Institute hosts forum on diabetes, kidney disease
BY MARGARET BICE/The Brownsville Herald, July 24, 2009
Representatives of Brownsville hospitals and Rio Grande Valley non-profit organizations gathered Friday at the University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College Center for Civic Engagement to share information about diabetes and kidney disease.
The forum was part of the Texas Campaign for Kidney Health, hosted by the TMF Health Quality Institute. TMF Health Quality Institute is an Austin-based nonprofit consulting company, which promotes quality health care through contracts with the government at all levels, as well as with private organizations.
The campaign, a collaboration of five national and state organizations, is a result of the selection of Texas as one of 10 states by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to lead a demonstration project in the state. The project includes a clinical component of 353 physicians, clinical education, patient education and a focus on health disparities.
Topics covered Friday included kidney disease statistics in relation to diabetes, basic information about tests and screenings that all diabetics should undergo, discussions about needs and gaps in Brownsville diabetes care, and planned health events in the community.
Future events include a Health Literacy Symposium hosted by Healthy Communities, the city of Brownsville and the city of Matamoros. It will be held for a week in early October at locations throughout Brownsville. The symposium is expected to include healthy cooking and family exercise demonstrations and free medical screenings. It will be bilingual and free to the public.
According to Medicare claims data, one in four diabetics in the Rio Grande Valley are screened for kidney disease, a screening step the American Medical Association strongly endorses
Suggested measures for diabetics to preserve kidneys in good health include a GFR blood test, and annual urine microalbumin testing. Medicare claims data show that only 24.4 percent of diabetes patients in the Rio Grande Valley have microalbumin testing. "People with diabetes or high blood pressure should ask their doctor about evaluating their kidney function with a microalbumin test. This test can detect kidney issues long before patients show symptoms," said Smith.
If kidney problems are left untreated and unmonitored, they may develop into Chronic Kidney Disease, or CKD. Diabetes and high blood pressure are the two main causes of CKD, though anyone beyond the age of 60, patients with metabolic syndromes, autoimmune, systemic, and urinary tract infections, members of minorities and anyone with a family history of CKD are at risk, according to information provided at the forum.
The mission of the UTB-TSC Center for Civic Engagement is to create an engaged campus that connects faculty, staff, students and external partners in ways that help revitalize the community through service learning, volunteering, and community based scholarship in teaching and research.
Organizations present at the forum Friday included Healthy Communities, Innovex, the UT School of Public Health Brownsville Regional Campus, Proyecto Juan Diego, and Valley Baptist Medical Center.
For more information, contact the Texas Campaign for Kidney Health at 1-866-439-8863, email KidneyHealth@tmf.org.
Monday, July 27, 2009
Workshops on safety for Hispanic laborers
Morris workshops focus on safety for Hispanic laborers
Morristown Neighborhood House, OSHA form alliance
KAYLA HASTRUP • Daily Record • July 26, 2009
MORRISTOWN -- The Morristown Neighborhood House has formed an alliance with the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration to try to reduce workplace accidents and fatalities among Hispanic workers in construction and industry.
"We're helping to make sure our workers are safe and minimize workplace injuries," said David Walker, executive director for Morristown Neighborhood House. "They all need jobs and want to work hard, but they need to be safe."
The Neighborhood House has a program known as "pathways to work" that links day laborers with employers. OSHA will work within the program to offer a wide variety of workshops for workers and employers.
"We want to make sure our workers know the rules of the road," Walker said. Some specific things the workshops will teach them include: what sort of safety equipment an employer should have, what sort of training should be provided prior to working, and what the recourse is if an injury is sustained.
"By working together, the two organizations hope to reduce workplace accidents," said Lenore Fortson, an OSHA spokeswoman.
In 2006, 990 Hispanics died as a result of work-related accidents, Fortson said.
"I think there is a concern with the language barrier," Fortson said. "It's an obstacle that we hope to work against ... it's important to make sure that the information that identifies hazards is available in both English and Spanish and there are people that are educated in these issues."
Although the "ink is still wet" in regards to the alliance and the first workshop was held last week, according to Walker, they are eager to hold more workshops and continue the ongoing alliance. "We're excited to have another resource available here at the Neighborhood House," Walker said. 'We want to make sure working people are protected."
The Neighborhood House was founded in 1898 as a settlement house that helped Italian immigrants become acclimated with American culture. It's missions is to help new immigrants and low-income families foster cross-cultural relationships. MNH operates eight sites throughout Morris County.
OSHA currently has more than 470 safety and health alliances throughout the nation as part of the agency's ongoing efforts to improve the health and safety of employees through cooperative partnerships with trade associations, labor organizations, employers and government agencies, according to the agency.
For more information about the alliance or about worker safety issues, call 973-263-1003.
Kayla Hastrup: 973-428-6655; khastrup@gannett.com
Morristown Neighborhood House, OSHA form alliance
KAYLA HASTRUP • Daily Record • July 26, 2009
MORRISTOWN -- The Morristown Neighborhood House has formed an alliance with the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration to try to reduce workplace accidents and fatalities among Hispanic workers in construction and industry.
"We're helping to make sure our workers are safe and minimize workplace injuries," said David Walker, executive director for Morristown Neighborhood House. "They all need jobs and want to work hard, but they need to be safe."
The Neighborhood House has a program known as "pathways to work" that links day laborers with employers. OSHA will work within the program to offer a wide variety of workshops for workers and employers.
"We want to make sure our workers know the rules of the road," Walker said. Some specific things the workshops will teach them include: what sort of safety equipment an employer should have, what sort of training should be provided prior to working, and what the recourse is if an injury is sustained.
"By working together, the two organizations hope to reduce workplace accidents," said Lenore Fortson, an OSHA spokeswoman.
In 2006, 990 Hispanics died as a result of work-related accidents, Fortson said.
"I think there is a concern with the language barrier," Fortson said. "It's an obstacle that we hope to work against ... it's important to make sure that the information that identifies hazards is available in both English and Spanish and there are people that are educated in these issues."
Although the "ink is still wet" in regards to the alliance and the first workshop was held last week, according to Walker, they are eager to hold more workshops and continue the ongoing alliance. "We're excited to have another resource available here at the Neighborhood House," Walker said. 'We want to make sure working people are protected."
The Neighborhood House was founded in 1898 as a settlement house that helped Italian immigrants become acclimated with American culture. It's missions is to help new immigrants and low-income families foster cross-cultural relationships. MNH operates eight sites throughout Morris County.
OSHA currently has more than 470 safety and health alliances throughout the nation as part of the agency's ongoing efforts to improve the health and safety of employees through cooperative partnerships with trade associations, labor organizations, employers and government agencies, according to the agency.
For more information about the alliance or about worker safety issues, call 973-263-1003.
Kayla Hastrup: 973-428-6655; khastrup@gannett.com
Health Care Reform for Latinos Too
Latinos Have a Stake in Health Care Reform
David Pacheco, New America Media, Jul 25, 2009
Editor’s Note: Lack of health insurance is a growing problem for older Americans, and for Latinos it is especially serious. By 2050, Latinos will make up a quarter of all Americans aged 50 to 69, a reason for them to become more vocal and active participants in the health care reform debate now occurring in Congress, says AARP’s David Pacheco.
The nation’s broken health care system has finally reached the top of the federal agenda. There is a flurry of activity on Capitol Hill as lawmakers tackle the problem in earnest to meet President Barack Obama’s request to have a bill from Congress before the end of the year.
Public actions show that Obama is committed to appointing Latinos to important positions. For secretary of labor, he appointed Hilda Solis, a staunch supporter of workers’ rights and health care reform. And recently, Obama tapped Sonia Sotomayor for a Supreme Court seat, making her the first Latino in history to be nominated.
We know health care is a cause for concern for Latinos. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 34 percent of Latinos are uninsured. AARP studies indicate that less than half of employed Latinos aged 50 to 69 receive health benefits from their employers.
Skyrocketing health care costs are hurting families, stifling job growth and hurting small businesses’ ability to grow. America spends twice as much on health care as any average developed nation. Yet we don’t get a good return on our investment. We need common-sense solutions that ensure access to affordable, quality health care for all generations.
AARP is very involved in the fight to improve access to quality, affordable health care for all Americans. We believe comprehensive reform should include measures that prevent insurers from denying coverage; provide access to coverage for those without employer-sponsored insurance; and provide adequate subsidies so total premiums and out-of-pocket costs do not exceed 10 percent of income and no more than 5 percent for low-income families.
Americans aged 50 to 64 are taking a hard hit in these times of shrinking employer-sponsored health coverage. They have become the fastest growing group of uninsured. The problem is greater among Latinos who are losing jobs at a faster rate than the general population. And to compound the problem, as working men and women in this age group are losing jobs and, consequently, employer-sponsored health care, they are finding it more and more difficult to get affordable individual coverage.
As funds dwindle for critical state programs and services, all eyes are turning to the federal government for leadership and action to improve health care for all Americans.
For example, the current patchwork of programs that serve the most vulnerable people is so cumbersome that millions are not getting the help they need. Four million people who need help paying for their prescriptions can’t get it. And two thirds of those who are eligible for assistance with preventive care go without because the process is too complicated.
At this crucial moment, we have the opportunity of a lifetime to fix our broken health care system. Obama has promised health reform before the end of the year, but we need to make sure that Congress follows through.
We will see no benefit if we are silent about health care reform. We pay taxes, we move the economy, and we keep the wheels of commerce turning, which means we have power and influence.
Latinos will make up a quarter of all Americans aged 50 to 69 by 2050. In 2007, Latino workers age 50 to 69 earned a total of $126 billion. Our contributions will more than double between 2007 and 2020 to $303 billion in inflation-adjusted dollars and then nearly triple again – to $892 billion by 2050.
With those numbers, you can be sure that when we pick up the phone, send an e-mail or walk into a legislator’s office, we will be heard. With five minutes to spare, we can be involved in one of the most important discussions of the 21st Century – one that could decide the course of our health care for decades.
The fight for health care reform is not one that can be done by one organization, or one group of people. We all share responsibility to be part of the solution. Our elected officials must hear from us.
David Pacheco is an executive council member of AARP California
David Pacheco, New America Media, Jul 25, 2009
Editor’s Note: Lack of health insurance is a growing problem for older Americans, and for Latinos it is especially serious. By 2050, Latinos will make up a quarter of all Americans aged 50 to 69, a reason for them to become more vocal and active participants in the health care reform debate now occurring in Congress, says AARP’s David Pacheco.
The nation’s broken health care system has finally reached the top of the federal agenda. There is a flurry of activity on Capitol Hill as lawmakers tackle the problem in earnest to meet President Barack Obama’s request to have a bill from Congress before the end of the year.
Public actions show that Obama is committed to appointing Latinos to important positions. For secretary of labor, he appointed Hilda Solis, a staunch supporter of workers’ rights and health care reform. And recently, Obama tapped Sonia Sotomayor for a Supreme Court seat, making her the first Latino in history to be nominated.
We know health care is a cause for concern for Latinos. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 34 percent of Latinos are uninsured. AARP studies indicate that less than half of employed Latinos aged 50 to 69 receive health benefits from their employers.
Skyrocketing health care costs are hurting families, stifling job growth and hurting small businesses’ ability to grow. America spends twice as much on health care as any average developed nation. Yet we don’t get a good return on our investment. We need common-sense solutions that ensure access to affordable, quality health care for all generations.
AARP is very involved in the fight to improve access to quality, affordable health care for all Americans. We believe comprehensive reform should include measures that prevent insurers from denying coverage; provide access to coverage for those without employer-sponsored insurance; and provide adequate subsidies so total premiums and out-of-pocket costs do not exceed 10 percent of income and no more than 5 percent for low-income families.
Americans aged 50 to 64 are taking a hard hit in these times of shrinking employer-sponsored health coverage. They have become the fastest growing group of uninsured. The problem is greater among Latinos who are losing jobs at a faster rate than the general population. And to compound the problem, as working men and women in this age group are losing jobs and, consequently, employer-sponsored health care, they are finding it more and more difficult to get affordable individual coverage.
As funds dwindle for critical state programs and services, all eyes are turning to the federal government for leadership and action to improve health care for all Americans.
For example, the current patchwork of programs that serve the most vulnerable people is so cumbersome that millions are not getting the help they need. Four million people who need help paying for their prescriptions can’t get it. And two thirds of those who are eligible for assistance with preventive care go without because the process is too complicated.
At this crucial moment, we have the opportunity of a lifetime to fix our broken health care system. Obama has promised health reform before the end of the year, but we need to make sure that Congress follows through.
We will see no benefit if we are silent about health care reform. We pay taxes, we move the economy, and we keep the wheels of commerce turning, which means we have power and influence.
Latinos will make up a quarter of all Americans aged 50 to 69 by 2050. In 2007, Latino workers age 50 to 69 earned a total of $126 billion. Our contributions will more than double between 2007 and 2020 to $303 billion in inflation-adjusted dollars and then nearly triple again – to $892 billion by 2050.
With those numbers, you can be sure that when we pick up the phone, send an e-mail or walk into a legislator’s office, we will be heard. With five minutes to spare, we can be involved in one of the most important discussions of the 21st Century – one that could decide the course of our health care for decades.
The fight for health care reform is not one that can be done by one organization, or one group of people. We all share responsibility to be part of the solution. Our elected officials must hear from us.
David Pacheco is an executive council member of AARP California
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Latino group says Obama plan too expensive
President Obama's Health Care Plan: Too Big, Too Expensive, Too Rushed
Press Release
WASHINGTON, July 23, 2009 /PRNewswire-USNewswire via COMTEX/ ----As one of the Nation's Leading Hispanic Small Business Advocates, TLC Urges Caution on Healthcare Reform
The Latino Coalition (TLC) today joins the growing number of civic, business and public policy organizations - including elected representatives of his own political party - who have vigorously questioned the scope, cost and proposed implementation of President Barack Obama's endorsed Health Care Reform Bill, H.R. 3200, currently being debated in Congress. Amid the flurry of concerns raised by such an expansive piece of legislation -redirecting approximately 1/6 of our national economy and adding a Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimated 1 trillion ($1,042 billion) dollars to the existing Budget Deficit over the next decade* - TLC's, Hector V. Barreto, today reiterated the many serious misgivings expressed by America's Hispanic small business owner community.
"Much has been said about the gigantic promise made by this legislation to bring healthcare coverage to virtually all of the roughly 42 million individuals in America who today lack it. But our empathy for these individuals would be woefully misplaced if the solution proposed to address their plight places an impossible burden on the back bone of our economy, that is, America's small and medium-size business owners," Barreto declared.
Heralded by supporters as the closest possible legislation to achieve the long awaited goal of universal coverage for all Americans, the 1,017-page Bill is being quickly moved through review by Members of the Democrat-controlled House of Representatives over the strong objections of Blue Dog Democrats -those who represent moderate or conservative leaning districts - and Republican legislators. Barreto echoes these misgivings and urges extreme due diligence on this landmark legislation. "Elected officials would be doing their constituents a great disservice if they continue on a path of rushing H.R. 3200 through Congress, not only because of its gigantic scope, but also because of the present state of our economy. With national unemployment at virtually 10 percent, depressed consumption and production, and negative economic growth, this is not the time to be fanciful or to play politics with our diminished tax base."
Barreto additionally expressed TLC's rejection of any proposed legislation that would contain these provisions to ostensibly address our nation's Health Care coverage and cost structure problems:
- Health care rationing to covered individuals
- Diminished quality of care, or so called 'cost-benefit' care to patients
- Universal coverage achieved through unpaid costs or through tax increases that impact our nation's small business owners
- Health Care Reform achieved at the cost of trillions of dollars that future generations will have to pay
Finally, Barreto expressed his sincere hope that legislators will rise to meet the challenge of these times in a bipartisan, but responsible manner. "It's too important to ignore any longer, but even more important to address in an engaged and accountable way."
http://www.thelatinocoalition.com
Press Release
WASHINGTON, July 23, 2009 /PRNewswire-USNewswire via COMTEX/ ----As one of the Nation's Leading Hispanic Small Business Advocates, TLC Urges Caution on Healthcare Reform
The Latino Coalition (TLC) today joins the growing number of civic, business and public policy organizations - including elected representatives of his own political party - who have vigorously questioned the scope, cost and proposed implementation of President Barack Obama's endorsed Health Care Reform Bill, H.R. 3200, currently being debated in Congress. Amid the flurry of concerns raised by such an expansive piece of legislation -redirecting approximately 1/6 of our national economy and adding a Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimated 1 trillion ($1,042 billion) dollars to the existing Budget Deficit over the next decade* - TLC's, Hector V. Barreto, today reiterated the many serious misgivings expressed by America's Hispanic small business owner community.
"Much has been said about the gigantic promise made by this legislation to bring healthcare coverage to virtually all of the roughly 42 million individuals in America who today lack it. But our empathy for these individuals would be woefully misplaced if the solution proposed to address their plight places an impossible burden on the back bone of our economy, that is, America's small and medium-size business owners," Barreto declared.
Heralded by supporters as the closest possible legislation to achieve the long awaited goal of universal coverage for all Americans, the 1,017-page Bill is being quickly moved through review by Members of the Democrat-controlled House of Representatives over the strong objections of Blue Dog Democrats -those who represent moderate or conservative leaning districts - and Republican legislators. Barreto echoes these misgivings and urges extreme due diligence on this landmark legislation. "Elected officials would be doing their constituents a great disservice if they continue on a path of rushing H.R. 3200 through Congress, not only because of its gigantic scope, but also because of the present state of our economy. With national unemployment at virtually 10 percent, depressed consumption and production, and negative economic growth, this is not the time to be fanciful or to play politics with our diminished tax base."
Barreto additionally expressed TLC's rejection of any proposed legislation that would contain these provisions to ostensibly address our nation's Health Care coverage and cost structure problems:
- Health care rationing to covered individuals
- Diminished quality of care, or so called 'cost-benefit' care to patients
- Universal coverage achieved through unpaid costs or through tax increases that impact our nation's small business owners
- Health Care Reform achieved at the cost of trillions of dollars that future generations will have to pay
Finally, Barreto expressed his sincere hope that legislators will rise to meet the challenge of these times in a bipartisan, but responsible manner. "It's too important to ignore any longer, but even more important to address in an engaged and accountable way."
http://www.thelatinocoalition.com
Hispanic nurses a growing force
Hispanic nurses a growing force
By Elizabeth Allen - Express-News, 07/22/2009
Norma Martinez Rogers took the helm of the National Association of Hispanic Nurses with the twin goals of increasing the number of Hispanic nurses to help with health disparities in that community and building the group's political clout.
