For the last few years, the National Institutes of Health’s All of Us Research Program has mounted an unprecedented effort to collect health data from 1 million people of all ages and ethnicities across the country for use in impactful scientific research.
In fact, the data has led researchers to a shocking discovery — 275 million previously unknown genetic variants, according to a recent news release.
Nearly 4 million of the variants are in areas that may be connected to risk for disease.
The variants, uncovered using data shared by nearly 250,000 All of Us participants, put researchers in a position to better understand genetic influences on health and disease, especially in diverse communities often left out of research.
NIH reported that half the genomic data came from Latino, ...
Four new Spanish-language sets of research briefs, animated videos, and infographics explore causes of and solutions to Latino childhood obesity, as researched by Salud America!, a national prevention network at the UT Health Science Center at San Antonio and funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The Spanish materials, released in English earlier in 2016, address critical reasons why Latino children are more obese or overweight than their peers. The materials also feature evidence-based tactics working to reverse the epidemic.
Healthy Weight / Peso Saludable
One of four U.S. kids is already overweight or obese by age 2-5, with a higher rate among Latino kids (30%) than white kids (21%). How can Latino kids achieve a healthy weight by kindergarten? Reseña Tematica ...
The National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD) has committed nearly $31 million over the next five years toward launching a new program for “Transdisciplinary Collaborative Centers (TCCs)” that will research health disparities and explore the potential for precision medicine to promote health equity for minorities. “Ultimately, the TCCs will generate new knowledge about precision medicine that resonates from the community level to the national population level,” said Dr. Eliseo J. Pérez-Stable, Director of the NIMHD. Although many scientific and technological advances have improved the overall health of the U.S., several racial/ethnic minority, socioeconomically disadvantaged, and rural populations continue to experience a disproportionate share of ...
A lot is new at Salud America!, a Latino childhood obesity prevention network funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and directed by the Institute for Health Promotion Research at The UT Health Science Center at San Antonio (the team behind SaludToday). See it all in our latest e-newsletter: New Research: Our latest research has released several new packages of materials to highlight obesity issues and how to address them among Latino children. Digital Content Curation: Check out our new scientific article that explains how we “curate” Latino health. Program Update: New funding ($1.3 million), engagement strides, even awards. New Salud Heroes: Sugary drinks, active spaces, farmers markets. For example, how did Berkeley, Calif., become the nation’s first city ...
Texas doctors have tweaked an old procedure of combining surgery and chemotherapy with promising results to treat ovarian cancer, which disproportionately affects Latinas. The altered strategy, which involves “assigning a score on the severity of the cancer to guide treatment,” has proven quite effective, and doctors have successfully removed 86% of the disease in treated patients over the last two years, the Wall Street Journal reports. Despite the great success of this new approach, doctors haven’t yet proved this new strategy will extend lives, but they’re confident it will have a great impact. “The idea was to take information that’s already known and implement it into practice so we could immediately have an impact on patient survival,” Alpa Nick, gynecological ...
Kids in predominantly minority or low-income neighborhoods are less likely to have clean, safe, and attractive places to be physically active. They are also at higher risk for obesity and related health problems. A new infographic from our friends at Active Living Research features evidence on some of the barriers these kids face in being able to walk, bike, or play in their schools and neighborhoods. Barriers include a lack of recreational facilities, broken or uneven sidewalks, inadequate time for recess, and higher rates of automobile crashes and crime. Fortunately, all of these problems can be addressed with better policies, infrastructure improvements, and planning that can make neighborhoods safer, cleaner, and better designed for walking, biking, and playing. Find ...
How do… …city officials cut obesity rates from 35% to 29%? (Pg 1) …Latino families go “a day without sugar”? (Pg 3) …Bodegas add healthier foods? (Pg 5) Find the answers and more in the new Salud America! E-Newsletter. Salud America! The RWJF Research Network to Prevent Obesity Among Latino Children is a national program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The program aims to unite and increase the number of Latino stakeholders engaged in community change and research on environmental and policy solutions to the epidemic. The network is directed by the Institute for Health Promotion Research at The UT Health Science Center at San Antonio. For more info, go ...
A recent study by the Children's Nutrition Research Center in Houston, Texas has discovered an interesting correlation between obesity and peanut consumption. According to their study, Mexican-American children who consume peanuts at least once a week are less likely to be overweight or obese. Currently, 39% of the Mexican-American children are classified as overweight or obese, compared to the 32% of all children in the United States- a fact that prompts studies like this, that explore what factors and foods affect childhood obesity. Studies have long shown the health benefits of nut consumption for adults, aiding in lower lipid levels, lower body mass indices, and reduced risk of coronary artery disease. This study looks specifically at how these benefits relate to children. It ...
Check out this new video on how Latino kids need healthier school snacks. The video, which is part of a new Salud America! “Healthier School Snacks & Latino Kids” package of research, can be found at ...
