Posts tagged Hispanic

For U.S. Hispanics, Cancer Top Killer, Not Heart

0
8 months ago
by admin in ,

Cancer is now the leading killer of Hispanics in the U.S., the latest sign it’s beginning to displace heart disease as the nation’s top cause of death, the Associated Press reports:

The rest of the country may not be far behind, “probably in the next 10 years,” said Rebecca Siegel of the American Cancer Society. She is the lead author of a study reporting the new findings. That may be a conservative estimate. Government health statisticians think cancer could overtake heart disease as the top U.S. killer as early as this year, or at least in the next two or three.

For decades, heart disease has been the nation’s leading cause of death. But cancer has been closing in on it. That’s largely because of better heart disease treatments, including statin drugs that lower cholesterol.

Why is cancer in Hispanics on the rise faster than other groups?

The reason cancer is already the biggest cause of death for Hispanics is probably because that population as a whole in the U.S. is younger than non-Hispanic whites and blacks. Many Hispanics are young immigrants, most of them from Mexico. Cancer tends to kill people at younger ages than heart disease.

Cancer society researchers looked at federal death data for 2009 and found 29,935 U.S. Hispanics died of cancer, slightly more than the 29,611 who died of heart disease. It was the first year in which cancer deaths surpassed heart disease in that ethnic group.

The news stems from a in the September/October issue of CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians.

Hispanics by the Numbers: Population, State, Family, Business & More

0
8 months ago
by admin in

For National Hispanic Heritage Month on Sept. 15-Oct. 15, 2012, here are some excellent stats from the National Institute for Latino Policy (NiLP).

Population: 52 million
The Hispanic population of the United States as of July 1, 2011, making people of Hispanic origin the nation’s largest ethnic or race minority. Hispanics constituted 16.7% of the nation’s total population. In addition, there are 3.7 million residents of Puerto Rico, a U.S. territory.
Source: 2011 Population Estimates

Projected Population: 132.8 million
The projected Hispanic population of the United States on July 1, 2050. According to this projection, Hispanics will constitute 30 percent of the nation’s population by that date.
Source: Population Projections

Number of States with 1 Million Latinos or More: 8
The number of states that have a population of 1 million or more Hispanic residents — Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, New Jersey, New York and Texas.
Source: 2011 Population Estimates State Characteristics

Number of States in which Hispanics Were Largest Minority Group: 25
These states were Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Massachusetts, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Washington and Wyoming.
Source: American FactFinder

Number of Hispanic-Owned U.S. Businesses: 2.3 million
The number of Hispanic-owned businesses in 2007, up 43.6 percent from 2002.
Source: Statistics for All U.S. Firms by Industry, Gender, Ethnicity, and Race for the U.S., States, Metro Areas, Counties, and Places: 2007

Number of Hispanic U.S. Family Households: 10.7 million
Percentage of Hispanic Married Couple Households: 63.1%
Percentage of Hispanic Married Couple Households with Children Under Age 18: 61.1%
Source: Families and Living Arrangements

Number of U.S. Residents Who Spoke Spanish at Home: 37 million
Those who hablan español constituted 12.8% of U.S. residents aged 5 and older. More than half of these Spanish speakers spoke English “very well.”
Source: U.S. Census Bureau

We at SaludToday hand-picked a few of the NiLP’s stats, but you can find a full list here.

Infographic: Education Rates for U.S. Latinos on the Rise

0
8 months ago
by admin in

Check out this cool new infographic of the rising rates of Hispanic education from Hispanically Speaking News.

The infographic covers the recent Pew Hispanic Center report that Hispanics are now the largest minority group on college campuses as well as in public schools. Colleges have seen a 20% increase in Hispanic students enrolling between 2010-11.

Education Rates for U.S. Latinos on the Rise

by HSNews.Browse more data visualization.

 

Latinos: Take New Survey on How to Improve Cancer Services for Spanish Speakers

0
8 months ago
by admin in

Spanish-speaking Latinos, have you been affected by cancer?

If so, you’re invited to take a new survey about how to improve cancer-related services from LIVESTRONG.

LIVESTRONG, which is currently reaching out to Latinos to offer information about the Spanish services available to those being affected by cancer, hopes survey respondents will identify what additional or future actions need to be taken to improve the cancer community.

Find out more information in Spanish or take the survey here.

Initiative Aims to Improve Health, Success of Young Men of Color

0
9 months ago
by admin in

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.

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) today announced that it is investing $9.5 million in new funding for its Forward Promise initiative, aimed at improving the health and success of young men of color.

The centerpiece of the announcement is a new call for proposals that seeks innovative, community-based projects working to strengthen health, education, and employment outcomes for middle school- and high school-aged boys and young men of color.

“To build a strong and prosperous future for our nation, it is critical that we expand opportunities for boys and young men of color to grow up healthy, get a good education, and find meaningful employment,” said RWJF Program Officer Maisha Simmons. “Their options have been too limited for too long; that’s why we are proud to launch Forward Promise to support young men of color and identify the most promising paths toward a stronger, healthier future.”

