This is part of our Mental Health & Latino Kids: A Research Review »
Physical activity is linked to mental health
Several studies have demonstrated a positive relationship between physical activity and mental health among Latino children. The converse is also true. Jernigan, et al., in a study of preadolescents (46.8% Latino), found that greater negative emotional symptoms at the baseline interview predicted a significantly increased BMI at a 2-year follow-up for Latino students (p=.03).45 In a cross-sectional review of data from the Healthy Youth/Healthy Adults study, which included 1,870 Latino and non-Latino white adolescents (77% were Latino) ages 14-18 from Nueces County, Tex., Brosnahan et al. investigated whether there was a relationship between physical activity ...
About » Curation » Science » History » Team » Amelie G. Ramirez, DrPH
Director, Salud America! Amelie G. Ramirez, DrPH, an internationally recognized researcher in Latino health promotion and behavioral change, is director of Salud America! and its home base, the Institute for Health Promotion Research at UT Health San Antonio. Amelie has spent 30 years directing research on human and organizational communication to reduce chronic disease and cancer health disparities affecting Latinos, including cancer risk factors, clinical trial recruitment, tobacco prevention, obesity prevention, healthy lifestyles promotion, and more. Read Dr. Ramirez's Articles Cliff Despres, BJ
Communications Manager, Salud America! Cliff Despres, a graduate of UT Austin, coordinates ...
Peter Kim is a sort of accidental convert to the world of telehealth. Kim was about to start his labor-intensive medical residency—but he also wanted to continue his work as a community health coordinator with Harbor Health Home in Houston. How could he do both? Telehealth. Kim began to further explore how to use telehealth to better support low-income Latino families in accessing healthcare to treat and prevent illnesses across Houston and beyond. Peter Kim already knew that a lack of access is one of the main inequities that keep many Latinos from obtaining the best quality healthcare possible.
Technology as a healthcare tool
In Houston, Texas (43.86% Latino population), the nation’s fourth-largest city, many Latino, Asian, and low-income families struggle to manage ...
BIG ANNOUNCEMENT! Dr. Amelie Ramirez, leader of Salud America! at UT Health San Antonio, is spearheading the Advancing the Science of Cancer in Latinos conference Feb. 21-23, 2018, in San Antonio. Latinos are expected to face a 142% rise in cancer in coming years. There is consistent evidence that higher amounts of body fat are associated with increased risks of a number of cancers, especially among Latinos. The inaugural Advancing the Science of Cancer in Latinos conference will unite health researchers, professionals, and leaders to tackle Latino cancer on many fronts. Register for the conference today! Submit an abstract for a poster presentation by Nov. 30, 2017. "We have seen substantial advancement in cancer prevention, screening, diagnosis and treatment over ...
Potatoes are a staple food for nearly every culture around the world. They can be boiled, baked, smashed, stewed, and—perhaps most popularly—fried. However, fried spuds may be hazardous to your health, according to a recent study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, CNN reports. In the study, people who eat fried potatoes two or more times per week double their risk of early death compared to those who avoid them altogether. “Fried potatoes consumption is increasing worldwide,” Dr. Nicola Veronese, lead author of the study and a scientist at the National Research Council in Italy, told CNN. In the U.S., the problem is especially concerning. In 2014, Americans consumed 112.1 pounds of potatoes per person per year and of that total, 33.5 pounds ...
Potatoes are a staple food for nearly every culture around the world. They can be boiled, baked, smashed, stewed, and—perhaps most popularly—fried. However, fried spuds may be hazardous to your health, according to a recent study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, CNN reports. In the study, people who eat fried potatoes two or more times per week double their risk of early death compared to those who avoid them altogether. “Fried potatoes consumption is increasing worldwide,” Dr. Nicola Veronese, lead author of the study and a scientist at the National Research Council in Italy, told CNN. In the U.S., the problem is especially concerning. In 2014, Americans consumed 112.1 pounds of potatoes per person per year and of that total, 33.5 pounds ...
Uniting the Latino community together with university researchers will—in theory—increase the well-being of this at-risk population. That's the idea behind the new Latinx Community-University Research Coalition of Indiana. The coalition seeks to bring together Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) faculty and staff, policy leaders, and community leaders to promote research and programmatic collaborations that are respectful of the needs, cultural identity and interests of the Latino population while removing barriers, according to a news release. Indiana's Latino population has grown from 1.8% in 1990 to 3.5% in 2000, to 6.0% in 2010. The number already had increased further to 6.7% by 2015. "We are all interested in increasing research ...
For 30 years, a group of small community health centers have provided primary healthcare to residents in Maricopa County, Ariz. (30% Latino population). A few years ago, center leaders Dr. Avein Saaty Tafoya and Lisa Blue recognized that local residents continued to face cultural, language, financial, and other barriers to proper comprehensive healthcare. They felt compelled to change the entire approach of their centers. Adelante Healthcare began to seek grants and partnerships to add personnel to expand beyond their historical focus on primary care. Today their new team—primary care physicians, specialists, bilingual health coaches, mental and behavioral health social workers, and others who connect families to insurance, health education, and more—provides more ...
Nearly 1 in 5 Latinos suffers a mental health problem. But Latinos are less likely than other groups to seek out treatment for mental health conditions. They fear being stigmatized. They lack of health insurance. They face cultural barriers. Or they simply a fail to recognize symptoms. That’s why we at Salud America! are spotlighting heroes who are improving mental health for Latino families!
Irán Barrera: Helping Latinos Answer Mental Health Questions
Dr. Irán Barrera believes there is a difference between mainstream mental health and Latino mental health. Latinos don't use words like anxiety, depression, or post-traumatic stress. This means health professionals need training to address Latinos' mental health needs. That's why Barrera applied for and received ...