Those two themes also dominate the group's annual conference, being held through Friday in San Antonio, where Martinez Rogers grew up.
Some speakers lined up to discuss practicalities such as asthma education among low-income Latinos — the topic of a group of professors and doctors based in Silver Spring, Md. Also on the agenda was testing a disaster-preparedness information card for Hispanics with limited language and literacy, developed by Josefina Lujan, an associate professor with the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center in El Paso.
Others studying how to best deploy bilingual nurses for Spanish-speaking patients discussed regional recruiting programs for Hispanic and minority nurses.
Having Hispanic nurses brings a health advantage to the Hispanic community, said Martinez Rogers, a professor with the University of Texas Health Science Center and director of Hispanic nurse mentoring programs.
“I think that it's more important to have the representation in the profession, because many of us speak the language, understand the culture,” she said. “Just not Latinos, but self-identifying as Latinos.”
She added, “We are teaching our people to not be afraid to say who you are. Never forget your roots, ever.”
That personal sense of identity, Martinez Rogers finds, feeds naturally into her goal of building the organization.
“I would like for them to learn how to have a voice,” she said. “I often say, ‘No tengan vergüenza — don't be embarrassed.'”
The association is pursuing more chapters and adding members, and this conference — with about 400 people attending and 92 vendors — is the largest the 33-year-old organization has had. Martinez Rogers said a focus on training new presidents in political activism would strengthen it further.
“Latinos are not accustomed to asking for help, asking for money, just asking,” she said. While some may view speaking out as bragging, she said, it is setting an example for others:
“You'll plant a seed and that person will think, ‘I can do that, too.'”
By Elizabeth Allen - Express-News, 07/22/2009
Norma Martinez Rogers took the helm of the National Association of Hispanic Nurses with the twin goals of increasing the number of Hispanic nurses to help with health disparities in that community and building the group's political clout.
Those two themes also dominate the group's annual conference, being held through Friday in San Antonio, where Martinez Rogers grew up.
Some speakers lined up to discuss practicalities such as asthma education among low-income Latinos — the topic of a group of professors and doctors based in Silver Spring, Md. Also on the agenda was testing a disaster-preparedness information card for Hispanics with limited language and literacy, developed by Josefina Lujan, an associate professor with the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center in El Paso.
Others studying how to best deploy bilingual nurses for Spanish-speaking patients discussed regional recruiting programs for Hispanic and minority nurses.
Having Hispanic nurses brings a health advantage to the Hispanic community, said Martinez Rogers, a professor with the University of Texas Health Science Center and director of Hispanic nurse mentoring programs.
“I think that it's more important to have the representation in the profession, because many of us speak the language, understand the culture,” she said. “Just not Latinos, but self-identifying as Latinos.”
She added, “We are teaching our people to not be afraid to say who you are. Never forget your roots, ever.”
That personal sense of identity, Martinez Rogers finds, feeds naturally into her goal of building the organization.
“I would like for them to learn how to have a voice,” she said. “I often say, ‘No tengan vergüenza — don't be embarrassed.'”
The association is pursuing more chapters and adding members, and this conference — with about 400 people attending and 92 vendors — is the largest the 33-year-old organization has had. Martinez Rogers said a focus on training new presidents in political activism would strengthen it further.
“Latinos are not accustomed to asking for help, asking for money, just asking,” she said. While some may view speaking out as bragging, she said, it is setting an example for others:
“You'll plant a seed and that person will think, ‘I can do that, too.'”
Friday, July 24, 2009
Latino worker deaths up 76 percent
Latino Worker Deaths Up 76 Percent
BY Chrissie Cole INJURY BOARD.COM, July 20, 2009
As the nation’s total number of workplace deaths has declined, the number of Hispanic workers who have died on the job has risen by 76 percent, according to newly released federal statistics.
In 1992, the number of Hispanic worker deaths was 533. That number increased to 937 in 2007. During that same period, total nationwide work-related fatalities declined from 6,217 to 5,657. The data, the latest available from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, followed a record 990 Hispanic deaths in 2006.
Work related deaths have been particularly worrisome in the state of Texas. In 2008, officials at the Dallas office of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) investigated 50 Hispanic workplace deaths.
While so far this year, 21 fatalities have been investigated, including a scaffold collapse at the construction site of the 21 Rio condos in Austin. All three workers on the scaffold were killed.
The increase in Latino workers dying on the job can be attributed to more Hispanics in the workforce, said Peg Seminario, safety and health director of the AFL-CIO. In 1998, Hispanics represented 10.4 percent of the U.S. labor force. And in 2007, they accounted for 14 percent, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The agency cites poor communication skills, lack of training, and exploitation of workers as factors that lead to workplace accidents and fatalities.
“I am particularly concerned about our Hispanic workforce, as Latinos often work low-wage jobs and are more susceptible to injuries in the workplace than other workers,” U.S. Labor Secretary Hilda Solis told USA Today. "There can be no excuses for negligence in protecting workers, not even a language barrier."
BY Chrissie Cole INJURY BOARD.COM, July 20, 2009
As the nation’s total number of workplace deaths has declined, the number of Hispanic workers who have died on the job has risen by 76 percent, according to newly released federal statistics.
In 1992, the number of Hispanic worker deaths was 533. That number increased to 937 in 2007. During that same period, total nationwide work-related fatalities declined from 6,217 to 5,657. The data, the latest available from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, followed a record 990 Hispanic deaths in 2006.
Work related deaths have been particularly worrisome in the state of Texas. In 2008, officials at the Dallas office of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) investigated 50 Hispanic workplace deaths.
While so far this year, 21 fatalities have been investigated, including a scaffold collapse at the construction site of the 21 Rio condos in Austin. All three workers on the scaffold were killed.
The increase in Latino workers dying on the job can be attributed to more Hispanics in the workforce, said Peg Seminario, safety and health director of the AFL-CIO. In 1998, Hispanics represented 10.4 percent of the U.S. labor force. And in 2007, they accounted for 14 percent, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The agency cites poor communication skills, lack of training, and exploitation of workers as factors that lead to workplace accidents and fatalities.
“I am particularly concerned about our Hispanic workforce, as Latinos often work low-wage jobs and are more susceptible to injuries in the workplace than other workers,” U.S. Labor Secretary Hilda Solis told USA Today. "There can be no excuses for negligence in protecting workers, not even a language barrier."
Young Hispanic women tend to develop 'love handles'
Young Black, Hispanic Women Tend to Develop 'Love Handles'
Midsection weight gain could increase their risk of type 2 diabetes, researchers warn
HEALTH.MSN.COM
TUESDAY, July 21 (HealthDay News) -- Black and Hispanic women in their 20s tend to accumulate more fat in their midsection than their male and older counterparts, possibly putting them at a greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes, new research suggests.
The study, by researchers at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, N.C., found black and Hispanic young adults tended to pack on both visceral adipose tissue (VAT), the fat found in the abdominal cavity around internal organs, and subcutaneous abdominal tissue (SAT), the visible, pinchable fat known as "love handles." However, the increase was notably higher in women than men.
"Our data may help to further identify unique populations at risk for type 2 diabetes and those for whom behavioral intervention might be most effective," study author Dr. Kristen G. Hairston, an assistant professor of endocrinology and metabolism at Wake Forest, said in a news release.
The study, published online in June in the journal Diabetes Care, found that VAT increased by an average of 18 square centimeters (cm2) in the young black women and by 12 cm2 in the Hispanic women over a five-year period, while the men's increases were 30 percent to 40 percent lower. VAT has been linked to metabolic issues in people, and previous studies show that such increases are common among those with type 2 diabetes.
The increase in SAT was even greater: 89 cm2 for black women in their 20s and 53 cm2 for the same-aged Hispanic women, the researchers found.
The study, which looked at blacks and Hispanics up to age 69, found that fat accumulation generally declined in the older age groups.
The findings are consistent with others that compared body-mass index and waist circumference among similar age, racial and gender groups.
Midsection weight gain could increase their risk of type 2 diabetes, researchers warn
HEALTH.MSN.COM
TUESDAY, July 21 (HealthDay News) -- Black and Hispanic women in their 20s tend to accumulate more fat in their midsection than their male and older counterparts, possibly putting them at a greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes, new research suggests.
The study, by researchers at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, N.C., found black and Hispanic young adults tended to pack on both visceral adipose tissue (VAT), the fat found in the abdominal cavity around internal organs, and subcutaneous abdominal tissue (SAT), the visible, pinchable fat known as "love handles." However, the increase was notably higher in women than men.
"Our data may help to further identify unique populations at risk for type 2 diabetes and those for whom behavioral intervention might be most effective," study author Dr. Kristen G. Hairston, an assistant professor of endocrinology and metabolism at Wake Forest, said in a news release.
The study, published online in June in the journal Diabetes Care, found that VAT increased by an average of 18 square centimeters (cm2) in the young black women and by 12 cm2 in the Hispanic women over a five-year period, while the men's increases were 30 percent to 40 percent lower. VAT has been linked to metabolic issues in people, and previous studies show that such increases are common among those with type 2 diabetes.
The increase in SAT was even greater: 89 cm2 for black women in their 20s and 53 cm2 for the same-aged Hispanic women, the researchers found.
The study, which looked at blacks and Hispanics up to age 69, found that fat accumulation generally declined in the older age groups.
The findings are consistent with others that compared body-mass index and waist circumference among similar age, racial and gender groups.
Health promotion in the Latino community
Promoting health in the community
Special team works to make sure immigrants, minorities get care
By Diana Montaño, JSONLINE.COM, July 20, 2009
When Lydia Lopez's son was first diagnosed with autism a little over a year ago, she refused to believe it. After bouncing around from specialist to specialist, Lopez, a native of Guadalajara, Mexico, living in West Allis, finally came to terms with the diagnosis.
But with no insurance and limited English, finding information about the condition or services available for her then-3-year-old son, Erik, became a daunting task.
Now, when she's not at her afternoon restaurant job, Lopez works as a promotora - a community health promoter - through a project launched by the West Allis Health Department. Using her own experience, she reaches out to parents facing similar challenges in a city still adapting to an influx of immigrants.
The Latino population in West Allis has increased dramatically in recent years.
In the 1996-'97 school year, Latinos made up 3.1% of all students enrolled in the West Allis-West Milwaukee School District, according to Shawne Johnson, assistant director of community health services at the West Allis Health Department. In 2004-'05, that number increased to 8.6%; by 2007-'08, the Latino student population was roughly 13.5%.
The demographic change has raised questions about how to best serve immigrant families when parents often don't speak English, are uninsured and unfamiliar with the health care system.
This scenario is not unique to West Allis. Throughout the state, the growing Latino population faces considerable health barriers. According to the Minority Health Program's 2005 Wisconsin Minority Health Report, 23% of Latinos were uninsured in 2005, compared with a statewide average of 6%. At the same time, diseases such as diabetes and HIV continued to disproportionately affect the Latino community.
At both the local and state levels, authorities and communities are trying new approaches to tackle health disparities. The Wisconsin Department of Health Services has recently concluded the first cycle of a "promising practices" program meant to support community-based interventions that close racial and ethnic health disparities by working to improve access to care in communities of color.
In West Allis, hospital, school and Health Department officials began to worry.
"We were concerned that they weren't accessing services," Johnson said of immigrant parents. "We wanted to make sure we were providing the same information, of the same quality, that other parents were getting."
Uninsured families often were not enrolling in public insurance programs, she said. Even if parents are undocumented, their U.S.-born children, as well as pregnant women - regardless of immigration status - are eligible for programs such as BadgerCare and WIC, the nutrition program for women, infants and other children.
Service providers began to translate documents and provide interpreters. The department put doctors, nurses and other providers through cultural-competence training. But according to Johnson, making health care more accessible to the Latino community couldn't stop at translation; it meant getting the community itself more involved.
So Johnson approached Lopez and a handful of other Latina mothers to participate in a health promoter training program. The program is run by Proyecto Salud, or Project Health, a collaboration between Aurora Walker's Point Community Health Clinic and CORE-El Centro, a community health center on Milwaukee's near south side. The women, along with community members from around the Milwaukee area, went through a four-month crash course in health issues ranging from depression to diabetes, and in services available to the Latino community.
Since graduating the training in December, five promotoras have been collaborating with the Health Department to do outreach at events informing community members of services. Also, they organized a women's group that meets the last Tuesday of each month.
On a recent Tuesday evening, the group screened part of "Unnatural Causes," a documentary that explores health disparities in the United States.
"We talked about how we become American," said Lopez, referring to changes in diet and lifestyle that often come with immigration, "and how it affects our health."
"In my country, if you're going to visit a friend or relative, you just drop by," said Alejandra Estrada, an expecting mother of two who came to the U.S. 10 years ago from Queretaro, Mexico. "Here, you have to tell them ahead of time. People are lonelier here."
Estrada, who is also a promotora, said that while depression is often a taboo in the Latino community, it is one of the issues the promotoras have begun to address in the women's group meetings. Proyecto Salud is working to compile a list of Spanish-speaking mental health providers in the area to whom the promotoras can refer people.
"They are a bridge between the community and service providers," Johnson said of the promotoras, who not only take information out to the community but also bring community information back to providers. "They are able to represent the community's needs and communicate them to us."
Pilot projects
At the state level, the Department of Health Services has begun to take note of community-based efforts addressing racial and ethnic health disparities. Last November, the department's Minority Health Program launched Wisconsin Promising Practices, a project that identifies and provides technical support to local programs working to improve health conditions in communities of color.
Last year, Proyecto Salud was chosen as one of two pilot projects. From November to June, the project received support documenting and evaluating its community health programs, including health promoter training.
"We wanted to identify successful interventions that impact health disparities," said Evelyn Cruz, a policy analyst with the Minority Health Program who heads Promising Practices, "so we could see what works, legitimize the work (local groups) are doing, and make their model available to others."
By legitimizing local community projects as evidence-based interventions, said Cruz, they are able to serve as a basis for policy change involving health care in communities of color.
A new set of community projects has been chosen for the second round of Promising Practices, which will run from July to January.
The groups selected to participate in the second cycle are the Health Literacy Initiative in Dane County; Madre, Hay Esperanza (Mother, There is Hope), which addresses postpartum depression in Dane County; and the Supporting Teen Families Program in Milwaukee.
"The local partners are effective because they know the community," Cruz said.
The West Allis promotoras agree.
For Estrada, the outreach wouldn't be as effective if it were done by people from outside the community.
"There's a stronger connection," she said. "We're going through the same thing; we've lived it. So they feel safer with us."
In the end, Lopez was able to get her autistic son into intensive therapy, and she is hopeful that his condition will improve.
Now, she reaches out to parents of children with disabilities, particularly autism.
"A lot of parents don't accept that their child has autism. They don't know that they can get therapy."
Therapy works best when a child is young, and many parents don't find out about it until it's too late, Lopez said.
"There are some who didn't know about the therapy, who have children that are 5 years old and still don't talk."
By reaching out to parents, Lopez said, "at least I can put in my little grain of sand."
For more information CORE El-Centro:www.core-elcentro.org West Allis Health Department: www.ci.west-allis.wi.us/health/health_services.htm
Special team works to make sure immigrants, minorities get care
By Diana Montaño, JSONLINE.COM, July 20, 2009
When Lydia Lopez's son was first diagnosed with autism a little over a year ago, she refused to believe it. After bouncing around from specialist to specialist, Lopez, a native of Guadalajara, Mexico, living in West Allis, finally came to terms with the diagnosis.
But with no insurance and limited English, finding information about the condition or services available for her then-3-year-old son, Erik, became a daunting task.
Now, when she's not at her afternoon restaurant job, Lopez works as a promotora - a community health promoter - through a project launched by the West Allis Health Department. Using her own experience, she reaches out to parents facing similar challenges in a city still adapting to an influx of immigrants.
The Latino population in West Allis has increased dramatically in recent years.
In the 1996-'97 school year, Latinos made up 3.1% of all students enrolled in the West Allis-West Milwaukee School District, according to Shawne Johnson, assistant director of community health services at the West Allis Health Department. In 2004-'05, that number increased to 8.6%; by 2007-'08, the Latino student population was roughly 13.5%.
The demographic change has raised questions about how to best serve immigrant families when parents often don't speak English, are uninsured and unfamiliar with the health care system.
This scenario is not unique to West Allis. Throughout the state, the growing Latino population faces considerable health barriers. According to the Minority Health Program's 2005 Wisconsin Minority Health Report, 23% of Latinos were uninsured in 2005, compared with a statewide average of 6%. At the same time, diseases such as diabetes and HIV continued to disproportionately affect the Latino community.
At both the local and state levels, authorities and communities are trying new approaches to tackle health disparities. The Wisconsin Department of Health Services has recently concluded the first cycle of a "promising practices" program meant to support community-based interventions that close racial and ethnic health disparities by working to improve access to care in communities of color.
In West Allis, hospital, school and Health Department officials began to worry.
"We were concerned that they weren't accessing services," Johnson said of immigrant parents. "We wanted to make sure we were providing the same information, of the same quality, that other parents were getting."
Uninsured families often were not enrolling in public insurance programs, she said. Even if parents are undocumented, their U.S.-born children, as well as pregnant women - regardless of immigration status - are eligible for programs such as BadgerCare and WIC, the nutrition program for women, infants and other children.
Service providers began to translate documents and provide interpreters. The department put doctors, nurses and other providers through cultural-competence training. But according to Johnson, making health care more accessible to the Latino community couldn't stop at translation; it meant getting the community itself more involved.
So Johnson approached Lopez and a handful of other Latina mothers to participate in a health promoter training program. The program is run by Proyecto Salud, or Project Health, a collaboration between Aurora Walker's Point Community Health Clinic and CORE-El Centro, a community health center on Milwaukee's near south side. The women, along with community members from around the Milwaukee area, went through a four-month crash course in health issues ranging from depression to diabetes, and in services available to the Latino community.
