Latinos and African Americans make up nearly 25 percent of the U.S. population. Yet, in 2005, they comprised only 3.2 percent of funded principal investigators on National Institutes of Health (NIH) research project grants and 5.5 percent of research trainees supported by NIH training grants. A concerted move is under way to change that, particularly at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), where several programs are focused on increasing the diversity of the cancer research workforce. Read more about this effort ...
Please watch our new Latino cancer PSA: "Fast Life." This true-to-life PSA shows that, despite busy lives, Latinas ages 40 and older should set aside time to take care of their own health and get their mammogram each year that can detect breast cancer early, when it is most treatable. Watch in English: Or watch in Spanish: How did this PSA affect you? Did it move you? Why or why not? Let us know in the comments ...
After watching some middle-schoolers use soda machines to buy “lunch,” Principal Dr. John Kennedy decided that changes were needed at St. Anthony Catholic School in the predominantly Latino city of San Antonio, Texas. He was approached by some parents who also were interested in addressing student health, and the Mi Vida (My Life) wellness campaign was born. Mi Vida is an acronym for a short poem they wrote:
My life
includes
Veggies, fruits & fun
in meals with everyone,
daily walks or climbing trees,
and learning at St. Anthony’s! The motto of Mi Vida is “Play Often. Eat Well.” “The paths toward healthy minds, bodies, and spirit are interconnected, and achieving this overall health is part of our community goals at St. Anthony’s,” said Dr. Kennedy. ...
The Active Living by Design program, community action model and lessons learned from 15 grantee communities are featured in a supplement of the December 2009 edition of the The American Journal of Preventive Medicine. The practice-based special issue describes community partnerships representing a range of lead agencies with emphasis on increasing physical activity in special populations, including Latinos. There are examples of the process of planning and implementing comprehensive approaches to increase community levels of physical activity, including how to engage partners, secure resources, increase community participation, design policy and environment interventions, increase political or community support, address challenges or minimize barriers, and keep the momentum going ...
Need inspiration or help finding the way to quit smoking? There is good news: The Institute for Health Promotion Research (IHPR), the team behind SaludToday, has developed ¡Buena Vida! A Guide to Help You Quit Smoking. The booklet offers Latinos info, tools and tips for quitting smoking, and tells the stories of five Latinos who have quit, like Estefanía Villareal (pictured at right). Read the booklet in English. Read the booklet in Spanish. Find out more about the IHPR's materials to help Latinos quit ...
Periodically we'll feature a faculty member from the Institute for Health Promotion Research (IHPR) at The UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, the team behind SaludToday. Today it's Dan Hughes. Daniel Hughes, who came to the U.S. from Mexico City as a child, went on to get his chemical engineering degree and spent two decades working his way from engineering to middle management at Dow Chemical. But, in his mid-40s, his life changed. A close friend and long-time colleague suffered lung cancer with complications for years before succumbing to the disease. Several close family members also died of cancer, including close cousins and the aunt who brought him to the U.S. He reflected on his life’s work—a “serious midlife crisis,” friends and family called it. He called it a ...
Through teen-friendly text messaging and Girl Scouts, a new partnership led by the Institute for Health Promotion Research (IHPR) at the UT Health Science Center at San Antonio aims to increase fitness among Latina girls. The “Physical Activity Partnership for Girls” teams local universities with community groups to try to boost activity and reduce sedentary behaviors among Latinas ages 11-14 in San Antonio through text messaging, Girl Scout troop activities and community outreach. “We think using ‘kid-popular’ technology and the partnership of academics, community leaders and Girl Scouts will increase the activity of Latina girls, who have higher obesity rates than other youths,” said Dr. Deborah Parra-Medina, an IHPR researcher who directs the partnership. The IHPR ...
Check out the latest on health disparities stories, news and funding in the Winter 2009 E-newsletter from the Institute for Health Promotion Research (IHPR) at the UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, the team behind SaludToday. The newsletter features: The story behind SaludToday
Using texting to promote fitness among Latina girls
A new "hub" for Latino cancer health disparities research
A new guide to help Latinos quit smoking
Research funding opportunties
Health disparities events
Health disparities resources For this and much more, check out our new ...
The National Urban League on Dec. 7, 2009, announced its support the recommendations of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's Commission to Build a Healthier America. "The members of the Commission should be applauded for helping to expand the discussion surrounding how we reform the country’s health system. The Commission released 10 recommendations for dramatic improvements in the health of all Americans, particularly those who face the greatest barriers to good health. "The recommendations are a welcome addition to the country’s health reform debate, and we look forward to working with the members of the Commission, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, policymakers and other stakeholders to make these proposals a reality." Recommendations from the Robert Wood Johnson ...
