Hispanic health

American Diabetes Alert Day ” March 25, 2008

ADACould You Be At Risk For Diabetes And Not Know It? Find Out.

On Diabetes Alert Day, the American Diabetes Association (ADA) will Sound the Alert” about the dangers of diabetes. Observed on the fourth Tuesday of every March, the 20th annual American Diabetes Alert Day is Tuesday, March 25, 2008.

Everyone should be aware of the risk factors for type 2 diabetes. People who are overweight, under active (living a sedentary lifestyle), and over the age of 45 should consider themselves at risk for the disease.

The ADA are encouraging people to take the Diabetes Risk TestSpanish) to see if they are at risk for having or developing type 2 diabetes. African Americans, Latinos, Native Americans, and people who have a family history of the disease are at an increased risk for type 2 diabetes.

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American Psychiatric Association contributes to Hispanic Heritage Month

In recognition of Hispanic Heritage Month, the American Psychiatric Association has launched its newest Let’s Talk Facts brochure – Mental Health in the Hispanic Community ” aimed at addressing the mental health needs and issues impacting the Hispanic and Latino Community. The brochure is available in both English and Spanish. According to the APA, “among Hispanic Americans with a mental disorder, fewer than 1 in 11 contact mental health specialists, while fewer than 1 in 5 contact general health care providers”. Minority groups tend to view mental illness as another label added to their already stigmatized cultures. The APA Expert Opinion is a monthly column by experts from the American Psychiatric Association. This month’s installment features experts from the American Psychiatric Association’s Committee of Hispanic Psychiatrists discussing attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children and adolescents and depression in Hispanic children. The national observance of Hispanic Heritage Month is set annually from Sept. 15 through Oct. 15 to recognize the achievements of Hispanic Americans and their rich contributions to the heritage of the nation.

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Be Wary of Fake Antibiotics

The Texas Department of State Health Services has sent out a health alert concerning products being sold as dietary supplements that appear to be look-a-like antibiotics.  The products, which contain not active antibiotic ingredients, are being sold under names such as Amoxilina, Pentrexcilina, Ampitrexyl, Citircillin, Amoximiel and Pentreximil.  The labels on the products are misleading and are being distributed primarily to small independent stores that serve Hispanic communities.  Stores are being urged to take the products off their shelves, and products that have already been purchased by consumers, discarded. 

The Texas Department of State Health Services can be reached at 512-834-6755 for more information or complaints.

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Best health information sites for English-language learners

Larry Ferlazzo is a former community organizer who now teaches English to both new and native speakers at a high school in Sacramento, California. He also publishes a tremendous guide to online teaching resources for English teachers and learners, and his blog, Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day, has consistently great links to new online resources to support teaching and learning — especially learning English.

About a month ago, he published a blog post with a fantastic list of “The Best Health Sites For English Language Learners”, in which he picks the top 12 sites that best bring together health information literacy with potential English language development. His recommendations are excellent, from EnglishMed‘s animated exercises for medical professionals learning workplace English, all the way up to MedinePlus’s Interactive Health Tutorials. Along the way, he recommends three different sites focused on oral health, one for kids’ health, and much more. Commenters to the post have added some other suggestions as well.

Thanks to Siobhan for this helpful link!

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Border Binational Health Week: October 14-19, 2007

“The goal of BBHW is to promote sustainable partnerships to address border health problems. Intended outcomes include increased community and inter-agency networking relationships, increased information sharing and educational opportunities, and increased awareness of the BHC including state and local initiatives.” The BBHW site provides information about programs and activities by state, including conferences for health professionals and health fairs for consumers.

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Border Health Conference in D.C.

The Rio Grande Guardian reported on the 5th Annual Border Conference which takes place this Wednesday:

The Border Health Caucus represents more than 9,000 members, comprising the Texas Medical Association’s county medical societies along the border, plus Bexar and Nueces county societies. The BHC is hosting the 5th Annual Border Health Conference, which takes place from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday in the North Congressional Meeting Room in the U.S. Capitol Visitors Center.

The speakers:

Among those slated to speak on this panel are J. Manuel de la Rosa, founding dean of the Texas Tech Health Science Center in El Paso, Sam Howarth, director of policy and multicultural health at the New Mexico Department of Health, Don McBeath, director of advocacy for the Texas Organization of Rural and Community Hospitals, Jaime Flores Neder, former president of the Juarez Medical Society, F. Sam Notzon, director of the international statistics program for the National Center for Health Statistics, and Leonel Vela, regional dean of the Regional Academic Health Center in the Rio Grande Valley.

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Breast Cancer in Hispanic Women

Research from several studies presented at the American Association for Cancer Research Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities has revealed some interesting information concerning breast cancer in Hispanic women. Among the findings was that two-thirds of breast cancer is discovered by self-exam, even though the mammography rate among U.S. born Hispanic women is 83 percent. Also, about half the women who found some kind of abnormality waited at least a month before seeking medical help. Lack of medical insurance or ways to pay for medical care were primary reasons for the lack of quick response. According to Elena Martinez, co-leader of the Cancer Prevention and Control Program at the Arizona Cancer Center in Tuscon, “the problem [of breast cancer] is very poorly understood in this population, and it’s an issue that affects the U.S. because of the large and growing population of Hispanics in this country.”

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Brownsville-Matamoros Sister City Project for Women’s Health

The October issue of Preventing Chronic Disease has several reports of studies emerging from the “Brownsville-Matamoros Sister City Project for Women’s Health.” In their editorial, Brian Castrucci et al. reflect on the significance of this research:

“Compared with other Texas residents, Texans living in the US-Mexico border region experience higher rates of communicable disease and self-described fair or poor health, lower rates of physical activity, higher obesity prevalence, and greater limitations to accessing and obtaining health insurance. This issue of Preventing Chronic Disease (PCD) explores challenges in maternal and reproductive health, using surveillance data collected through the Brownsville-Matamoros Sister City Project for Women’s Health (BMSCP), funded in 2005 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Four of the articles in this issue of PCD address the time periods before pregnancy, during pregnancy, and after pregnancy. Analysis of the data presented in these articles creates an opportunity to understand the effect of different policies and practices on each side of the US-Mexico border, so each public health system can learn from the other and identify issues in which binational collaboration may be appropriate and necessary.”

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Cancer Facts & Figures for Hispanics/Latinos 2009-2011

A report from the American Cancer Society provides a new profile for cancer among Hispanics.  Although less likely than non-Hispanic whites to die from cancer, Hispanics have higher rates of cancers associated with infections including stomach, liver and cervical cancer.

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Cancer Gene Identified in Minority Women

A multracial study conducted by researchers from the Northern California Cancer Institute at Stanford University has discovered that a genetic mutation in the BRCA1 gene, known to increase the risk of cancer in certain Jewish women of Eastern European ancestry, is found in significant numbers in Hispanic women who develop the disease. It is estimated that 3.5 percent of Hispanic women with breast cancer also have a mutation of this gene. In women diagnosed with breast cancer before age 35, the prevalence of the mutation is 8.9 percent. Since minority women are less likely to be tested for the BRCA1 mutation, the chance of detecting any possible cancer at an early stage is lower.

The BRCA1 gene makes a protein that helps cells repair DNA, but a mutation of this gene makes them less able to fix DNA and the accumulated mutations can lead to cancer.

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