San Antonio Researcher Wins Grant to Increase Latina Cancer Screening
Mar 12th
The Cancer Prevention and Research Institution of Texas (CPRIT) this week announced the $6.8 million to fund 12 new cancer prevention programs throughout Texas.
Dr. Cynthia Mojica
One of the projects is led by Cynthia Mojica, PhD, a researcher at the Institute for Health Promotion Research (IHPR) at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, the team behind SaludToday.
Dr. Mojica’s project, called Salud San Antonio!, will allow her to position four community health workers (promotoras) at four community health groups to deliver a cancer education and outreach program to increase screening rates and knowledge of breast, cervical, and colorectal cancer among Latinas living in 10 zip codes in San Antonio’s West and South sides.
These zip codes have been identified by the San Antonio Metropolitan Health District as high-risk areas for public health problems and have a median household income of $26,824 and are 82% Latino.
The four promotoras will conduct outreach and small group sessions to educate Latinas on risk factors, screening tests and the benefits of early detection. Women considered “rarely or never screened” – identified at community events and via clinics – will be encouraged to obtain a mammogram, Pap test, or blood stool test. Women in need of screening will be given a list of clinics that offer no- or low-cost services and receive a phone call to determine if they have scheduled a screening appointment.
Final screening status will be assessed three months after the small group session.
“We believe that Salud San Antonio! will increase much-needed knowledge and screening behavior among Latinas in San Antonio,” said Dr. Mojica, who also is a member of the Health Science Center’s Cancer Therapy & Research Center. “If successful, this educational model can be exported to other high-risk populations in South Texas and other largely Latino areas in Texas.”
Get Screened! March is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month
Mar 11th
March is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month.
Among cancers that affect both men and women, colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the U.S. The risk of developing colorectal cancer increases with advancing age.
Hispanics suffer high rates of colon cancer, compared to other groups.
But the good news is that, if everyone aged 50 years old or older were screened regularly, as many as 60% of deaths from this cancer could be avoided, according to CDC statistics.
Why should you get screened? Watch this heartfelt Spanish-language PSA here or below to find out:
Younger Hispanic Adults’ Sleep Habits Linked to Diabetes
Mar 10th
Younger adults who get either little sleep or a lot of it may see a greater expansion in their waistlines over time, a new study suggests, Reuters reports.
Among black and Hispanic adults younger than 40, those who typically slept for five hours or less a night had a greater accumulation of belly fat over the next five years, versus those who averaged six or seven hours.
Those who logged eight hours or more in bed each night also showed a bigger fat gain — but it was less substantial than that seen in “short sleepers.”
The study, reported in the journal Sleep, does not prove that too little or too much sleep directly leads to excess fat gain. But the findings support and extend those of other studies linking sleep duration — particularly a lack of sleep — to weight gain and even to higher risks of diabetes and heart disease.
NEW LATINO PSA: Brothers Make ‘Promesa’ to Get Screened
Mar 9th
To all Latinos: In honor of March being colon cancer awareness month, be sure to watch this heartfelt PSA in English or Spanish about how two brothers keep a promise to stay healthy and get screened for colon cancer.
Watch it below in Spanish, and be sure to add your comment about the PSA:
Or watch it in English:
San Antonio Students Can Grow at ‘Spurs Community Garden’
Mar 8th
San Antonio area students ages 8 to 17 are invited to join a fun, high-energy workshop on gardening, eating right and physical activity in the San Antonio Food Bank’s “Spurs Community Garden.”
The course, which will be taught an experienced master gardener, runs from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. April 24, 2010, at the food bank, 5200 Old Hwy 90.
The application deadline is April 9. Space is limited. Students must be accompanied by a teacher or parent.
For information, contact Liset Leal-Vasquez at 210-451-9424 or liset.lealvasquez@healthiergeneration.org.
Study: BOUNCE Helps Latino Moms, Daughters Get Fit
Mar 2nd
Dr. Norma Olvera, a pilot researcher of the Salud America! Latino childhood obesity prevention network, which is led by the team behind Salud Today, had her research on an after-school program for Latinas selected for publication in a special supplement of the journal Obesity.
Dr. Norma Olvera
Dr. Olvera, from the University of Houston, assessed the efficacy of a family-based exploratory community study, BOUNCE (Behavior Opportunities Uniting Nutrition, Counseling, and Exercise), to increase physical fitness and activity in low-income Latino mothers and daughters. Mother-daughter pairs went through a 12-week exercise, nutrition education, and counseling intervention.
