Researchers in the Department of Public Health at Grand Valley State University in Grand Rapids, Mich. reveal that limited access to healthy food stores, walkable neighborhoods, and healthy social environments may set the stage for heart disease. In the study, researchers studied over 5,000 adults over a twelve year period, checking coronary artery calcium and amounts of atherosclerosis in their arteries, a disease that can harden arteries and increase the risk of heart disease. The common thread among the 86 percent of adults with coronary artery calcium, was the decreased access to heart-healthy food. Co-lead author Ella August, Ph.D., explained in a recent article that the only significant factor that deters or increases the risk of calcium build-up in the arteries were if ...
Since the implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in 2010, the number of uninsured people in the United States has declined by an estimated 20 million. The percentage of people without health insurance has also fallen to an historic low. Despite these monumental gains, there are still 24 million people lacking health insurance. The largest number of these individuals are still Latinos. Using data from the Commonwealth Fund Affordable Care Art Tracking Survey to examine the characteristics of the remaining uninsured adults to determine the reasons they for not enrolling in the marketplace plans or Medicaid. Prior to the ACA, people most at risk of being uninsured were those that didn’t have coverage through their place of employment. Latinos and other racial and ethnic ...
About 60% of kids under the age of 6 are placed in some form of non-parental care-early childcare and education (ECE)-during the work week. Thus, these settings are promising environments to provide obesity-prevention resources and establish physical activity habits early in childhood, particularly for Latino kids who are at greater risk for obesity-related health problems than their white peers. In 2012, researchers in Wisconsin developed a year-long, quasi-experimental study to examine the efficacy of the Active Early guide, an 80-page guide developed by experts and statewide partners in the fields of ECE, public health, and physical activity, to improve physical activity opportunities in ECE settings using low- to no-cost strategies along with training and environmental ...
A new study published in Genome Biology found that despite significant health disparities, Latinos age at a slower rate than individuals of other ethnicities. Researchers used 18 sets of data from DNA samples of nearly 6,000 people that representing seven different ethnicities, including two African groups, African-Americans, Caucasians, East Asians, Latinos and an indigenous people genetically related to Latinos called the Tsimane. “Latinos live longer than Caucasians, despite experiencing higher rates of diabetes and other diseases,” Steve Horvath, lead author and professor of human genetics at the David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California, Los Angeles, said in a news release. “Our study helps explain this by demonstrating that Latinos age more slowly at the ...
A new black stop sign label is being placed on packaged foods to help Chileans understand how much sugar, salt, fat, and calories are in their favorite foods. The increase of packaged food consumption has risen across all populations in Chile, states the local article, showing how Chile is now the world's largest per-capita consumer of sugary drinks, more than Mexico and the United States. Increased consumption of unhealthy packaged foods and sugary drinks along with half of the countries deaths being stomach and gallbladder cancers, has health officials concerned. A recent Swedish study revealed that people who consumed more than two sugary drinks a day had a higher risk of developing gallbladder tumors and 79% higher odds of getting biliary tract cancer. The labels are to ...
All neighborhoods are not created equal. Your city's land use policies determine your access to public goods and resources like transit options, employment opportunities, healthy food, walkable and bikeable neighborhoods, quality schools, parks and green space, and much more. Thus, your city's land use policies shape your health. Read about nationwide disparities in active zoning and land use policies here. On behalf of the Healthy, Equitable, Active Land Use Network (HEALU Network), the Prevention Institute prepared a policy brief with four strategies to move Los Angeles to a healthier, more equitable land use system. Increase the percentage of public funds invested in health-promoting infrastructure in low income communities of color.
Build capacity in government, ...
According to a report by the National Women’s Law Center, the gender wage gap can cost Latinas up $1 million over a 40 year career in some states. The report breaks down the gender wage gap by state and found that, in 2014, Latina women earned between $.54 and $.55 for every $1 that their white male counterparts did. “A big driver of the wage gap is the gap in opportunities that push Latinas … into different occupations than white men,” said Emily Martin, vice-president for workplace justice at NWLC. “Latina women and African American women are over-represented in low-wage jobs, for example, and under-represented in high-paying occupations like law and engineering,” Latina women lose more than $1 million over their careers in 23 different states, including the District ...
Did you miss the Colorado Health Symposium, "Health is Everyone's Business" event? Not to worry, archived Live Stream video is available for those interested in seeing the conference's speakers talk on various topics including reducing health disparities in Colorado, working in and with Latino communities, finding public health solutions, and more. To learn more and view the different video topics or download presentations, click ...
Racial and economic inequality are two of the most pressing social issues that American society currently deals with. The Institute for Policy Studies and the Corporation for Enterprise Development released a report outlining the current state and found the racial wealth gap has grown steadily, and “without changes in public policy,” it could widen in the coming decades. In discussing economic inequities, the report found that the focus is often on one single facet: income. The new report, entitled The Ever-Growing Gap, focused its attention on a related, but distinct facet of the issue: wealth. The role that wealth plays in achieving financial security and opportunity is a key factor in overall economic equity. In order to reduce health disparities, it is critical to ...
