Workplace death rates are higher among Hispanics than other racial/ethnic groups, especially among Spanish speakers. Hispanics often work in higher-risk industries, including agriculture and construction, and they face cultural and language barriers, which undermine "the effectiveness of safety materials and hazard warnings printed in a language they don’t speak or read," the Albuquerque Journal reports. This makes Spanish-language safety materials critically important. So the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has a Spanish website with workplace safety materials, and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has a wealth of Spanish publications and other resources for employers and employees. Employers are urged to review these ...
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 ...
About 27% of US Hispanics reported high levels of depressive symptoms, according to a new study, Medical Express reports. The study, part of the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL), indicates that depression and anxiety rates differ widely among Hispanic groups. The highest rates of depressive symptoms were reported by Puerto Ricans (38%). The lowest rates were among Mexicans (22.3%). "Our study has found that mental health problems differ among the various groups comprising this population, suggesting that healthcare workers should look more closely at subgroups of Hispanics and Latinos to deliver appropriate mental health services," said lead author Dr. Sylvia Wassertheil-Smoller, co-principal investigator of HCHS/SOL at the Albert Einstein ...
Understanding the Latino family is vital as organizations work to improve the health of Latino kids, two-thirds of which live in low-income homes, NBC News reports. That's why a new report provides a snapshot of these families. The report, by the National Research Center On Hispanic Children and Families, indicates that family structure looks vastly different depending on if parents were U.S.- or foreign-born, and most Latinos kids are born into two-parent households. Here are five key facts from the report, highlighted by NBC News:
-Most births to low-income Hispanics occur in some type of co-residential union, especially among those who are foreign-born. Sixty seven percent of Latinas are either living with a partner or married when their first child is born. -About half of ...
Hollin Meadows Elementary School, part of the 23% Latino Fairfax County Public Schools in Virginia, has dedicated leaders and parents who value student health. A few years ago, they started a vegetable garden. Since then, thanks to the leadership of parent Shawn Akard, the school has: developed more gardens; brought in an “outdoor education coordinator” to oversee the gardens and programming; and helped students learn to grow and value new healthy produce.
EMERGENCE
Awareness: Shawn Akard, a PTA member and mother of a student at Hollin Meadows Elementary School in Alxandria, Va., appreciated the healthy changes going on in her district, Fairfax County Public Schools. She wanted to get involved. Learn: Around 2006, she talked with other parents to get ideas on how to get kids ...
Latinos must earn an additional 5.5 million college degrees for America to regain world leadership in college degrees by 2020, according to a new report. The report, from Excelencia in Education and the United Negro College Fund, examines Hispanic-serving institutions (HSIs) alongside historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) to bring attention to minority student access. While HBCUs and HSIs only represent 20% of all U.S. institutions, they educate nearly half of all black and Latino students, according to the brief. "The combined growth of Latinos and blacks in our population, and in higher education overall, requires more intentional focus on institutions that serve them," said Sarita Brown, president of Excelencia in Education. A few key points of comparison ...
A regional health disparities research program has unveiled a new website, membership opportunity, and scholarships under the direction of Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez of the Institute for Health Promotion Research (IHPR) at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, the team behind SaludToday. Dr. Ramirez’ program is called GMaP Region 4. It is one of six regional GMaPs (or Transdisciplinary Geographic Management Programs) funded by the National Cancer Institute to bring together local networks of investigators to collaboratively identify and address health disparities in regions across the country. GMaP Region 4 is enhancing local communication, recruitment, and evaluation capacity to support health disparities research, training and outreach in Arizona, New Mexico, ...
Every year, 21% of new HIV/AIDS cases are diagnosed among Hispanics in the US. Let’s focus on changing this by using #SaludTues to tweet about innovative campaigns to improve prevention and programs to find solutions to HIV/AIDS in the Latino community: WHAT: #SaludTues Tweetchat: “Latinos and HIV/AIDS: Problems + Solutions”
DATE: Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2014
TIME: Noon CST (1:00 PM ET)
WHERE: On Twitter with hashtag #SaludTues
HOST: @SaludToday
CO-HOSTS: @NLAAD (National Latino AIDS Awareness Day), @AIDSgov (AIDS.gov), and @TalkHIV (CDC) On Oct. 14, the eve of National Latino AIDS Awareness Day, we’ll open the floor to your stories and experiences as we explore: Why is HIV/AIDS such a big issue for Latinos?
What factors and challenges contribute to increases ...
More than half of the estimated U.S. cancer deaths projected to occur this year are related to preventable causes, according to the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) reports. The top preventable cancer causes are: Tobacco use (33%)
Obesity or overweight (20%)
Cancer-causing pathogens (16%)
Insufficient physical activity (5%)
Poor dietary habits (5%)
Exposure to ultraviolet light from the sun or tanning devices (2%) The report indicates that more than 50% "of the 585,720 cancer deaths expected to occur in the United States in 2014 will be related to preventable causes." But changes with changes to diet, activity habits and weight, approximately 1 in 3 cancer cases are preventable, according to the AICR. "More ...
