According to the Indiana Department of Health, seven out of every 1,000 infants born will not see their first birthday. The state is above the national average for infant deaths and it also has higher rates of pre-term births and prenatal smoking. Indiana is also lower than the national average among pregnant women who receive prenatal care in the first trimester of their pregnancy. The rate is especially high among minorities, including Latinos. “What we see in Indiana is that we can really do well ensuring prenatal care and healthy births in a select group of women,” said Dr. Jen Walthall, deputy health commissioner for the Indiana State Health Department. “Our infant mortality rate … is much better than the national average.” Diseases that can lead to pre-term labor, ...
In November, over 2,300 people attended the League of United Latin American Citizens’ (LULAC) Latinos Living Healthy: Feria de Salud in Brownsville, Texas. A variety of free health care services were offered to the festival’s attendees including diabetes screenings, blood pressure screenings, as well screenings for HIV and cholesterol. Attendees were also offered free flu shots, dental checkups, and mental health consultations. Children participated in numerous interactive events, including basketball drills, a hula hoop contest, and a healthy images art project. Local food vendors also provided free samples of local, fresh fruit to encourage healthier eating habits. This was the first time the festival was held in Brownsville, which is a city, according to LULAC, in which nearly ...
A coalition formed by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) resulted in a 40% increases in colorectal screening rates over four years. The program is now being looked at as a possible pilot for other communities to boost their cancer screening rates. A report headed by Dr. Steven Itzkowitz, a professor of medicine/oncological sciences at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (ISMMS), now provides a framework for how communities might learn from a program to increase screening rates and ensure equal access based on race and ethnicity. “The increased screening rates from 2003 to 2012 translates to an additional 833,000 New Yorkers who have undergone screening colonoscopy and represents an important public health intervention,” said Dr. Itzkowitz. ...
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) awarded $2 million in grants recently to support research on nutrient education and obesity prevention for disadvantaged children and families. “Childhood obesity rates in America have tripled over the past three decades,” said NIFA Director Sonny Ramaswamy. “While we are beginning to see promising signs of progress with the epidemic leveling off in children, these grants will help evaluate and strengthen existing nutrition education and obesity prevention efforts to help ensure this progress continues.” Funding has been granted to the University of Tennessee, Knoxville and Utah State University in Logan, UT. The funding will help create two additional Regional Nutrition Education and ...
A recent article reveals that sugary beverages are a hot topic in the news, especially when health issues like diabetes and health costs are at hand. Cancer survivor and Connecticut democrat, Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro has proposed that the nation take a stand against the current health issues linked to sugary drinks-diabetes, obesity, chronic disease- by introducing a bill that would tax consumers one cent per teaspoon of sugar. The American Beverage Association stated in the article that, "The soda tax is an old idea that has gotten no traction." However, recent news articles from the Wall Street Journal reported soda sales have plummeted in the last few years, and consumers are taking notice of healthier alternatives. There has been plenty of conversation and traction taking ...
The Office of Minority Health at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has recently released the first Implementation Progress Report of the HHS Disparities Action Plan, which details the agency’s efforts to address disparities in health and healthcare among racial and ethnic minorities. Covering the study period from 2011-2014, the report addressing disparities in coverage and access to healthcare. The report also highlights HHS’ covers cultural competency of the workforce, advancing community-based approaches to promote health and wellness, and furthering research on racial and ethnic health disparities. The Implementation Progress Report addresses the HHS’ commitment to addressing and eliminating health disparities. The plan was first released in 2011 ...
According to the California Healthcare Foundation (CHCF), the state has a dire shortage of Latino nurses. A study found that the majority of nurses in the state are White or Asian, while 39% of the population is Latino and represent only 8% of the nursing pool. “Clearly we are lacking … [Latino] nurses,” said David Hayes-Bautista, Director of the Center for the Study of Latino Health and Culture at UCLA. “Having them in the workforce will … make for better patient care [and] better language communication.” In a population as diverse as California, where Latinos lack sufficient access to preventive care and experience higher rates of heart disease and shorter life expectancies than Whites. Financial support is a major barrier for many Latino students. Financial aid is ...
A new app by the company LowestMed has been launched that will allow Latinos to compare prescription medicine prices. The app, called MediBajo, is the first of its kind specifically designed for the Latino community. The app utilizes user-friendly mobile technology to compare prescription drug prices at local pharmacies. “Prescription drug prices vary and many people end up paying too much or skip their medications simply because of the lack of pricing transparency,” said LowestMed CEO Brad Bangerter. “This can be an even bigger problem if there is a language barrier. We created MediBajo specifically for the 55 million Hispanics in the U.S. to help ensure they can compare prices at local pharmacies and get the best discounts available by using an app tailored to their own ...
According to a report from the Utah Department of Health, the health of Utah’s Latinos has shown little improvement in the last five years. Latinos in the state continue to show higher levels of obesity, infant mortality, and other negative health measures. According to a report from the Utah Department of Health, the health of Utah’s Latinos has shown little improvement in the last five years. Latinos in the state continue to show higher levels of obesity, infant mortality, and other negative health measures. “We didn’t seem to improve a whole lot in some of these measures that we’ve been needing to improve,” said the report’s lead author and health program specialist at the Utah Department of Health, Jake Fitisemanu. “Being an optimistic person and seeing the great ...
