Research/News

Students to Add Park Space, Walkways to Revitalize Neighborhood

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1 month 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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1 month 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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1 month ago
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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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1 month 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:

Who is Èxito!: Jenny Castillo

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2 months ago
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Editor’s Note: This is the story of a graduate of the 2012 Èxito! Latino Cancer Research Leadership Training program. Apply by April 1, for the 2013 Èxito! program.

Jenny Castillo

Jenny Castillo
Austin, Texas

Native San Antonio resident Jenny Castillo not only cares about helping Latinos get off the couch and get fit to beat disease, she also knows the value of incorporating culturally infused methods of physical activity.

For example, her passion for flamenco and folklorico dance represent an exciting way to bring Latino families together to get active.

Castillo plans to put her passion for dance and her knowledge of Mexican American culture to good use as she pursues a master’s degree in health and kinesiology at The University of Texas at San Antonio. She expects to graduate in 2013.

She also works as a graduate research assistant on a study to prevent obesity and diabetes among low-income Latinas and an obesity intervention in Latina youth.

Castillo, who also has degrees in government and communications (with a specialty in political communications) from The University of Texas at Austin, was encouraged by a mentor to apply for Éxito! Latino Cancer Research Leadership Training, which aims to increase research in Latino cancer disparities by encouraging master’s-level students and health professionals to pursue a doctoral degree and a cancer research career.

Once accepted into the program, she learned from respected public health researchers and faculty that there are resources available and many different avenues that can lead to doctoral degree and a career in Latino cancer health disparities research.

“Éxito! provided me confidence and tools to apply and be successful in a doctorate program,” Castillo said.

Who is Èxito!: Bianca Flores

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2 months ago
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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.

Bianca Flores

Bianca Flores
Austin, Texas

Bianca Flores, a third-generation Texan with Mexican ancestry, wanted to learn more about the Mexican American community.

So she studied Spanish and Mexican Studies and, as she earned her undergraduate degree, increasingly identified herself with the many struggles people of color in the U.S. face, and the health inequalities they experience.

Flores wanted to help Mexican Americans make positive changes, so she earned her a master’s degree in public health nursing from the University of Texas at Austin, and worked as a nurse and a nursing instructor.

Now she directs health promotion activities at the People’s Clinic in Austin and strives to ensure that Latinos—and people of all races and ethnicities—live a healthy life.

She’s also taken another step forward in applying for and being accepted into Éxito! Latino Cancer Research Leadership Training, which aims to increase research in Latino cancer disparities by encouraging master’s-level students and health professionals to pursue a doctoral degree and a cancer research career.

In combination with her educational background, experience, and tools gained from the 2012 Éxito! Summer Institute, Flores is becoming a public health asset.

Who is Èxito!: Paul Afnan

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3 months ago
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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.

Paul Afnan

Paul Afnan
Houston, Texas

With encouragement toward higher education from his El Salvadorian mother, Paul Afnan earned a bachelor’s degree in conservation and resources studies and made the dean’s list with a 4.0 GPA at the University of California, Berkeley.

He knew he wanted to make a difference in people’s health.

So he interned with a scientific agency in Managua, Nicaragua, where he enrolled children into a dengue/influenza cohort study and created a predictive model for patients with febrile illnesses.

Afnan then moved from San Francisco to Houston, where he interned in infection control at Memorial Herman Hospital. Here Afnan conducted an environmental study examining Staphylococcus aureus samples and performed data extraction from medical records to research the risk factors of ventilator-associated pneumonia.

He also wanted to help family members who were struggled with cancer.

That’s why he is seeking his master’s degree in public health at The University of Texas School of Public Health, Houston. He expects to graduate in 2013.

To further explore pursuit of a doctoral degree, Afnan applied for and was accepted to join Éxito! Latino Cancer Research Leadership Training, which aims to increase research in Latino cancer disparities by encouraging master’s-level students and health professionals to pursue a doctoral degree and a cancer research career.

During the 2012 Éxito! Summer Institute, Afnan was exposed to the necessary tools, information, and leaders in public health who were able to provide him with the assistance he needed to pursue a doctoral degree and a research career.

“The Summer Institute gave me an idea of where I wanted to focus my research,” Afnan said. “Don’t be afraid to ask questions.”

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