Research/News

Bilingual Videos: What Medicines Are Safe for Moms-to-Be?

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1 day ago
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Many pregnant women take medicines for health problems like diabetes, asthma, seizures, heartburn, and morning sickness.

But not all medicines are safe to take when you are pregnant.

Check out helpful tips in these English and Spanish videos for pregnant women and new moms from the FDA and text4baby, a service that promotes maternal and child health through text messaging.

Join text4baby by texting “BABY” (or “BEBE” for Spanish) to 511411.

Report: Becoming an American Can Be Bad for Your Health

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5 days ago
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From the New York Times

From the New York Times

A growing body of mortality research on immigrants has shown that the longer they live in the United States, the worse their rates of heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes, according to a New York Times report.

According to the report:

For Hispanics, now the nation’s largest immigrant group, the foreign-born live about three years longer than their American-born counterparts, several studies have found.

Why does life in the United States — despite its sophisticated health care system and high per capita wages — lead to worse health? New research is showing that the immigrant advantage wears off with the adoption of American behaviors — smoking, drinking, high-calorie diets and sedentary lifestyles.

Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez, director of the Salud America! Latino childhood obesity network based at the Institute for Health Promotion Research at The UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, was quoted in the report about the problem of Hispanics’ high obesity rates:

“We have a time bomb that’s going to go off. Obesity rates are increasing. Diabetes is exploding. The cultural protection Hispanics had is being eroded.”

Research: Latino Kids Have High Exposure to Unhealthy Snacks at School

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1 week ago
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Latina Girl in Snack LineLatino students are widely exposed to high-fat, high-sugar snacks and drinks sold in schools, but implementing stronger nutritional standards can yield healthier school snacks for this growing population at high risk of obesity, according to a new package of research materials released today by Salud America! The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) Research Network to Prevent Obesity Among Latino Children.

The new Salud America! “Healthier School Snacks & Latino Kids” research materials, which can be found at www.salud-america.org, include:
• A research review with the latest science;
• An issue brief (lay summary of the review);
• An infographic; and
• An animated video

This is the first of six new research material packages to be released over the summer by Salud America!, each of which will focus on a specific topic on Latino childhood obesity and highlight the issue, policy implications and future research areas.

The “Healthier School Snacks & Latino Kids” package, released at the Salud America! Summit, highlights the fact that young people consume a high proportion of their daily calories at school.

“Research shows that access to unhealthy snack foods and beverages in schools has a disproportionately negative health influence among Latino students, and schools with a higher proportion of Latino students tend to have weaker policies regarding access to and nutritional values of these items,” said Amelie G. Ramirez, director of Salud America!, a national network of stakeholders seeking environmental and policy solutions to Latino obesity based at the Institute for Health Promotion Research at the UT Health Science Center at San Antonio.

“By 2050, 35 percent of young people in the U.S. will be Latino. Providing healthier school snacks and drinks can help make sure this growing population is healthy,” Ramirez said.

To learn more, visit www.salud-america.org.

Students to Add Park Space, Walkways to Revitalize Neighborhood

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1 week ago
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Some University of Houston architecture students, including Jose Pedroza, are trying to revitalize a local neighborhood by reusing empty lots around an abandoned mall and adding park space and pedestrian-friendly walkways, KTRK-TV reports.

Houston’s population is about 44% Latino.

Analysis: Hispanic High School Grads Pass Whites in Rate of College Enrollment

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2 weeks ago
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Hispanic enrollmentA record 69% of Hispanic high school graduates in the class of 2012 enrolled in college that fall, two percentage points higher than the rate (67%) among their white counterparts, according to a Pew Research Center analysis of new data from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Hispanic college-going has increased since 2008.

White college-going has decreased over that same span.

But the new isn’t all good.

According to the report: “Hispanic college students are less likely than their white counterparts to enroll in a four-year college (56% versus 72%), they are less likely to attend a selective college, less likely to be enrolled in college full time, and less likely to complete a bachelor’s degree.”

Why the trend?

The report speculates that higher unemployment among Latinos ages 16-24 may have led that population segment to make college a more viable choice or to stay in school longer. It also speculates that Latino families place higher value on college education, with one survey even showing that 88% of Latinos ages 16 and older agreed that college is needed to “get ahead in life,” compared with just 74% of whites who thought the same.

Testicular Cancer on Rise in Latino Men

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2 weeks ago
by admin in ,
Hispanically Speaking News

Photo from Hispanically Speaking News

Testicular cancer is most common in white men.

But as the overall testicular cancer rate rises in the U.S., the greatest increase is occurring among Latino men, according to a researcher, Hispanically Speaking News reports.

