Minority health

Eye on Latinos

According to recent findings from the Survey of Public Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices Related to Eye Health and Disease, most Americans do not know the risks and warning signs of eye ailments. This survey was sponsored by the National Eye Institute and the Lions Club International Foundation. It is interesting to note that Hispanic respondents:

  • reported the lowest access to eye health information,
  • knew the least about eye health, and
  • were the least likely to have their eyes examined among all racial/ethnic groups participating in the survey.

    Forty-one percent of Hispanics reported that they had not seen or heard anything about eye health or disease in the last year, compared with 28 percent of Asians, 26 percent of African-Americans, and 16 percent of Caucasians.

    This report supports the findings of the Los Angeles Latino Eye Study which was the largest, most comprehensive study of Latinos and visual impairment ever conducted in the United States. The study reported that Latinos had a high rate of visual impairment and most were not aware of their condition. Many things may contribute to under-diagnosis, including access to health care, availability of health services and demographic issues, factors that warrant further study. The study was funded by the National Eye Institute and the National Center for Minority Health and Health Disparities, part of the National Institute of Health, with additional support from Research to Prevent Blindness. Published results may be found in article: Causes of Low Vision and Blindness in Adult Latinos: The Los Angeles Latino Eye Study. Ophthalmology, Volume 113, Issue 9, September 2006, Pages 1574-1582.

    For more information on eye diseases and disorders, vision eye care resources, and información en español visit the National Eye Institute’s website. The National Eye Institute also offers a quick quiz (English & Spanish) to test your eye health.

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    Fatty Liver Disease in Children a Growing Trend

    A new obesity risk is now being addressed among children.  A condition known as fatty liver disease may be leading overweight children towards a future that could involve a liver transplant.  It is thought by experts that between 2 and 5 percent of American children older than 5, many obese or overweight, have the condition known as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.  Fatty liver is a condition in which the liver can become inflamed and then scarred as fat buids up, possibly leading to cirrhosis.  If the point of cirrhosis has not been reached, the condition can be reversed through weight loss.  If cirrhosis develops, liver failure or liver cancer can follow. 

    “There are people in their 30s or early 40s that will require a liver transplant” from developing the condition as a kid, predicts Dr. Jose Derdoy, head of liver transplants at Cardinal Glennon Children’s Medical Center in St. Louis.  Unfortunately, early symptoms of the disease, such as fatigue and loss of appetite are not always noticed and the condition may worsen without anyone’s knowledge.  “The majority of children with this still go undiagnosed.” said Dr. Jeffrey Schwimmer, head of the Fatty Liver Clinic at Rady Children’s Hospital in San Diego.  “Some kids have died.”  The disease is most common in overweight children with belly fat and is associated with other risk factors such as elevated cholesterol, diabetes and heart problems.

    With genetics, diet and exercise all playing a role, this condition is most prevalent among Hispanics and more common in boys than girls.

    The American Academy of Pediatrics has recommended doctors do a blood test of liver enzymes every two years on obese children and overweight children with high blood pressure or cholesterol or family history of heart disease.

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    February 2012: National Children’s Dental Health Month

    In 2002, the Urban Institute reported that one of the most prevalent chronic illnesses facing children in the United States today is tooth decay. It is astounding that oral health problems persist among children in spite the fact that tooth decay is largely preventable through regular dental cleanings and checkups. Still, 24 percent of children ages 5 to 17 account for 80 percent of the tooth decay disease in permanent teeth among this age group. Socioeconomic disparities are blamed for these oral health burdens and low-income children are disproportionately affected. Inadequate access to dental care can be cited as the problem. Please read the report: http://www.urban.org/publications/309527.html

    It is with this problem in mind that the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) offers Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Dental Services though a managed care model. Beginning March 1, 2012, HHSC will expand managed care dental services to include Medicaid. The goal of this expansion is to provide quality, comprehensive dental services to eligible recipients. HHSC will select two or more dental contractors to provide services to both Medicaid and CHIP Members. Please read the report:
    http://www.hhsc.state.tx.us/medicaid/MMC/TMHP_article_0611.pdf

    It is good to remember also, that we can help protect our children’s teeth and diminish the growth of caries with various applications of dental sealants and with topical and systemic fluoride, but most importantly, a sound education and a good oral hygiene program will go a long way to help maintain healthy teeth and gums for a long, long time.