Since graduating the training in December, five promotoras have been collaborating with the Health Department to do outreach at events informing community members of services. Also, they organized a women's group that meets the last Tuesday of each month.
On a recent Tuesday evening, the group screened part of "Unnatural Causes," a documentary that explores health disparities in the United States.
"We talked about how we become American," said Lopez, referring to changes in diet and lifestyle that often come with immigration, "and how it affects our health."
"In my country, if you're going to visit a friend or relative, you just drop by," said Alejandra Estrada, an expecting mother of two who came to the U.S. 10 years ago from Queretaro, Mexico. "Here, you have to tell them ahead of time. People are lonelier here."
Estrada, who is also a promotora, said that while depression is often a taboo in the Latino community, it is one of the issues the promotoras have begun to address in the women's group meetings. Proyecto Salud is working to compile a list of Spanish-speaking mental health providers in the area to whom the promotoras can refer people.
"They are a bridge between the community and service providers," Johnson said of the promotoras, who not only take information out to the community but also bring community information back to providers. "They are able to represent the community's needs and communicate them to us."
Pilot projects
At the state level, the Department of Health Services has begun to take note of community-based efforts addressing racial and ethnic health disparities. Last November, the department's Minority Health Program launched Wisconsin Promising Practices, a project that identifies and provides technical support to local programs working to improve health conditions in communities of color.
Last year, Proyecto Salud was chosen as one of two pilot projects. From November to June, the project received support documenting and evaluating its community health programs, including health promoter training.
"We wanted to identify successful interventions that impact health disparities," said Evelyn Cruz, a policy analyst with the Minority Health Program who heads Promising Practices, "so we could see what works, legitimize the work (local groups) are doing, and make their model available to others."
By legitimizing local community projects as evidence-based interventions, said Cruz, they are able to serve as a basis for policy change involving health care in communities of color.
A new set of community projects has been chosen for the second round of Promising Practices, which will run from July to January.
The groups selected to participate in the second cycle are the Health Literacy Initiative in Dane County; Madre, Hay Esperanza (Mother, There is Hope), which addresses postpartum depression in Dane County; and the Supporting Teen Families Program in Milwaukee.
"The local partners are effective because they know the community," Cruz said.
The West Allis promotoras agree.
For Estrada, the outreach wouldn't be as effective if it were done by people from outside the community.
"There's a stronger connection," she said. "We're going through the same thing; we've lived it. So they feel safer with us."
In the end, Lopez was able to get her autistic son into intensive therapy, and she is hopeful that his condition will improve.
Now, she reaches out to parents of children with disabilities, particularly autism.
"A lot of parents don't accept that their child has autism. They don't know that they can get therapy."
Therapy works best when a child is young, and many parents don't find out about it until it's too late, Lopez said.
"There are some who didn't know about the therapy, who have children that are 5 years old and still don't talk."
By reaching out to parents, Lopez said, "at least I can put in my little grain of sand."
For more information CORE El-Centro:www.core-elcentro.org West Allis Health Department: www.ci.west-allis.wi.us/health/health_services.htm
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Latina recruits faculty members for med school
Paul L. Foster School of Medicine
Diversity & skill: Faculty, dedicated specialists ready to teach
By Erica Molina Johnson / El Paso Times, 07/19/2009
EL PASO -- The new Paul L. Foster School of Medicine didn't have much trouble attracting faculty members.
For some, it was the cutting-edge facilities or curriculum that sealed the deal. Others were excited to help build a medical school program from the ground up.
"It's been wonderful -- better than I had dreamed possible," said Dr. Brian Tobin, associate dean and founding chairman of the Department of Medical Education at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Paul L. Foster School of Medicine.
He joined the school in July 2007 and was responsible for developing the composition of the medical education faculty. Since then, 26 new faculty members have joined the department to help teach the first class of 40 students.
More than 200 people applied for the 26 positions, Tobin said.
Including the new hires, about 200 faculty are on staff at the medical school, said Cindy Camarillo, director of the Office of Faculty Affairs.
Camarillo said a challenge in recruiting medical school faculty was that many of those sought had to be both medical professionals and educators.
"These are physicians and Ph.D.s that have specialized and have chosen to work in schools of medicine, who have the whole package. They are teachers and have their own established careers as well," she said.
Dr. Jose Manuel de la Rosa, the founding dean of the medical school, said many of the new faculty members have dedicated their careers to education.
"We brought people in from Germany, from Canada. We brought people from Georgia, people from Massachusetts, people from California," he said.
He said the school also looked to existing Texas Tech faculty to teach its first-year students.
"It was an interesting process because a new school is a risk for somebody early in their careers," he said.
De la Rosa said some who were offered jobs declined.
"Some people like the newness, and some people were afraid of the newness," he said.
He said most of the newly hired faculty members are people midway into their careers.
"One of the things that was a change for us was bringing in very junior faculty, people straight out of their post-doctoral programs," De la Rosa said.
This signaled that the school was not only building a staff of senior faculty members but also planning for the future, de la Rosa said.
Tobin said El Paso's medical school is one of only a handful in the nation that has an interdisciplinary department of medical education. The typical model, he said, has a separation between the different departments, such as physiology, anatomy, biochemistry, family medicine and emergency medicine.
"We've poured it all into the same department," Tobin said.
Faculty members in the various disciplines must instead work together within the framework of four courses taken by students during their first two years of medical school.
"The administration and the people who began the process of putting the faculty together were very wise in making people clear ... we were going to be doing something fairly new," said Dr. Kathryn McMahon, a college master and a professor of pharmacology at the school.
The school placed an emphasis on recruiting its four college masters, who will help guide the students through their four years in medical school.
Tobin said it was important to seek out professors who are knowledgeable, skillful, dutiful and altruistic. He reeled off the résumé of one.
"Dr. Gary Simpson, he's an M.D., Ph.D., master of public health, master of clinical science, trained at Oxford and the discoverer of the hanta virus," Tobin said.
Tobin said two more faculty members are expected to join the Department of Medical Education by September. He said two more college masters will be hired by next spring.
"I believe we are way ahead of the other medical schools opening for our successes in recruiting more top-tier faculty," Tobin said. "They may have recruited more researchers, but for opening a medical school, we have recruited more medical educators."
Camarillo said recruitment often isn't seen as a success until a person has been on staff for three years.
"Our recruitment activities don't really end here. Once they sign the contract and step foot in the door, we continue to embrace them, love them, make sure their families are part of the community and that their spouse and kids are happy."
Erica Molina Johnson may be reached at emolina@elpasotimes.com; 546-6132.
Diversity & skill: Faculty, dedicated specialists ready to teach
By Erica Molina Johnson / El Paso Times, 07/19/2009
EL PASO -- The new Paul L. Foster School of Medicine didn't have much trouble attracting faculty members.
For some, it was the cutting-edge facilities or curriculum that sealed the deal. Others were excited to help build a medical school program from the ground up.
"It's been wonderful -- better than I had dreamed possible," said Dr. Brian Tobin, associate dean and founding chairman of the Department of Medical Education at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Paul L. Foster School of Medicine.
He joined the school in July 2007 and was responsible for developing the composition of the medical education faculty. Since then, 26 new faculty members have joined the department to help teach the first class of 40 students.
More than 200 people applied for the 26 positions, Tobin said.
Including the new hires, about 200 faculty are on staff at the medical school, said Cindy Camarillo, director of the Office of Faculty Affairs.
Camarillo said a challenge in recruiting medical school faculty was that many of those sought had to be both medical professionals and educators.
"These are physicians and Ph.D.s that have specialized and have chosen to work in schools of medicine, who have the whole package. They are teachers and have their own established careers as well," she said.
Dr. Jose Manuel de la Rosa, the founding dean of the medical school, said many of the new faculty members have dedicated their careers to education.
"We brought people in from Germany, from Canada. We brought people from Georgia, people from Massachusetts, people from California," he said.
He said the school also looked to existing Texas Tech faculty to teach its first-year students.
"It was an interesting process because a new school is a risk for somebody early in their careers," he said.
De la Rosa said some who were offered jobs declined.
"Some people like the newness, and some people were afraid of the newness," he said.
He said most of the newly hired faculty members are people midway into their careers.
"One of the things that was a change for us was bringing in very junior faculty, people straight out of their post-doctoral programs," De la Rosa said.
This signaled that the school was not only building a staff of senior faculty members but also planning for the future, de la Rosa said.
Tobin said El Paso's medical school is one of only a handful in the nation that has an interdisciplinary department of medical education. The typical model, he said, has a separation between the different departments, such as physiology, anatomy, biochemistry, family medicine and emergency medicine.
"We've poured it all into the same department," Tobin said.
Faculty members in the various disciplines must instead work together within the framework of four courses taken by students during their first two years of medical school.
"The administration and the people who began the process of putting the faculty together were very wise in making people clear ... we were going to be doing something fairly new," said Dr. Kathryn McMahon, a college master and a professor of pharmacology at the school.
The school placed an emphasis on recruiting its four college masters, who will help guide the students through their four years in medical school.
Tobin said it was important to seek out professors who are knowledgeable, skillful, dutiful and altruistic. He reeled off the résumé of one.
"Dr. Gary Simpson, he's an M.D., Ph.D., master of public health, master of clinical science, trained at Oxford and the discoverer of the hanta virus," Tobin said.
Tobin said two more faculty members are expected to join the Department of Medical Education by September. He said two more college masters will be hired by next spring.
"I believe we are way ahead of the other medical schools opening for our successes in recruiting more top-tier faculty," Tobin said. "They may have recruited more researchers, but for opening a medical school, we have recruited more medical educators."
Camarillo said recruitment often isn't seen as a success until a person has been on staff for three years.
"Our recruitment activities don't really end here. Once they sign the contract and step foot in the door, we continue to embrace them, love them, make sure their families are part of the community and that their spouse and kids are happy."
Erica Molina Johnson may be reached at emolina@elpasotimes.com; 546-6132.
July has been Latino HIV Testing Month
July is Latino HIV Testing Month
By ruzik_tuzik, EMAX Health, Jul 18th, 2009
July is Latino HIV Testing Month, in recognition of the serious impact that HIV/AIDS has had on all New York's Latino communities. During this month, Governor David A. Paterson and New York State Health Commissioner Richard F. Daines, M.D. urge all Latinos to get tested for HIV to protect themselves and others from HIV infection.
In 2007, Latinos in New York State represented 16 percent of the population, but accounted for 36,545 or 30 percent of people living with HIV/AIDS in the state. Of the 1,311 Latinos newly reported with HIV infection, 449 or 34 percent developed AIDS within the first year of their HIV diagnosis.
"The State Health Department is joining the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to urge Latinos to get tested for HIV and know their HIV status," Commissioner Daines said. "By waiting, you may miss critical opportunities to receive important health and social support services. When diagnosed early, HIV can be a manageable condition as long as treatment and counseling are sought immediately."
Latino HIV Testing Month is a New York State initiative that was launched in 2005 by the Hispanic Federation, Latino Commission on AIDS and the State Health Department's AIDS Institute. It is a campaign that seeks to unite Latino leaders and diverse community-based organizations in New York to fight HIV through increased HIV testing and sponsorship of prevention activities that target Latino families in their communities. These activities include HIV testing events throughout Latino communities in New York City's five boroughs, Long Island, Westchester, Amsterdam, Buffalo, Syracuse and other areas of the state.
"As part of Latino HIV Testing Month, we urge all Latinos to get tested at one of the many free, anonymous testing sites throughout the state," said Humberto Cruz, Director of the State Health Department's AIDS Institute. "We also encourage all agencies that serve Latinos to partner with other agencies to hold HIV testing events in their communities."
While the CDC and DOH recommend that everyone between the ages 13-64 should know their HIV status, having an HIV test is particularly important for those who have:
* Injected drugs or steroids or shared equipment (e.g. needles, syringes, works) with others;
* Exchanged sex for drugs or money;
* Been diagnosed with or treated for hepatitis, tuberculosis (TB), or a sexually transmitted disease such as gonorrhea, Chlamydia, or syphilis;
* Had unprotected vaginal, anal or oral sex with multiple partners, anonymous partners or men who have sex with men; and/or
* Had unprotected sex with anyone who has taken any of the risks above.
By ruzik_tuzik, EMAX Health, Jul 18th, 2009
July is Latino HIV Testing Month, in recognition of the serious impact that HIV/AIDS has had on all New York's Latino communities. During this month, Governor David A. Paterson and New York State Health Commissioner Richard F. Daines, M.D. urge all Latinos to get tested for HIV to protect themselves and others from HIV infection.
In 2007, Latinos in New York State represented 16 percent of the population, but accounted for 36,545 or 30 percent of people living with HIV/AIDS in the state. Of the 1,311 Latinos newly reported with HIV infection, 449 or 34 percent developed AIDS within the first year of their HIV diagnosis.
"The State Health Department is joining the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to urge Latinos to get tested for HIV and know their HIV status," Commissioner Daines said. "By waiting, you may miss critical opportunities to receive important health and social support services. When diagnosed early, HIV can be a manageable condition as long as treatment and counseling are sought immediately."
Latino HIV Testing Month is a New York State initiative that was launched in 2005 by the Hispanic Federation, Latino Commission on AIDS and the State Health Department's AIDS Institute. It is a campaign that seeks to unite Latino leaders and diverse community-based organizations in New York to fight HIV through increased HIV testing and sponsorship of prevention activities that target Latino families in their communities. These activities include HIV testing events throughout Latino communities in New York City's five boroughs, Long Island, Westchester, Amsterdam, Buffalo, Syracuse and other areas of the state.
"As part of Latino HIV Testing Month, we urge all Latinos to get tested at one of the many free, anonymous testing sites throughout the state," said Humberto Cruz, Director of the State Health Department's AIDS Institute. "We also encourage all agencies that serve Latinos to partner with other agencies to hold HIV testing events in their communities."
While the CDC and DOH recommend that everyone between the ages 13-64 should know their HIV status, having an HIV test is particularly important for those who have:
* Injected drugs or steroids or shared equipment (e.g. needles, syringes, works) with others;
* Exchanged sex for drugs or money;
* Been diagnosed with or treated for hepatitis, tuberculosis (TB), or a sexually transmitted disease such as gonorrhea, Chlamydia, or syphilis;
* Had unprotected vaginal, anal or oral sex with multiple partners, anonymous partners or men who have sex with men; and/or
* Had unprotected sex with anyone who has taken any of the risks above.
Hispanic families form group to cope with autism
Hispanic families form group to help cope with autism
By Dalina Castellanos, Tri-City Herald
KENNEWICK -- Lizette Romero stood quietly by her mother's side pulling crayons out of their box to color with.
After pausing a couple of times to stare blankly at different spots on the wall, the 6-year-old continued to focus on the paper, almost making a rainbow if not for the large gaps between the swatches of color.
"My biggest frustration is that she still doesn't talk," said her mother, Magdalena, in Spanish.
Lizette was diagnosed with autism when she was 18 months old and the family was living in Fontana, Calif. Upon hearing of her daughter's diagnosis, Romero said she was lost.
"I had never even heard the word before that day."
Her feeling of despair returned when the family of seven moved to Kennewick two years ago and the bilingual services offered in California suddenly were gone.
"I would ask different people for help and I couldn't find anywhere to turn to," she said.
Enter the Hispanic Autism Support Group.
When Yadira Galvan, the group's president, found out her three children had some form of autism, she too began looking for the next steps and noticed a cultural gap.
"It was difficult for me to find services," she said. "And I speak (English)."
The next obvious step for her was to get involved, becoming the Hispanic outreach coordinator for the Autism Society of Washington's Tri-City chapter and joining an advisory board for the Combating Autism Advisory Council.
"I was the only Latina on the board," observed Galvan.
And she isn't the only one who's noticed the lack of diverse representation.
"The cultural barrier is incredible," said Terry Buck, a case manager for the Division of Developmental Disabilities in the Tri-Cities.
He has hundreds of clients from various ethnic backgrounds, an estimated 60-80 of which are Hispanic.
"There are countless that I haven't contacted, who haven't contacted me or that I don't even know about," he said.
Asking for help is not easy, and Galvan said the Hispanic community has an especially hard time coming to terms with the disorder.
"People are ashamed that their child has something that's (not perceived as) normal" and they might be more hesitant to look for assistance.
When families do step up, there still are obstacles in getting them the resources they need.
"Unfortunately all the resources aren't what they should be for people who speak any language," said Tricia Schouviller, president of the Tri-City chapter of the Autism Society of Washington.
"Autism is on the rise," she said. And the lack of resources "goes across the entire board."
Hispanic families, however, require a bit different approach when it comes to receiving assistance.
"It's been our experience that Hispanic families like to do more things in a group setting rather than one on one," said Paul Reynolds, regional administrator of DDD, based out of Yakima.
"I think it makes them more comfortable and they get the feeling they're not alone."
And that's exactly how Romero hopes to feel.
In California, she said she was ostracized by the people in her church, who said Lizette was possessed.
"It struck me with a lot of fear (about the disorder)," she said.
She ran her fingers through Lizette's thick chocolate-colored hair as her daughter continued to color.
"I just want the opportunity to understand her better," she said, her eyes welling up with tears. "And that's why I came here."
For more information about the Hispanic Autism Support Group, call 619-0435 or visit www.autismresourcecenter.net.
The group gathers at 6:30 p.m. the first and third Friday of every month.
-- Dalina Castellanos: 509-582-1542; dcastellanos@tricityherald.com
By Dalina Castellanos, Tri-City Herald
KENNEWICK -- Lizette Romero stood quietly by her mother's side pulling crayons out of their box to color with.
After pausing a couple of times to stare blankly at different spots on the wall, the 6-year-old continued to focus on the paper, almost making a rainbow if not for the large gaps between the swatches of color.
"My biggest frustration is that she still doesn't talk," said her mother, Magdalena, in Spanish.
Lizette was diagnosed with autism when she was 18 months old and the family was living in Fontana, Calif. Upon hearing of her daughter's diagnosis, Romero said she was lost.
"I had never even heard the word before that day."
Her feeling of despair returned when the family of seven moved to Kennewick two years ago and the bilingual services offered in California suddenly were gone.
"I would ask different people for help and I couldn't find anywhere to turn to," she said.
