Health Disparities Continue for California Latinos



A report published by the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research determined that health disparities persist for California’s 9.8 million adult Latinos. The rates of obesity, poor health, food insecurity and lack of insurance are higher than the state’s average. The Center used the data from the 2012-2013 California Health Interview Survey. An estimated 2.7 million Latinos are estimated to be food insecure. The data revealed large gaps in the between Latino groups in that nearly 40% of Salvadorans, as an example reported fair or poor health compared to 12.8% of South Americans and 30.8% of Latinos overall. Non-U.S. born Mexican adults and Salvadorans were shown to have the most difficulty in reliably obtaining food. Among Latino groups, South Americans have the lowest ...

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San Antonio: Free Event on 6/13/15 to Explore Women’s Cancer, Healing Foods, and More



Cancer survivors and healthcare providers are invited to explore diet, spirituality, and more at the inaugural Women’s Survivorship Summit from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, June 13, 2015, at the Oblate School of Theology in San Antonio, with support from the San Antonio Breast Cancer Collaborative, a coalition that includes the Institute for Health Promotion Research at the UT Health Science Center at San Antonio. Register here for the summit, which will feature free food, speakers, and cancer resources. Dr. Virginia G. Kaklamani, leader of the breast cancer program at the Cancer Therapy and Research Center at the UT Health Science Center, will talk about the clinical and psychological challenges of being a cancer survivor and how to move ahead. Other experts will cover healing foods ...

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How YOU Can Help Fight Mental Health Issues, Substance Use Disorder among Latinos



Latinos can struggle with mental health issues and substance use disorder, studies show. What can be done? Individuals and community groups can get help raise awareness about mental health issues and substance use disorder, take action and promote healthy lifestyles during National Prevention Week 2015 from May 17-23, 2015. You can: Plan a community event. Find resources in English or Spanish. Take a "Prevention Pledge" on Facebook. Click “Sign the Pledge" to add your brick to the wall, share a personal or community prevention story that will appear on your brick, and see how you can can make a positive difference in the lives of others. Take a photo of yourself for the “Yo elijo”/“I Choose” Project. To participate in the “Yo elijo” (“I Choose”) ...

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Latina Students Create Mobile App to Help Teens Deal with Anxiety & Depression



A team of five students, including three Latinas, from Tri-Tech Skills Center in Kennewick, Wash., won an award for a mental health app they designed called Safe&Sound. The app offers information for teens dealing with anxiety and/or depression, as well as daily stress management techniques. The app also provides push notifications that include positive quotes, and a journal with a voice-to-speech feature that allows users to speak their thoughts and have them appear on the app. The students received a “Best in Nation” award from the Verizon Foundation's third-annual "Innovative App Challenge," which encourages student interest in science, math, engineering, and technology (STEM). Over 1,000 entries were accepted this year, and eight teams of middle school and high ...

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Study: Latino, Black Cancer Survivors Struggle with Financial Health



About 1 of 5 cancer survivors—especially Latinos and black survivors—reported having problems paying bills long after the end of treatment, according to a new study, HealthDay reports. The study, which examined 1,514 survivors' responses to an American Cancer Society survey, also found that many survivors have unresolved physical and mental health issues long after treatment. One-third of survivors reported physical problems. Many respondents also "expressed anxiety about the possible return of their cancer" and feel they had lost "personal control." “Overall, we found that cancer survivors are often caught off guard by the lingering problems they experience after cancer treatment," said Mary Ann Burg, study author and social work professor at the University of Central Florida ...

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Latino Health in Focus: Taking Aim vs. Breast Cancer, Obesity, Disparities



Find the latest advances in Latino health—from cancer survival to solving park access to how to improve mental health—in the IHPR Noticias E-newsletter. IHPR Noticias has lots of info on the latest local and national health disparities-related news, resources and events: Story: Latinas—10 Years after Breast Cancer Survival (Pg. 1) Profile: Mentees Promote Healthier Lifestyles in San Antonio (Pg. 2) Story: Latino Researchers among Recipients of $8 Million in Grants to Study Cancer (Pg. 3) Scholarships: How to Fight Health Disparities in Your Area & Get a Scholarship for It! (Pg. 4) Story: How to Solve San Antonio’s Low Park Access Score (Pg. 6) Story: White Students Now a Minority in School; Hispanic Numbers Surge (Pg. 8) Resources: Tackling Mental Health, ...

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Tweet with #SaludTues 10/28/14: What All Latinos Need to Know about Mental Health



More than 16% of Latino adults experienced a mental illness during the previous year, and communities of color are more likely to lack access to care to meet their behavioral health needs. This makes mental health awareness important in Latino communities. Let’s tweet about the education and access Latinos have to mental health and wellness, as well as what cultural barriers Latinos face with addressing mental health issues: WHAT: #SaludTues Tweetchat: “Mental Health and Latinos” DATE: Tuesday, October 28, 2014 TIME: Noon CT (1:00 PM ET) WHERE: On Twitter with hashtag #SaludTues HOST: @SaludToday CO-HOSTS: @APApsychiatric @SAMHSAgov We’ll open the floor to your stories and experiences as we explore: Why mental health is important for Latinos Cultural ...

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Study: Hispanic, Black Patients Suffer More Mental Health Distress



Hispanic and African American cancer patients suffered more mental health distress than non-Hispanic white patients, according to a new study, VoxxiNews reports. The study, led by Héctor E Alcalá of UCLA, linked increased mental health stress to household income, as a cancer diagnosis is known to "erode finances." The VoxxiNews report cites two older studies with similar findings: In 2008, data indicated economic stress for low-income women with cancer significantly impacted quality of life; functional, emotional, physical, social-family well-being, depression and anxiety scores were all worse for women who had economic stress while dealing with their cancer burden. The women in the 2008 study were primarily Hispanic, though ethnicity was not a factor in that particular study. A ...

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How to Tackle Mental Health Issues in Spanish-Speaking Communities



More than 16% of Hispanic adults experienced a mental illness during the previous year, and communities of color are more likely to lack access to care to meet their behavioral health needs, according to federal data. This makes mental health awareness important in Hispanic communities. That's why the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Minority Health offer new Spanish-language resources: The website MentalHealth.gov en Español offers access to resources and information about prevention, treatment, and recovery from mental health conditions. The Toolkit for Community Conversations About Mental Health (Diálogos comunitarios acerca de la salud mental) helps communities start vital ...

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