The BOUNCE intervention had a significant effect on Latina daughters’ aerobic capacity.
Both mothers and daughters reported a higher reduction of high fat food and sugary beverages and an increase in fruit and vegetable consumption, compared to control-group daughters.
Roundup: Latino Pre-Birth Health, Vaccine Myths
Mar 1st
Check out these health news tidbits relating to Latinos:
Obesity prevention starts early — really, really early
Harvard University researchers writing in the March issue of the journal Pediatrics say such factors as the mother’s pre-pregnancy weight, weight gain during pregnancy and how the infant is fed are emerging as significant determinants of future risk of being overweight or obese. Moreover, when this time period becomes the focus, it becomes clear how and why minority and poor children are at much higher risk for becoming overweight or obese. Cultural traditions, such as how a baby is fed, and factors related to early child care may contribute to the problem.
L.A. Times
Latino child vaccine safety concerns persist
While the vast majority of parents believe vaccines protect their children from life-threatening illnesses, many continue to have concerns about the safety of childhood vaccines, according to a new national survey. More than half of the 1,552 parents surveyed said they have serious worries about adverse affects and overall vaccine safety, according to the findings in Pediatrics. The survey revealed a few interesting demographic tidbits: Latino parents were more likely than whites or blacks to believe that vaccines cause autism.
Baltimore Sun
News Roundup: Latino Education, Alzheimer’s & Community Service
Feb 26th
Check out these news tidbits that focus on Latino health and education:
Few states have measures for success in serving Latino kids, families
Preliminary findings indicate that states are lagging woefully behind in taking advantage of opportunities to better serve diverse student populations, particularly Latinos and English language learners (ELLs), according to a report released today by the National Council of La Raza, the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the U.S. The report outlines unprecedented developments in U.S. policies and federal funding that would help states improve their early childhood education programs.
NCLR
Latino outreach network gets grant to reduce risk for Alzheimer’s
A $71,000 Desert Healthcare District grant to the Alzheimer’s Association will fund a yearlong outreach into the local Latino community aimed reducing the risk for Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. About 35 percent of the district’s population is Latino, who are at higher risk for developing these types of conditions because of the higher incidences of diabetes, heart disease, hypertension and related diseases.
The Desert Sun
Schools recognized for community service
Six colleges and universities have been named as Presidential Awardees in the 2009 President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll, the highest federal recognition a college or university can receive for its commitment to volunteering, service-learning, and civic engagement. At one school, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, students contributed more than one million hours of service last year in projects involving more than 150 community organizations. Projects focused on issues such as providing HIV testing and health support to individuals; and outreach to the growing Latino population.
PR Newswire
Latino News Roundup: Milk, Sex & Asthma
Feb 25th
Check out these news tidbits on Latino health:
Milk board pours out more Latino-aimed ads
The California milk processors behind the “Got Milk?” ad campaign have renewed a campaign aimed at Latinos, who traditionally have been big consumers. The campaign is called “Toma Leche,” which is Spanish for “drink milk.” The campaign launched on Spanish-language TV with a commercial describing how milk can enhance dental health. It will be followed in the spring by TV spots on how milk can promote shiny hair and strong muscles.
Modesto Bee
Are Latino teens sexual risk takers?
National surveys do show that Latino young people as a group are less likely than their non-Latino peers to use condoms and birth control and are more likely to become pregnant and have a child. But these statistics hide a much more complicated picture, said a University of Illinois researcher. For one thing, Latinos represent more than 20 different groups, they live in very different situations in the U.S., and researchers have little data to determine a cultural influence when trying to characterize sexual behavior among Latino adolescents and young adults.
Medical News Today
New Intervention Helps Latino Parents Of Asthmatic Children Quit Smoking
Clinically-based smoking cessation programs may not be enough to help Latino smokers with asthmatic children kick the habit, according to a new study in the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology. In the study, Latino parents with an asthmatic child were more likely to quit smoking when they received a culturally-tailored intervention that provides feedback about how much secondhand smoke their children were exposed to, compared to parents who followed existing smoking cessation clinical guidelines.
Medical News Today
Redes Report: News on Latino Cancer
Feb 24th
Check out some Latino cancer news in the new issue of the Redes Report, the quarterly newsletter of Redes En Acción: The National Latino Cancer Research Network, a national program led by the Institute for Health Promotion Research at the UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, the team behind SaudToday.
The report contains news from the Redes network and the excellent work being conducted by dedicated role models working in Latino cancer research, training and awareness throughout the U.S.
Read the newsletter here.