Enter the Hispanic Autism Support Group.
When Yadira Galvan, the group's president, found out her three children had some form of autism, she too began looking for the next steps and noticed a cultural gap.
"It was difficult for me to find services," she said. "And I speak (English)."
The next obvious step for her was to get involved, becoming the Hispanic outreach coordinator for the Autism Society of Washington's Tri-City chapter and joining an advisory board for the Combating Autism Advisory Council.
"I was the only Latina on the board," observed Galvan.
And she isn't the only one who's noticed the lack of diverse representation.
"The cultural barrier is incredible," said Terry Buck, a case manager for the Division of Developmental Disabilities in the Tri-Cities.
He has hundreds of clients from various ethnic backgrounds, an estimated 60-80 of which are Hispanic.
"There are countless that I haven't contacted, who haven't contacted me or that I don't even know about," he said.
Asking for help is not easy, and Galvan said the Hispanic community has an especially hard time coming to terms with the disorder.
"People are ashamed that their child has something that's (not perceived as) normal" and they might be more hesitant to look for assistance.
When families do step up, there still are obstacles in getting them the resources they need.
"Unfortunately all the resources aren't what they should be for people who speak any language," said Tricia Schouviller, president of the Tri-City chapter of the Autism Society of Washington.
"Autism is on the rise," she said. And the lack of resources "goes across the entire board."
Hispanic families, however, require a bit different approach when it comes to receiving assistance.
"It's been our experience that Hispanic families like to do more things in a group setting rather than one on one," said Paul Reynolds, regional administrator of DDD, based out of Yakima.
"I think it makes them more comfortable and they get the feeling they're not alone."
And that's exactly how Romero hopes to feel.
In California, she said she was ostracized by the people in her church, who said Lizette was possessed.
"It struck me with a lot of fear (about the disorder)," she said.
She ran her fingers through Lizette's thick chocolate-colored hair as her daughter continued to color.
"I just want the opportunity to understand her better," she said, her eyes welling up with tears. "And that's why I came here."
For more information about the Hispanic Autism Support Group, call 619-0435 or visit www.autismresourcecenter.net.
The group gathers at 6:30 p.m. the first and third Friday of every month.
-- Dalina Castellanos: 509-582-1542; dcastellanos@tricityherald.com
Friday, July 17, 2009
Hispanic group to host Health Care townhall
IN UNCERTAIN TIMES, 2009 NCLR ANNUAL CONFERENCE TOWN HALLS ADDRESS HEALTH CARE
PRESS RELEASE
Washington, DC—U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis; President and CEO of NCLR (National Council of La Raza) Janet Murguía; and U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Shaun Donovan along with Wal-Mart Senior Vice President Dr. John Agwunobi and President and CEO of the National Urban League Marc Morial are among the panelists scheduled to participate in town hall meetings focused on national priorities during the 2009 NCLR Annual Conference.
In the midst of shaky economic times, Americans are concerned with the health and security of their families; while community-based organizations cope with serving the community and helping to keep families afloat. Expert panelists will focus on the road to economic recovery, what health care reform means for families, and solutions for how nonprofit organizations can increase financial support during the dismal economic crisis.
The town hall meetings, which are free and open to the public, will be held Saturday, July 25-Monday, July 27 in Room W-181abc at McCormick Place West in downtown Chicago, IL.
Visit www.nclr.org for more information. Press can register to attend conference at no cost at www.nclr.org/pressregistration.
Limited Seating
Sunday, July 26, 2009, 3:30–5:00 P.M.
A Pound of Cure: The Role of Prevention in the Health Care Reform Debate
Co-Lead Sponsors: AARP, Office of Minority Health, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
· Featured Speaker: Hilda Solis, Secretary of Labor, U.S. Department of Labor
· Moderator: Maria Elena Salinas, Co-Anchor of Noticiero Univision
· Dr. Maria E. Rosa, Vice President, NCLR Institute for Hispanic Health
· Dr. John O. Agwunobi, Senior Vice President and President for Health and Wellness, Wal-Mart
· Jennie Chin Hansen, President, AARP
· Dr. Garth Graham, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Office of Minority Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
· Mary Medina, Board Member, National Forum for Latino Healthcare Executives
· Miguel Palacio, Associate Director, Association House of Chicago
SATURDAY, JULY 25, 3:00–4:30 P.M.
A New Era of Philanthropy: A Look at the Current Economic Climate and Its Impact on Latino Organizations
Monday, July 27, 2009, 3:00–4:30 P.M.
Putting Our Communities on the Map: The Economic Road to Recovery
NCLR is the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States. The NCLR Annual Conference is the largest national gathering of its kind in the Latino community, serving as the meeting ground for community leaders, activists, and elected and appointed officials; members of the corporate, philanthropic, and academic communities; and youth.
PRESS RELEASE
Washington, DC—U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis; President and CEO of NCLR (National Council of La Raza) Janet Murguía; and U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Shaun Donovan along with Wal-Mart Senior Vice President Dr. John Agwunobi and President and CEO of the National Urban League Marc Morial are among the panelists scheduled to participate in town hall meetings focused on national priorities during the 2009 NCLR Annual Conference.
In the midst of shaky economic times, Americans are concerned with the health and security of their families; while community-based organizations cope with serving the community and helping to keep families afloat. Expert panelists will focus on the road to economic recovery, what health care reform means for families, and solutions for how nonprofit organizations can increase financial support during the dismal economic crisis.
The town hall meetings, which are free and open to the public, will be held Saturday, July 25-Monday, July 27 in Room W-181abc at McCormick Place West in downtown Chicago, IL.
Visit www.nclr.org for more information. Press can register to attend conference at no cost at www.nclr.org/pressregistration.
Limited Seating
Sunday, July 26, 2009, 3:30–5:00 P.M.
A Pound of Cure: The Role of Prevention in the Health Care Reform Debate
Co-Lead Sponsors: AARP, Office of Minority Health, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
· Featured Speaker: Hilda Solis, Secretary of Labor, U.S. Department of Labor
· Moderator: Maria Elena Salinas, Co-Anchor of Noticiero Univision
· Dr. Maria E. Rosa, Vice President, NCLR Institute for Hispanic Health
· Dr. John O. Agwunobi, Senior Vice President and President for Health and Wellness, Wal-Mart
· Jennie Chin Hansen, President, AARP
· Dr. Garth Graham, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Office of Minority Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
· Mary Medina, Board Member, National Forum for Latino Healthcare Executives
· Miguel Palacio, Associate Director, Association House of Chicago
SATURDAY, JULY 25, 3:00–4:30 P.M.
A New Era of Philanthropy: A Look at the Current Economic Climate and Its Impact on Latino Organizations
Monday, July 27, 2009, 3:00–4:30 P.M.
Putting Our Communities on the Map: The Economic Road to Recovery
NCLR is the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States. The NCLR Annual Conference is the largest national gathering of its kind in the Latino community, serving as the meeting ground for community leaders, activists, and elected and appointed officials; members of the corporate, philanthropic, and academic communities; and youth.
Hispanics, Blacks have highest obesity rates
US obesity rates highest in blacks, Hispanics
Shelley Wood | The Heart, July 16, 2009
Atlanta, GA - Prevalence of obesity in black Americans is 50% higher than that of white Americans, with obesity rates in Hispanics falling roughly halfway between the two groups, according to new statistics released in the July 17, 2009 issue of Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. The pattern of obesity prevalence across different racial groups was consistent across US states, although the actual rates varied considerably, Dr Liping Pan (US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA) and colleagues write.
Their analysis was drawn from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) surveys conducted between 2006 and 2008, relying on telephone survey responses. Over this time period, obesity prevalence among black Americans (defined as "non-Hispanic blacks") was 35.7%, as compared with 28.7% in Hispanic Americans and 23.7% in "non-Hispanic whites."
In general, rates of obesity in blacks and Hispanics were higher in women than in men, across all survey regions, peaking at 39.2% in black women. White women, however, had the lowest obesity rates, at 21.8%.
Obesity prevalence was highest in the South and Midwest regions and lowest in the West. On a state level, obesity prevalence soared to its highest level in Maine (45.1% for black Americans) and was at its lowest in DC (9% in white Americans).
"Given the overall high prevalence of obesity and the significant differences among non-Hispanic blacks, non-Hispanic whites, and Hispanics, effective policies and environmental strategies that promote healthy eating and physical activity are needed for all populations and geographic areas, but particularly for those populations and areas disproportionally affected by obesity," Pan et al conclude.
An editorial note accompanying the report points out that the rates of obesity in Pan et al's analysis are in fact lower than those cited in the 2003-2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) analysis, in which height and weight were actually measured; in the BRFSS data, weight was self-reported and "therefore likely to produce underestimates," the editorial suggests.
Reasons for the different obesity rates include a lower likelihood of regular physical activity among blacks and Hispanics; less access to affordable healthful foods; reduced access to fitness opportunities; and different cultural attitudes toward body image and size, the editorial notes.
Shelley Wood | The Heart, July 16, 2009
Atlanta, GA - Prevalence of obesity in black Americans is 50% higher than that of white Americans, with obesity rates in Hispanics falling roughly halfway between the two groups, according to new statistics released in the July 17, 2009 issue of Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. The pattern of obesity prevalence across different racial groups was consistent across US states, although the actual rates varied considerably, Dr Liping Pan (US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA) and colleagues write.
Their analysis was drawn from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) surveys conducted between 2006 and 2008, relying on telephone survey responses. Over this time period, obesity prevalence among black Americans (defined as "non-Hispanic blacks") was 35.7%, as compared with 28.7% in Hispanic Americans and 23.7% in "non-Hispanic whites."
In general, rates of obesity in blacks and Hispanics were higher in women than in men, across all survey regions, peaking at 39.2% in black women. White women, however, had the lowest obesity rates, at 21.8%.
Obesity prevalence was highest in the South and Midwest regions and lowest in the West. On a state level, obesity prevalence soared to its highest level in Maine (45.1% for black Americans) and was at its lowest in DC (9% in white Americans).
"Given the overall high prevalence of obesity and the significant differences among non-Hispanic blacks, non-Hispanic whites, and Hispanics, effective policies and environmental strategies that promote healthy eating and physical activity are needed for all populations and geographic areas, but particularly for those populations and areas disproportionally affected by obesity," Pan et al conclude.
An editorial note accompanying the report points out that the rates of obesity in Pan et al's analysis are in fact lower than those cited in the 2003-2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) analysis, in which height and weight were actually measured; in the BRFSS data, weight was self-reported and "therefore likely to produce underestimates," the editorial suggests.
Reasons for the different obesity rates include a lower likelihood of regular physical activity among blacks and Hispanics; less access to affordable healthful foods; reduced access to fitness opportunities; and different cultural attitudes toward body image and size, the editorial notes.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Latino mental health event planned for New Brunswick
'Mental Health in Latino Community'
gmnews.com
The 2009 National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) NJ "Mental Health in the Latino Community" conference will take place Oct. 3 at St. Mary & St. Peter Catholic Academy, 165 Somerset St., New Brunswick
The goal of this conference is to offer valuable information to the Latino community on mental illness. Experts will discuss the causes and symptoms of common emotional disorders, treatment modalities available and skills to cope with mental illness. Attendees will have the opportunity to interact in Spanish with the professionals during Q&A sessions.
For event time or more information, call Martha at 888-803-3413.
gmnews.com
The 2009 National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) NJ "Mental Health in the Latino Community" conference will take place Oct. 3 at St. Mary & St. Peter Catholic Academy, 165 Somerset St., New Brunswick
The goal of this conference is to offer valuable information to the Latino community on mental illness. Experts will discuss the causes and symptoms of common emotional disorders, treatment modalities available and skills to cope with mental illness. Attendees will have the opportunity to interact in Spanish with the professionals during Q&A sessions.
For event time or more information, call Martha at 888-803-3413.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Latinas show generational shift on abortion
Generational shift for U.S. Hispanics on abortion
Reuters, Jul 13, 2009
LOS ANGELES, July 14 (Reuters) - A few weeks after a one-night stand and a failed morning-after pill, Ana saw only one option: Two days later she had her pregnancy terminated at a free clinic.
The 28-year-old graduate student, who came to the United States from Guatemala when she was a toddler, called it one of the easiest, clearest decisions of her life. "Having a child is not in my plans right now," Ana said in an interview from New York City.
Her mother, while supportive, exclaimed "Why didn't you just tell me and I would have taken care of your baby?"
Ana, who requested her real name not be used, has not told her father, who would be "heartbroken," she said.
Ana and her family reflect the changing attitudes toward abortion among U.S. Hispanics -- traditionally an anti-abortion group influenced by their predominant Roman Catholic faith.
A 2007 joint survey by the respected Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life and the Pew Hispanic Center shows that 65 percent of first-generation U.S. Hispanics believe abortion should be illegal. But among second-generation U.S. Hispanics like Ana, that percentage drops to 43 percent.
The topic of Hispanics and abortion is a timely one as Sonia Sotomayor, the first Hispanic nominee to the U.S. Supreme Court, began her Senate confirmation on Monday.
Sotomayor's position on abortion is not clear, even after groups on both sides of the issue have scrutinized her record and background in search for clues. Sotomayor may be asked directly about her stance at the hearings or through secondary questions like her views on privacy.
Decades after the Supreme Court's 1973 landmark ruling in Roe v. Wade that legalized abortion, the issue is still bitterly divisive and at the forefront of political battles. Knowing how Hispanics view abortion could be key to getting votes from the largest and fastest growing minority group.
TABOO FALLS AWAY
A May Gallup poll found that 51 percent of Americans called themselves "pro-life," or against abortion. But the Pew survey indicates that a higher percentage of Hispanics oppose abortion -- 57 percent -- or more than any other group.
The second generation, however, is "much, much closer to mainstream American values ... in stark contrast to the first generation who are much more conservative on this issue," said Luis Lugo, director of the Pew Forum.
The numbers back up the changing view. Hispanics constitute about 15 percent of the U.S. population, but Hispanic women accounted for 22 percent of the 1.2 million U.S. abortions in 2005, according to the Guttmacher Institute.
There are many assumptions on how Latinos feel about abortion, said Silvia Henriquez, executive director of the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health. Polls by her group reveal more tolerance toward it.
"It's very much 'Maybe I wouldn't make that decision myself, but it's not my place to interfere in someone else's decision'," said Henriquez.
Abortion was taboo when Ana was growing up and girls who were rumored to have had one were shamed. In middle school, Ana started thinking differently and cemented her abortion-rights advocacy at Catholic high school. Leaving the New York clinic, she proudly remembered women she knew who made the same choice.
A survey conducted this year in California also reflects a change across generations. The Public Policy Institute of California found that immigrant Latinos and U.S.-born Latinos express nearly opposite views on the role of government in abortion access.
While 62 percent of immigrant Latinos support more abortion restrictions, 65 percent of U.S.-born Latinos believe the government should not interfere.
'BAD PART OF ASSIMILATION'
One factor in the split is that immigrants have come from Latin America where few countries allow abortion, Lugo said. Assimilation also plays a major part, he said.
For the Catholic Church, this is the "bad part of assimilation" and a symptom of growing individualism in American culture, said Father Allan Figueroa Deck, who oversees cultural diversity for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
"In Latino culture, there's a tendency not to act as isolated individuals pursuing their own ends," Deck said.
"This is a value for us and unfortunately this value is being diminished in the United States," he added.
Hispanic Protestant evangelicals are a growing group and include many Catholic converts. Their conversion, however, is not to avoid strict abortion beliefs. This group is even more conservative: 77 percent say abortion should be illegal compared with 54 percent of Hispanic Catholics, the Pew Forum said.
Raimundo Rojas, director of Hispanic outreach at the anti-abortion National Right to Life, believes that family unity will keep Hispanics very much in the anti-abortion camp.
"Family is very important to us and Hispanics recognize that an unborn child is already a member of our family," he said."
That is what Ines (not her real name) decided when she became pregnant with her fifth child at 29. Her husband had lost his regular job and the family moved into a relative's living room. So Ines, who immigrated from Mexico in 2000, visited a crisis pregnancy center in Los Angeles, believing it performed abortions.
But instead they showed her an anti-abortion video and she changed her mind.
"We're very Catholic and we believe that it is a sin," said Ines. "A child is a blessing from God."
Ines expects to deliver her baby this month. Meanwhile, Ana wants to have children later and, inspired by Sotomayor, hopes to become a judge.
(Editing by Mary Milliken and Philip Barbara)
Reuters, Jul 13, 2009
LOS ANGELES, July 14 (Reuters) - A few weeks after a one-night stand and a failed morning-after pill, Ana saw only one option: Two days later she had her pregnancy terminated at a free clinic.
The 28-year-old graduate student, who came to the United States from Guatemala when she was a toddler, called it one of the easiest, clearest decisions of her life. "Having a child is not in my plans right now," Ana said in an interview from New York City.
Her mother, while supportive, exclaimed "Why didn't you just tell me and I would have taken care of your baby?"
Ana, who requested her real name not be used, has not told her father, who would be "heartbroken," she said.
Ana and her family reflect the changing attitudes toward abortion among U.S. Hispanics -- traditionally an anti-abortion group influenced by their predominant Roman Catholic faith.
A 2007 joint survey by the respected Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life and the Pew Hispanic Center shows that 65 percent of first-generation U.S. Hispanics believe abortion should be illegal. But among second-generation U.S. Hispanics like Ana, that percentage drops to 43 percent.
The topic of Hispanics and abortion is a timely one as Sonia Sotomayor, the first Hispanic nominee to the U.S. Supreme Court, began her Senate confirmation on Monday.
Sotomayor's position on abortion is not clear, even after groups on both sides of the issue have scrutinized her record and background in search for clues. Sotomayor may be asked directly about her stance at the hearings or through secondary questions like her views on privacy.
Decades after the Supreme Court's 1973 landmark ruling in Roe v. Wade that legalized abortion, the issue is still bitterly divisive and at the forefront of political battles. Knowing how Hispanics view abortion could be key to getting votes from the largest and fastest growing minority group.
TABOO FALLS AWAY
A May Gallup poll found that 51 percent of Americans called themselves "pro-life," or against abortion. But the Pew survey indicates that a higher percentage of Hispanics oppose abortion -- 57 percent -- or more than any other group.