    “Something Fun” from the American Dental Association in honor of National Children’s Dental Health Month:

    http://www.ada.org/sections/publicResources/pdfs/2012NCDHM_ActivitySheets_English_FULL.pdf

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    Feeling the Chill

    A new report from the Pew Hispanic Center 2007 National Survey of Latinos: As Illegal Immigration Issue Heats Up, Hispanics Feel a Chill describes the effects of this year’s heightened attention to immigration on Hispanics around the country. Whether immigrants or native, legal or illegal, nearly two-thirds of Hispanic adults say that life has been made more difficult for all Hispanics because of Congress’s failure to pass a reform bill, and more than half worry that they or someone close to them could be deported.

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    Forecast: 90% of Mexico’s population overweight/obese by 2018

    A recent report by the Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social (IMSS) indicates that if current trends continue over the next ten years, the percentage of the Mexican population considered overweight (BMI between 25 and 30) or obese (BMI over 30) could rise as high as 90% by 2018.

    Although the press release indicates the percentage of Mexico’s population that is overweight or obese places it second only to the US in that category, that ranking may change soon if it has not already. The 2006 Encuesta Nacional de Salud y Nutrición placed that figure at nearly 70% for adults over age 20 in Mexico, compared with 66% for US adults over age 20 published in NCHS’s 2003-2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

    In the IMSS press release, specialists from the Department of Nutrition & Dietetics at the IMSS’s Centro Médico Nacional La Raza indicate that globalization has brought to Mexico not only lifestyle changes, but also changes in nutritional habits:

    “We are suffering a dietary transition, in which we are changing our nutritional habits, leaving aside the traditional diet, which was based on grains, corn and … giving way to the culture of fast-food diets,” confirmed nutritionist Dr Georgina Nanclares Delgado.

    Dr Rosa María Andrade García said Mexicans’ diets are becoming more and more like those of industrialized countries like the United States and China. At the same time, sedentary lifestyles are becoming strongly prevalent. “This transculturization is affecting us, we are taking on behaviors of other countries which really bring a certain type of diet which harms us, consuming large quantities of energy [calories], proteins and supersaturated fats, but with little fiber, vitamins and minerals,” she indicated.

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    Fortification of Masa Flour as a Source of Folic Acid for Mexican-American Women

    In 1998, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration began the mandatory addition of folic acid to cereal, pasta, rice, bread and flour in order to lower the incidence of NTDs (neural tube defects) in the United States.  After the addition of folic acid, NTDs dropped from 4,130 cases to 3,000 cases.  However, the mandate did not apply to corn masa flour (used in corn tortillas and corn chips), whole grain breads and corn meal products manufactured in other countries, which would increase the introduction of folic acid to women in the Mexican-American community. 

    As Mexican-Americans are at a 30-40 percent higher risk for neural tube defects, it could greatly affect the population in decreasing the occurrence of these defects.  According to a study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the addition of folic acid to corn masa flour products could increase the intake of folic acid for Mexican-Americans by 20%.

    The study is published in the January 2009 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

    Posted in Hispanic health, Minority health, Staying Well. Connected. | Comments Off

    Genetic Link to Spina Bifida Discovered

    Spina Bifida is a neural tube birth defect that occurs when the spine of the baby fails to close during the first months of pregnancy. It is the most common permanently disabling birth defect in the United States, occurring in seven out of 10,000 births. However, it is more prevalent in the Hispanic population, with a Hispanic woman twice as likely to have a child with this condition. In Texas, nearly two out of every 1,000 babies is born with Spina Bifida.

    Epidemiological studies have always recognized a link between high glucose levels and having a child with spina bifida, but now an association between three variants in glucose metabolism genes and spina bifida has been identified through research conducted at the UT Medical School at Houston.

    According to Dr. Manju Monda, M.D., professor at the Universty of Texas Medical School at Houston … “This is important from a practical standpoint because neural tube defects are more common in pregnancies complicated by maternal diabetes and maternal obesity, and our study suggests a mechanism for this association. In the United States, Mexican-American women have the highest rates of neural tube defects and they are also at increased risk for obesity and adult-onset diabetes, so this study may be especially relevant to pregnant women in Texas.”

    The study, titled “Genes in Glucose Metabolism and Association with Spina Bifida”, is being published in the January 2008 issue of the journal Reproductive Services.