Specifically, this initiative will support innovative programs that focus on the following four areas:

  • Alternative approaches to harsh school discipline that do not push students out of school;
  • Solutions that focus on dropout prevention and increasing middle school retention and high school graduation rates;
  • Mental health interventions that tailor approaches to boys and young men who have experienced and/or been exposed to violence and trauma; and
  • Career training programs that blend workforce and education emphases to ensure that students are college- and career-ready.

Momentum is building nationally among philanthropists and policy-makers to improve the health and success of young men of color.

Last summer, Mayor Michael Bloomberg and philanthropist George Soros launched their Young Men’s Initiative, a nearly $130 million effort in New York to support young men of color in the areas of education, employment, health, and justice. And the California legislature established a Select Committee on the Status of Boys and Men of Color, which has been holding hearings across the state to identify successful and innovative policies and programs. In June, RWJF hosted a “Gathering of Leaders” in Philadelphia that brought together more than 100 leaders in philanthropy, social service delivery, advocacy, and academia to focus on fundamentally improving circumstances for boys and young men of color.

“While all young people need support on the road to becoming healthy, productive adults, it’s especially true for teenage boys of color,” added Simmons. “We are looking to advance innovative policies and approaches that can dramatically change their prospects to succeed in school, in their communities, in the workplace, and in society.”

RWJF is committing $9.5 million over three years to Forward Promise, which will support grantmaking for community-based projects and initiatives, policy analysis, and convenings to surface the strongest solutions. Under the new call for proposals, RWJF will award up to 10 grants not to exceed $500,000 each. Find more information here.

Forward Promise reflects RWJF’s belief that it is essential to focus on what makes people healthy—or unhealthy—from a perspective that includes factors outside of the medical care system. Social influences rooted in our neighborhoods, housing, schools, jobs, and economic security have a powerful effect on our health. Across most of these areas, however, boys and young men of color often have limited positive options. Education and jobs are a particular concern, with the unemployment rate for Hispanic youth at nearly 30% and for black youth at almost 40%—far higher than that of white youth, according to federal statistics.

America’s prosperity depends on giving every young person a fair chance to thrive and succeed. It is RWJF’s belief that we are moving forward the promise that we have made to our young men, who represent the nation’s future. It’s a future where young men of color must have the opportunity to become healthy adults who contribute to their communities and society.

Poll: Hispanics Cite Obesity, Lack of Exercise as Biggest Health Problems for Kids

1
9 months ago
by admin in , ,

U.S. adults rate “not enough exercise” at the top of the list of top health problems for children in their communities, according to the sixth annual survey of top health concerns conducted by the University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health.

Other top overall health concerns include childhood obesity, smoking, drug abuse and bullying.

Hispanic adults were more likely to rate childhood obesity first, followed by “not enough exercise.” Hispanics also rated drug abuse higher than smoking and tobacco use.

Hispanic and black adults both identified sexually transmitted infections as a greater concern for kids in their communities than did white adults.

Despite these differences, Hispanic, black and white adults agreed that “not enough exercise” and obesity are two of the top three most pressing health concerns for kids in their communities. Other concerns that made the top 10 in all three groups included drug abuse, smoking and tobacco use, bullying, and teen pregnancy.

Watch a video about the report in English or Spanish below:

Latinas Interested in Genetic Testing for Breast Cancer Risk, But Barriers Persist

0
9 months ago
by admin in ,
Amelie Ramirez

Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez

Latinas tend to have positive attitudes and strong interest in genetic testing for breast cancer risk, yet lacked general knowledge about testing, its risks and benefits, according to a new study led by researchers at the Institute for Health Promotion Research (IHPR) at the UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, the team behind SaludToday.

The study, published recently in the journal Community Medicine & Health Education, conducted focus groups with 58 Latinas in Hidalgo County, a largely Latino part of South Texas.

Researchers used analyzed focus group responses and themes and uncovered several cultural factors, such as religious beliefs, that impacted Latinas’ decisions to get genetic testing.

“Key Latino values—religiosity, importance of family and the influential role of health care providers in health decisions—should be considered when designing strategies to deliver culturally adapted risk information to increase and ensure Latinas’ understanding of breast cancer genetic testing during their decision-making processes,” said Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez, the study’s corresponding author and director of the IHPR at the Health Science Center.

Genetic testing for breast cancer risk may facilitate better-informed decisions regarding cancer prevention, risk reduction, early detection, and better determination of risk for family members.

However, among women who are tested, less than 4% are Latina.

Finding reasons for Latinas’ low participation was the goal of Dr. Ramirez and her team, which included IHPR researchers Dr. Patricia Chalela and Edgar Muñoz and investigators from the University of North Texas Health Science Center and the University of Texas-Pan American.

