Traditional Mexican diet may cut breast cancer risk
Latinas appear to have a lower incidence of breast cancer than non-Latina white women. A recent study conducted by University of Utah scientist Maureen Murtaugh, PhD, RD, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, studied the role diet plays in this difference between the two group's cancer rates. The study involved hundreds of women living in Arizona, New Mexico, Utah and Colorado. The scientists found that a diet emphasizing Mexican cheeses (queso fresco), beans, soups, tomato-based sauces, and meat may help lower the risk of breast cancer in both Latina and non-Latina women.
Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, Apr 2008; 87: 978 - 984
Teenagers who eat breakfast regularly are healthier
A study by University of Minnesota School of Public Health found that teenagers who eat a nutritious breakfast on a regular basis tended to have healthier weight and exercise more that their peers who skipped breakfast. Teens who regularly skipped breakfast weighed about 5 pounds more than their peers who ate breakfast.
Pediatrics. 2008 Mar;121(3):e638-45
Cultural beliefs and attitudes of Hispanic women toward exercise
This study’s aim is to shed light on the cultural component that affects exercise behaviors among different minority groups. The study was conducted among 26 Black or Hispanic female college students. The researchers found that Latinas are more likely to cite family responsibilities as barriers to regular exercise and express the view that vigorous exercise is unfeminine. Black women, on the other hand, enjoy the competition and camaraderie of exercise but feel pressure to conform to White standards of beauty.
J Transcult Nurs. 2008 Feb 8 (PMID: 18263846)
The Acculturation Paradox: Latinas proficient in English more likely to give birth early
The phenomenon known as the ‘Acculturation Paradox’ maintains that as Latinos become more acculturated, meaning they adopt the beliefs, values, and behaviors of the mainstream culture, their health worsens. Researchers at the University of Texas at Austin followed 468 low-income, pregnant Latina women and studied how their level of acculturation affected their pregnancy. Their level of acculturation was determined by their proficiency in English or Spanish. The data showed that Latinas who demonstrated a high level of English language proficiency were four times more likely to suffer premature births as their peers who were not proficient English speakers. The English speakers also had lower levels of progesterone -- a hormone that is essential for maintaining a healthy pregnancy.
Obstet Gynecol. 2008 Feb; III(2):309-16
Healthy lifestyle habits in early elderly years leads to longevity in men
A study by Boston's Brigham and Women's Hospital found that men who lead a healthy lifestyle during their early elderly years increase their chance of living until 90 years old by 54%. Health lifestyle behaviors includes regular exercise (two to four times per week), eating well, maintaining normal body weight and blood pressure, avoiding diabetes, and not smoking. The researchers estimate that longevity is only at most 30% down to our genes - the rest is down to lifestyle factors.
Arch Intern Med. 2008;168(3):284-290.
The more Latinas acculturate, the increase in likelihood of developing alcohol-related problems
A study of Hispanic populations along the Texas-Mexico border examines the association between acculturation, heavy episodic drinking, and alcohol abuse and dependence. Research has shown that immigrants that acculturate to mainstream American culture tend to have more alcohol-related problems. This study suggests that acculturation has different effects on drinking for men and women; the more women acculturate, the more likely they are to drink and develop more alcohol-related problems. This increase in women's drinking is likely linked to the U.S. society's more liberal norms governing female drinking.
Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2008 Feb;32(2):314-21.
Hispanics have longer wait in the emergency room
A study conducted by the Cambridge Health Alliance and the Harvard Medical School monitored the time between a patient’s arrival in the Emergency Room and when they were first seen by a doctor. Data shows Hispanics, on average, wait 15.5 percent longer at the emergency room that other demographic groups. The study suggests that increased waits in the Emergency Room are due to poor access to primary and preventive care which could deal with medical issues before they become emergencies.
Health Aff (Millwood). 2008 Jan 15
Greater years in the US, increased odds of obesity among Hispanic women
This study was conducted among urban Latina Women using data from the Chicago Breast Health Project. The researchers determined that the odds of obesity was twice as high among women living in the US for greater than 20 years compared to those in the US for 10 years or less. The data showed no correlation between obesity and language acculturation.
J Immigr Minor Health. 2008 Jan 9 (PMID: 18183486)
Preliminary research indicates black tea might help prevent diabetes
Researchers at Dundee University have conducted preliminary studies into the use of black tea to combat diabetes. Data indicates that naturally occurring components in black tea may act as an insulin substitute.
Aging Cell. 2008 Jan;7(1):69-77
Parents of overweight/obese children often do not see their child as unhealthy
The study’s aim was to examine how teenagers with type 2 diabetes and their parents perceive the teenagers’ weight, diet and exercise habits. The study showed many parents of children classified as overweight or even extremely overweight do not perceive their child as being excessively heavy, with some wrongly believing that their child is at the correct weight. For parents and teenagers, underestimating the teenagers' weight was associated with poorer diet and exercise habits. Recognition that a child is overweight is a critical first step to making diet and lifestyle changes to promote weight loss. In addition, if the parent fails to perceive a weight issue, odds are the child will also fail to see a problem.
Diabetes Care 31:227-229, 2008
Metabolic syndrome in kids likely to persist into adulthood
Children with Metabolic Syndrome risk factors are very likely to maintain these risk factors into mid-adulthood. Participants enrolled in a National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute study who had metabolic syndrome as children were about 13-times more likely to have cardiovascular disease and 6.5-times more likely to have type 2 diabetes than participants who did not have metabolic syndrome as children. The metabolic syndrome is a grouping of risk factors that indicate a high risk of developing cardiovascular disease or diabetes. The risk factors include high triglyceride levels, high glucose levels, high blood pressure, low levels of "good" HDL cholesterol, and being overweight. The data also confirm that metabolic syndrome is strongly associated with overweight and obesity. Researchers advise that overweight children should have their cholesterol, triglycerides, blood pressure and insulin levels checked.
PEDIATRICS Vol. 120 No. 2 August 2007, pp. 340-345 (doi:10.1542/peds.2006-1699)
Heavy meals once a day may increase health risks
Research suggests eating larger portions once a day, instead of three smaller meals a day, is damaging to health. Male and female volunteers were divided into two groups: one group ate all their calories in one meal a day, the other group ate the same amount of calories over three meals a day.
The study showed the group who at only one meal a day had significant increases in total cholesterol, LDL or 'bad' cholesterol and in blood pressure compared to the group who ate three meals a day. The group who ate one meal per day also had problems regulating blood sugar levels.
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 85, No. 4, 981-988, April 2007
Increase in number of Hispanic children with health insurance
A report sponsored by the Foundation for Child Development found that gaps in health disparities between white and minority children has narrowed in the last 20 years. The report found that the disparity in health coverage for Hispanic children decreased from 18% to 12% over the study period. The study also indicated Hispanic children faced a 1% disadvantage to whites in 2004, compared with 14% in 1985. Researchers attributed the growth in coverage to the State Children’s Health Insurance Program, a program administered at the state level that provides health care to low-income children whose parents do not qualify for Medicaid (also known as SCHIP).
This report is based on the full paper "Measuring Social Disparities: A Modified Approach to the Index of Child Well-Being (CWI) for Race-Ethnic, Immigrant-Generation, and Socioeconomic Groups with New Results for Whites, Blacks, and Hispanics," drawing on a working paper prepared for the forum "Review of the Child Well-Being Index," on May 10, 2006, co-sponsored by Foundation for Child Development and the Brookings Institution.
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