Children don't magically "get over" trauma when they turn 18. Trauma, toxic stress, and adverse childhood experiences permanently change a child's body and brain, which can have serious, lifelong consequences, according to a recent report from the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University. Here are four ways trauma can overload a child's developing system: 1. Hormone level changes: Cortisol and adrenaline are the "stress hormones" that help you react to a perceived threat or danger by directing blood flow to major muscle groups and bypassing the thinking part of the brain to activate the survival part. High levels of these hormones keep your blood pressure elevated, which weakens the heart and circulatory system; keep your glucose levels elevated, which can lead ...
You probably know obesity is bad for a child's health. But did you know obesity takes a toll on children's minds, too? An overweight or obese child has three times the risk for depression in adulthood as a normal-weight child. Risk rises four times for children who are overweight or obese in both childhood and adulthood, according to a new study, CBS News reports. Sadly, Latinos suffer high rates of both obesity and mental health conditions. That is why knowing the facts—and having the resources available can alter the effects of obesity on mental health—can lead child to a healthy lifestyle.
The Facts on Obesity
Childhood obesity is defined as a diagnosis for any child (same sex and age) "with a Body Mass Index at or above the 95th percentile", according to the Center ...
This is part of the Salud America! The State of Latino Early Childhood Development: A Research Review » Growing up feeling safe, secure, and loved is essential for the healthy development of all children.14 Nationally, over 46% of U.S. youth—34 million children under age 18—have had at least one ACE, and more than 20% have had at least two.15 By age 6, 70% of children in a sample of families investigated for adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have ACEs that may have negative effects on many aspects of their developmental.8,9,16,17 ACEs may include parental domestic violence, substance use disorder, mental illness, criminal justice involvement, child abuse and/or neglect, poverty/homelessness, and parental death, among others.18 Multiple studies have shown that ...
This is part of our Building Support for Latino Families: A Research Review »
Latino Families Lack Access to Healthcare
Due to high costs, Latinos are less likely to participate in insurance or retirement plans, even if offered by their employers.100 Although the percentage of Latinos with no health care coverage dropped from 26.2% to 15.1% from 2013 to 2016 under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), it is still much higher than the percent drop among uninsured non-Latino white from 14.1% to 6.6% in that same span, according to a report.101 Latinos also continued to perform worse on most measures of access to and utilization of their health care than whites, often due to reasons like citizenship status, language, socioeconomic status, and a lack of awareness of the ACA's provisions, ...
Guest Blog by Smokefree Apartments Los Angeles Today, due to lack of affordable housing, more Latinos are renting instead of owning homes, and make up nearly 20% of the renter population nationwide. Exposure to secondhand smoke (SHS) is occurring as more Latinos are moving into multi-unit housing. One out of three renters reporting SHS drifting into their homes, according to a recent UCLA study by the Center for Health Policy Research. Even more troubling: comparatively the Latino community is disproportionately exposed to SHS at work and at home. The same UCLA survey indicated 41% of Latino renters responding SHS was an issue in their apartments. Many are unaware SHS can drift into your apartment through vents, windows, and doors—even when closed—as well as pipes, ...
As long as there have been movies, characters have smoked on the big screen, too. But as the public became more aware of the consequences of using tobacco, attitudes changed and usage of tobacco products in films dwindled. Until recently. The amount of U.S. movies showing tobacco use jumped 80% in 2016 compared to films in 2015, according to a new CDC report from the Thumbs Up! Thumbs Down! project, which has tracked tobacco usage in movies since 1991, CNN reports. Nearly half of 2016's top-grossing movies showed people using tobacco, which could boost youth smoking rates among youth, particularly Latinos. Lights, Camera, Smoke? The new report examined top-grossing films from 1991 to 2016 on their use of cigarettes, cigars, pipes, hookahs, smokeless tobacco, and ...
Hannah Lieder, foster mother and founder of Minneapolis Swims, has been working since 2010 to keep open the local Phillips Pool in a disadvantaged neighborhood in Minneapolis, Minn. Why? Lieder knows that children living in low-income, Latino, or minority neighborhoods have historically lacked convenient access to physical activity spaces, particularly swimming pools, compared to white or high-income neighborhoods. These social and environmental inequalities contribute to disparities in drowning rates, physical activity levels, health outcomes and academic achievement. Phillips Pool was in disrepair and under constant threat to be concreted over. Now, six years later, Lieder’s legacy lives on, through Denny Bennett, as crews will break ground on the Phillips Aquatics ...
Did you know air pollution is the world’s biggest environmental health threat? Air pollution causes 7 million premature deaths a year, according to WHO data. It is linked to heart disease, stroke, cancer, asthma, and even diabetes in kids. Sadly, Latinos breathe 38% more polluted air than whites. Let’s use #SaludTues on Tuesday, May 2, 2017, to tweet about the latest strategies to improve air quality for Latinos and all people, and help celebrate World Asthma Day (May 2, 2017) and National Air Quality Week (May 1-5, 2017)! WHAT: #SaludTues Tweetchat: “Latinos and the Crisis of Air Quality”
TIME/DATE: 1-2 p.m. ET (Noon-1 p.m. CT), Tuesday, May 2, 2017
WHERE: On Twitter with hashtag #SaludTues
HOST: @SaludToday
CO-HOSTS: Voces Verdes (@VocesVerdes), The ...
When it comes to smoking, there is always “good news” and “bad news.” The good news is that smoking rates have been steadily declining in the U.S. for decades. Bonus good news: Latino adults generally have lower rates of smoking than other racial/ethnic groups with the exception of Asian Americans. Now, the bad news. A study from the University of Colorado has determined that about 15% of all adults in the country – over 36 million – continue to smoke cigarettes. Of that number, nearly 3 of 4 are plagued by one or more key social disadvantages: low income, no college education, no health insurance, or a disability. According to the study’s findings, Americans with lower socioeconomic status “suffer from epidemic smoking rates.” “In the last ...
