America is currently undergoing an epidemic of prescription opioid abuse. According to the American Society of Addiction Medicine, drug overdose is the leading cause of accidental death in the country, with 47,055 lethal drug overdoses in 2014. Opioid addiction is driving this problem, with 18,893 overdose deaths related to prescription pain relievers, and 10,574 overdose deaths related to heroin in 2014. While this problem is rapidly reaching critical levels in the United States, Latinos are being affected at lesser rates than whites. Researchers say minority patients, including Latinos and African Americans, use opioids at lesser rates. There are numerous possible explanations for this phenomenon, including lack of insurance coverage and a greater reluctance among minorities to ...
Consumers are looking more for food options low in sugar as they become more aware of added sugars by reading the new nutrition labels. According to Euromonitor Ltd., yogurt sales have more than doubled since 2001. However, many yogurts contain up to 20 or more grams of added sugars. Now with rising demand for products lower in added sugars, Dannon's Chief Executive Mariano Lozano told the press that the company would now offer more products focused around low-sugar options with no genetically engineered ingredients (GMO's). The American Heart Association shows that the average American eats about 22 teaspoons of added sugar every day, and recommends to parents to limit children's sugar consumption to eat less than 3 to 4 teaspoons per day. Added sugars from foods and ...
Enroll America recently announced the results of their 2016 consumer survey regarding consumers and the Healthcare Marketplace. According to the survey, affordability remains the primary concern and reason that many have not enrolled in health insurance through the marketplace. Last month, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released an analysis on coverage and the cost-sharing protections that consumers are getting through HealthCare.gov for the 2016 coverage year. The best way to combat this perception is to ensure consumers are aware of the financial help available to help purchase marketplace plans. In order to reduce health disparities, it is critical to address inequities in programs, practices, and policies.
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From the start of one senior citizen's small backyard garden in Holladay, Utah, to now a flourishing program of over 28 gardens throughout Salt Lake City area, Green Urban Lunch Box helps senior citizens use their back yards to grow fresh vegetables for their community. It all started when Katie Nelson, the nonprofit's Back-Farms program coordinator asked 84-year-old Chiyoko Chiba if they could grow vegetables in her backyard. After much faith and some cultivation from the nonprofit's volunteers, the garden has helped senior citizens access healthier foods. In fact, over 12,000 pounds of fresh vegetables have been harvested since 2015 straight from various backyard farms. "This is a great opportunity to help out some folks who can no longer grow their own food," Nelson told ...
Growing your own food has grown in popularity over the last few years, according to the National Gardening Association who reveal in 2013 over 40 million households are active in some type of urban food gardening. Gardens help the mind and the heart with encouraging light-to- moderate physical activity with digging, planting, pulling and more. The mind can also benefit from gardening as one learns the nutritious benefits of fresh food, how to incorporate nutritious fresh vegetables into your diet and ways to garden to help to relieve stress and depression. Many farm-to-school programs incorporate educational lessons to help classrooms explore healthy habits, trying new foods, and learning what it takes to grow a plant from seed to harvest. Community gardens and school gardens ...
You don't need a college degree and you don't need to recite Lincoln's Gettysburg Address to initiate change in your community. YOU can make a difference in your community through both political and non-political processes. Follow the news. Learn about community issues. Discuss with friends, neighbors, and coworkers. Follow city leaders and elected officials on social media. Reach out to city leaders, elected officials, and other agencies/groups/organizations. Although people may approach issues from a different point of view, ultimately, people care deeply about health and equity. Register on our site to connect with people like you interested in starting or supporting healthy social, political, or environmental change in your community or school. YOU can impact social ...
Guest Blogger: Dr.Qadira Ali Huff, Campaign for Dental Health Poverty weaves a complex web of problems for children and families. The burden of dental disease/cavities/tooth decay, which is/are more common than allergies or asthma, falls disproportionately on low-income, minority, and immigrant children (1). Given that more black and Hispanic children live in poverty, these children experience double layers of risk to their oral health. Low-income children have five times more untreated cavities than children from higher income families (2). Children with poor oral health miss school and can’t concentrate when they are in pain. Parents must miss work to care for children with dental pain, potentially jeopardizing employment. And people with mouth pain can’t get the ...
A new report from the Federal Interagency Forum on Aging-Related Statistics has found that nearly 25% of all Americans over the age of 65 have some form of disability. The forum found that nearly a quarter of all seniors say that they have at least one limitation in vision, hearing, mobility, communication, cognition or self-care. “Many Americans enjoy longer lives, though with some functional limitations,” according to a news release from the report’s authors. The findings mean that millions of American, more often spouses and/or children, are becoming caregivers for disabled aging family members. In most cases, according to the report, the burden is rarely excessive. “[About] 86 percent reported that informal caregiving gives them satisfaction that the care recipient is ...
According to an Active Living Research research brief, of the following two new studies shed light on how to make neighborhoods more physical activity-friendly for all people, regardless of income or race: Disparities in pedestrian streetscape environments by income and race/ethnicity
Socioeconomic and race/ethnic disparities in observed park quality Both studies found evidence of “disparities” (pedestrian features that were worse in low‐income and/or high‐minority neighborhoods) and “equitable differences” (pedestrian features that were worse in high‐income and/or mostly White neighborhoods). The different patterns found across regions suggest that local policies, practices, and funding priorities can be effective. Disparities in physical activity ...
