Search Results for "mental health"

What Does Latino Parenting Look Like Today?



From mental health to education and preparing children for adulthood, moms and dads have a lot to think about with how they parent. In fact, 40% of parents with children younger than 18 say they are extremely or very worried that their children might struggle with anxiety or depression at some point, according to the new Parenting in America Today report from the Pew Research Center. Parents worries stem from the rise of a youth mental health crisis and the compounding stress of the COVID-19 pandemic, which deeply impacted Latinos. Let’s explore the full report on parenting and how it impacts Latinos and all people! The Top Parental Concern Mental health is the top concern for parents, according to the Pew report. That worry is felt “more acutely” by Latino ...

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Study: COVID-19 Has Scary Impact on Young Brains



The rise of COVID-19 worsened daily life for Latinos and many others in areas like healthcare, housing, income, and food access. Stress and anxiety are other grim outcomes of the pandemic, especially for youth. Following COVID-19-fueled school shutdowns and social isolation, adolescents experienced more symptoms of anxiety and depression and greater internalizing problems than before the pandemic, according to a new study funded by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). The brains of teens and young adults were also deeply impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. “In addition to replicating prior findings that the COVID-19 pandemic adversely affected adolescents’ mental health, this study showed that the pandemic may have physically aged their brains,” according to ...

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Long COVID: What Is Known & How Is It Impacting Latinos?


Man experiencing long COVID symptoms.

When COVID-19 first struck America in 2020, Latinos were deeply affected. Not only did the pandemic create high rates of infection, hospitalization, and death among Latinos, it also worsened historical health differences, from access to healthcare and vaccinations to food insecurity, housing issues, and incorrect information. Today, as new variants continue to arise, an unresolved threat has emerged – Long COVID. Let’s analyze the lingering symptoms of Long COVID-19 and how it impacts Latinos today. What is Long COVID? The Department of Health and Human Services, the CDC, and other partners have worked to define “long COVID” or “post-COVID conditions.” “In April 2020, shortly after the beginning of the pandemic, anecdotal reports from patients started to ...

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Latina Physician Collaborates with Promotoras in Sustainable Infection Control Efforts



In a modest house in Los Angeles, California, a young girl buried her nose in a book. She focused on the book’s colorful graphics of doctors helping sick patients. Closing her eyes, she pictured herself in this role. Her mother’s words echoed in her mind, “Education is the key to opening doors in life.” The young girl wasn’t sure how, but she decided she was going to go to medical school, and she was going to become a doctor. Decades later, the young girl — now a grown woman – has a successful career in medicine. Dr. Marlene Martin is an associate professor of clinical medicine at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) and a hospitalist at San Francisco General Hospital (SFGH). In these roles, Marlene combines her passion for clinical care ...

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6 Big Questions on CDC’s New BMI Charts to Measure Severe Obesity in Children


Definition of BMI

The CDC recently revised Body Mass Index (BMI) charts for children to help healthcare providers better track growth in children and identify “severe obesity.” Before the update, BMI charts for children did not go above 37. The revised charts extend to a BMI of 60 to account for the rise of severe obesity in children ages 2-20, according to the CDC. Now clinicians can more easily see whether a child’s BMI falls within the range of underweight, ideal weight, overweight, obese, or severely obese, based on a percentile measured against other children of the same age and gender, according to CNBC and healthline.com. A BMI higher than 95% of kids of the same age and other factors is defined as obese. Severe obesity is a BMI 120% higher than the 95th ...

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Latino Cancer Research Methodology: 2022 Advancing the Science of Cancer in Latinos


latina cancer research methodology

This is part of the "Advancing the Science of Cancer in Latinos: 2022 Conference Proceedings," which summarizes findings and discussions of the 2022 Advancing the Science of Cancer in Latinos Conference on Feb. 23-25, 2022, in San Antonio, Texas. Framing Latino Cancer Research and the Census Bureau Data That Enable It Mr. Robert L. Santos is the Director of the US Census Bureau, the first Latino to serve in that position. Lessons from a Vibrant Career Director Santos began by sharing wisdom gleaned from 40 years of research, including two ways in which it is important to think differently about research problems. First, researchers tend to emulate the methods and thought processes that they have been taught, but these conventional approaches may become self-propagating, and ...

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Introduction: 2022 Advancing the Science of Cancer in Latinos


latino family advancing the science of cancer in Latinos conference.jpg

This is part of the "Advancing the Science of Cancer in Latinos: 2022 Conference Proceedings," which summarizes findings and discussions of the 2022 Advancing the Science of Cancer in Latinos Conference on Feb. 23-25, 2022, in San Antonio, Texas. Healthcare Improvement in the Latino community The United States healthcare system is rife with challenges affecting the Latino community, with a population of 60.6 million [Estrada]. Health challenges include higher rates of infant mortality, stroke, cancer, heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, and COVID-19. [Webb Hooper, Duma] Latino patients, especially those who are uncomfortable discussing care in English, are often labeled as unintelligent and non-compliant. [Duma] In the COVID-19 pandemic, cases among the Latino population have been ...

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Nearly Half of US States Are Failing Mothers and Babies


maternal health

It’s no secret that maternal and infant health in the US needs massive improvement. As 2022 comes to a close, this year’s March of Dimes Report Card for maternal and infant health is yet another indication of what our nation’s New Year’s resolution should be: improving health outcomes for mothers and babies. On an A – F grading scale, with A being the best score, and F being the lowest, the report card revealed that 24 states are failing in maternal and infant health with a grade of a “D+” or lower. Let’s unpack the report card and what these findings mean for Latinas and all women and babies. What’s Included in the Report Card? The report card uses the latest key indicators to describe and improve maternal and infant health in each state. These key ...

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