According to the Indiana Department of Health, seven out of every 1,000 infants born will not see their first birthday. The state is above the national average for infant deaths and it also has higher rates of pre-term births and prenatal smoking. Indiana is also lower than the national average among pregnant women who receive prenatal care in the first trimester of their pregnancy. The rate is especially high among minorities, including Latinos. “What we see in Indiana is that we can really do well ensuring prenatal care and healthy births in a select group of women,” said Dr. Jen Walthall, deputy health commissioner for the Indiana State Health Department. “Our infant mortality rate … is much better than the national average.” Diseases that can lead to pre-term labor, ...
In November, over 2,300 people attended the League of United Latin American Citizens’ (LULAC) Latinos Living Healthy: Feria de Salud in Brownsville, Texas. A variety of free health care services were offered to the festival’s attendees including diabetes screenings, blood pressure screenings, as well screenings for HIV and cholesterol. Attendees were also offered free flu shots, dental checkups, and mental health consultations. Children participated in numerous interactive events, including basketball drills, a hula hoop contest, and a healthy images art project. Local food vendors also provided free samples of local, fresh fruit to encourage healthier eating habits. This was the first time the festival was held in Brownsville, which is a city, according to LULAC, in which nearly ...
Studies have shown that Latino kids consume more sugary sweet beverages than their non-white peers and over-consumption of sugary beverages has also been linked to health risks like diabetes and obesity. When obesity rates are rising and more than one in three Latino kids are predicted to have diabetes in the near future, healthier options are a must for kids menu's. Helping to assist parents and kids on making the easy choice the healthy choice when dining out, DineEquity, owner of Applebee's and IHOP restaurants have decided to completely remove the option of soda on their kids' menus. This is the first family-dining restaurant to promote and incorporate this change throughout their national chain of restaurants. Organizations like Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), ...
Bishop Jose Torres, a father of three girls who plays volleyball in his spare time, was concerned about the lack of health awareness among his congregation in Severn, a suburb of Annapolis, MD. He wanted to do something about it. So with a few dedicated partners, he created a Hispanic Health Festival for his community. For over five years, the Hispanic Health Festival has provided much-needed health information and services to hundreds of Latinos in the community and has even saved a few lives.
Concern over a community's health
Located in Severn, a suburb of the city of Annapolis, MD (16.8% Latino), the Heritage Community Church has a sizeable Latino population. Bishop Jose Torres and the rest of the Church leadership were concerned about the health and health literacy of their ...
A recent article reveals that sugary beverages are a hot topic in the news, especially when health issues like diabetes and health costs are at hand. Cancer survivor and Connecticut democrat, Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro has proposed that the nation take a stand against the current health issues linked to sugary drinks-diabetes, obesity, chronic disease- by introducing a bill that would tax consumers one cent per teaspoon of sugar. The American Beverage Association stated in the article that, "The soda tax is an old idea that has gotten no traction." However, recent news articles from the Wall Street Journal reported soda sales have plummeted in the last few years, and consumers are taking notice of healthier alternatives. There has been plenty of conversation and traction taking ...
Through the National Recreation and Parks Association (NRPA) "Take the Plunge to Better Health" grant, doctors in San Antonio, TX ( % Latino) will be able to prescribe swimming lessons for kids that would benefit from physical activity. San Antonio is one of a handful of cities that are linking the medical community with local park and recreation agencies to provide kids the opportunity to participate in physical activity to reduce obesity and improve their health. Swimming is an excellent form of physical activity to prevent obesity and diabetes and improve health. It increases blood flow to the brain and promotes cardiovascular, muscular, skeletal, and nervous system health. Additionally, it puts less strain on joints and connective tissues and is associated with fewer head ...
Latinos, we love to spend time with family and friends—hence Thanksgiving is one of the most important holidays for Latinos in the U.S. Many Latino families combine the traditional Thanksgiving dishes like turkey and pecan pie with popular Latino specialties such as tamales, pozole and empanadas. Unfortunately, diabetes and cardiovascular disease affect the Latino community in big numbers and for this reason is important that we make healthy choices this holiday season. Join #SaludTues this Tuesday, Nov.24, 1 pm ET--we’ll be sharing healthy recipes and ideas to have a muy healthy Latino Thanksgiving dinner. WHAT: #SaludTuesTweetchat: “Un Latino Thanksgiving Muy Healthy”
DATE: Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2015
TIME: 1-2 p.m. ET (Noon-1 p.m. CT)
WHERE: On Twitter with ...
Students at San Francisco Stat University (SF State) helped their president Les Wong change his view of big soda and hold off on buying into a partnership with Coke or Pepsi. The deal was for pouring rights, which allow big soda to pay for the rights to advertise, market, and sell their products on school grounds and events. Most of these rights include millions of dollars of funding towards the school, but also allow unlimited marketing in various ways on school grounds. Many public school districts have entered into these "pouring rights" deals in efforts to support different school needs, even in elementary and high schools. Pouring rights deals allow the beverage company to advertise on all school billboards, athletic facilities, websites, the student union, and allow big ...
The U.S. Surgeon General, with help from the National Human Genome Research Institute (part of the National Institutes of Health), is encouraging families to create a comprehensive health history and have created a new Family History Health tool to aid people in this task. Health concerns such as diabetes, cancer, and heart disease are often inherited. Tracing illness back generation after generation can help you and your healthcare practitioner predict your risk for specific diseases. It is also important to know your family health history in order to see what screenings and treatments you might need before any disease is evident. The Surgeon General’s online tool will allow people to record their family health history before going to any medical appointment. It also allows users ...
