraordinary volume of consumers contacting our call center or visiting HealthCare.gov, we are extending the deadline to sign-up for January 1 coverage until 11:59pm PST December 19.” In order to ...
Known as a “daddy’s girl,” Paloma Suarez learned to be independent from day one when her father encouraged her that she can achieve anything. Growing up in the Dominican Republic and observing massive health inequalities between social classes that led to disproportionate disease burdens, Suarez knew she wanted to improve the status and health of women and families. Suarez is a certified lactation consultant and senior nutritionist for the local Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) federal assistance program in Great Barrington, Mass. She is an advocate and translator for mothers who depend on federal assistance, helping them learn the importance of nutrition and physical activity. To increase her training, Suarez applied for the Éxito! Latino Cancer Research Leadership ...
The current phase of Open Enrollment is underway, and Dec. 15 is an important deadline to keep in mind. For those who sign up by midnight, they will be able to begin 2017 fully covered with health insurance. As of December 10, over 4 million people had selected plans using HealthCare.gov since Open Enrollment began November 1, including over 1.1 million new consumers and 2.9 million renewing their coverage. “Momentum is building,” said Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell in a statement. “As we approach the December 15 deadline for consumers to get coverage that begins January 1st, we’re seeing hundreds of thousands of consumers each day signing up for coverage they want and need.” In order to reduce health disparities, it is ...
Guided by her heritage and the “coqui,” support from her parents, and wisdom from God, Ana Hernandez always strives to help others. Healthy food is her main utensil for assistance. In fact, Hernandez has helped many people live healthier lives as a registered dietician who focuses on functional foods. Hernandez, who has a degree in human nutrition and foods from the School Family and Consumer Sciences at Texas State University, is also a member of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and an officer of the Nutrition and Education and Outreach student organization. Just like the “arepas de cojo” she created to benefit Puerto Ricans with metabolic syndrome, she has a keen interest in how food can prevent cancer, which needs far more attention on solutions to the ...
