Jobs in science, technology, engineering and math have higher than average salaries. But Latinos, particularly Latinas, are less likely to get a degree in these STEM fields. This creates a dire income gap for a population that at the same time suffers disproportionately from health conditions like obesity, diabetes, and cancer. Blending STEM and wellness can transform traditionally segmented curriculum to improve health and ensure Latinos can be part of a healthy workforce with economic opportunities. Let's use #SaludTues on July 11, 2017, to tweet about how to boost student success, resiliency, and equitable access to quality educational opportunities, while also increasing health and wellness resources for Latinos. WHAT: #SaludTues Tweetchat: “STEM & Wellness: A ...
For many Americans, where they live often dictates how healthy they are. For Latinos, where they live often creates inequities and disparities; residential segregation often leads to a lack of access to care, lack of educational attainment, and financial inequity. The financial site WalletHub examined the notion of healthy cities recently. Cities across the country promote overall health and wellbeing through numerous initiatives ranging from access to nutritious food to creating recreation and fitness facilities to preserving and promoting green spaces or keeping healthcare costs affordable. Still, many cities are unable to or have not yet made such large-scale changes as these. Without these areas being prioritized, good health can be difficult to maintain, especially for ...
Being a first-time parent can often be a stressful experience. The uncertainty about what is or is not a medical concern often causes parents stress and greatly impacts their finances. A new study has found that a home visit program for new parents helped reduce their use of medical services for their infants, and this in turn helped out parents in other ways. The study, based in New Mexico (47.03% Latino population), included 244 first-time parents who were randomly assigned to either a control group that didn’t get any additional help or a group enrolled in a program where healthcare workers and parent educators made home visits during the first year of their child’s life. Typically, an infant is expected to have seven well-child visits during the first year, according to ...
In the largest study of its kind, researchers from the University of Michigan looked at 10 modifiable health risks (conditions or behaviors that can be improved or eliminated by making healthier choices) in roughly 223,500 people across seven industries. The research found that one out of every four dollars employers spent for health care is tied to unhealthy lifestyle choices: smoking, stress, and obesity. This is despite the fact that most large employers have workplace wellness programs. “There are hundreds of well-designed programs, but thousands of programs are too superficial to have an impact, said the study’s author and director of the University of Michigan Health Management Research Center at the School of Kinesiology, Michael O’Donnell. “The best programs increase ...
Latino millennials ages 18-34 rate their health more positively, define health as having a good diet, feeling good, and exercising, and report lower levels of stress compared to non-Latino Millennials, according to a new report, MediaPost reports. The report, The Hispanic Millennial Project, was conducted by market researchers at ThinkNow Research and the ad agency Sensis to address Latino millennials' "motivators and mindsets around health, wellness, diet, exercise, adoption of health related technology, health care insurance knowledge and enrollment and attitudes towards the ACA." Foreign-born Hispanic Millennials are more likely to define health as “having no physical problems” while U.S. born Hispanic Millennials are likely to define health as “feeling good” or ...
After watching some middle-schoolers use soda machines to buy “lunch,” Principal Dr. John Kennedy decided that changes were needed at St. Anthony Catholic School in the predominantly Latino city of San Antonio, Texas. He was approached by some parents who also were interested in addressing student health, and the Mi Vida (My Life) wellness campaign was born. Mi Vida is an acronym for a short poem they wrote:
My life
includes
Veggies, fruits & fun
in meals with everyone,
daily walks or climbing trees,
and learning at St. Anthony’s! The motto of Mi Vida is “Play Often. Eat Well.” “The paths toward healthy minds, bodies, and spirit are interconnected, and achieving this overall health is part of our community goals at St. Anthony’s,” said Dr. Kennedy. ...
