Why healthcare reform is still not the best solution

Day after day, I read article after article about Hispanics and poor access to health care services, their inclusion or exclusion in Obama's reform, and so on. The link above is just another example of how the Hispanic community is in serious need of basic health services.

While this topic merits our attention, I believe that Hispanic health leaders should focus more time and money on prevention through community outreach and education. This article highlights the fact that many Hispanics still struggle with access to health care services, even when health insurance is not a barrier. Transportation and cultural beliefs continue to be an obstacle for many families. Educating Hispanics on proper nutrition, home, work, child, and food safety can decrease the number of costly visits to a doctor, clinic, or hospital.

For free resources in Spanish on nutrition, please visit: http://www.nutrition.gov/nal_display/index.php?info_center=11&tax_level=1&tax_subject=504

For free resources in Spanish on home, work, and child safety, please visit: http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/spanish/publicaciones.html

For free resources in Spanish on food safety, please visit: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/En_Espanol/Hojas_Informativas_Inocuidad_de_Alimentos/index.asp

For health leaders--much of this information is not copyrighted and you may reproduce the information as you wish. What is important is that we get this information out to the people that need it.

Best of luck,

Stacy Allen

Warning! Think twice before you believe what you see or read.

Growing up, I remember watching the late-night ads on Spanish television, thinking “There is no way that really works.” It seems that everyone has a great idea or quick-fix solution for your health condition. I ask Hispanics to beware—not everything is as it seems. You have to be careful with who you trust, especially when it comes to online resources.

Health resources are no exception to this rule. Hispanics, especially those of older age, are less familiar with the Web and the danger that this vehicle presents. In general, people are very trusting of health information online. Entering a disease or condition in a search engine yields millions of search results. Finding out which ones are reliable can seem like a daunting task. However, there are some things you can do to tell if the source is reliable.

1. Whose site is it? Is this a reliable source? In other words, is the site written and reviewed by a medical or professional group, hospital system, or government heath agency?
2. Is the information biased? Is this site for or against a specific point of view?
3. Is the site up-to-date? When was the last time the information was updated or reviewed?

These three tips apply to written information as well. You may not think twice about doubting the information you read in a pamphlet you picked up at your local clinic. I encourage everyone to ask themselves one question first: “What is the purpose of this?” Is the purpose to get you to buy something or to promote a certain point of view? Or is the purpose to just provide information based on research, trends, and statistics? When in doubt, bring information to the attention of your doctor or health care provider.

Tips for Hispanics:
•Know when to ask for help! Have someone you trust—and who has your best interest in mind—help you search for health information using the tips above.
•Don’t be afraid to ask someone to translate for you. Be careful when using online translation tools like Babblefish or Google Translate. These tools are handy, but know that they are not 100% accurate. Once sentence out of order and you could end up with a serious health problem.
•Ask your doctor—not your friends—for medical advice. We all have our home remedies that have worked for us, our mother and grandmother, or someone who knows someone else. Some of these home remedies could be extremely harmful to your health. Please ask a doctor first and share your home remedies with him/her. You may be surprised to hear there is medical truth behind them!

For more information about safety on the web, visit http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/spanish/healthywebsurfing.html.

Good luck and healthy wishes,

Stacy Allen

August Health Observances

August 2009

Cataract Awareness Month
http://www.aao.org/aaoesite/eyemd/cataract.cfm


Children's Eye Health and Safety Month
http://www.preventblindness.org


National Immunization Awareness Month
http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines


Psoriasis Awareness Month
http://www.psoriasis.org


Spinal Muscular Atrophy Awareness Month
http://www.curesma.org


August 1
National Minority Donor Awareness Day
http://www.nationalmottep.org

Minorities finally acknowledge childhood obesity as a top health priority

Childhood overweight is a health concern that has been getting a lot of attention recently. Despite public health efforts to raise awareness of overweight and obesity in all Americans, we continue to get heavier and heavier. Our children and youth are no exception, and hispanic children are among the heaviest of them. According to "F as in Fat 2009", 18.1% of Hispanic high school students are overweight and 16.6% of them are obese. These rates may not sound high, but in comparison to their non-Hispanic White counterparts (at 14.3% and 10.8%, respectively), these rates are alarming.

But a new poll by C.S. Mott Children's Hospital reveals that adults of all ethnicities are tuning into this serious health concern. In fact, adults of all ethnicities rated childhood obesity as the number one health concern affecting children in 2009. Just last year, Hispanic adults rated childhood obesity in 6th place. It is great to see that in as little as one year, Hispanics are more aware of the problem and its severity.

This is great news! Our efforts are obviously working. Congratulations to everyone who has worked to share this important health message with Hispanics.

Good luck and healthy wishes,

Stacy Allen


Too see the full report titled "F as in Fat" please visit http://healthyamericans.org/reports/obesity2009/Obesity2009Report.pdf

Free NIH Publications

Hispanics are a primary target audience for many free health publications. However, most Latinos/Hispanics are unaware that these resources even exist. I work in health communications, and it continues to surprise me how many people have never heard of NIH (and I am referring to health professionals and leaders, not the average Latino/Hispanic). NIH institutes offer great resources, most of them for free. Even better, most of these institutes deliver them right to peoples' homes free of delivery charges.

And the real benefit of these pubs is that they offer unbiased research-based information in Spanish on a multitude of subjects. So if you have free time, visit www.nih.gov and click on one of the institutes. Chances are, you're going to find something that is of interest to you, a family member, or your community.

Good luck and healthy wishes,

Stacy Allen

Welcome!

I have always been shocked at the power that social marketing tools have on our society. But as I learn more about them and their possibilities, I have to respect them. In reality, I am hoping to experience this success myself; as I use these tools to expand my reach when sending health messages to the Latino/Hispanic Community.

I hope that you will follow me and I encourage you to share your resources, ideas, and comments.

Best Wishes,

Stacy Allen