The second generation, however, is "much, much closer to mainstream American values ... in stark contrast to the first generation who are much more conservative on this issue," said Luis Lugo, director of the Pew Forum.
The numbers back up the changing view. Hispanics constitute about 15 percent of the U.S. population, but Hispanic women accounted for 22 percent of the 1.2 million U.S. abortions in 2005, according to the Guttmacher Institute.
There are many assumptions on how Latinos feel about abortion, said Silvia Henriquez, executive director of the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health. Polls by her group reveal more tolerance toward it.
"It's very much 'Maybe I wouldn't make that decision myself, but it's not my place to interfere in someone else's decision'," said Henriquez.
Abortion was taboo when Ana was growing up and girls who were rumored to have had one were shamed. In middle school, Ana started thinking differently and cemented her abortion-rights advocacy at Catholic high school. Leaving the New York clinic, she proudly remembered women she knew who made the same choice.
A survey conducted this year in California also reflects a change across generations. The Public Policy Institute of California found that immigrant Latinos and U.S.-born Latinos express nearly opposite views on the role of government in abortion access.
While 62 percent of immigrant Latinos support more abortion restrictions, 65 percent of U.S.-born Latinos believe the government should not interfere.
'BAD PART OF ASSIMILATION'
One factor in the split is that immigrants have come from Latin America where few countries allow abortion, Lugo said. Assimilation also plays a major part, he said.
For the Catholic Church, this is the "bad part of assimilation" and a symptom of growing individualism in American culture, said Father Allan Figueroa Deck, who oversees cultural diversity for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
"In Latino culture, there's a tendency not to act as isolated individuals pursuing their own ends," Deck said.
"This is a value for us and unfortunately this value is being diminished in the United States," he added.
Hispanic Protestant evangelicals are a growing group and include many Catholic converts. Their conversion, however, is not to avoid strict abortion beliefs. This group is even more conservative: 77 percent say abortion should be illegal compared with 54 percent of Hispanic Catholics, the Pew Forum said.
Raimundo Rojas, director of Hispanic outreach at the anti-abortion National Right to Life, believes that family unity will keep Hispanics very much in the anti-abortion camp.
"Family is very important to us and Hispanics recognize that an unborn child is already a member of our family," he said."
That is what Ines (not her real name) decided when she became pregnant with her fifth child at 29. Her husband had lost his regular job and the family moved into a relative's living room. So Ines, who immigrated from Mexico in 2000, visited a crisis pregnancy center in Los Angeles, believing it performed abortions.
But instead they showed her an anti-abortion video and she changed her mind.
"We're very Catholic and we believe that it is a sin," said Ines. "A child is a blessing from God."
Ines expects to deliver her baby this month. Meanwhile, Ana wants to have children later and, inspired by Sotomayor, hopes to become a judge.
(Editing by Mary Milliken and Philip Barbara)
Monday, July 13, 2009
Hispanic women in Texas less likely to be insured
Jacob: Texas women don’t fare well on national healthcare comparisons
In a state where healthcare isn’t a top priority, women fare particularly poorly.
By STEVE JACOB, star-telegram.com
Americans, unlike people in other industrialized nations, are uncomfortable with the concept of social class. We like to believe we live in a land of equal opportunity.
However, race and ethnicity have always served as proxies for social class when measuring U.S. population disparities. Blacks and most Hispanics lag behind whites and most Asians in social determinants of wellbeing, including education, income and health.
Gender adds another level of disparity on many fronts, including health. Granted, U.S. men lead less healthy lives and pay the price by dying on average five years earlier than women. Men are more likely to smoke, drink excessively, be overweight have heart disease and practice poor dietary habits.
There are clear differences in how men and women use the healthcare system. Women make up 60 percent of hospital admissions because they have more chronic conditions and specific reproductive health issues.
That is why they are charged as much as 50 percent more when they attempt to buy individual health insurance policies, even though Texas women earn 64 cents for every dollar earned by white Texas men.
Women are less likely to be employed full-time (52 versus 73 percent of men), making them ineligible for employer-based benefits. They are more likely to delay or avoid care (52 versus 39 percent of men). About one-third report having to give up basic necessities, use up savings or go into debt to pay medical bills.
A recent Kaiser Family Foundation report examined women’s health by state and by race and ethnicity. It was not surprising that minority women fare more poorly on most measures in every state. But it was also revealing to compare women by state of residence, controlling for race and ethnicity.
Highlighting the disadvantages of minority women is especially important in Texas because racial and ethnic groups will increasingly dominate the state’s health profile. According to Texas state demographer Karl Eschbach, Hispanics will make up as much as 59 percent of the state’s population by 2040.
Nationally, white women overall had the best health outcomes, but they smoked more often than their minority counterparts, had higher cancer death rates and suffered more serious psychological distress. Black women had the highest health screening rates but were disproportionately more likely to be obese and have chronic health problems. Hispanic women are less likely to be insured and more likely to be poor and less educated. Low racial and ethnic disparities in a given state generally meant that white women were not faring comparatively well, not that minority women were thriving.
The study shined a spotlight on the state’s socioeconomic burdens and their effects. The state’s low rankings feed off one another other, reflecting the results of poverty, especially among Hispanics.
Texas women have the highest uninsured rate. Almost 28 percent lack health insurance compared with less than 18 percent nationally. The uninsured rate for Hispanic women exceeds 45 percent.
Texas women have the highest percentage of failure to graduate from high school. About 40 percent of Hispanics did not graduate, including 60 percent of the foreign-born, according to the Pew Hispanic Center. About one-third of Texas Hispanics were not born in the United States. According to Kim Waller, associate professor of epidemiology at the University of Texas School of Public Health, Mexican-born women often have less than an eighth-grade education.
Of all socioeconomic factors, education attainment has the most direct link to health. High school graduates earn twice as much as those without a diploma. Nearly 75 percent of those without a high school education have basic or below-basic health literacy, which means they cannot understand a prescription label.
Texas women ranked last on health services and utilization. This was a corollary to the lack of insurance. They had the worst two-year dental checkup rates, were second in the nation on having no personal doctor and led the nation on forgoing doctor visits because of cost. The state’s white women scored better than minorities on these measures but significantly lagged behind their counterparts in other states.
Texas women were among the poorest in the nation. More than 1 in 5 was at or below the federal poverty level of $19,350 for a family of four in 2005, ranking fifth-lowest in the nation.
Texas white and minority women were more obese and had more diabetes and cardiovascular disease — all of which are interrelated conditions — and the results reflected the typical profile of Southern states. The state’s Asian population ranked lowest in self-rated health compared to Asians in other states. Waller said Vietnamese, the second-largest immigrant group in Texas, and other Southeast Asians have comparatively poor health outcomes.
Kathryn Cardarelli, assistant professor of epidemiology at the University of North Texas Health Science Center and director of the university’s Center for Community Health, said the report is more evidence that Texas’ government "continues not to put a priority on health."
Until it does — or in the unlikely event that the federal government implements transformational health reform — the demographic trends will not bode well for Texas women.
Steve Jacob is publisher of the Star-Telegram/Arlington and Northeast Tarrant County. 817-685-3955
In a state where healthcare isn’t a top priority, women fare particularly poorly.
By STEVE JACOB, star-telegram.com
Americans, unlike people in other industrialized nations, are uncomfortable with the concept of social class. We like to believe we live in a land of equal opportunity.
However, race and ethnicity have always served as proxies for social class when measuring U.S. population disparities. Blacks and most Hispanics lag behind whites and most Asians in social determinants of wellbeing, including education, income and health.
Gender adds another level of disparity on many fronts, including health. Granted, U.S. men lead less healthy lives and pay the price by dying on average five years earlier than women. Men are more likely to smoke, drink excessively, be overweight have heart disease and practice poor dietary habits.
There are clear differences in how men and women use the healthcare system. Women make up 60 percent of hospital admissions because they have more chronic conditions and specific reproductive health issues.
That is why they are charged as much as 50 percent more when they attempt to buy individual health insurance policies, even though Texas women earn 64 cents for every dollar earned by white Texas men.
Women are less likely to be employed full-time (52 versus 73 percent of men), making them ineligible for employer-based benefits. They are more likely to delay or avoid care (52 versus 39 percent of men). About one-third report having to give up basic necessities, use up savings or go into debt to pay medical bills.
A recent Kaiser Family Foundation report examined women’s health by state and by race and ethnicity. It was not surprising that minority women fare more poorly on most measures in every state. But it was also revealing to compare women by state of residence, controlling for race and ethnicity.
Highlighting the disadvantages of minority women is especially important in Texas because racial and ethnic groups will increasingly dominate the state’s health profile. According to Texas state demographer Karl Eschbach, Hispanics will make up as much as 59 percent of the state’s population by 2040.
Nationally, white women overall had the best health outcomes, but they smoked more often than their minority counterparts, had higher cancer death rates and suffered more serious psychological distress. Black women had the highest health screening rates but were disproportionately more likely to be obese and have chronic health problems. Hispanic women are less likely to be insured and more likely to be poor and less educated. Low racial and ethnic disparities in a given state generally meant that white women were not faring comparatively well, not that minority women were thriving.
The study shined a spotlight on the state’s socioeconomic burdens and their effects. The state’s low rankings feed off one another other, reflecting the results of poverty, especially among Hispanics.
Texas women have the highest uninsured rate. Almost 28 percent lack health insurance compared with less than 18 percent nationally. The uninsured rate for Hispanic women exceeds 45 percent.
Texas women have the highest percentage of failure to graduate from high school. About 40 percent of Hispanics did not graduate, including 60 percent of the foreign-born, according to the Pew Hispanic Center. About one-third of Texas Hispanics were not born in the United States. According to Kim Waller, associate professor of epidemiology at the University of Texas School of Public Health, Mexican-born women often have less than an eighth-grade education.
Of all socioeconomic factors, education attainment has the most direct link to health. High school graduates earn twice as much as those without a diploma. Nearly 75 percent of those without a high school education have basic or below-basic health literacy, which means they cannot understand a prescription label.
Texas women ranked last on health services and utilization. This was a corollary to the lack of insurance. They had the worst two-year dental checkup rates, were second in the nation on having no personal doctor and led the nation on forgoing doctor visits because of cost. The state’s white women scored better than minorities on these measures but significantly lagged behind their counterparts in other states.
Texas women were among the poorest in the nation. More than 1 in 5 was at or below the federal poverty level of $19,350 for a family of four in 2005, ranking fifth-lowest in the nation.
Texas white and minority women were more obese and had more diabetes and cardiovascular disease — all of which are interrelated conditions — and the results reflected the typical profile of Southern states. The state’s Asian population ranked lowest in self-rated health compared to Asians in other states. Waller said Vietnamese, the second-largest immigrant group in Texas, and other Southeast Asians have comparatively poor health outcomes.
Kathryn Cardarelli, assistant professor of epidemiology at the University of North Texas Health Science Center and director of the university’s Center for Community Health, said the report is more evidence that Texas’ government "continues not to put a priority on health."
Until it does — or in the unlikely event that the federal government implements transformational health reform — the demographic trends will not bode well for Texas women.
Steve Jacob is publisher of the Star-Telegram/Arlington and Northeast Tarrant County. 817-685-3955
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Over 6 million Latinos go hungry in U.S.
6.5 Million US Latinos Hungry
Donna Maldonado-Schullo / AL DÍA | 07/10/09
Nearly 1 in 5 Latino households is suffering from food insecurity nationwide in one of the worlds richest countries. According to the latest US Department of Agriculture 2006 report on food security, Hispanics are disproportionately affected with 19.5 % of Latino households reporting food insecurity, well above the national average of 10.9% (Non Hispanic white average is 7.8%). The Tri State area is seeing an increase of households struggling to adequately feed their families. The averages nationwide for 2004-2006 were 11.3 %; Delaware went from 6.7% to 7.8%, Pennsylvania from 9.5% to 10% of households suffering from food insecurity. New Jersey was unique in lowering the rate to 7.7% from 8.6%. But again the prevalence of Hispanics suffering is increasing. In 2006 over 6.5 million of the 35.5 million people who lived in food insecure households were Hispanic.
What is meant by food insecurity? As defined by the same report, food security falls into two categories “low food security” is basically defined as a household at times uncertain of having, or unable to acquire, enough food for all household members because they had insufficient money and other resources for food. Whereas “very low food security” is defined as multiple times the food intake was reduced and eating patterns disrupted due to inadequate resources for food.
It is interesting that some of the questions and statements’ used to determine the level of food insecurity are as follows; ‘Were you worried that your food would run out before you got money to buy more?’. “We couldn’t afford to eat balanced meals”. “We relied on only a few kinds of low cost food to feed our children because we were running out of money to buy food”. “In the last 12 months did you ever eat less than you felt you should because there wasn’t enough money for food?” These are just some of the determining factors that define whether a household falls into the category of food insecure. As noted by the report these figures do not include homeless families or individuals, so the numbers could be even higher. Food security is about access on a regular basis to sufficiently nutritional food to sustain the health of your family.
Only 51% of Latinos are accessing the available food stamp program, according to National Council of La Raza in Dec 2006. In a report entitled “Sin Provecho: Latinos and Food Insecurity” it outline numerous aspects of this issue. One of the findings of the report based on previous studies noted that in many Hispanic communities there were 38% less fresh fruit and vegetable retailers than in areas with smaller Hispanic populations. Many of the retailers that are in the area do not have the full range of affordable food products that enable Latino families to have complete and nutritious diets.
Eligible Latinos are missing out on the food assistance programs. The same report continued that more than 3 million eligible Latinos are missing out. Part of the reason is the huge confusion surrounding the eligibility rules as the law has been changed a number of times.
Latino children are eligible for the National School breakfast and lunch program (NSLP) irrespective of immigration status
The law as it stands at the moment according to the research for this article “ migrant children, identified as eligible by a local school or district… are automatically eligible for free school meals without the need for the migrant family to fill out an application” (Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004, Public Law 108-265). There is NO restriction for participation in these programs for children based on immigration status according to The Migrant Legal Action Program based in Washington DC, and the US Department of Agriculture. The best approach would be to speak directly to your child’s school to let them know you want your child to participate in the program. More information can be found at the US department of Agriculture web site www.fns.usda.gov (available in Spanish), or the Migrant Legal Action Program at www.mlap.org
The food stamp program (FSP) provides benefits through electronic benefit transfers or paper coupons, to eligible low-income households. These coupons can then be used to purchase food from participating retailers. According to the US Department of Agriculture the ‘Farm Bill’ restored food stamp benefits for qualified immigrants who have lived in the US as qualified immigrants for at least 5 years. Qualified immigrants are lawful permanent residents (holders of green cards).Certain non-citizens such as those admitted for humanitarian reasons and those admitted for permanent residence are also eligible for the program. Eligible household members can get food stamps even if there are other members of the household that are not eligible.
The potential to improve health and nutrition through government food and nutrition programs is significant especially for our children in school. As discussed in the report by National Council of La Raza (NCLR) those who participate in the food assistance programs show greater nutritional intake, medical savings, and enhanced heath status, and even a reduction in the rate of obesity due to greater access to more nutritional food.
The same NCLR report opened with a statement on the measure to which the US government holds itself on food security;” Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well being of himself and his family, including food…” Exercise your rights.
Donna Maldonado-Schullo / AL DÍA | 07/10/09
Nearly 1 in 5 Latino households is suffering from food insecurity nationwide in one of the worlds richest countries. According to the latest US Department of Agriculture 2006 report on food security, Hispanics are disproportionately affected with 19.5 % of Latino households reporting food insecurity, well above the national average of 10.9% (Non Hispanic white average is 7.8%). The Tri State area is seeing an increase of households struggling to adequately feed their families. The averages nationwide for 2004-2006 were 11.3 %; Delaware went from 6.7% to 7.8%, Pennsylvania from 9.5% to 10% of households suffering from food insecurity. New Jersey was unique in lowering the rate to 7.7% from 8.6%. But again the prevalence of Hispanics suffering is increasing. In 2006 over 6.5 million of the 35.5 million people who lived in food insecure households were Hispanic.
What is meant by food insecurity? As defined by the same report, food security falls into two categories “low food security” is basically defined as a household at times uncertain of having, or unable to acquire, enough food for all household members because they had insufficient money and other resources for food. Whereas “very low food security” is defined as multiple times the food intake was reduced and eating patterns disrupted due to inadequate resources for food.
It is interesting that some of the questions and statements’ used to determine the level of food insecurity are as follows; ‘Were you worried that your food would run out before you got money to buy more?’. “We couldn’t afford to eat balanced meals”. “We relied on only a few kinds of low cost food to feed our children because we were running out of money to buy food”. “In the last 12 months did you ever eat less than you felt you should because there wasn’t enough money for food?” These are just some of the determining factors that define whether a household falls into the category of food insecure. As noted by the report these figures do not include homeless families or individuals, so the numbers could be even higher. Food security is about access on a regular basis to sufficiently nutritional food to sustain the health of your family.
Only 51% of Latinos are accessing the available food stamp program, according to National Council of La Raza in Dec 2006. In a report entitled “Sin Provecho: Latinos and Food Insecurity” it outline numerous aspects of this issue. One of the findings of the report based on previous studies noted that in many Hispanic communities there were 38% less fresh fruit and vegetable retailers than in areas with smaller Hispanic populations. Many of the retailers that are in the area do not have the full range of affordable food products that enable Latino families to have complete and nutritious diets.
Eligible Latinos are missing out on the food assistance programs. The same report continued that more than 3 million eligible Latinos are missing out. Part of the reason is the huge confusion surrounding the eligibility rules as the law has been changed a number of times.
Latino children are eligible for the National School breakfast and lunch program (NSLP) irrespective of immigration status
The law as it stands at the moment according to the research for this article “ migrant children, identified as eligible by a local school or district… are automatically eligible for free school meals without the need for the migrant family to fill out an application” (Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004, Public Law 108-265). There is NO restriction for participation in these programs for children based on immigration status according to The Migrant Legal Action Program based in Washington DC, and the US Department of Agriculture. The best approach would be to speak directly to your child’s school to let them know you want your child to participate in the program. More information can be found at the US department of Agriculture web site www.fns.usda.gov (available in Spanish), or the Migrant Legal Action Program at www.mlap.org
The food stamp program (FSP) provides benefits through electronic benefit transfers or paper coupons, to eligible low-income households. These coupons can then be used to purchase food from participating retailers. According to the US Department of Agriculture the ‘Farm Bill’ restored food stamp benefits for qualified immigrants who have lived in the US as qualified immigrants for at least 5 years. Qualified immigrants are lawful permanent residents (holders of green cards).Certain non-citizens such as those admitted for humanitarian reasons and those admitted for permanent residence are also eligible for the program. Eligible household members can get food stamps even if there are other members of the household that are not eligible.
