Archive for February, 2012

VIDEOS: ‘Feeding Minds’ Tackles Hunger, Obesity Across Texas

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1 year ago
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Check out the new TV series, “Feeding Minds: Texas Takes on Hunger and Obesity,” which premiered on Texas PBS stations Feb. 23, 2012.

The series aims to bring awareness to these overlapping issues and to share what government, community organizations and individuals are doing to combat them. For more information, follow this effort on Facebook.

Different video segments tackle the following issues:

Watch the full program English or Spanish or below.

Watch Feeding Minds on PBS. See more from Feeding Minds: Texas Takes on Hunger and Obesity.

Èxito! Grad Testimonial: Edianys Arlyn Velez

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1 year ago
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Editor’s Note: This is the testimonial of a graduate of the 2011 Summer Institute of Èxito! Latino Cancer Research Leadership Training. Read more testimonials here or apply by March 1 for the 2012 Èxito! program.

Edianys Arlyn Velez
El Paso, Texas

Edianys Arlyn Velez

Edianys Arlyn Velez developed a passion for helping others from the constant support of her parents and her childhood experiences with family members diagnosed with cancer.

Her passion particularly applies to women’s health issues.

That’s why Velez currently is a master’s degree student at the University of Texas School of Public Health regional campus in El Paso, Texas, where she also coordinates a study investigating the genetic and environmental determinants of maternal and neonatal adverse pregnancy outcomes in El Paso.

Velez wants to do more. To explore doctoral degree options and learn more about cancer research, she joined Éxito! Latino Cancer Research Leadership Training—which aims to increase diversity in Latino health disparities and cancer research by encouraging Latino master’s-level students and master’s trained health professionals to pursue a doctoral degree and a career in research.

“The program allowed me to realize that I could in fact apply, pursue, and obtain a doctorate degree in public health,” she said. “I was undecided prior to the Éxito! Summer Institute [in June 2011] and unsure as to whether or not I would be able to apply and be accepted into DrPH program, but the institute helped me to realize that such goals were attainable by giving me the tools necessary to find a right fit for me.”

Èxito! Grad Testimonial: Rebecca Adeigbe

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1 year ago
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Editor’s Note: This is the testimonial of a graduate of the 2011 Summer Institute of Èxito! Latino Cancer Research Leadership Training. Read more testimonials here or apply by March 1 for the 2012 Èxito! program.

Rebecca Adeigbe
San Antonio, Texas

Rebecca Adeigbe

Rebecca Adeigbe grew up in South Texas’ Lower Rio Grande Valley, a predominantly Latino region that often lacks basic infrastructure—like streets and running water—and also lacks doctors and public health services.

Seeing these conditions spurred her desire to help those underserved through a career in health.

Adeigbe now is working on her master’s degree in health and kinesiology at the University of Texas at San Antonio, and also is a research area specialist at the Institute for Health Promotion Research (IHPR) at The UT Health Science Center at San Antonio. At the IHPR, she works on two National Cancer Institute (NCI) projects, a training program and a study investigating the most beneficial type of physical activity for breast cancer survivors.

She also has experience in adult and childhood obesity as a past project evaluator for the San Antonio Metropolitan Health Department’s “Communities Putting Prevention to Work” obesity prevention grant.

She hopes to obtain a doctoral degree in public health in community health practice.

But because she felt she needed more information on the application, acceptance and degree completion process for a doctoral degree, Adeigbe joined Éxito! Latino Cancer Research Leadership Training, which aims to increase diversity in Latino health disparities and cancer research by encouraging Latino master’s-level students and master’s trained health professionals to pursue a doctoral degree and a career in research.

At the Éxito! Summer Institute in June 2011, Adeigbe learned about the many opportunities available in cancer research and expressed a strong amount of certainty in continuing her research career in cancer control and prevention through the promotion of physical activity.

“Having heard the stories of other minority researchers I feel more confident and prepared to pursue a doctoral degree,” Adeigbe said. “The Éxito! Summer Institute has reduced the amount of uncertainty I have in pursuing a career in cancer control research.”

Overweight/Obese Latino Youth More Likely to Have Asthma

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1 year ago
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Youth who are overweight or obese—especially Hispanics—are more likely to have asthma than their healthy weight counterparts, according to a new Kaiser Permanente Southern California study published in the online edition of Obesity.

The study, which included more than 681,000 children between ages 6 and 19, found that the association between asthma and body mass index (BMI) varied by race and ethnicity.

The association between BMI and asthma was strongest among Hispanic youth and weaker for African Americans, a group that was previously known to have the highest prevalence of asthma.

