Jose Ramos never gives up. He learned how to persevere from his mother, who survived breast cancer, and his parents, who worked hard to provide for their family. He managed to stay out of the same trouble—crime and dropping out of school—that afflicted his siblings. And he is keeping his goal in sight: becoming an MD/PhD. Ramos, who was the first in his family to graduate high school and college, is currently studying global disease as a master’s student in public health at Columbia University. He’s not just limiting his efforts to the classroom, either. In 2016, Ramos earned a fellowship with the Ministry of Health in Cape Town, South Africa. He also will intern with the Brazilian Health Association in Rio de Janeiro, where he will conduct community-based ...
In addition to reducing your risk for heart disease, diabetes, 13 types of cancer, and numerous other lifelong health complications, physical activity, like walking, also boosts your mood, and improves academic performance, creativity, and your memory. Physical activity plays a critical role in reducing health disparities among Latinos because they face disproportionately more barriers to access safe places to walk and play. Forbes shares six reasons why you should make walking part of your day: Walking boosts your mood, even when you're not expecting it.
Walking enhances creativity, especially when you're seeking a solution.
Walking sparks connections between brain cells.
Walking improves working memory.
Walking yields the right rhythm for thinking.
Walking is ...
Editor’s Note: This is the story of a graduate of the 2016 Èxito! Latino Cancer Research Leadership Training program. Apply now. Stephanie McCoy isn’t just her family’s first college student and graduate. She is their first master’s-degree student and—should she decide to pursue it—could become their first doctoral degree student, too. McCoy, who is strongly motivated by her personal experiences and her immigrant parents who overcame adversity, is ardently pursuing a career in public health and currently is a master’s student in health behavior and health education at the University of Texas at Austin. She already is already gaining experience working in underserved communities. McCoy has spent several years working with nonprofit organizations, as well as ...
Latino youth who experience discrimination are are more likely to be depressed according to research published in the Journal of Youth and Adolescence. The study which examined Latino youth between the ages of 13-17 who lived in the U.S. less than 5 years, also concluded that these kids were less likely to display altruistic characteristics such as volunteering and helping out others. "For Latino adolescents and racial and ethnic minorities, this research demonstrates that discrimination poses an uncontrollable, additional set of challenges in addition to the challenges everyone experiences, whether financial, academic or interpersonal," said one of the study's co-authors, Gustavo Carlo. Read more about this ...
According to a 2015 report published by the William T. Grant Foundation, 1 in 3 Latino kids live in poverty vs. 1 in 7 non-Latino white kids and 1 in 7 Asian children. Such differences are believed to be a central issue which compounds disparities in mental health. The report goes on to list 4 primary issues at the root of inequality in mental health including: Pervasive differences in family Socio-Econoimic Status;
Adverse childhood experiences;
Family structure; and
Neighborhood-level Factors Read more about mental health and Latino ...
A history of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) may negatively impact a mother's exclusive breastfeeding rates. ACEs are negative events or experiences, such as abuse, neglect, or household dysfunction that cause disproportionate stress to children, which can harm their health and development. As the number of ACEs increases, so does the risk for negative health outcomes throughout adulthood. According to a study published in the Breastfeeding Medicine Journal, among the women with a history of ACEs, only 36.6% of moms exclusively breastfed their babies for up to 6 months, compared to 46.7% of moms without a history of ACEs. Latina moms face many barriers to breastfeeding, such as low income, participation in federal food assistance programs that offer free infant formula, ...
Known as a “daddy’s girl,” Paloma Suarez learned to be independent from day one when her father encouraged her that she can achieve anything. Growing up in the Dominican Republic and observing massive health inequalities between social classes that led to disproportionate disease burdens, Suarez knew she wanted to improve the status and health of women and families. Suarez is a certified lactation consultant and senior nutritionist for the local Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) federal assistance program in Great Barrington, Mass. She is an advocate and translator for mothers who depend on federal assistance, helping them learn the importance of nutrition and physical activity. To increase her training, Suarez applied for the Éxito! Latino Cancer Research Leadership ...
The current phase of Open Enrollment is underway, and Dec. 15 is an important deadline to keep in mind. For those who sign up by midnight, they will be able to begin 2017 fully covered with health insurance. As of December 10, over 4 million people had selected plans using HealthCare.gov since Open Enrollment began November 1, including over 1.1 million new consumers and 2.9 million renewing their coverage. “Momentum is building,” said Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell in a statement. “As we approach the December 15 deadline for consumers to get coverage that begins January 1st, we’re seeing hundreds of thousands of consumers each day signing up for coverage they want and need.” In order to reduce health disparities, it is ...
Guided by her heritage and the “coqui,” support from her parents, and wisdom from God, Ana Hernandez always strives to help others. Healthy food is her main utensil for assistance. In fact, Hernandez has helped many people live healthier lives as a registered dietician who focuses on functional foods. Hernandez, who has a degree in human nutrition and foods from the School Family and Consumer Sciences at Texas State University, is also a member of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and an officer of the Nutrition and Education and Outreach student organization. Just like the “arepas de cojo” she created to benefit Puerto Ricans with metabolic syndrome, she has a keen interest in how food can prevent cancer, which needs far more attention on solutions to the ...
