In the next 20 years, Latinos could face a 142% rise in cancer rates. Latinos also experience cancer differently—from genetics to healthcare access to survivorship. This is why Dr. Amelie Ramirez, director of Salud America! at UT Health San Antonio, is hosting the Advancing the Science of Cancer in Latinos 2022 conference on Feb. 23-25, 2022 in San Antonio! "Our vision is to unite researchers, physicians, healthcare professionals, patient advocates and students from across the nation to discuss research advancements, identify gaps, and create action to translate basic research into clinical best practices, effective community interventions, and professional training programs to eliminate cancer disparities in Latinos," said Ramirez, whose Institute for Health Promotion Research ...
Older Latinos who live in neighborhoods where little English is spoken are at a higher risk of poor health and early death, according to a new study from the University of Georgia. “If you are linguistically isolated, you’re very likely to be isolated socially, and we know social isolation contributes to mortality,” said Kerstin Emerson, a co-author of the study. The study has implications for how language barriers and social cohesion in a community can affect health, particularly among elderly Latinos.
What Does the Study Say about Language Isolation?
Researchers at the University of Georgia’s College of Public Health conducted the study to determine if neighborhoods that are linguistically isolated impact health. The study analyzed data from a survey of over 1,100 ...
Lack of nutritious food can result in countless physical, social, and mental health complications. For many Latino families, governmental assistance programs, such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), put food on the table and uplift out of poverty. But health experts say federal food aid needs expansion to help families in need. Fortunately, the Biden administration recently announced the modernization of the Thrifty Food Plan—used to calculate SNAP benefits—and a 25% rise the average SNAP benefit, the largest single increase in the program’s history. “The background formula was based on food preparation costs and nutrition standards that were developed in 1975,” Emily Weikert Bryant, executive director of Feeding Indiana’s Hungry told the Indy ...
As the American people still grapple with the COVID-19 pandemic, medical experts are now in the process of distributing a booster shot, which many say can help. The booster shot is critical in making headway with bringing the pandemic to an end, according to Dr. Anthony Faucci, the Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the Chief Medical Advisor to the President. "I’ve made it clear that my opinion has always been that I believe that a third-shot booster for a two-dose mRNA [vaccine] should ultimately and will ultimately be the proper, complete regimen," he said in a recent interview with The Atlantic. "The vaccine is very successful. The durability of it is something that’s a subject of considerable discussion and sometimes debate." As the ...
Latinos are the largest racial/ethnic minority at 18.5% of the U.S. population. Yet they face considerable health inequities — from discrimination to a lack of access to health care, transportation, affordable housing, healthy food, and more. This contributes to a high burden of diabetes, obesity, and disease for Latinos. In response, we need more understanding of the root causes of health inequities, diversity in the health and research fields, better education, and greater societal presence for Latinos, according to a new article in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) by Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez, director of Salud America! at UT Health San Antonio, and Drs. Rita Lepe and Francisco Ciagarroa of the Transplant Center at UT Health San Antonio. "The changing ...
Latino students were once the fastest-growing group in U.S. colleges. Due to COVID-19, that is no longer the case. Latinos and other communities of color continue to bear a heavy burden of the pandemic economic fallout, making it harder for families to send their children to college. In response, George Fox University, a private university in Newberg, Oregon, launched the Liberation Scholars Program. The program offers seminars, mentoring, and more for high school students at Woodburn High School, according to Mario Garza, a college and career counselor at Woodburn. “I think what we try to do, and I think what George Fox is doing with us through their Liberation Scholars program, is really trying to build up the toolbox for all of these kids,” Garza said, according to ...
Poverty rates among Latino families have grown immensely during the pandemic. The rates are worst for the children of Latino immigrants, according to new data from the National Research Center on Hispanic Children & Families (Center). The disparity is mainly due to the heavy economic impact that the pandemic has had on immigrant families. “The increase in poverty rates among Latino children in immigrant families during the pandemic reflects, in part, a confluence of factors in the labor market,” according to the Center. There may also be a stigma against seeking federal assistance as well as a fear of the expired public charge rule. With equitable policies that target economic recovery for immigrants and education about the end of public charge, we can address these ...
During COVID-19, many people were laid off or faced reduced work. Latinas suffered the biggest drop in workforce size of any demographic group, according to UCLA Latino Police and Politics Initiative (UCLA LPPI), a Latino-focused think tank. This could have a long-lasting impact on Latina wellbeing, labor shortages, and economic recovery overall, said Sonja Diaz, the founding director of UCLA LPPI. “Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic really created a ripple effect of economic disruption in particular on communities by race, and then again, by gender,” Diaz told ABC News. “The real story here is the fact that Latinas have left the labor market, which is akin to dropping out of college. It’s really hard to get those individuals back in, and [have] a pathway towards ...
Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez, director of Salud America! at UT Health San Antonio, is featured in a COVID-19 vaccine confidence-building communication campaign from the Ad Council and COVID Collaborative. The campaign, "It’s Up to You," aims to reach people of color. Latinos are disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 amid vaccine misinformation. They are a special campaign target, with communication materials in English and Spanish, including four videos from Ramirez: Is the COVID-19 vaccine safe and does it have any side effects?
¿Qué efectos secundarios puedo esperar si recibo la vacuna COVID-19?
Why is the COVID-19 vaccine important?
¿Por qué es importante para los latinos recibir la vacuna COVID-19? "[The campaign] encourages audiences to get the latest ...
