Annually, CDC researchers compile and analyze data to predict the number of deaths that will occur in the coming year. The number of mortalities that go over this initial estimate, or “the difference between the observed numbers of deaths in specific time periods and expected numbers of deaths in the same time periods,” are known as excess deaths. Looking at deaths in 2020 compared with predicted deaths, researchers found that U.S. Latinos suffered double the excess deaths per 100,000 people than their white peers. “There were profound racial/ethnic disparities in excess deaths in the United States in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in rapid increases in racial/ethnic disparities in all-cause mortality between 2019 and 2020,” according to an October 2021 ...
Climate change is an ongoing environmental dilemma that threatens the health of all people. Yet, research has shown that certain groups, such as Latinos and other people of color, immigrants, those with a lower socio-economic status, and vulnerable occupational groups are most likely to suffer longer and more severely from climate change. “The effects of climate change add to other longstanding differences among people that result in different health outcomes for communities in the United States,” reported the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.
What Is Climate Change?
Climate change is defined as a long-term shift in global or regional climate patterns. Long-term alterations in temperature or the typical weather patterns of a certain location can lead to ...
Climate change is making life harder for Latinos and other communities of color. A groundbreaking 2019 study estimated that Black and Latino populations experience 56% and 63% more pollution respectively than their activities cause. Cities across the U.S. will experience harsher extreme weather events and increases in daily temperatures, and some might no longer be inhabitable. How can we help? Let’s use #SaludTues on Tuesday, Nov. 2, 2021, to discuss emerging strategies to reduce the use of harmful chemicals and toxins, promote clean indoor and outdoor air, and engage Latinos in speaking up for a cleaner climate and environment! WHAT: #SaludTues Tweetchat “The Climate Crisis and Latinos”
WHEN: 1-2 p.m. ET (Noon-1 p.m. CT), Tuesday, Nov. 2, 2021
WHERE: ...
Over 2 million U.S. teens say they use e-cigarettes, according to a new survey released by FDA and CDC. The study, which found that a quarter of these teens reported they vape daily, was based on data from the 2021 National Youth Tobacco Survey, a cross-sectional, self-administered survey of U.S. middle- and high-school students. "The use of tobacco products by youths in any form, including e-cigarettes, is unsafe. Most e-cigarettes contain nicotine, and nicotine exposure during adolescence can harm the developing brain," according to the FDA and CDC survey report, published in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
Key Report Findings on Youth E-cigarette Use
In 2021, 11.3% of high-school (1.72 million) and 2.8% (320,000) of middle-school students reported current e-cigarette ...
Having been in the industry for over 40 years, Jim Morris is no newcomer to journalism. He’s worked at several news organizations across Texas and spent two decades at the Center for Public Integrity, a news nonprofit in Washington, D.C. In August 2021, he started Public Health Watch, a nonprofit investigative news organization that seeks to hold systems accountable and expose threats to the safety and wellbeing of the country. As the Executive Director and Editor-in-Chief of a virtual news organization, Morris faces some challenges. But in the end, it’s worth it to be able to help advocate for workers’ health and expose people to the human stories in public and environmental health. “I'm attracted to those kinds of stories. You can almost always tell a really ...
Family is a critical aspect in the lives of many Latinos. Moreover, research has shown that members of Latino families can heavily influence each other when it comes to physical, mental health and a wide range of political views. This includes the way this population views climate change, according to a recent report from Cornell University. “Feeling a sense of connection and commitment to your family, and believing that family considerations should guide our everyday decisions, may shape consensus views within a family, including for a societal problem like climate change,” Adam Pearson, an associate professor of psychological science at Pomona College, told the Cornell Chronicle. “And this may have implications for the sharing of climate beliefs and concerns within Latino ...
Lack of nutritious food can result in countless physical, social, and mental health complications. For many Latino families, governmental assistance programs, such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), put food on the table and uplift out of poverty. But health experts say federal food aid needs expansion to help families in need. Fortunately, the Biden administration recently announced the modernization of the Thrifty Food Plan—used to calculate SNAP benefits—and a 25% rise the average SNAP benefit, the largest single increase in the program’s history. “The background formula was based on food preparation costs and nutrition standards that were developed in 1975,” Emily Weikert Bryant, executive director of Feeding Indiana’s Hungry told the Indy ...
By Reena Singh
Guest Blogger, Voices for Healthy Kids Voices for Healthy Kids recently completed research to get the Latino community’s take on sugary drinks and sugary drink taxes. The research identified several messaging findings and strategies to help engage the Latino community in efforts to reduce the consumption of sugary drinks. Specifically, the research found after receiving more information, support for sugary drink taxes jumped 28%. So, what did we learn about building relationships and engagement with Latino communities on efforts to increase access to healthy beverages and reduce the consumption of sugary drinks?
1. Materials and Messages Need to Be in Spanish and English
45% of Latinos in the survey reported they speak Spanish daily. The majority (62%) of ...
We have updated our Health Equity Report Card to include place-based information on your county’s Social Vulnerability Index Score and COVID-19 cases, deaths, and hospitalizations. The Salud America! Health Equity Report Card, first launched in 2017, auto-generates Latino-focused and local data with interactive maps and comparative gauges, which can help you visualize and explore inequities in housing, transit, poverty, health care, food, and education. You will see how your county stacks up in these health equity issues — now including social vulnerability and COVID-19 — compared to your state and the nation. Then you can share the Report Card with your local leaders to advocate for healthy change! Get your Health Equity Report Card!
Why We Need to Consider ...