The potential to improve health and nutrition through government food and nutrition programs is significant especially for our children in school. As discussed in the report by National Council of La Raza (NCLR) those who participate in the food assistance programs show greater nutritional intake, medical savings, and enhanced heath status, and even a reduction in the rate of obesity due to greater access to more nutritional food.
The same NCLR report opened with a statement on the measure to which the US government holds itself on food security;” Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well being of himself and his family, including food…” Exercise your rights.
Hispanic outreach effort on colorectal cancer
Cancer Center continues sponsorship of plays promoting colorectal cancer prevention in Hispanic population
BCM.EDU
RSS icon HOUSTON -- (July 10, 2009) -- The Office of Outreach and Health Disparities in the Dan L. Duncan Cancer Center at Baylor College of Medicine will sponsor on July 20 another performance of a play focused on colorectal cancer prevention geared to Hispanics, a high-risk group for the disease.
"The Cancer Center is committed to educating Hispanics about the importance of early detection and screening for colorectal cancer," said health disparities expert Dr. Maria Jibaja-Weiss, director of the Office of Outreach and Health Disparities and an associate professor of family and community medicine at BCM. "We hope to continue sponsoring these plays. They have become a valuable and fun outlet for communicating this important health information."
Early detection important
Previous performances of the play entitled "Zoot Suit Boogie" were held in March and May 2009. Additionally, the Cancer Center has sponsored similar plays entitled "The Marriage Test" and "Educando a Papa" that address the need for colorectal cancer screening and early detection in this high-risk group.
"Hispanics are more likely to be diagnosed with advanced stages of colorectal cancer and have a lower probability of survival," said Jibaja-Weiss. "There is lower use of colorectal screening tests and less access to treatment in this group."
Colorectal cancer is the second most commonly diagnosed cancer in Hispanic men and women. If caught early (in a localized stage), colorectal cancer can be treated successfully.
Colorectal risk factors
Risk factors for colorectal cancer include personal and family history of polyps (abnormal growth in the colon) or colorectal cancer, inflammatory bowel disease, inherited syndromes, obesity, alcohol use and consumption of red meat.
Colorectal cancer prevention can be helped with physical activity, eating diets rich in vegetables and fruits, use of anti-inflammatory drugs, hormone replacement therapy for women and, most importantly, detection and removal of polyps before they turn into cancer.
Following the play, there will be a colorectal cancer question-and-answer session moderated by Dr. Glori Chauca, project manager and outreach officer in the Office of Outreach and Health Disparities.
Free community event
Written and directed by local playwright Richard E. Reyes, the play, called "Zoot Suit Boogie," will offer a humorous way to learn the facts about an important health issue using live music, hip-hop dancing and the story of a family learning to put their health first.
The play is free and open to the public. It will be held July 20 from 10 to 11 a.m. at the West End Multi-Service Center, 170 Heights Blvd, Houston, TX 77007. Parking is available in the designated lot behind the center on Harvard Street.
For more information about the play, call 713-798-2338 or e-mail Anna Perales at aperales@bcm.edu.
For more information on upcoming community activities in the Office of Outreach and Health Disparities, visit http://www.bcm.edu/cancercenter/outreach.
BCM.EDU
RSS icon HOUSTON -- (July 10, 2009) -- The Office of Outreach and Health Disparities in the Dan L. Duncan Cancer Center at Baylor College of Medicine will sponsor on July 20 another performance of a play focused on colorectal cancer prevention geared to Hispanics, a high-risk group for the disease.
"The Cancer Center is committed to educating Hispanics about the importance of early detection and screening for colorectal cancer," said health disparities expert Dr. Maria Jibaja-Weiss, director of the Office of Outreach and Health Disparities and an associate professor of family and community medicine at BCM. "We hope to continue sponsoring these plays. They have become a valuable and fun outlet for communicating this important health information."
Early detection important
Previous performances of the play entitled "Zoot Suit Boogie" were held in March and May 2009. Additionally, the Cancer Center has sponsored similar plays entitled "The Marriage Test" and "Educando a Papa" that address the need for colorectal cancer screening and early detection in this high-risk group.
"Hispanics are more likely to be diagnosed with advanced stages of colorectal cancer and have a lower probability of survival," said Jibaja-Weiss. "There is lower use of colorectal screening tests and less access to treatment in this group."
Colorectal cancer is the second most commonly diagnosed cancer in Hispanic men and women. If caught early (in a localized stage), colorectal cancer can be treated successfully.
Colorectal risk factors
Risk factors for colorectal cancer include personal and family history of polyps (abnormal growth in the colon) or colorectal cancer, inflammatory bowel disease, inherited syndromes, obesity, alcohol use and consumption of red meat.
Colorectal cancer prevention can be helped with physical activity, eating diets rich in vegetables and fruits, use of anti-inflammatory drugs, hormone replacement therapy for women and, most importantly, detection and removal of polyps before they turn into cancer.
Following the play, there will be a colorectal cancer question-and-answer session moderated by Dr. Glori Chauca, project manager and outreach officer in the Office of Outreach and Health Disparities.
Free community event
Written and directed by local playwright Richard E. Reyes, the play, called "Zoot Suit Boogie," will offer a humorous way to learn the facts about an important health issue using live music, hip-hop dancing and the story of a family learning to put their health first.
The play is free and open to the public. It will be held July 20 from 10 to 11 a.m. at the West End Multi-Service Center, 170 Heights Blvd, Houston, TX 77007. Parking is available in the designated lot behind the center on Harvard Street.
For more information about the play, call 713-798-2338 or e-mail Anna Perales at aperales@bcm.edu.
For more information on upcoming community activities in the Office of Outreach and Health Disparities, visit http://www.bcm.edu/cancercenter/outreach.
Hispanic health issues exacerbated by shortage
Shortage of Hispanic MDs in Calif. Exacerbates Health Issues
Rob Kuznia--HispanicBusiness.com, July 9, 2009
Juan is a 2-year-old boy from San Ysidro, Calif., who was born with a dislocated hip, undescended testicles, and a muscle ligament disorder.
To avoid suffering potentially lifelong consequences, early intervention was crucial.
But the specialist physicians who met with his family did not speak Spanish, and as a result, Juan missed key appointments.
At one point, the miscommunication triggered the involvement of child protective services, giving the parents a scare. Worse, the confusion meant that precious time for his recovery had elapsed. CLICK HERE FOR MORE.
Rob Kuznia--HispanicBusiness.com, July 9, 2009
Juan is a 2-year-old boy from San Ysidro, Calif., who was born with a dislocated hip, undescended testicles, and a muscle ligament disorder.
To avoid suffering potentially lifelong consequences, early intervention was crucial.
But the specialist physicians who met with his family did not speak Spanish, and as a result, Juan missed key appointments.
At one point, the miscommunication triggered the involvement of child protective services, giving the parents a scare. Worse, the confusion meant that precious time for his recovery had elapsed. CLICK HERE FOR MORE.
Hispanics often treated by lower quality surgeons
Hispanics often treated by lower quality surgeons
By Joene Hendry, REUTERS, Jul 10, 2009
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Hispanic men and women needing heart-bypass surgery are about 50 percent more likely than white patients to undergo an operation by lower quality surgeons, according to research conducted in Massachusetts.
By contrast, African-American patients were no more or less likely than white patients to undergo such operations by lower quality cardiac surgeons, defined by the risk of patients' dying within 30 days of surgery, report Dr. Luis R. Castellanos, at the University of California, Davis Medical Center in Sacramento, and colleagues.
Their study assessed racial and ethnic disparities in access to higher quality heart surgeons in Massachusetts, a state that "prides itself in providing comprehensive and equitable care to its residents," Castellanos told Reuters Health.
Coronary artery bypass grafting reroutes blood from blocked to unblocked arteries that will better deliver blood to the heart muscle. The investigators compared 56 cardiac surgeons who performed 12,973 of these surgeries in Massachusetts residents during 2002 through 2004.
The patients, 74 percent male, were 67 years old on average. Overall, 91 percent were white, while 3.2 and nearly 2 percent were Hispanic and African-American, respectively, the researchers report in the American Journal of Cardiology.
Among Hispanic patients, 1.8 percent had a lower-risk cardiac surgeon while 4.9 percent had a higher-risk surgeon.
Compared with white patients, Hispanic patients were almost 3 times more likely to be operated on by higher risk rather than lower risk surgeons.
"Even after adjusting for traditional clinical risk factors, demographic characteristics, and urgency of procedure, Hispanic patients (compared with white patients) in Massachusetts were more likely to be operated upon by cardiac surgeons with lower quality performance rates," noted Castellanos.
By contrast, the investigators found white and African-American patients about equally as likely to have higher and lower risk surgeons.
Still, the cardiac surgeons involved in this analysis had very similar risk-adjusted mortality rates that were "lower than the national average," Castellanos said.
SOURCE: American Journal of Cardiology, June 15, 2009.
By Joene Hendry, REUTERS, Jul 10, 2009
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Hispanic men and women needing heart-bypass surgery are about 50 percent more likely than white patients to undergo an operation by lower quality surgeons, according to research conducted in Massachusetts.
By contrast, African-American patients were no more or less likely than white patients to undergo such operations by lower quality cardiac surgeons, defined by the risk of patients' dying within 30 days of surgery, report Dr. Luis R. Castellanos, at the University of California, Davis Medical Center in Sacramento, and colleagues.
Their study assessed racial and ethnic disparities in access to higher quality heart surgeons in Massachusetts, a state that "prides itself in providing comprehensive and equitable care to its residents," Castellanos told Reuters Health.
Coronary artery bypass grafting reroutes blood from blocked to unblocked arteries that will better deliver blood to the heart muscle. The investigators compared 56 cardiac surgeons who performed 12,973 of these surgeries in Massachusetts residents during 2002 through 2004.
The patients, 74 percent male, were 67 years old on average. Overall, 91 percent were white, while 3.2 and nearly 2 percent were Hispanic and African-American, respectively, the researchers report in the American Journal of Cardiology.
Among Hispanic patients, 1.8 percent had a lower-risk cardiac surgeon while 4.9 percent had a higher-risk surgeon.
Compared with white patients, Hispanic patients were almost 3 times more likely to be operated on by higher risk rather than lower risk surgeons.
"Even after adjusting for traditional clinical risk factors, demographic characteristics, and urgency of procedure, Hispanic patients (compared with white patients) in Massachusetts were more likely to be operated upon by cardiac surgeons with lower quality performance rates," noted Castellanos.
By contrast, the investigators found white and African-American patients about equally as likely to have higher and lower risk surgeons.
Still, the cardiac surgeons involved in this analysis had very similar risk-adjusted mortality rates that were "lower than the national average," Castellanos said.
SOURCE: American Journal of Cardiology, June 15, 2009.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Latino leader heading affordable healthcare
Former Head of US Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Launches Affordable Healthcare for the 75 Million Uninsured and Underinsured
PRESS RELEASE
Washington, DC (PRWEB) -- Jose Nino, former President & CEO of the US Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and Brian W. Silver, co-founder, announce the launch of Care Alternative North America (CANA), an alternative healthcare and employee benefits company packaging low-cost healthcare solutions for the 75 million uninsured and underinsured by aligning with associations, churches, businesses, groups, youth and adult sports teams, daycare centers and foundations. Care Alternative has five comprehensive low-cost programs covering everything from doctor & hospital care to sports accidents and repatriation of the body.
According to the Commonwealth Fund 2007 Biennial Health Insurance Survey the number of uninsured added to the number of underinsured has grown to 75 million. Underinsured people are those that have health coverage but it does not adequately protect them from high medical expenses. The study found that 42% of the under-65 population had either no insurance or inadequate insurance in 2007, up from 35% in 2003. Much of this growth comes from the ranks of the middle class.
Half of the underinsured and two-thirds of the uninsured do not see a doctor, do not fill prescriptions and do not follow up with much needed tests.
"Healthcare is at a crisis level in the U.S.," said Jose Nino, "People need to know that there is help for them when they get sick. I saw first hand what can happen to small business owners trying to find coverage for their employees only to fail due to high costs leaving thousands of workers to fend for themselves and go without."
In 2006 Jose had a chance meeting with Brian W. Silver in Washington D.C. when Brian was in the beginning stages of working on a healthcare savings card. They discussed the healthcare problem and decided to join forces to develop low-cost insurance programs and services to meet the needs of every income level.
"I was very impressed with Jose right from the start," said Brian W. Silver. "He was very passionate about healthcare issues in America and he wanted to do something to help those that could not get adequate care. We worked for two years to put together best of class, low-cost programs for individuals, businesses, groups and those with prior health conditions."
As costs rise more people search for solutions to affordable healthcare. "I received a call this week from a representative at a private school in NJ, that currently provides a discount healthcare savings card for their teachers and staff, and he wanted to discuss our Mini-Med Insurance program because it had more coverage at a low price," said Brian W. Silver.
"While Washington debates the current economic crisis people will be looking to stay insured and business will look for new ways to cover them," said Jose Nino, "not all will get full benefits for a long time they will need to find other alternatives - Care Alternative fills that void."
About Care Alternative North America, LLC:
Care Alternative North America, based in Morris County, NJ, with satellite locations in Washington, DC and Dallas, TX and founded in 2006, is an alternative healthcare, and employee benefits company. The company was built on the growing need to provide affordable and broad-based discount healthcare and insurance based programs and services for everyone. The company is one of the first to package low-cost healthcare options for churches, businesses, groups, associations, teams, organizations and foundations to offer their members.
Contact: Jose Nino, President, 202-251-5077
Brian W. Silver, CEO 973-448-9946
http://www.CareAlternative.com
PRESS RELEASE
Washington, DC (PRWEB) -- Jose Nino, former President & CEO of the US Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and Brian W. Silver, co-founder, announce the launch of Care Alternative North America (CANA), an alternative healthcare and employee benefits company packaging low-cost healthcare solutions for the 75 million uninsured and underinsured by aligning with associations, churches, businesses, groups, youth and adult sports teams, daycare centers and foundations. Care Alternative has five comprehensive low-cost programs covering everything from doctor & hospital care to sports accidents and repatriation of the body.
According to the Commonwealth Fund 2007 Biennial Health Insurance Survey the number of uninsured added to the number of underinsured has grown to 75 million. Underinsured people are those that have health coverage but it does not adequately protect them from high medical expenses. The study found that 42% of the under-65 population had either no insurance or inadequate insurance in 2007, up from 35% in 2003. Much of this growth comes from the ranks of the middle class.
Half of the underinsured and two-thirds of the uninsured do not see a doctor, do not fill prescriptions and do not follow up with much needed tests.
"Healthcare is at a crisis level in the U.S.," said Jose Nino, "People need to know that there is help for them when they get sick. I saw first hand what can happen to small business owners trying to find coverage for their employees only to fail due to high costs leaving thousands of workers to fend for themselves and go without."
In 2006 Jose had a chance meeting with Brian W. Silver in Washington D.C. when Brian was in the beginning stages of working on a healthcare savings card. They discussed the healthcare problem and decided to join forces to develop low-cost insurance programs and services to meet the needs of every income level.
"I was very impressed with Jose right from the start," said Brian W. Silver. "He was very passionate about healthcare issues in America and he wanted to do something to help those that could not get adequate care. We worked for two years to put together best of class, low-cost programs for individuals, businesses, groups and those with prior health conditions."
As costs rise more people search for solutions to affordable healthcare. "I received a call this week from a representative at a private school in NJ, that currently provides a discount healthcare savings card for their teachers and staff, and he wanted to discuss our Mini-Med Insurance program because it had more coverage at a low price," said Brian W. Silver.
"While Washington debates the current economic crisis people will be looking to stay insured and business will look for new ways to cover them," said Jose Nino, "not all will get full benefits for a long time they will need to find other alternatives - Care Alternative fills that void."
About Care Alternative North America, LLC:
Care Alternative North America, based in Morris County, NJ, with satellite locations in Washington, DC and Dallas, TX and founded in 2006, is an alternative healthcare, and employee benefits company. The company was built on the growing need to provide affordable and broad-based discount healthcare and insurance based programs and services for everyone. The company is one of the first to package low-cost healthcare options for churches, businesses, groups, associations, teams, organizations and foundations to offer their members.
Contact: Jose Nino, President, 202-251-5077
Brian W. Silver, CEO 973-448-9946
http://www.CareAlternative.com
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Hispanic Paradox: U.S. Hispanics live longer
The Hispanic Paradox: U.S. Hispanics Live Longer, Despite Socio-Economic Hurdles
Rob Kuznia--HispanicBusiness.com, July 7, 2009
When it comes to Hispanics and health care, the horror stories are well known. Less so is the mysterious phenomenon known as the "Hispanic Paradox."
Again and again, we hear that the Hispanic population is disproportionately beset by the bugbears of poverty, obesity, Type 2 diabetes and lack of access to quality health coverage and insurance.
These unfortunate facts are indisputable. But what many people don't realize is that, when it comes to the bottom line -- that is, mortality -- the news for Hispanics is good. Very good.
In the United States, Hispanics, despite their socio-economic hurdles, on average live longer than blacks by seven years, and whites by five years, says Dr. David Hayes-Bautista, a professor of medicine at UCLA. CLICK HERE FOR MORE.
Rob Kuznia--HispanicBusiness.com, July 7, 2009
When it comes to Hispanics and health care, the horror stories are well known. Less so is the mysterious phenomenon known as the "Hispanic Paradox."
Again and again, we hear that the Hispanic population is disproportionately beset by the bugbears of poverty, obesity, Type 2 diabetes and lack of access to quality health coverage and insurance.
These unfortunate facts are indisputable. But what many people don't realize is that, when it comes to the bottom line -- that is, mortality -- the news for Hispanics is good. Very good.