The researchers found that none of the focus group participants had ever had a genetic test, and most didn’t know what the test was or how it is done.

Most women, after learning what a genetic test was, indicated they would get a genetic test in the next six months if it were available—at no or low cost—to be able to prevent cancer through healthy lifestyle changes or act as soon as possible to treat disease.

But among some of lesser-educated focus group participants, lack of accurate information about testing and cultural beliefs may hinder their use of genetic testing for breast cancer.

For example, some Latina participants viewed God as the only one who can cure cancer, which might impact their preventive health behaviors. And given Latinos’ tendency to trust the advice of health care providers, some Latinas who lacked health insurance or access to a regular doctor may have fewer opportunities to learn about genetic testing.

“Further research is needed to identify effective ways to communicate genetic risk susceptibility information to Latinas to help them make informed testing decisions,” Ramirez said.

Read more about the study here.

New, Bilingual Web Resources Help Hispanic Families Address Teen Drug and Alcohol Use

1
10 months ago
by admin in ,

The Partnership at Drugfree.org announced the launch of new tools, accessible at HablaConTusHijos, for Hispanic parents and families who are struggling to address drug and alcohol abuse by their children.

New research from the Partnership Attitude Tracking Study (PATS) shows that Hispanic teens are using drugs at alarmingly higher levels when compared to teens from other ethnic groups.

About 54% of Hispanic teens reported having used an illicit drug in the past year, versus 42% of African-American and 39% of Caucasian teens.

The comprehensive tools at HablaConTusHijos provide effective, yet easy-to-use, resources equipping Hispanic parents and grandparents to take action in preventing teen substance abuse.

Clear, understandable content is brought to life with customized checklists, how-to guides and powerful videos featuring parents and experts discussing various aspects of substance abuse and addiction for those who are at different stages in raising their children.

Find more information in Spanish or English. The bilingual toll-free helpline is 1-855-DRUGFREE (1-855-378-4373) and available Monday-Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. EST.

This new web resource was made possible with major support from MetLife Foundation.

Poll: Hispanics Among Most Severely Obese Populations

0
10 months ago
by admin in ,

Blacks and Hispanics are among the most likely in the United States to be very obese, according to a new Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index.

About 6% of blacks and 3.4% of Hispanics fall into the highest Body Mass Index (BMI) category (<40.00), compared to 3.1% of whites and 1% of Asians.

A normal BMI is between 18.50 and 24.99. A BMI of 25.00 to less than 30.00 is overweight/pre-obese. BMIs of 30.00 or higher fall into one of three classes of obesity: Obese class I = 30.00 to 34.99; Obese class II = 35.00 to 39.99; Obese class III = 40.00 or higher.

Those with BMIs of 40 or higher are also frequently considered "morbidly obese."

The Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index findings stem from interviews with more than 800,000 American adults aged 18 and older. Gallup calculates respondents’ BMIs using the standard formula based on their self-reported height and weight.

Study: Liver Cancer in Latinos Linked to Diabetes, Obesity

0
1 year ago
by admin in , , ,

Liver cancer rates among South Texas Latinos are higher than in other U.S. Latinos, as are their rates of obesity and diabetes—and the relationships between these ailments are being mapped by researchers at the Institute for Health Promotion Research (IHPR) at The UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, the team behind SaludToday.

In a study published April 18, 2012, in the journal PLoS ONE, the researchers looked at overall liver cancer rates among U.S. Latinos and compared this to a Texas sample and a South Texas subset from 1995-2006.

Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez

They also compared prevalence among Latinos of lifestyle-associated factors that contribute to liver cancer: heavy alcohol use, smoking, obesity and diabetes.

They found that from 1995 to 2006, annual age-adjusted liver cancer incidence increased among all populations – but was highest in South Texas Latinos over the entire period. The increase among South Texas Latinos was also significantly greater than all Texas Latinos, who in turn had significantly higher levels of liver cancer than the U.S. national sample.

While obesity and diabetes increased among all three groups, obesity rates were higher in Texas Latinos and highest in South Texas Latinos. Neither heavy alcohol consumption nor cigarette smoking increased.

“Regarding risk factors, we found remarkably similar and significantly increasing rates of obesity and diabetes in our study groups, with higher obesity prevalence in Texas and particularly South Texas Latinos,” said Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez, the study’s lead author and director of the Institute for Health Promotion Research at the Health Science Center.

The study warrants further exploration if there is a relationship between diabetes, obesity and liver cancer so that researchers can look at the problem from the standpoint of prevention, said Ramirez, who also is a professor of epidemiology and biostatistics in the Health Science Center’s School of Medicine and associate director of health disparities at the Health Science Center’s Cancer Therapy & Research Center.

“Both obesity and diabetes are preventable and/or treatable,” she said, “so reducing obesity and diabetes may be an important for lowering Latinos’ risk for liver cancer, too.”

Go to Top