The overall U.S. cancer death rate fell 27% from 1991 to 2016, according to a recent study by the American Cancer Society. Good news, right? Not so fast. The report revealed a disturbing trend: a growing gap in cancer death rates based on wealth. "It was surprising to see that the disparities by socioeconomic status are actually widening," Rebecca Siegel, first author of the study and strategic director of surveillance information at the American Cancer Society, told CNN. "Wealth causes differences in exposure to risk factors and also access to high-quality cancer prevention, early detection and treatment." Cancer is the leading cause of death among U.S. Latinos. They are more likely to receive a cancer diagnoses in later, less curable cancer stages.
The Bad News
This is ...
As the longest U.S. government shutdown in history marches on, Latinos and the most vulnerable people face losing federal support for their very homes. Tax credits are the U.S. government’s primary tool to encourage the development of affordable housing. The government grants the credits to developers, who then sell the credits to banks and other investors, who in turn use those credits to lower their own tax bills. According to CNN, the shutdown, which started Dec. 22, 2018, is creating uncertainty for tens of thousands of low-income tenants who rely on the federal government to help pay their rent. The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) hasn’t been able to renew about 1,650 contracts with private building owners who rent to low-income Americans and an ...
Latinos are more likely than their peers to have mental health issues, which usually go unaddressed and untreated, according to a Salud America! research review. And with today’s anti-immigrant climate, the mental health of Latinos continues to suffer. Fear of deportation, mainly those in immigrant communities, is one of the main reasons mental health goes untreated. But there’s good news! Researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital's Disparities Research Unit have tested a novel preventive intervention designed to provide tailored treatment for Latino immigrants with both mental health and substance misuse symptoms, according to a press release. This research is a collaboration between teams in Spain, U.S. and Puerto Rico. "We know that Latino patients benefit when ...
By Jill Folkman
San Antonio Cancer Survivor I was diagnosed with Stage One ER+/PR+ Her2 Negative DCIS in September of 2016. I was devastated, scared and had no idea what I was in for. I thought my life was going to be short lived and was talking to God the whole time to give me strength. My oncologist at the time recommended a bilateral mastectomy and because of the placement of the tumor I had to have the left nipple removed. I opted for a skin sparing, with both nipples removed, bilateral mastectomy with expanders so that I could get reconstruction after chemo. Good news was, the pathology showed my lymph nodes came back clear. Once I was healed from the surgery I had 4 rounds of chemo and no radiation. I lost all of my hair and all the fun stuff that goes along with chemo. ...
By Celina Parás, MSc, RDN, LD
Guest Blogger, Nutrition Education Specialist, CHEF Program, The Children’s Hospital of San Antonio By now, you’ve probably heard about probiotics and prebiotics. You can find them as supplements and they’re even added to foods at the super market, but did you know you can also find them naturally in many foods?
Probiotics and Their Role in Health and Food Sources
In your gut, whether you're Latino or not, you house thousands of bacteria, called the microbiome. While most play an important role in health, others may be harmful by disrupting our gut balance. Probiotics are "friendly" bacteria that promote digestive health and offer other potential benefits by helping balance our gut-flora. Research has shown that including probiotics ...
Where you live and work can greatly impact your health and well being and potentially even one's risk for heart disease. Latinos exposed to heavy metals at work are twice as likely to have cardiovascular disease than those who aren’t, according to a recent publication. Such exposures can have dire consequences both in the short and long term. In fact, cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are the leading cause of mortality in the United States and western world for all groups and the number 2 cause of death for Hispanics/Latinos behind cancer, despite overall cancer rates being lower for Latinos compared to non-Hispanic Whites (NHWs).
Work related exposures may increase the risk for CVD
The study, published in Heart, found that heavy metal and pesticide exposures in the workplace ...
51% of Americans live in child care deserts, in which Latinos are greatly disproportionately affected, according to a new report by the Center for American Progress. Child care deserts are defined as regions where there are no licensed child care providers for kids under the age of 5 and/or there is less than one slot in an accredited child care center for every 3 children under the age of 5.
Latinos and Child Care Deserts
Even though Latinos are the fastest-growing racial/ethnic group in the US and 25% of kids in the US are Latino, Latino families are more probable to live in regions with scarce child care options, according to the report. 60% of Latinos live in regions that have an undersupply of licensed child care centers. Furthermore, areas where the Latino population are ...
Just imagine. If you don’t have a way to get to work, how can you get a good job? If you don’t have a good job, how can you afford a safe place to live? If you don’t have a safe to live, how can you avoid feeling stressed? We must address these social determinants to ensure everyone has equitable opportunity for a healthy life. Youth ages 5-26 are encouraged to submit art as part of the Young Leaders Visualize Health Equity campaign to explore how the social determinants shape their lives and their communities, and what it might look and feel like to one day live in a world where everyone has the same chance to be healthy, safe, and happy. Submit artwork—visual art, writing, and/or music—for the campaign by Feb. 28, 2019. "We hope that the stories [youth] ...
Latino adults smoke cigarettes at a lower rate (12.1%) than their white peers (19.4%). However, once they’ve started, Latinos are more likely to keep smoking and only half as likely as whites to successfully quit smoking, according to the UCSF Smoking Cessation Leadership Center. Experts say the reasons why fewer Latinos quit is complex. “You’re looking at a population with fewer alternatives to cope,” David Williams, a public-health professor at Harvard University, told whyy.org. "That makes it harder for them to give up that aid.”
'Hard to Quit' Reason: Little Access to Help
Latino smokers lack access to support for quitting smoking. They have the lowest rate of health insurance coverage among racial/ethnic groups. They also experience lower levels of ...
