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Neighborhood Has Huge Influence on Health of Latino, Black Boys and Young Men



New research funded by The California Endowment finds that African-American and Latino boys and young men are much more likely to experience poor health outcomes than white boys and young men. Most of these differences in health are directly related to the neighborhoods where they grow up. "This research shows that the health of African-American and Latino boys stems from their neighborhoods, their schools, their environments being unhealthy," said Robert Phillips of The California Endowment. "According to the research, place and policy clearly matter to the health of these boys and young men. If we truly want to address the health issues they face, California needs to put its support behind public policies and programs that advocate for comprehensive, community-based ...

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‘F as in Fat’: Obesity Rises in 28 States; Rates Higher in Latinos, Blacks



The U.S. obesity epidemic continues to worsen as adult obesity rates climbed in 28 states in the past year—now exceeding 25 percent in more than two-thirds of the states—with rates higher among blacks and Latinos than whites in 40 states, according to the new F as in Fat 2010 report. Among the report's findings are that Latino adult obesity rates were above 35 percent in two states (North Dakota and Tennessee) and at 30 percent and above in 19 states. Obesity rates in Texas were the 13th-highest in the nation. The report, by Trust for America’s Health (TFAH) and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), goes on to discuss how the nation’s response has yet to fully match the magnitude of the problem. At the same time, it highlights public recognition of the issue and ...

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NEW VIDEO: Latinas, See Why a Mammogram Could Save Your Life



Latinas, even if you've heard it before, please listen: Cancer screening can save your life. To see why, watch our new dramatic PSA where a Latino family with a history of breast cancer discusses the importance of getting a mammogram that can detect breast cancer early, when it's most treatable: Watch in Spanish here. Please leave a comment on how you liked the PSA. For cancer info, call ...

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Amelie Ramirez Talks on Challenges, Solutions to Latino Child Obesity



Go here to listen to Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez, leader of SaludToday, in a radio interview about the challenges of Latino childhood obesity and her Salud America! program’s efforts to reduce the epidemic. Dr. Ramirez was a guest on “Conversations on Health Care,” a weekly radio show airing in Connecticut, Minnesota and Michigan featuring experts in health care innovation and reform. The show is made possible by the Connecticut-based Community Health Center, Inc. Dr. Ramirez has spent 30 years directing many state-, federal- and privately-funded research programs focused on human and organizational communication to reduce chronic disease and cancer health disparities affecting Latinos. Under her leadership, the Institute for Health Promotion Research (IHPR) at The UT ...

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Stirring “¿Sabía Usted?” Latino Childhood Obesity Video Wins Awards



A dramatic video that uses shocking statistics and actual child voices to document the multi-faceted epidemic of Latino childhood obesity is earning prestigious film awards and recognition for the Institute for Health Promotion (IHPR) at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. The video, titled “Did You Know?/¿Sabía Usted?” and developed by the IHPR’s Salud America! program, has won awards from the 2010 New York Festivals International Television & Film Awards, 2010 Aegis Video & Film Production Awards and the 31st Annual Telly Awards: Gold World Medal, “Human Concerns,” New York Festivals International Television & Film Awards, May 3 Winner, “Training/Education,” Aegis Video & Film Production Awards, May 1 Bronze, ...

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Where Are All the Latino Doctors?



Newsweek has a new series that examining many aspects of Latino health barriers, including an article that looks into the Latino doctor shortage. The article has a great summary on the lack of Latino doctors: By currently available census figures, 14.2 percent of the U.S. population is Latino, but they make up only about 6.4 percent of the students coming out of the country’s medical schools, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC). That means there are roughly 3,000 Latino patients to each Latino physician. In comparison, for non-Latinos, the ratio is 335 patients to 1 doctor. That means that Latinos, who may not speak English as their first language and who may relate to medical professionals differently because of cultural reasons, are at risk of ...

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Videos Help Parents Learn Healthy Infant Feeding Practices



An early childhood obesity prevention program developed by Public Health Solutions uses videos to help mothers, fathers, and other caregivers feed their babies a healthy diet from birth to age 2. The videos are available on DVD in English, Spanish, Mandarin, and French Creole/French. Watch the videos ...

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Latino Cancer Fact Sheets & Resources



Here's a collection of some of the newest information and resources on Latino cancer: Spanish-Language Health Resource On its Web site, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) offers an Información en español section and a variety of consumer materials and other health tools in Spanish on topics such as quality of care, surgery, diseases, quitting smoking, and prescriptions. Bilingual Consumer Health Information Numerous agencies, organizations, associations, and book and video distributors provide consumer health information in Spanish. The Web site of the National Network of Libraries of Medicine offers a sampling of sources of bilingual information. The list contains resources originating from the U.S. Hispanic Demographic Fact Sheets There are differences across the ...

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Spanish-language ‘Novela’ Addresses Breast Cancer Myths



Being diagnosed with breast cancer is automatically a death sentence. If I have breast surgery, the cancer will spread. Breast cancer is only an inherited disease. These are some of the most common myths about breast cancer among Latina women. SHARE, a non-profit that educates women about breast cancer, has created a 16-page, full-color novela to dispel these myths. Se Valiente…Son Tus Senos© (Be Brave - They're Your Breasts) tells the story of “Ivette,” a Latina hairdresser who faces a breast cancer scare and learns how to be proactive about her health. “Breast cancer remains a leading cause of cancer death among Latina women and the five-year survival rates remain lower than those of other groups,” said SHARE’s Executive Director Alice Yaker. “Language and cultural ...

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