“This research contributes to the growing evidence that there is a relationship between childhood obesity and asthma, and suggests that factors related to race and ethnicity, particularly for Hispanic youth, may modify this relationship,” said study lead author Dr. Mary Helen Black of the Kaiser Permanente Southern California Department of Research & Evaluation, in a statement. “The study’s large and diverse population, which is broadly representative of the Southern California region, allowed us to examine a wide range of BMI categories in relation to asthma among youth from five racial/ethnic groups.”

Researchers also found that, among youths with asthma, being overweight or obese was associated with more frequent visits to the doctor or emergency department for asthma. In addition, overweight or obese youth with asthma used more inhaled and oral corticosteroid asthma drugs, compared to healthy-weight youth. The need for these medical treatments could have broader health implications as other studies have suggested a link between these medications and type 2 diabetes.

Èxito! Grad Testimonial: Rosalie Aguilar

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1 year ago
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Editor’s Note: This is the testimonial of a graduate of the 2011 Summer Institute of Èxito! Latino Cancer Research Leadership Training. Read more testimonials here or apply by March 1 for the 2012 Èxito! program.

Rosalie Aguilar
San Antonio, Texas

Rosalie Aguilar

Rosalie Aguilar grew up along the Texas-Mexico border and volunteered her time working in migrant worker clinics, an experience that spawned her interest in public and world health issues.

She dreamed of finding a way to help many people.

Originally this dream led Aguilar to envision a career in the medical field, but she soon discovered the abundance of possibilities that exist in public health, and she is currently pursuing her master’s degree in health and Kinesiology at the University of Texas at San Antonio—all with the encouragement of her family, friends and mentors.

While working as a graduate research assistant, her dream was further sharpened as she discovered that conducting research could be exciting and fulfilling.

Aguilar joined Éxito! Latino Cancer Research Leadership Training—which aims to increase diversity in Latino health disparities and cancer research by encouraging Latino master’s-level students and master’s trained health professionals to pursue a doctoral degree and a career in research—on the advice of her mentor.

At the Éxito! Summer Institute in June 2011, she realized that a career in cancer research is something she “could be successful at and truly enjoy.”

“Éxito! helped me realize that there are many resources which exist to study cancer,” she said. “I also enjoyed the camaraderie that was developed between my peers and I. It was encouraging to share ideas and thoughts with other individuals such as myself.”

Èxito! Grad Testimonial: David Irizarry

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1 year ago
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Editor’s Note: This is the testimonial of a graduate of the 2011 Summer Institute of Èxito! Latino Cancer Research Leadership Training. Read more testimonials here or apply by March 1 for the 2012 Èxito! program.

David Irizarry
McAllen, Texas

David Irizarry

David Irizarry wasn’t sure where his career path was heading.

With a background in political science and biology, he eventually decided to pursue a master’s degree in public health at the Texas A&M Health Science Center’s School of Rural Public Health in McAllen, Texas, where he also works as an administrative intern at a local hospital and a research assistant on campus.

To further refine his career path and learn about doctoral programs, he joined Éxito! Latino Cancer Research Leadership Training—which aims to increase diversity in Latino health disparities and cancer research by encouraging Latino master’s-level students and master’s trained health professionals to pursue a doctoral degree and a career in research.

Irizarry attended the Éxito! Summer Institute in June 2011 and networked with a variety of individuals, leaving with a better understanding of potential obstacles and tips when pursing a doctorate degree.

He is now more certain than ever he will pursue a doctoral degree in an area of public health policy.

“Éxito! definitely sparked a greater interest in the possibility of pursuing a career in health disparities,” Irizarry said. “I will start making decisions about my future over the next [few] months.”

Èxito! Grad Testimonial: Laura Rubalcava

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1 year ago
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Editor’s Note: This is the testimonial of a graduate of the 2011 Summer Institute of Èxito! Latino Cancer Research Leadership Training. Read more testimonials here or apply by March 1 for the 2012 Èxito! program.

Laura Rubalcava
Alexandria, Va.

Laura Rubalcava

Laura Rubalcava knows the pain that weight prejudice can cause.

She witnessed several family members struggle with obesity and get teased or treated rudely at school, work, stores—even doctor’s offices.

She wanted to help them and people like them feel better.

So Rubalcava earned a master’s degree in community counseling and provided families with nutrition and wellness counseling at a San Antonio, Texas, weight-loss center. She also spent time as a health educator and research associate at the Institute for Health Promotion Research (IHPR) at The UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, where she was part of an obesity management intervention for which she counseled families and more.

She joined Éxito! Latino Cancer Research Leadership Training—which aims to increase diversity in Latino health disparities and cancer research by encouraging Latino master’s-level students and master’s trained health professionals to pursue a doctoral degree and a career in research—to learn more about the importance of Latino health disparities in cancer control research and different strategies to reduce those disparities.

