Latinos kids: Don't drink sodas during the school week. This is the no-soda challenge being asked of Austin, Texas, students and their families by a Latino group, Manantial de Salud, a federally funded grassroots health network sponsored by the Latino Healthcare Forum in Austin's Dove Springs neighborhood. The pledge—which essentially asks students and their families to "don't do the Dew" from Monday to Friday during the school year—is now being adopted citywide by the Austin Independent School District (ISD), Dell Children's Medical Center of Central Texas and other local groups as a small-but-serious step toward curbing childhood obesity. Families who accept the challenge are urged to text "nosodas" to 84444 or email nosodatx@gmail.com, or share their stories ...
Editor’s Note: This post is part of an ongoing series that will highlight the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s work in Latino communities across the country. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) today announced that it is investing $9.5 million in new funding for its Forward Promise initiative, aimed at improving the health and success of young men of color. The centerpiece of the announcement is a new call for proposals that seeks innovative, community-based projects working to strengthen health, education, and employment outcomes for middle school- and high school-aged boys and young men of color. “To build a strong and prosperous future for our nation, it is critical that we expand opportunities for boys and young men of color to grow up healthy, get a good ...
With childhood obesity continuing to hit harder in the Latino community, 30 Hispanic journalists gathered in Los Angeles last month to hear experts talk about solutions. The panel discussion, sponsored by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), was part of a daylong National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ) Region 8 Conference at the University of Southern California (USC) Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism. The journalists represented outlets spanning national and local broadcast, print and online media, including Univision, KCPP 89.9 FM (California’s leading NPR-affiliate station) and The Orange County Register. Abelardo de la Peña, editor of LatinoLA.com, moderated the event. The panelists work on childhood obesity prevention at the community, school ...
Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez, professor and director of the Institute for Health Promotion Research at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, the team behind SaludToday, was recognized as a “First Lady” of the Intercultural Cancer Council, which promotes policies, programs and research to eliminate the unequal burden of cancer among racial/ethnic minorities and medically underserved populations. The council, based at the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, chooses “First Lady” honorees for their long-term and outstanding achievements in health and science. Ramirez participated in a First Ladies award ceremony June 27, a day before the Biennial Symposium on Minorities, the Medically Underserved and Health Equity in Houston, hosted by the council, the ...
Editor’s Note: This post is part of an ongoing series that will highlight the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s work in Latino communities across the country. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) and the National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ) are joining forces next week for an important discussion on childhood obesity in the Latino community. The event will take place June 23 during the NAHJ Region 8 conference in Los Angeles and will focus on the role Hispanic media can play in reducing the epidemic. Research shows Latino youth in the United States are more likely to be overweight or obese than their White peers and are at greater risk for developing heart disease, asthma, type 2 diabetes, sleep apnea and other health problems. The same holds true in ...
Watch these great videos of Jocelyn Martinez and Ignacio Gonzalez, just two of the 110 high school seniors and 32 college students awarded a $2,000 Kaiser Permanente Northwest Career Scholarship in 2012. Martinez wants to become a doctor of oncology, and Gonzalez a pediatrician. The scholarship program encourages diversity in the health care workforce and honors teachers that make a difference in the lives of their students. To learn more, go ...
LIVESTRONG has published the case study behind its successful Latino outreach campaign that seeks to close the gap in health disparities for Hispanics diagnosed with cancer. The case study on the campaign, Navigating the Cancer Experience: Reviewing the Impact of LIVESTRONG's Navigation Services, indicates that in 2010 more than 25,000 Latinos were served through LIVESTRONG's direct support, print or online resources at LIVESTRONGEspanol.org. Also, the number of Latino survivors accessing LIVESTRONG’s free, confidential navigation services increased by 40%. The campaign also received an honorable mention for Multicultural Marketing Campaign of the Year at the recent PRWeek Awards. "LIVESTRONG is honored to be recognized by PRWeek for our work on behalf of vulnerable and ...
Two University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio researchers today were awarded a total of $4.7 million by the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT).
These awards for cancer prevention, along with $2.9 million to University Health System, make San Antonio the largest recipient of funds in this CPRIT funding cycle—28% the $26.3 million awarded. Dr. Cynthia Mojica, assistant professor of epidemiology and biostatistics in the Institute for Health Promotion Research at the UT Health Science Center, will use a $2 million award to partner with federally qualified health center CentroMed and community organizations to offer breast, cervical and colorectal cancer screening to San Antonio residents otherwise unable to afford them. “This grant allows us to ...
Watch this new video that tells the heartwarming stories of the 10 men and women who were recently honored as Community Health Leaders by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation for overcoming daunting odds to improve the health and quality of life for those in disadvantaged or underserved communities across the country. Two Latinos are among the awardees. At the video's 6:32 mark, listen to how Latino father Richard Nares was recognized for developing a successful model to support and transport low-income families with children battling cancer to medical visits. Or read more about him here. At the video's 7:23 mark, listen to how Dr. Gabriel Rincón was recognized for launching Mixteca Organization, Inc., which provides health and education programs to thousands of Latino New Yorkers ...
