In August 1990, former President George H.W. Bush began Operation Desert Storm in response to the Iraqi invasion and occupation of Kuwait. More than 650,000 U.S. military personnel would join the Gulf War over the next year before this Middle Eastern conflict formally ended on July 31, 1991. Sadly, Gulf War illness continues to affect 30% of those veterans today, decades later. While there is a limited understanding of this sickness, researchers are making strides to discover how to help affected soldiers, according to Jorge M. Serrador, an associate professor at Rutgers Medical School and a scientist at the New Jersey War Related Illness and Injury Study Center. "Although it's been more than 25 years since the conflict, we still do not understand the underlying cause of these ...
By Cynthia Delgado
San Antonio, Texas, Cancer Survivor At age 43, I was living a life that consisted of routine exercise, healthy eating, and at the weight I had always wanted to be. I had been seeing a breast surgeon routinely every 3 months for at least 1-and-a-half years because I had fibrocystic breast. Mammograms were a part of my life since my early 20s because I always had lumps, i.e., cysts. The older I got, the more cysts would develop. They would grow very big and would be excruciating painful for a minimum of 10 minutes. Because I started getting anywhere from 5-10 cysts on each side, my OBGYN referred me to a specialist. It became routine for the specialist to aspirate them every 3 months, and they would pop up in different places. On May 15, 2015, I went for my ...
You've probably heard of the many health benefits of breastfeeding, but did you know that promoting equity in breastfeeding can be just as important? For many women and babies of color breastfeeding could mean a matter of life and death or sickness and health. Breastfeeding also offers economic benefits. Unfortunately, many mothers face barriers to breastfeeding.
Breastfeeding in the Latino Community
Although 77% Latina mothers start off breastfeeding, this number drops to 21%, 6 months after giving birth. One of the most common reasons for why women stop breastfeeding is the need to return to work or school. Some women may lack support from their family and peers. Many Latina mothers are also faced with a lack of breastfeeding support from health care providers, and ...
Does your town have a farmers market? If not, you might miss out on healthy fresh produce and social connections. Farmers may fail to engage in the local economy. To celebrate the Farmers Market Coalition's National Farmers Market Week on Aug. 4-10, 2019, we at Salud America! are showcasing the benefits of farmers markets as a way to increase access to fruits and vegetables among Latino and all people!
Farmers Markets Can Help Latinos
Latinos frequently live in food swamps. In these swamps, Latinos have no easy access to supermarkets and farmers’ markets, while abundant access to fast food and corner stores. This results in overconsumption of unhealthy foods, according to a Salud America! research review. The number of U.S. farmers’ markets has more than doubled in the ...
Early experiences can influence a person’s entire life. Specifically, stress due to adversity, poor nutrition, and exposure to environmental toxins can lead to biological changes, which make people more likely to experience physical and mental health problems later in life. Although individual interventions are important for addressing immediate needs, they alone will not advance health equity, according to a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. The report provides science-driven recommendations to address the social, economic, environmental, and cultural determinants of health and early adversity. They say to advance health equity, decision-makers must address the systemic root causes of poor health and chronic ...
Most Latinos and Americans spend the majority of their time inside of homes, offices, restaurants, movie theaters, and other buildings. The indoor air quality in these spaces might not cross most people’s mind. However, researchers say the air inside buildings can billow into a significant health concern because poor air quality can lead to numerous short- and long-term complications — headaches, dizziness, fatigue, respiratory diseases, Toxicant‐Induced Loss of Tolerance (TILT), and even cancer. “It is important to be aware of your environment,” Dr. Claudia Miller, an environmental health professor and leader of the Hoffman TILT program at UT Health San Antonio, writes. “This is especially important for indoor air, as most people spend 90% of their time ...
Like many large-scale manufactured products in today’s society, the shirts, sweaters, and pants found on the racks contain harmful chemicals – some of which can cause breakouts and rashes. One primary health concern, allergic contact dermatitis, forms on one’s body when their skin comes in contact with harmful substances. Worse, it can have a delayed effect, and now researchers suggest that consumers wash all newly-purchased clothing before wearing. “What’s maddening for the consumer is that you buy a shirt that says ‘100% cotton,’ and yet you’re given no information about any of the chemicals or additives that have been used,” David Andrews, a senior scientist who has investigated chemicals in clothing with the Environmental Working Group, told TIME.
What ...
It’s no secret that racial bias is prevalent in healthcare settings. Now, there is more quantitative data to back that sentiment. Research published in JAMA Network Open last May found that as medical residents’ symptoms of burnout, they become more prone to racial bias. "Rates of burnout symptoms that have been associated with adverse effects on patients, the healthcare workforce, costs, and physician health exceed 50% in studies of both physicians‐in‐training and practicing physicians," the study states. "This problem represents a public health crisis."
Physician Burnout
Physician burnout is a well-known, documented issue. Workload, pressure, and chaos can significantly contribute to burnout. Research has shown that 54% of doctors report feeling burned out. ...
Fifty years after the federal Fair Housing Act banned racial discrimination in lending, Latinos and other minorities continue to be routinely denied mortgage loans at rates far higher than their white counterparts. Worse, research shows this disparity can lead minorities to apply for high-cost mortgages. That research draws on 2016 data, which is among the most recent, available evidence, according to The Hill. "An analysis of data released by the Federal Financial Institution’s Examination Council released by Clever Real Estate Hispanic home buyers are 78% more likely to use high-cost mortgages for home purchases, putting them at greater risk of foreclosure," John Bowden, a Hill reporter writes. "Just 10% of white applicants were denied mortgages that year."
What does the Data ...