The report indicates that Dr. Scott Eggener, an associate professor of surgery at the University of Chicago, examining testicular cancer incidence from 1992-2009 and found that:

In 1992, 5.7 of every 100,000 men had testicular cancer; that number rose to 6.8/100,000 in 2009.

In 1992, 4 of every 100,000 Hispanic men were affected; that number rose to 6.3/100,000 in 2009.

“The incidence of testicular cancer appears to be increasing very slowly but steadily among virtually all groups that we studied,” said Eggener, according to the news report. “The novel finding is that the most dramatic increase is in Hispanic men.”

Testicular cancer prognosis is generally good, and but a testicular exam should be part of a routine medical exam, experts say.

For more info on testicular cancer, go here.

Profile: The Rise of Mexican-Origin Hispanics in the U.S.

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3 weeks ago
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mexico chartThe Mexican-origin population in the U.S. has risen dramatically over the past four decades—from less than 1 million in 1970 to 33.7 million in 2012—a result of one of the largest mass migrations in modern history, according to a new report by Pew Hispanic Center.

Of these 33.7 million, about 11.4 million are immigrants born in Mexico.

Compared with 1990, Mexican immigrants in 2011 were less likely to be male, considerably older, and better educated, according to the Pew report.

Other interesting tidbits include:

  • Language: 66% of Mexican-origin Hispanics ages 5 and older speak English proficiently.
  • Age: Mexican-origin Hispanics are younger (median age of 25) than both the U.S. population (37) and Hispanics overall (27).
  • Education: Mexicans have lower levels of education than the Hispanic population overall.
  • Health insurance: Fewer Mexicans than all Hispanics have health insurance (33% vs. 30%).
  • Poverty: More Mexicans live in poverty (27%) than Hispanics overall (25%).

Read more here.

Video: Healthy Eating Design Guidelines for School Architecture

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1 month ago
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Creating school food environments that support healthy eating among children is a recommended national strategy to prevent childhood obesity, and is shown to have positive effects on student behavior, development, and academic performance.

To help children learn life-long healthy eating habits, researchers developed the Healthy Eating Design Guidelines for School Architecture.

These guidelines provide practitioners in architecture and public health as well as school system administrators with a practical set of spatially organized and theory-based strategies for making school environments more conducive to learning about and practicing healthy eating behaviors.

Watch how the Buckingham Elementary School redesign project in Dillwyn, Va., used the tool to improve its ability to adopt a healthy nutrition curriculum and promote healthy eating.

At the school, every aspect of the architecture—the furniture, color pallet, and materials—was designed to promote healthy behaviors, such as:

Some of the design principles incorporated include:

  • A food lab where kids can learn how to prepare healthy foods;
  • A cafeteria which facilitates fresh food production;
  • A school garden for kids to grow food for the school cafeteria and burn a few calories;
  • A lower-stress environment to address light, noise levels, air quality and crowding; and
  • Layouts that encourage more movement and the use of attractive water fountains.

This project is the first of its kind and represents a brand new way of thinking about childhood obesity prevention.

Training Opp: Latinas Learning to Lead

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1 month ago
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Latinas Learning to LeadThe National Hispana Leadership Institute (NHLI) is accepting applicants for its 2013 Latinas Learning to Lead training program.

The one-week Latinas Learning to Lead program promotes and fosters the development of young Latina leaders through training, mentoring opportunities, access to national networks and tools to create a community impact through their leadership projects.

Session topics cover: effective communication and presentation skills; advocacy training; public policy issues affecting the Latino community; other professional and leadership development topics; and shadowing an executive leadership program alum for a day.

The program selects college-enrolled Latinas ages 18-24 based on their community service record, professional and personal accomplishments, and dedication to serving their community.

The application deadline is May 15, 2013. Learn more here.

Study: Latinos Less Likely to Think They’ll Get Cancer

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1 month ago
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Hispanic, Black, and Asian Americans are less likely than whites to believe they will get cancer, even though they are actually more likely to develop cancer and die from it, according to a new study in the American Journal of Health Promotion, HealthDay reports.

Study researchers surveyed people about their perceptions of their cancer risk.

They also found Hispanics were less likely than whites and blacks to believe they could take steps to reduce their risk of cancer.

“There is a need for consistent cancer prevention messages and screening recommendations, as well as opportunities to increase education on cancer prevention among all populations,” study senior author B. Lee Green of the Moffitt Cancer Center, said in a center news release, HealthDay reported. “These efforts will make individuals feel more empowered to participate in cancer-preventive behaviors.”

If Latinos need motivation to get screened, check out these videos in English or Spanish:

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