A unique new five-part video series explores the nuances of cancer in Latino populations. Part 1: Demographics
Part 2: Disparities
Part 3: Cultural Values
Part 4: Physical, Emotional Concerns
Part 5: Supporting the Needs The videos, produced by the Nurse Oncology Education Program (NOEP), feature several researchers at the Institute for Health Promotion Research (IHPR) at the UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, including IHPR Director/Professor Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez, Research Instructor Sanrda San Miguel, and Patient Navigation/Promotora Guadalupe Cornejo. The trio also play large roles in the IHPR's Latino cancer research network, Redes En Acción, funded by the National Cancer Institute. Here are Parts ...
A new study is testing whether an automated self-help "Stop Smoking" website—available in both English and Spanish with various resources and tools to track quit progress—can help smokers quit at higher rates than trying to quit on their own. Visit the website in English or Spanish to enroll in this no-cost study. The study, led by Redes En Acción: The National Latino Cancer Research Network, which is funded by the National Cancer Institute, is a collaboration between researchers at the Institute for Health Promotion Research (IHPR) at The UT Health Science Center at San Antonio and the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). Upon enrollment, researchers will randomly assign participants to one of two methods to quit: Immediate no-cost access to the UCSF "Stop Smoking" ...
Extra support for patients, called “patient navigation,” can lead to faster diagnosis for Latinas after an abnormal mammogram result, according to a new study by the Institute for Health Promotion Research (IHPR), part of the School of Medicine at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. The study, published this week by the journal Cancer, also suggests that patient navigation should be carefully targeted to have the greatest impact on eventual health outcomes. IHPR researchers worked with partners in the federally funded Redes En Acción: The National Latino Cancer Network to examine the experiences of 425 Latinas in six cities nationwide. Each woman had received an abnormal result in initial breast cancer screening and was referred for further ...
Editor's Note: This is the story of a graduate of the 2012 Èxito! Latino Cancer Research Leadership Training program. Apply by April 1, 2013, for the 2013 Èxito! program. Lizette Rangel
Houston, Texas Lizette Rangel, who grew up in a low-income Latino community, had two life choices. The easy choice: A life of gangs, early pregnancy, poverty and a daily struggle to live. The hard choice: A life of difficult study and education. Fortunately, Rangel chose the hard path, embraced a “nerd” attitude and devoted herself to studying to better her situation. She earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of Houston and interned to help implement a diabetic health education program to the community. She also earned a master’s degree in public health from The ...
Editor's Note: This is the story of a graduate of the 2012 Èxito! Latino Cancer Research Leadership Training program. Apply by April 1, 2013, for the 2013 Èxito! program. Helen Palomino
Brawley, Calif. Helen Palomino didn’t go straight into a doctoral degree program after earning her master’s degree in social work from San Diego State University in 2008. She had a good reason for postponing her doctoral aspirations. Palomino instead focused on helping her children achieve their college degrees while also establishing her career in the field of clinical social work. She continues to work as a medical social worker at the Cancer Resource Center of the Desert, a nonprofit organizations in California where she provides social services and resources to individuals who have been ...
A new culturally tailored, multi-component obesity prevention program among minority preschool children can help create an environment that positively impacts weight and gross motor skill development in children at risk for obesity, according to a new study in the journal Childhood Obesity. For the program, called Míranos!, researchers from UT San Antonio and the Institute for Health Promotion Research at the UT Health Science Center at San Antonio tested whether it is possible to indoctrinate students with healthy behaviors — for life — via several positive interactions with their parents, teachers and school workers and a supportive learning environment at school and home. Researchers tested the program among predominantly Mexican-American kids enrolled in Head Start in San ...
Editor's Note: This is the story of a graduate of the 2012 Èxito! Latino Cancer Research Leadership Training program. Apply by April 1, 2013, for the 2013 Èxito! program. Cristina Valdovinos
New York, New York Cristina Valdovinos grew up watching her father work hard to provide for his family. When he was diagnosed with late-stage laryngeal carcinoma during her last term pursuing her bachelor’s degree in human biology from Stanford University, it sparked her desire to study cancer to help those like her father. She soon interned at the Charles Drew University of Medicine and Science in California to investigate early-onset breast cancer and excess late-stage diagnoses in minorities, then entered a cancer control program at the University of Puerto Rico’s Comprehensive Cancer ...
Editor's Note: This is the story of a graduate of the 2012 Èxito! Latino Cancer Research Leadership Training program. Apply by April 1, 2013, for the 2013 Èxito! program. Diana Flores
San Mateo, Calif. Some of Diana Flores’ extended family members didn’t want her to go to college. They thought she should stick to a traditional Latina role—wife and mother—instead of “wasting” money and time on education. But Flores’ mother and father encouraged her to pursue the educational career path she was passionate about. With their support, she earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of California, Berkeley, and a master’s degree in public health (environmental health sciences and global health) from the University of California, Los Angeles ...
Obesity is a serious health challenge, but what if everyone around you is eating better and moving more? What if Austin and Houston were shaping up? Would San Antonio shape up, too? The Healthy at H-E-B Community Challenge pits Texas cities against each other to see which community can demonstrate the greatest commitment to health. Individuals, schools, organizations or business and mayors can all help their communities earn points. Points are earned for cities when community members upload a description and picture of their healthy activities. The competition runs until Nov. 1. At that time, one winner will be announced from each of the three size categories: small, midsize, and large. Although San Antonio is winning, many other cities are active and uploading healthy ...