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    Gum Disease Linked with Gestational Diabetes Risk

    Researchers have found that pregnant women with gum disease may be more at risk of developing gestational diabetes than pregnant women with healthy gums. Findings from the study show the 8 percent who developed gestational diabetes had higher levels of gum-disease-causing bacteria and inflammation. The study group consisted of 265 women, of which 83 percent were Hispanic…..a group already at higher risk to gestational diabetes and type 2 diabetes.

    Preterm birth has also been linked to gum disease in previous studies.

    “In addition to its potential role in preterm delivery, evidence that gum disease may also contribute to gestational diabetes suggests that women should see a dentist if they plan to get pregnant, and after becoming pregnant,” said lead researcher, Dr. Ananda P. Dasanayake.

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    Hablando de la Salud de la Mujer

    From KLRN’s media release:

    *****

    This weekend, at their annual women’s health conference, KLRN will honor the work of Martha I. Castilla, Executive Director of the Edgewood Family Network (EFN) while also showcasing the work of Martinez Street Women’s Center Maternal and Child Health Promotora Program.

    Castilla began EFN with a small group of dedicated Latina mothers from the Westside of San Antonio women who were frustrated by the lack of culturally competent health information that was available to low-income Latina women. Through collaborations, EFN has now grown to be a community-led organization of residents, supporters, neighborhood groups, public agencies and local businesses working together to identify, address and resolve key issues for Latinas and their families.

    Founded in the summer of 1999 by a group of women from diverse professional backgrounds, the Martinez Street Women’s Center aims to create a community space to promote the health and well-being of women and girls in San Antonio. The education, parenting, and counseling services provide long-term affirmation and support for women, girls and their families, enabling them to overcome barriers and make positive choices for their overall health and well-being.

    KLRN — the public television station serving South Central Texas —  is recognizing Martha Castilla and the Martinez Street Women’s Center as part of the 2nd Hablando de la Salud de la Mujer , a day for the women in the community.  On Saturday, September 20, women of all ages will gather for health screenings, breakout sessions, a breakfast and a formal luncheon, presentations by nationally known keynote speakers, as well as a tote bag filled with numerous gifts and giveaways.  Tickets are $25.

    “We [KLRN] are proud to provide this opportunity for women to join us for a day-long adventure into their own lives,” said Joanne Winik, General Manager of KLRN. “This event not only brings together families and friends, but it provides women a chance to discover more about their own health and well-being.  And we are particularly pleased with the keynote speakers chosen for this year who encourage women to foster positive attitudes, confidence and passion throughout their daily lives.”

    About KLRN
    KLRN-TV Channel 9 is the Public Television station for South Central Texas and broadcasts to a 30-county radius. The mission of KLRN is to use the power of telecommunications to provide quality programs and services which advance education, culture and community, to enrich the lives of people throughout South Central Texas.

    About Speaking of Women’s Health

    Speaking of Women’s Health’s mission is to “educate women to make informed decisions about health, well-being and personal safety for themselves and their families.” The 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization educates and empowers women nationwide through more than 50 conferences and events across the country. The foundations programs include Speaking of Women’s Health, Universal Sisters and Hablando de la Salud de la Mujer; community events and education centers with free health brochures in Wal-Mart stores nationwide; a free quarterly newsletter, a Web site and a daily television show, “Lifetime’s Speaking of Women’s Health.”

    Speaking of Women’s Health is supported by National Sponsors Wal-Mart, Lifetime,  Tylenol, Zyrtec, Kellogg’s, L’Oréal Paris, Maybelline New York, Garnier, Cadbury Schweppes Americas Beverages, Kellogg’s Snacks, Gardasil [Human Papillomavirus  Quadrivalent (Types 6, 11, 16, and 18) Vaccine, Recombinant], Slim-Fast, Promise Activ, Vaseline, Degree, Kleenex, Huggies, Kotex, Dove Chocolate, Meredith Corporation, Stryker, One A Day and Citracal.

    Locally, the Hablando de la Salud de la Mujer is supported by: Aetna, Metro Health, Texas Beef Council, DividedWeFail.org, Gastroenterology Clinic of San Antonio, IBC Bank, Thompson Print and Mail Solutions, San Antonio Magazine and Telemundo San Antonio.

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    Health comparisons and disparities in South Texas

    The new South Texas Health Status Review, recently published by the UT HSC’s Institute for Health Promotion Research, provides a comprehensive, statistical comparison of health factors in South Texas with the rest of the state and country.

    The review is available in PDF format from the Institute’s website at http://ihpr.uthscsa.edu/rpt_toc.html.

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