35% of U.S. teens say they are using at least one of YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, and Facebook “almost constantly,” according to Pew Research Center. How does social media impact adolescent health? There are complex benefits and harms, according to a new report that tackles the effects of social media on children and adolescents’ physical and mental health, from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM). This is important for Latinos, 98% of whom own a smartphone and who are the highest-percentage users of Facebook, Instagram, Tik Tok, and WhatsApp among racial/ethnic groups. “The use of social media—rather than having purely negative or positive impacts—is likely a constantly shifting calculus of the risky, the ...
We want all people to be as healthy as possible. How can we reach this ideal, especially as we face high rates of cancer and chronic disease and many people struggle with access to clinical trials, income, health care, food, housing, and other issues? You're invited to a webinar series, "Let’s Improve Health in South Texas and Beyond," a collaboration of the Salud America! program, the Institute for Health Promotion Research at UT Health San Antonio, the Mays Cancer Center at UT Health San Antonio, and Genentech. Here are the three webinars from 2025: 3/4/25: The Thing that Could Save Your Life
4/23/25: Tipping the Scales toward Health
10/8/25: What You Should Know about Your Amazing Liver Here are the three webinars from 2024: 4/25/24: How to Identify and ...
Where you live can have a big impact on your health. In fact, our health is influenced by a variety of non-medical drivers, such as the conditions in which we are born, grow, live, work, and age. These conditions are known as the non-medical drivers of health (NMDoH). Addressing NMDoH is key to improving health for Latinos and all people, said Dr. Amelie Ramirez, leader of Salud America! and the Institute for Health Promotion Research at UT Health San Antonio, in a panel presentation on Dec. 5, 2023, at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium. "What we’re finding is that [issues with NMDoH can] negatively impact our health," Ramirez said.
Screening for Non-Medical Drivers of Health (NMDoH)
Studies suggest that NMDoH accounts for between 30-55% of health outcomes. NMDoH ...
Individual health is influenced by a variety of non-medical factors, like where people are born, live, learn, work, play, worship, and age. These conditions are known as Non-Medical Drivers of Health (NMDoH). To help improve health and wellbeing through NMDoH, the White House and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) have released new resources, including the first-ever U.S. Playbook to Address Non-Medical Drivers of Health. “It is clear that the health of our people does not exist in a vacuum, but it is affected by our access to stable housing, healthy food, and clean air to breathe,” said HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra. “It is crucial for HHS to tackle health care and public health holistically by addressing patients’ social ...
Did you know 12.1% of men are in fair or poor health? Similarly, the average life expectancy of men in the United States is almost 5 years less than women (76.2 compared to 81). November is National Men’s Health Awareness Month, highlighting the importance of men’s physical and mental health while encouraging support for men facing prostate, testicular, and other cancers. In November (and beyond), here are some ways you can support men’s health!
Latino Men’s Health
Latino men face many health differences when it comes to physical and mental health. For example, while national suicide rates decreased, the rates went up 6% for Latino men, according to a 2022 article from Texas Public Radio. Machismo and other forms of stigma can play a large part ...
Volunteering for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s helps other people. It gives the volunteer a nice emotional boost, too. So why not volunteer your "digital voice" or "actions"? We at Salud America! invite you to take or start these 13 actions to promote health equity for Latino and all families this holiday season!
1. Speak Up to Limit Sugar in Dietary Guidelines!
A few years ago, scientists advised federal leaders to adjust the Dietary Guidelines for Americans to lower added sugar intake from 10% to 6% of daily calories and reduce men’s daily alcohol intake from two to one drink a day. That advice was not taken. Now those scientists – the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee – are asking for public comment as they again prepare to recommend changes ...
Healthcare workers, looking for your next informative – and entertaining – infection control resource?! Look no further, the Washington State Department of Health’s Project Firstline Podcast covers a variety of infection control topics, from healthcare-associated infections to multi-drug-resistant organisms. The podcast is part of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)’s Project Firstline, which provides all healthcare workers the infection control training and resources they need to protect themselves, their patients, and their coworkers from infectious diseases. With 17 episodes to choose from, you’ll be sure to learn something new. Let’s dive in!
A Glimpse at the Episodes
Dating back to the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the opening episodes ...
Spending on health is rising in America. Yet, ironically, health outcomes are getting worse. In fact, people here experience the worst health outcomes overall of any high-income nation. U.S. residents are more likely to die younger, and from avoidable causes, than residents of peer countries, according to a 2023 report from The Commonwealth Fund. Let’s compare health outcomes with peer countries to provide an important baseline for where we are in health outcomes and set a target for where we could be.
The U.S. and 5 Important Domains of Healthcare Systems
A 2021 study by The Commonwealth Fund compared five performance domains of health care systems across 11 high-income countries. Researchers found the U.S. ranks last on four of five domains: access to care (last)
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We know that Latinos are impacted by Alzheimer’s, dementia, and other health conditions like Parkinson’s disease. That is why it’s important to have support and resources for those who are impacted, as well as their families and caregivers. Let’s explore various support groups from the Glenn Biggs Institute for Alzheimer’s and Neurodegenerative Diseases at UT Health San Antonio!
Support for Those with Lewy Body Dementia
The Biggs Institute hosts an in-person support group, Living Together with Lewy: Support group for Individuals Living with Lewy Body Dementia and their Care Partners. Lewy Body Dementia is the second-most common form of dementia, behind Alzheimer’s. It results in irreversible cognitive decline and movement problems like Parkinson's ...