Rubalcava also is the first Éxito! alum to be accepted in a doctoral degree.

Rubalcava is entering her first year as a clinical psychology doctoral student at the Chicago School of Professional Psychology. She intends to target bariatric Latinos in her future research.

“Hearing the real-life stories from leaders in Latino public health [at the Éxito! Summer Institute in June 2011] and having learned about the obstacles and achievements of the Éxito! speakers, I feel more confident and prepared in beginning and working to complete my doctorate degree,” Rubalcava said.

Èxito! Grad Testimonial: Mary V. Diaz-Santana

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1 year ago
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Editor’s Note: This is the testimonial of a graduate of the 2011 Summer Institute of Èxito! Latino Cancer Research Leadership Training. Read more testimonials here or apply by March 1 for the 2012 Èxito! program.

Mary Vanellys Diaz Santana
Puerto Rico

Mary V. Diaz-Santana

Mary Vanellys Diaz Santana values the richness of culture and faith in her native Puerto Rico, but also understands how different cultural aspects can be barriers and enablers to public health.

Santana’s strong passion for investigating the distribution, frequency and determinants of health led her to the University of Puerto Rico’s medical sciences campus, where she is pursuing a master’s degree in epidemiology.

Her capable mentors have shaped her desire to start a career in cancer and chronic disease research.

One of her mentors encouraged Santana to learn more at Éxito! Latino Cancer Research Leadership Training, which aims to increase diversity in Latino health disparities and cancer research by encouraging Latino master’s-level students and master’s trained health professionals to pursue a doctoral degree and a career in research.

By the end of the five-day Éxito! Summer Institute in June 2011, Santana acquired the knowledge, skill, and networking necessary for successfully applying to a PhD program.

“I believe that Éxito! validated my decision to pursue a career in cancer research, it enhanced my vision about cancer disparities among Hispanics, and increased my awareness of how this population suffers disproportionately from cancer,” Santana said. “Cancer research is an opportunity for lessening the burden of cancer, and Éxito! helped me to realize that I want to work towards that.”

Helping Teens Start Strong: Youths Highlighting Healthy Relationships

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1 year ago
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Editor’s Note: This post is part of an ongoing series that will highlight the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s work in Latino communities across the country.

Start Strong Bronx's Teen Advisory Board leaders "Freeze for Love" at the Bronx Museum of the Arts to raise awareness about healthy relationships during February's Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month.

By SaludToday Guest Blogger Kristin Schubert

According to the National Youth Risk Behavior survey, nearly one in 10 high school students nationwide has experienced physical dating violence. With a higher prevalence of dating violence among black and Hispanic students and serious concern over the negative health impacts of dating violence—national program by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) is working to promote healthy relationships among young adolescents to stop the violence before it starts.

The program, Start Strong: Building Healthy Teen Relationships, targets 11- to 14-year-olds in 11 cities from Boston to Oakland, Calif. Now in its fourth year, it already has reached thousands of youths through education, community engagement, policy change, communications and social marketing. It also educates and engages parents, teachers, counselors, coaches and older teens to help younger adolescents develop positive, healthy relationship behaviors and attitudes.

February is National Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month, which helps draw attention to the work that Start Strong does year-round.

As James Marks, MD, MPH, senior vice president and director of the Health Group for RWJF often says, “We want to find the most promising ways to prevent teen dating violence because we know that the earlier that young people get relationships right, the better chance they’ll have to make their lives better over the long term. By addressing healthy relationships in middle school students and encouraging communities to embrace this idea, we’ll give those young people a strong advantage.”

Throughout the month, Start Strong teens across the country have been holding “flash mobs” at various locations in their own communities. These peaceful surprise events are incorporating music, dance, poetry, choreography and visuals as they take a stand against dating violence and abuse and share resources that can provide teens with support.

In New York, members of the Start Strong Bronx Teen Advisory Board put on “Freeze for Love” demonstrations at the Bronx Museum of the Arts. One moment they were just regular museum patrons, looking at paintings; the next moment, they were frozen in place, holding signs. Each sign offered words that represent a healthy relationship: Respect. Support. Safety. Happiness. Trust & Honesty.

As one teen who participated later explained, “Nobody should get hit for anything whatsoever, especially in a relationship.”

New TV Series: ‘Feeding Minds: Texas Takes on Hunger and Obesity’

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1 year ago
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Check out a 30-second promo video in English or Spanish for a new TV series, “Feeding Minds: Texas Takes on Hunger and Obesity,” which premieres on Texas PBS stations Feb. 23, 2012.

The series aims to bring awareness to these overlapping issues and to share what government, community organizations and individuals are doing to combat them.

Check your local listings for the series. For more information, follow this effort on Facebook.

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