Search Results for "mental health"

New Law Makes Telehealth Practice ‘Easier’ in Texas



Lack of access to quality healthcare is one of the main inequities that keep many Latinos from obtaining the best quality healthcare possible. However, the advent and proliferation of telehealth or telemedicine looks to be a way to bridge the gap between Latinos and their healthcare providers. Developed as a remote way to monitor patients, treat chronic illnesses and/or conditions, and eliminate barriers (such as a lack of transportation), technology – in the form of telemedicine – looks to be the way of the future as far as healthcare goes, especially for Latinos. Studies have shown that more and more Latinos are accessing the Internet, especially through smart phones and other hand-held devices. This is the essence of telemedicine. Now, in Texas (38.42% Latino population), a ...

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#SaludTues Tweetchat 5/9: Latino Kids and Healthy Minds


latina girl student school class

A child needs more than nutritious food and physical activity to be healthy. They need healthy minds, too. But 1 in 5 children today suffer a serious mental illness. Depressive symptoms among Latino youth are especially high, putting them at risk of dropping out of school, using drugs, and suicide. For Mental Health Awareness Month in May, let’s use #SaludTues on May 9, 2017, to share tips and strategies to promote healthy minds and environments for Latino and all kids across the U.S. WHAT: #SaludTues Tweetchat: "Latino Kids and Healthy Minds" TIME/DATE: 1-2 p.m. ET (Noon-1 p.m. CT), Tuesday, May 9, 2017 WHERE: On Twitter with hashtag #SaludTues HOST: @SaludToday CO-HOSTS: Cheryl Aguilar (@cheryl_aguilar); Jesus Rodriguez, MD of Kaiser Permanente ...

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New White Paper on Health, Behavioral Design, and the Built Environment


Latino health physical activity behavioral design

Food and physical activity are both continuous and cumulative habits. Small changes every day can drastically improve your health and quality of life. However, the built world, whether intentional or not, influences the human experience. Many people live and work in places that impede or reduce physical activity and sell or promote unhealthy food. The National Collaborative on Childhood Obesity Research (NCCOR) brings together four of the nation’s leading research funders—the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)—to accelerate progress in reducing childhood obesity in America. Their new white paper builds on a series of behavioral ...

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#SaludTues Tweetchat 4/25: Healthy Kids Day, Summer and Life


Two Young Girls Playing On Swing In Playground

So many good things happen when kids go outside and play. Kids who are physically active have better grades, school attendance, and behavior than kids who aren’t, according to the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition. Unfortunately, Latino kids lack access to safe places to play and be active. These kids face higher risk for obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and other preventable diseases that threaten quality of life. Let’s use #SaludTues on April 25, 2017, to Tweet about how schools, communities, health providers, city leaders, and you can ensure this is the best and healthiest summer ever. WHAT: #SaludTues Tweetchat: “Healthy Kids Day, Summer and Life” TIME/DATE: TIME/DATE: 1-2 p.m. EST (Noon-1 p.m. CST), Tuesday, April 25, 2017 WHERE: ...

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School Dietician Uses Student Videos to Give Health a Starring Role


Sierra Middle School 7th Grade Winner for the Best Healthy Eating Film Award in the 2016 Film Fest. Student stands with Barbara Berger to his right and his mother to his left. (Photo Source: Barbara Berger).

Barbara Berger was more than concerned—she was downright worried about the growing weight and health of her students. The school dietitian in Las Cruces, NM (67.1% Latino population), found it hard to promote healthy eating and physical activity to her teenaged students. That was, until she let students do it themselves in a way that would engage students in a fun, creative story-telling experience. Through the use of creative films and videos, Berger found that the students were not only able to help solve real-world health problems, they had fun and gained valuable life-skills while doing it. Opening Credits: A Video Idea to Help Middle-Schoolers Barbara Berger has been involved with health and nutrition education since 2012 for the Las Cruces Public School ...

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How a ‘Neighborhood Health Action Center’ Could Solve Latino Health Inequities


health action center lobby rendering

Imagine: You are a 20-year-old Latina new mother in East Harlem, N.Y. You already live in a poor neighborhood that has a higher infant mortality rate than the nearby, wealthy Upper East Side. Now, as you leave the hospital, you need resources to care for yourself and the baby. Where do you get help? What if, blocks from your home, there's a place with workshops on infant safety and bonding? What if it also has a lactation room? What if it also has yoga and dance classes? What if it also offers primary care, mental health care, screenings, and vaccinations? What if you apply there for insurance, and get referrals to other local services, too? In New York, city leaders are creating these "Neighborhood Health Action Centers." Dr. Mary T. Bassett, the city's health ...

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Depression is Number One Cause of Poor Health in the World



Depression is an illness characterized by constant sadness and a loss of interest in activities one normally enjoys and it is also the number one reason for poor health, affecting over 300 million people worldwide, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). With a growing youth Latino population in America dealing with depressive symptoms, this also brings a concern to higher rates of suicide, anxiety and other mental health issues for this at-risk population. In fact, research shows the prevalence of depressive symptoms among Latino youth is 22%, a rate higher than any other minority group besides Native American youth and Latina adolescents have the highest rates of suicidal ideation and suicide attempt compared to their peers. Common mental disorders are increasing ...

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Joint Call to Action to Promote Healthy Communities


Latino health walking community active living design safe routes complete streets

The way our communities are designed and built can either support or hinder health. This includes sidewalks, bike lanes, public transportation, housing, schools, parks, employment centers, etc. Everyone deserves healthy communities with safe routes to where we live, learn, work, play, and pray, as well as safe routes to healthy food. The American Public Health Association (APHA) and partner organizations have pledged to work together on the Joint Call to Action to Promote Healthy Communities. Partners include American Institute of Architects, American Planning Association, American Society of Civil Engineers, American Society of Landscape Architects, National Recreation and Park Association, U.S. Green Building Council, & Urban Land Institute. The signatory ...

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Promotoras in California Have Community on the Right Track toward Improving Health



Promotores de salud have long been recognized as being able to break down barriers that keep many Latinos from obtaining quality, accessible health care. Often members of the community in which they do outreach, promotores are able to foster trust with the Latino population they serve. In San Luis Obispo, Calif. (16.36% Latino population), the Promotores Collaborative looks to have moved the area’s Latino community onto the “fast track” of being able to access the city’s health resources. The group is an emerging prevention and health education organization that works in the community through neighbor-to-neighbor outreach. Created by the nonprofit Center for Family Strengthening, the Promotores Collaborative recruits, organizes, and trains networks of Spanish-speaking ...

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