In the United States, Hispanics, despite their socio-economic hurdles, on average live longer than blacks by seven years, and whites by five years, says Dr. David Hayes-Bautista, a professor of medicine at UCLA. CLICK HERE FOR MORE.
Hispanic health coalition created in Ohio
Ohio Hispanic/Latino Health Coalition looks to the future following strategic planning session
By Alan Abrams, La Prensa Senior Correspondent
A new and vibrant Ohio Hispanic/Latino Health Coalition is taking shape thanks to the selfless efforts of some of the state’s outstanding Latino community advocates and leaders in health issues.
The group came together for a two-day brainstorming session in Elyria, Ohio last month to meet and address the future of the venerable association. The June 19-20, 2009 meeting at the Leadership Lorain County offices in Elyria was designed to seek input from current and potential candidates for membership and set direction for the future.
Sonia Troche, Executive Director of Toledo-based Adelante. Inc., was one of the key participants in the conference. She says the attendees “charted a path to success, including the drafting of by-laws, codifying of policies, and incorporating as an independent with a non-profit 501(c) 3 designation.”
Adelante, Inc. was one of the original organizations that assisted Mary Isa Garayua, the Executive Director of OCCHA (Organizacion Civica y Cultural Hispana Americana, Inc.) of Youngstown and community activist Lydia Alejandro of Fremont in founding the coalition in 1999.
Other coalition members who played a key role in the initial organizing process a decade ago were El Centro de Servicios Sociales of Lorain; Ohio State University; Ag and Hort Labor Education of Bowling Green; Spanish American Committee of Cleveland; Lorain County Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services Board; and advocates from various Ohio cities.
The June 19-20 minority health event featured keynote speaker and former Toledoan Robert Torres (Economic Development Director for the City of Canton), and focused upon the topic of “Health and Economic Development.” The session facilitator was Margarita De León of Toledo, who is originally from Lorain.
“We followed a very positive agenda,” says Troche. “One key point we made very clear is that membership is open to all Ohio Latino based organizations dealing with health and with an interest to join us.
“Our goal is to include Columbus and Cincinnati, and we’ve already had inquiries from both cities. We need to enable the organization to recruit other members, which becomes even more important in our future plans.
“As an organization, we will be dealing with policy and advocacy issues and especially how Congress deals with health care issues. We will be dealing regularly with congress people and legislatures.
“It is very important for the coalition to become formalized and to become more structured. We will become a viable organization and self-sustained. We expect to have our agenda more clearly defined over the next few weeks as we develop our agenda and start to look at funding opportunities,” adds Troche.
So what’s the next step? “We’ll be announcing another public meeting very soon. We should have a clear concept of the bigger picture in two months,” explains Troche.
Since its creation, the Coalition has received funding from the Ohio Commission on minority Health for numerous projects. These included Ritmo y Salud, a 45-minute, bilingual low-impact aerobic video; a Latino cookbook featuring low-fat Latino recipes; and three radio novelas (20-minute soap opera style CDs) addressing cancer, heart disease and diabetes.
The Coalition has sponsored more than six statewide health disparity conferences addressing health diseases most prevalent in Ohio Latino communities and conducted the first Latino Health Needs Survey in 2004. The baseline data from this survey has benefited many organizations in developing programs to address health disparity in their respective Latino communities.
For any group interested in becoming a part of the Coalition, contact Mary Isa Garayua at 330-781-1808 or Sonia Troche at 419-244-8440.
By Alan Abrams, La Prensa Senior Correspondent
A new and vibrant Ohio Hispanic/Latino Health Coalition is taking shape thanks to the selfless efforts of some of the state’s outstanding Latino community advocates and leaders in health issues.
The group came together for a two-day brainstorming session in Elyria, Ohio last month to meet and address the future of the venerable association. The June 19-20, 2009 meeting at the Leadership Lorain County offices in Elyria was designed to seek input from current and potential candidates for membership and set direction for the future.
Sonia Troche, Executive Director of Toledo-based Adelante. Inc., was one of the key participants in the conference. She says the attendees “charted a path to success, including the drafting of by-laws, codifying of policies, and incorporating as an independent with a non-profit 501(c) 3 designation.”
Adelante, Inc. was one of the original organizations that assisted Mary Isa Garayua, the Executive Director of OCCHA (Organizacion Civica y Cultural Hispana Americana, Inc.) of Youngstown and community activist Lydia Alejandro of Fremont in founding the coalition in 1999.
Other coalition members who played a key role in the initial organizing process a decade ago were El Centro de Servicios Sociales of Lorain; Ohio State University; Ag and Hort Labor Education of Bowling Green; Spanish American Committee of Cleveland; Lorain County Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services Board; and advocates from various Ohio cities.
The June 19-20 minority health event featured keynote speaker and former Toledoan Robert Torres (Economic Development Director for the City of Canton), and focused upon the topic of “Health and Economic Development.” The session facilitator was Margarita De León of Toledo, who is originally from Lorain.
“We followed a very positive agenda,” says Troche. “One key point we made very clear is that membership is open to all Ohio Latino based organizations dealing with health and with an interest to join us.
“Our goal is to include Columbus and Cincinnati, and we’ve already had inquiries from both cities. We need to enable the organization to recruit other members, which becomes even more important in our future plans.
“As an organization, we will be dealing with policy and advocacy issues and especially how Congress deals with health care issues. We will be dealing regularly with congress people and legislatures.
“It is very important for the coalition to become formalized and to become more structured. We will become a viable organization and self-sustained. We expect to have our agenda more clearly defined over the next few weeks as we develop our agenda and start to look at funding opportunities,” adds Troche.
So what’s the next step? “We’ll be announcing another public meeting very soon. We should have a clear concept of the bigger picture in two months,” explains Troche.
Since its creation, the Coalition has received funding from the Ohio Commission on minority Health for numerous projects. These included Ritmo y Salud, a 45-minute, bilingual low-impact aerobic video; a Latino cookbook featuring low-fat Latino recipes; and three radio novelas (20-minute soap opera style CDs) addressing cancer, heart disease and diabetes.
The Coalition has sponsored more than six statewide health disparity conferences addressing health diseases most prevalent in Ohio Latino communities and conducted the first Latino Health Needs Survey in 2004. The baseline data from this survey has benefited many organizations in developing programs to address health disparity in their respective Latino communities.
For any group interested in becoming a part of the Coalition, contact Mary Isa Garayua at 330-781-1808 or Sonia Troche at 419-244-8440.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Website helps Latinos eat well
New Tool Helps Latino Families Eat Healthy and Save Money
PRESS RELEASE
SACRAMENTO, Calif., July 6 /PRNewswire/ -- Families can eat healthy and save money without sacrificing freshness or flavor by downloading Meals Matter's free online Family Meal Plan and Shopping List.
This new tool, available at http://www.mealsmatter.org/en-espanol/plan-familiar-de-comidas.pdf, helps families eat healthy by ensuring a variety of healthy foods from all of the food groups, including fruits, vegetables, low-fat or fat-free milk and dairy foods, whole grains and meats, beans and nuts. By providing a shopping list with ingredients to prepare a week of dinners for six people, families can save money by limiting impulse buys and extra trips to the grocery store.
"Everyone can benefit from planning meals and using healthy shopping lists, but this is a change for families used to making frequent trips to the market or grocery store for fresh food items," said Los Angeles-area registered dietitian Monica Montes with N.E.W. Health Consultants. "We developed this special Family Meal Plan and Shopping List to help Latino families eat healthy and save money without sacrificing freshness or flavor."
The Meals Matter "Family Meal Plan and Shopping List" combines
* Traditional ingredients like beans, rice, nopales, mango and tomatillos
* Healthier versions of familiar recipes like enchiladas that use plain yogurt instead of sour cream for more calcium, protein and potassium with fewer calories
* A weeklong shopping list with enough items to prepare six servings of each recipe.
Planning, preparing and eating meals together at home is a healthy, fun and inexpensive way to stay connected as a family. Home-cooked meals are generally less expensive and more nutritious than meals eaten away from home, and children who help family members prepare and enjoy healthy foods will form healthy eating habits as well.
To help families eat healthy and save money, download the free Meals Matter Family Meal Plan and Shopping list today. Important tips on storing fresh produce and cooking with children are also available at http://www.mealsmatter.org/En-Espanol/En-foco/Planear-comidas-de-familia.aspx
Meals Matter is a free family nutrition and meal-planning website staffed by registered dietitians and sponsored by Dairy Council of California.
Through various nutrition education programs, Dairy Council of California promotes healthy choices from all the food groups and regular physical activity as the foundation for optimal health. Healthy Eating Made Easier.(R)
Website: http://www.dairycouncilofca.org
PRESS RELEASE
SACRAMENTO, Calif., July 6 /PRNewswire/ -- Families can eat healthy and save money without sacrificing freshness or flavor by downloading Meals Matter's free online Family Meal Plan and Shopping List.
This new tool, available at http://www.mealsmatter.org/en-espanol/plan-familiar-de-comidas.pdf, helps families eat healthy by ensuring a variety of healthy foods from all of the food groups, including fruits, vegetables, low-fat or fat-free milk and dairy foods, whole grains and meats, beans and nuts. By providing a shopping list with ingredients to prepare a week of dinners for six people, families can save money by limiting impulse buys and extra trips to the grocery store.
"Everyone can benefit from planning meals and using healthy shopping lists, but this is a change for families used to making frequent trips to the market or grocery store for fresh food items," said Los Angeles-area registered dietitian Monica Montes with N.E.W. Health Consultants. "We developed this special Family Meal Plan and Shopping List to help Latino families eat healthy and save money without sacrificing freshness or flavor."
The Meals Matter "Family Meal Plan and Shopping List" combines
* Traditional ingredients like beans, rice, nopales, mango and tomatillos
* Healthier versions of familiar recipes like enchiladas that use plain yogurt instead of sour cream for more calcium, protein and potassium with fewer calories
* A weeklong shopping list with enough items to prepare six servings of each recipe.
Planning, preparing and eating meals together at home is a healthy, fun and inexpensive way to stay connected as a family. Home-cooked meals are generally less expensive and more nutritious than meals eaten away from home, and children who help family members prepare and enjoy healthy foods will form healthy eating habits as well.
To help families eat healthy and save money, download the free Meals Matter Family Meal Plan and Shopping list today. Important tips on storing fresh produce and cooking with children are also available at http://www.mealsmatter.org/En-Espanol/En-foco/Planear-comidas-de-familia.aspx
Meals Matter is a free family nutrition and meal-planning website staffed by registered dietitians and sponsored by Dairy Council of California.
Through various nutrition education programs, Dairy Council of California promotes healthy choices from all the food groups and regular physical activity as the foundation for optimal health. Healthy Eating Made Easier.(R)
Website: http://www.dairycouncilofca.org
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Latina teens have highest pregnancy rates
Latina teens have the highest pregnancy rates in the U.S.
THE LATINO JOURNAL E-NEWS
A survey by The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy and the National Council of La Raza (NCLR), found that Latinas have the highest rate of teen pregnancy and births among all racial/ethnic groups. The National Campaign estimates that fully 53% of Latinas in the U.S. become pregnant as teens.
Other findings from the survey include:
* 49 percent of Latino teens say parents most influence their decisions about sex compared to, for example, 14 percent who cited friends, 6 percent other family members, 3 percent religious leaders, 2 percent teachers, and 2 percent the media;
* Although three-quarters of Latino teens say their parents have talked to them about sex and relationships, only half (49 percent) say their parents have talked to them about contraception;
* 74 percent of Latino teens believe that parents send one message about sex to their sons and a different message altogether to their daughters;
* Latino teens in this survey report that the most common reason why teens do not use contraception is because they are afraid their parents might find out;
* 72 percent of sexually experienced teens say they wish they had waited longer;
* 34 percent of Latino teens believe that being a teen parent would prevent them from reaching their goals; 47 percent say being a teen parent would simply delay them from reaching their goals;
* 76 percent of Latino teens say it is important for a couple to be married before starting a family or having a child.
"While Latino teen pregnancy has gained national attention in recent years, little work has been done to understand subgroup differences and similarities within the Latino community," says Ruthie Flores, Senior Manager, of The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy's Latino Initiative. "We hope this survey shines much-needed light on the beliefs and attitudes of Latino teens and parents and helps inform teen pregnancy prevention efforts and messages nationwide."
"Scant attention has been paid to what motivates the behavior of Latino teens with regard to relationships," said Maria Rosa, DrPH, Ph.D., National Council of La Raza, Vice President, Institute for Hispanic Health. "The poll's findings are a catalyst for an important and much needed conversation about how to reverse the rising rates of teen pregnancy in the Latino community."
Findings from the survey were released at a Latino Leaders Network Issue Hour on teen pregnancy in the Latino community that took place on Capitol Hill on Tuesday, May 19, 2009.
The survey examines the beliefs and attitudes within the Latino community about teen pregnancy and related issues. International Communications Research (ICR) conducted the survey in July and August of 2008, by telephone, of 759 Latino teens and 915 Latino adults with children in the household under age 18.
For more information about The National Campaign, the National Council of La Raza, and the Latino Leaders Network, please visit the following websites: TheNationalCampaign.org, NCLR.org, and LatinoLeadersNetwork.org.
THE LATINO JOURNAL E-NEWS
A survey by The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy and the National Council of La Raza (NCLR), found that Latinas have the highest rate of teen pregnancy and births among all racial/ethnic groups. The National Campaign estimates that fully 53% of Latinas in the U.S. become pregnant as teens.
Other findings from the survey include:
* 49 percent of Latino teens say parents most influence their decisions about sex compared to, for example, 14 percent who cited friends, 6 percent other family members, 3 percent religious leaders, 2 percent teachers, and 2 percent the media;
* Although three-quarters of Latino teens say their parents have talked to them about sex and relationships, only half (49 percent) say their parents have talked to them about contraception;
* 74 percent of Latino teens believe that parents send one message about sex to their sons and a different message altogether to their daughters;
* Latino teens in this survey report that the most common reason why teens do not use contraception is because they are afraid their parents might find out;
* 72 percent of sexually experienced teens say they wish they had waited longer;
* 34 percent of Latino teens believe that being a teen parent would prevent them from reaching their goals; 47 percent say being a teen parent would simply delay them from reaching their goals;
* 76 percent of Latino teens say it is important for a couple to be married before starting a family or having a child.
"While Latino teen pregnancy has gained national attention in recent years, little work has been done to understand subgroup differences and similarities within the Latino community," says Ruthie Flores, Senior Manager, of The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy's Latino Initiative. "We hope this survey shines much-needed light on the beliefs and attitudes of Latino teens and parents and helps inform teen pregnancy prevention efforts and messages nationwide."
"Scant attention has been paid to what motivates the behavior of Latino teens with regard to relationships," said Maria Rosa, DrPH, Ph.D., National Council of La Raza, Vice President, Institute for Hispanic Health. "The poll's findings are a catalyst for an important and much needed conversation about how to reverse the rising rates of teen pregnancy in the Latino community."
Findings from the survey were released at a Latino Leaders Network Issue Hour on teen pregnancy in the Latino community that took place on Capitol Hill on Tuesday, May 19, 2009.
The survey examines the beliefs and attitudes within the Latino community about teen pregnancy and related issues. International Communications Research (ICR) conducted the survey in July and August of 2008, by telephone, of 759 Latino teens and 915 Latino adults with children in the household under age 18.
For more information about The National Campaign, the National Council of La Raza, and the Latino Leaders Network, please visit the following websites: TheNationalCampaign.org, NCLR.org, and LatinoLeadersNetwork.org.
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Comic strip for Hispanic diabetics
Comic Strip Aims to Educate Families About Diabetes
Health Day
June 30 (HealthDay News) -- The syndicated comic strip "Baldo" will feature a storyline on diabetes in order to boost awareness about prevention and treatment of the disease among Hispanics.
The comic strip features a Hispanic teen named Baldo Bermudez. In a series of strips that will begin June 30, Baldo will learn his father has diabetes. The teen will mistakenly believe the worry caused by his antics led to his father's illness. Baldo will offer support to his father to exercise more, and Baldo's sister, Gracie, will encourage the family to eat healthier, according to a news release from the National Alliance for Hispanic Health.
It is hoped that the comic, which is published in Spanish and English and appears in more than 200 newspapers nationally, will encourage readers to call the Su Familia National Hispanic Family Health Helpline (1-866-783-2645). English- and Spanish-speaking callers can talk to a health promotion adviser to receive a free bilingual book on diabetes and get answers to questions, including referral to diabetes services in their community.
"The key to taking charge of diabetes in our community is awareness, diagnosis and treatment. That's why we are so proud to partner with the Alliance to get the word out on diabetes and what we can all do for good health," Baldo co-creator Hector Cantu said in the news release.
More information
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more about diabetes.
Health Day
June 30 (HealthDay News) -- The syndicated comic strip "Baldo" will feature a storyline on diabetes in order to boost awareness about prevention and treatment of the disease among Hispanics.
The comic strip features a Hispanic teen named Baldo Bermudez. In a series of strips that will begin June 30, Baldo will learn his father has diabetes. The teen will mistakenly believe the worry caused by his antics led to his father's illness. Baldo will offer support to his father to exercise more, and Baldo's sister, Gracie, will encourage the family to eat healthier, according to a news release from the National Alliance for Hispanic Health.
It is hoped that the comic, which is published in Spanish and English and appears in more than 200 newspapers nationally, will encourage readers to call the Su Familia National Hispanic Family Health Helpline (1-866-783-2645). English- and Spanish-speaking callers can talk to a health promotion adviser to receive a free bilingual book on diabetes and get answers to questions, including referral to diabetes services in their community.
"The key to taking charge of diabetes in our community is awareness, diagnosis and treatment. That's why we are so proud to partner with the Alliance to get the word out on diabetes and what we can all do for good health," Baldo co-creator Hector Cantu said in the news release.
More information
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more about diabetes.
Latino providers let voices be heard
Latino Providers Speak Out on Education, Healthcare and Immigration Reform
Elianne Ramos, Baltimore Hispanic Business Examiner
With President Obama lobbying for health care and education reform, and most of America split over the pros and cons of immigration, a movement of altruistic Latino businessmen and women in the city of Baltimore shines a light of hope on these critical Latino issues. The Latino Providers Network, the only organization of its kind in the area, has been working for the rights of the community through networking, advocacy and the sharing of resources and information since 1995. “We all know the Latino community is growing exponentially and becoming an economic powerhouse in Maryland. But there are gaps in the services they have access to, and although we don’t provide direct services or seek to duplicate any of the existing services out there, the idea behind our organization is to be the bridge between the organizations who provide support to this underserved community,” says Jesús Rivera, Executive Director of LPN.
Staying true to their core mission, the organization has worked to accurately represent the Latino population in pertinent policy and system reform issues since they first started. One notable example, cited by Michael Lynch, Vicepresident of LPN’s Board of Directors, was a situation that was developing in the public school system about five years ago. “We had received complaints from families of limited English proficiency, who claimed they didn’t get adequate services when trying to enroll their children at certain public schools. So we filed a complaint with the Office for Civil Rights.” The complaint, which has since been dismissed, brought the issue to the attention the Baltimore City Public School system. According to Mr. Lynch, since then the school system has taken ownership of the process and are doing are doing everything that they can to better the situation. "We continue to meet with them on a monthly basis and they visit the schools to see how they are responding. They have a checklist they go through. It’s a collaboration."
In their opinion, part of their success in bringing about change has to do with fostering a spirit of collaboration among their members, and finding the right partners in terms of non-profits, community leaders and corporations. The network’s over 200 member organizations, which deal with issues such as immigration, education, housing, unemployment and health, have been involved directy with the community for many years. In recent years, they have seen a dramatic increase in membership and corporate interest in the organization, which they view as a step in the right direction. Yet, they insist, they don’t want to be seen as a commercial entity. “At the moment," says Mr. Rivera, "we’re working on an annual giving campaign for members and on getting a larger support from the business community. But we want this to be a forum for organizations that really want to take an active role in our organization, in helping the community and the City of Baltimore.”
In LPN’s view, the way to empower the Latino segment of the population is to offer them access to healthcare, education and to help them solve their immigration issues. “One thing we have noticed is the backlash that happens everytime a particular ethnic group becomes a large enclave. And the most recent assembly is Latinos,” says Mr. Lynch. “To us, that is regressive change. That is not going to keep America safe. In fact, it may bring more problems and complications, like crime.”
Though they’ll continue their labor of love through the Latino Providers Network, their hope is that the Obama administration looks at the bigger picture when it comes to new legislation and how it may affect the larger community. “Our concern is that some legislation may force part of the Latino community into the shadows. Some of these legislations make sense legally, but what will the outcome be in five years? It may mean a whole segment of the population that has no trust in the police, no trust in the social agencies,” says Mr. Rivera, adding, “Our providers have to deal with that everyday. We think that if you are able to build confianza, trust with the Latino community, then you’re able to accomplish many positive things. How do we know? We’ve been here for 17 years. Outreach is what we do for a living.”
For more info, to donate or to join the Latino Providers Network, visit LPN's website or call (410) 732-0242.
Elianne Ramos, Baltimore Hispanic Business Examiner
With President Obama lobbying for health care and education reform, and most of America split over the pros and cons of immigration, a movement of altruistic Latino businessmen and women in the city of Baltimore shines a light of hope on these critical Latino issues. The Latino Providers Network, the only organization of its kind in the area, has been working for the rights of the community through networking, advocacy and the sharing of resources and information since 1995. “We all know the Latino community is growing exponentially and becoming an economic powerhouse in Maryland. But there are gaps in the services they have access to, and although we don’t provide direct services or seek to duplicate any of the existing services out there, the idea behind our organization is to be the bridge between the organizations who provide support to this underserved community,” says Jesús Rivera, Executive Director of LPN.
Staying true to their core mission, the organization has worked to accurately represent the Latino population in pertinent policy and system reform issues since they first started. One notable example, cited by Michael Lynch, Vicepresident of LPN’s Board of Directors, was a situation that was developing in the public school system about five years ago. “We had received complaints from families of limited English proficiency, who claimed they didn’t get adequate services when trying to enroll their children at certain public schools. So we filed a complaint with the Office for Civil Rights.” The complaint, which has since been dismissed, brought the issue to the attention the Baltimore City Public School system. According to Mr. Lynch, since then the school system has taken ownership of the process and are doing are doing everything that they can to better the situation. "We continue to meet with them on a monthly basis and they visit the schools to see how they are responding. They have a checklist they go through. It’s a collaboration."
In their opinion, part of their success in bringing about change has to do with fostering a spirit of collaboration among their members, and finding the right partners in terms of non-profits, community leaders and corporations. The network’s over 200 member organizations, which deal with issues such as immigration, education, housing, unemployment and health, have been involved directy with the community for many years. In recent years, they have seen a dramatic increase in membership and corporate interest in the organization, which they view as a step in the right direction. Yet, they insist, they don’t want to be seen as a commercial entity. “At the moment," says Mr. Rivera, "we’re working on an annual giving campaign for members and on getting a larger support from the business community. But we want this to be a forum for organizations that really want to take an active role in our organization, in helping the community and the City of Baltimore.”
In LPN’s view, the way to empower the Latino segment of the population is to offer them access to healthcare, education and to help them solve their immigration issues. “One thing we have noticed is the backlash that happens everytime a particular ethnic group becomes a large enclave. And the most recent assembly is Latinos,” says Mr. Lynch. “To us, that is regressive change. That is not going to keep America safe. In fact, it may bring more problems and complications, like crime.”
Though they’ll continue their labor of love through the Latino Providers Network, their hope is that the Obama administration looks at the bigger picture when it comes to new legislation and how it may affect the larger community. “Our concern is that some legislation may force part of the Latino community into the shadows. Some of these legislations make sense legally, but what will the outcome be in five years? It may mean a whole segment of the population that has no trust in the police, no trust in the social agencies,” says Mr. Rivera, adding, “Our providers have to deal with that everyday. We think that if you are able to build confianza, trust with the Latino community, then you’re able to accomplish many positive things. How do we know? We’ve been here for 17 years. Outreach is what we do for a living.”
For more info, to donate or to join the Latino Providers Network, visit LPN's website or call (410) 732-0242.
Hispanic women not as likely to gain abdominal fat
Young Black Women Prone to Gain More Unhealthy Abdominal Fat than Hispanics
By Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, Jul 1, 2009
(HealthNewsDigest.com) - WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Black women ages 20 to 29 are more prone to pack on unhealthy abdominal and visceral fat than Hispanic women the same age, and as compared to their elders, according to researchers from Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center and colleagues.
The new research shows that accumulation of abdominal fat that increases risk of type 2 diabetes is greatest in young adulthood for blacks and Hispanics, said endocrinologist Kristen G. Hairston, M.D., M.P.H., lead author of an article published online June 1 by the American Diabetes Association. The study is the first to look at a large minority cohort using computed tomography (CT) scanning to measure longitudinal changes over time in visceral and subcutaneous adipose tissue, which are different types of abdominal fat.
The study followed 389 blacks and 844 Hispanics ages 20 to 69, men and women, grouped by age in 10-year increments. The researchers took baseline measurements of visceral adipose tissue (VAT) and subcutaneous abdominal tissue (SAT) from 1999 to 2002 with follow-up measurements in 2005-2007. VAT is fat that resides within the abdominal cavity around internal organs and has been linked to metabolic disturbances. SAT is the kind of fat that one can pinch, like “love handles.”
The study found that the young adult age group (ages 20 to 29) had the largest five-year increase in measured adiposity, or fat, regardless of race or gender. The increase in VAT averaged 18 and 12 square centimeters (cm2) among young black and Hispanic women, respectively, and 13 and 7 cm2 among young men. The five-year increase in (SAT) was 89 and 53 cm2 among young black and Hispanic women, respectively, and 76 and 30 cm2 among young men. In general, fat accumulation declined in the older age groups. Abdominal fat accumulation, particularly the visceral type, is significant because previous studies show that VAT changes of this magnitude differentiate those who develop diabetes from those who don’t.
Until this study, this pattern of excessive abdominal fat accumulation in young adults has not been reported using CT-measured “fat depots.” The findings, however, are consistent with several other studies that used measurements such as body mass index and waist circumference. In this study, abdominal tissue area was measured at the L4/L5 vertebral region by CT.
“Our data may help to further identify unique populations at risk for type 2 diabetes and those for whom behavioral intervention might be most effective,” said Hairston, assistant professor of endocrinology and metabolism.
Grants from the National Institutes of Health funded the research. The article, titled “Five-year change in visceral adipose tissue quantity in a minority cohort: The IRAS Family Study,” appears online at http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/early/2009/05/28/dc09-0336.abstract. It will be published in the August issue of Diabetes Care, a publication of the American Diabetes Association.
Co-authors include Capri Foy, Ph.D., Orita McCorkle, B.A., and Lynne Wagenknecht, DrPH, from Wake Forest Baptist; Ann Scherzinger, Ph.D., and Jill Norris, M.P.H., Ph.D., from University of Colorado-School of Health Sciences; Anthony Hanley, Ph.D., from University of Toronto, Nutrition Sciences; Steven Haffner, M.D., M.P.H., University of Texas-Health Science Center at San Antonio; and Michael Bryer-Ash from University of Oklahoma School of Health Sciences.
By Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, Jul 1, 2009
(HealthNewsDigest.com) - WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Black women ages 20 to 29 are more prone to pack on unhealthy abdominal and visceral fat than Hispanic women the same age, and as compared to their elders, according to researchers from Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center and colleagues.
The new research shows that accumulation of abdominal fat that increases risk of type 2 diabetes is greatest in young adulthood for blacks and Hispanics, said endocrinologist Kristen G. Hairston, M.D., M.P.H., lead author of an article published online June 1 by the American Diabetes Association. The study is the first to look at a large minority cohort using computed tomography (CT) scanning to measure longitudinal changes over time in visceral and subcutaneous adipose tissue, which are different types of abdominal fat.
The study followed 389 blacks and 844 Hispanics ages 20 to 69, men and women, grouped by age in 10-year increments. The researchers took baseline measurements of visceral adipose tissue (VAT) and subcutaneous abdominal tissue (SAT) from 1999 to 2002 with follow-up measurements in 2005-2007. VAT is fat that resides within the abdominal cavity around internal organs and has been linked to metabolic disturbances. SAT is the kind of fat that one can pinch, like “love handles.”
The study found that the young adult age group (ages 20 to 29) had the largest five-year increase in measured adiposity, or fat, regardless of race or gender. The increase in VAT averaged 18 and 12 square centimeters (cm2) among young black and Hispanic women, respectively, and 13 and 7 cm2 among young men. The five-year increase in (SAT) was 89 and 53 cm2 among young black and Hispanic women, respectively, and 76 and 30 cm2 among young men. In general, fat accumulation declined in the older age groups. Abdominal fat accumulation, particularly the visceral type, is significant because previous studies show that VAT changes of this magnitude differentiate those who develop diabetes from those who don’t.
Until this study, this pattern of excessive abdominal fat accumulation in young adults has not been reported using CT-measured “fat depots.” The findings, however, are consistent with several other studies that used measurements such as body mass index and waist circumference. In this study, abdominal tissue area was measured at the L4/L5 vertebral region by CT.
“Our data may help to further identify unique populations at risk for type 2 diabetes and those for whom behavioral intervention might be most effective,” said Hairston, assistant professor of endocrinology and metabolism.
Grants from the National Institutes of Health funded the research. The article, titled “Five-year change in visceral adipose tissue quantity in a minority cohort: The IRAS Family Study,” appears online at http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/early/2009/05/28/dc09-0336.abstract. It will be published in the August issue of Diabetes Care, a publication of the American Diabetes Association.
Co-authors include Capri Foy, Ph.D., Orita McCorkle, B.A., and Lynne Wagenknecht, DrPH, from Wake Forest Baptist; Ann Scherzinger, Ph.D., and Jill Norris, M.P.H., Ph.D., from University of Colorado-School of Health Sciences; Anthony Hanley, Ph.D., from University of Toronto, Nutrition Sciences; Steven Haffner, M.D., M.P.H., University of Texas-Health Science Center at San Antonio; and Michael Bryer-Ash from University of Oklahoma School of Health Sciences.
Hispanic women most likely to marry by 18
Who Marries and When
Most Americans Get Married by Age 35, but Odds Are Stacked Against Some Groups
By Bill Hendrick, WebMD Health News
June 30, 2009 -- Only 17% of American women haven’t married by age 35, compared to 25% of men, new research indicates.
But many people marry a lot younger, the study indicates.
There’s a 50% probability that women will marry for the first time by age 25, researchers say; the probability of marriage for men doesn’t hit 50% until age 27.
The report, published today as the National Center for Health Statistics Data Brief No. 19, is part of the Department of Health and Human Services’ Healthy Marriage Initiative, which is investigating matrimonial trends because, the authors say, marriage has “potential benefits.”
Results are based on the 2002 National Survey of Family Growth, which involved 12,571 people -- 4,928 males and 7,643 females between 15 and 44 years old.
The report “Who Marries and When? Age at First Marriage in the United States: 2002,” also shows that:
* The probability of first marriage by the age of 30 is 74% for women and 61% for men.
* By age 40, the probability is 86% for women and 81% for men.
* However, the probability of marriage by age 18 among all race and Hispanic origin groups is very low -- 6% for women and 2% for men. Broken down further, the probability of marriage by 18 is 10% for Hispanic women, 6% for non-Hispanic white women, and 3% for non-Hispanic black women.
* Between 25 and 44 years of age, 79% of women and 71% of men have ever been married.
The researchers are studying marriage trends because wedded people, they write, "tend to exhibit greater physical, emotional, and economic well-being" than their unmarried counterparts. "And children in households with two married parents differ from those in other types of households on measures such as child achievement," they write.
The researchers also found striking differences among racial and ethnic groups. For example:
* By age 40, there’s a 90% probability that non-Hispanic white women will have married, compared with 63% for non-Hispanic black women.
* 84% of non-Hispanic white women between 25 and 44 have married, vs. 56% of non-Hispanic black women.
* Hispanic and non-Hispanic white women have a higher probability than males of marrying for the first time between the ages of 18 and 30.
* Non-Hispanic black women have a higher probability than non-Hispanic black men of marrying for the first time by age 18. After age 30, non-Hispanic black men have higher probabilities of getting married than non-Hispanic black women.
Other intriguing findings:
* 17% of Hispanic and 12% of non-Hispanic white women have not married by age 35, compared to 42% of non-Hispanic black women still unmarried at that age.
* 32% of non-Hispanic black men have not married by age 35, compared with 24% of non-Hispanic white men and 25% of Hispanic men. Looking below the poverty level, they found that 53% of poor non-Hispanic black women had not married before 35, compared with 19% of poor Hispanic and non-Hispanic white women in the same age group.
* The majority of American men and women will marry at some point, and the probability that men and women will marry by age 40 is 81% for men and 86% for women.
The authors are Paula Goodwin, PhD, Brittany McGill, MPP, and Anjani Chandra, PhD. Goodwin is at the National Institutes of Health’s National Center for Minority Health and Health Disparities, and McGill is a doctoral student at the University of Maryland. Both are formerly with the National Center for Health Statistics of the CDC, where Chandra works.
Most Americans Get Married by Age 35, but Odds Are Stacked Against Some Groups
By Bill Hendrick, WebMD Health News
June 30, 2009 -- Only 17% of American women haven’t married by age 35, compared to 25% of men, new research indicates.
But many people marry a lot younger, the study indicates.
There’s a 50% probability that women will marry for the first time by age 25, researchers say; the probability of marriage for men doesn’t hit 50% until age 27.
The report, published today as the National Center for Health Statistics Data Brief No. 19, is part of the Department of Health and Human Services’ Healthy Marriage Initiative, which is investigating matrimonial trends because, the authors say, marriage has “potential benefits.”
Results are based on the 2002 National Survey of Family Growth, which involved 12,571 people -- 4,928 males and 7,643 females between 15 and 44 years old.
The report “Who Marries and When? Age at First Marriage in the United States: 2002,” also shows that:
* The probability of first marriage by the age of 30 is 74% for women and 61% for men.
* By age 40, the probability is 86% for women and 81% for men.
* However, the probability of marriage by age 18 among all race and Hispanic origin groups is very low -- 6% for women and 2% for men. Broken down further, the probability of marriage by 18 is 10% for Hispanic women, 6% for non-Hispanic white women, and 3% for non-Hispanic black women.
* Between 25 and 44 years of age, 79% of women and 71% of men have ever been married.
The researchers are studying marriage trends because wedded people, they write, "tend to exhibit greater physical, emotional, and economic well-being" than their unmarried counterparts. "And children in households with two married parents differ from those in other types of households on measures such as child achievement," they write.
The researchers also found striking differences among racial and ethnic groups. For example:
* By age 40, there’s a 90% probability that non-Hispanic white women will have married, compared with 63% for non-Hispanic black women.
* 84% of non-Hispanic white women between 25 and 44 have married, vs. 56% of non-Hispanic black women.
* Hispanic and non-Hispanic white women have a higher probability than males of marrying for the first time between the ages of 18 and 30.
* Non-Hispanic black women have a higher probability than non-Hispanic black men of marrying for the first time by age 18. After age 30, non-Hispanic black men have higher probabilities of getting married than non-Hispanic black women.
Other intriguing findings:
* 17% of Hispanic and 12% of non-Hispanic white women have not married by age 35, compared to 42% of non-Hispanic black women still unmarried at that age.
* 32% of non-Hispanic black men have not married by age 35, compared with 24% of non-Hispanic white men and 25% of Hispanic men. Looking below the poverty level, they found that 53% of poor non-Hispanic black women had not married before 35, compared with 19% of poor Hispanic and non-Hispanic white women in the same age group.
* The majority of American men and women will marry at some point, and the probability that men and women will marry by age 40 is 81% for men and 86% for women.
The authors are Paula Goodwin, PhD, Brittany McGill, MPP, and Anjani Chandra, PhD. Goodwin is at the National Institutes of Health’s National Center for Minority Health and Health Disparities, and McGill is a doctoral student at the University of Maryland. Both are formerly with the National Center for Health Statistics of the CDC, where Chandra works.
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