Browsing by Subject "Latino"

Now showing 1 - 10 of 11
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    "Cuando Actuamos, Actuamos Juntos": Understanding the Intersections of Religion, Activism, and Citizenship within the Latino Community in Indianapolis
    (2014) Logan, Ryan Iffland; Vogt, Wendy A.; Hyatt, Susan B.; Dickerson-Putman, Jeanette
    Undocumented immigration from Latin America is a heated and divisive topic in United States' politics. Politicians in Washington, D.C. are debating new legislation which would provide a pathway to citizenship for some 11 million undocumented immigrants. While several federal immigration reform bills were debated in the early 2000s, each one failed in either the House of Representatives or in the Senate. The Indianapolis Congregation Action Network (IndyCAN), a grassroots activist group in Indianapolis, is organizing the Latino community through faith and shared political goals. Undocumented Latino immigrants are utilizing IndyCAN as a method to influence progressive policy change. However, anti-immigrant groups challenge these efforts by attempting to define who can be considered an "American" and are attempting to block legislation due to their negative perceptions of Latinos. Debates about citizenship have racial discourses and reveal the embeddedness of race and ethnicity. Despite this, many Latino immigrants are forging their own identities in the United States and are engaging in a political system that refuses to grant them a legal status. Through an enactment of activism called la fe en acción [faith in action], these immigrants ground their political organizing with IndyCAN and attempt to appeal to the religious faith of politicians. I explore issues of race, political engagement, and religion in the lives of Indianapolis’ Latino community. In this case study, I demonstrate that IndyCAN is acting as a vehicle through which undocumented Latino immigrants are engaging in the political process. This political involvement occurs through religious strategies that seem apolitical yet are implicitly an enactment of activism. Ultimately, I reveal how undocumented Latino immigrants in Indianapolis are impacting the political process regardless of their legal status.
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    Effectiveness of the Pasos Adelante Chronic Disease Prevention and Control Program in a US-Mexico Border Community, 2005-2008
    (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2012) Staten, Lisa K.; Cutshaw, Christina A.; Davidson, Christopher; Reinschmidt, Kerstin; Stewart, Rosie; Roe, Denise J.
    Introduction Pasos Adelante is a lifestyle intervention program facilitated by community health workers (promotores) targeting chronic disease prevention and control in Mexican Americans. Initial studies of Pasos Adelante indicated significant improvements in self-reported nutrition and physical activity. This study examined whether Pasos Adelante participants living in a US border community showed improvements in selected physiological measures after participating in the program and whether changes were maintained at 3-month follow-up. Methods The program took place in 12-week sessions from January 2005 to May 2008 and included walking groups and education targeting nutrition and physical activity. Questionnaires, anthropometric measures, and laboratory tests were conducted at baseline (n = 305), conclusion of program (n = 254), and 3-month follow-up (n = 221). Results Participants demonstrated decreases in body mass index (P = .04), waist and hip circumference (P < .001), diastolic and systolic blood pressure (P < .001), and total cholesterol (P = .008) from baseline to program conclusion. No values worsened significantly between program conclusion and follow-up, except systolic blood pressure. Glucose levels improved between conclusion and follow-up (P = .01). Conclusion These results support the initial findings of improvements in participants’ self-reported physical activity and nutrition patterns through changes in objective measures. This evidence-based program demonstrates the potential for a promotores-facilitated chronic disease prevention and control program to improve physical health and targets both primary and secondary prevention in Hispanic communities and organizations.
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    Eficacia del programa de control y prevención deenfermedades crónicas "Pasos Adelante" en una comunidad enla frontera de EE. UU. y México, 2005-2008
    (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2012) Staten, Lisa K.; Cutshaw, Christina A.; Davidson, Christopher; Reinschmidt, Kerstin; Stewart, Rosie; Roe, Denise J.
    Introducción "Pasos Adelante" es un programa de intervención sobre hábitos saludables facilitado por trabajadores de salud comunitaria o"promotores de salud" destinado a prevenir y controlar enfermedades crónicas en mexicoamericanos. Los estudios iniciales de"Pasos Adelante" mostraron mejoras significativas en la alimentación y la actividad física autorreportadas por los participantes.Este estudio evaluó si los habitantes de una comunidad en la frontera estadounidense que participaron en el programa mostraronmejorías en determinados valores fisiológicos y si los cambios se mantuvieron en el seguimiento a los 3 meses. Métodos El programa se llevó a cabo en sesiones de 12 semanas de enero del 2005 a mayo del 2008 e incluyó grupos de caminata y clases denutrición y actividad física. Se realizaron cuestionarios, mediciones antropométricas y pruebas de laboratorio al inicio delprograma (n = 305), al final (n = 254) y en el seguimiento a los 3 meses (n = 221). Resultados Al compararse los datos iniciales de referencia con los del final del programa, los participantes mostraron reducciones en su índicede masa corporal (P= .04), circunferencia de cintura y cadera (P< .001), presión arterial diastólica y sistólica (P< .001) y colesterol total (P= .008). Ningún valor empeoró significativamente entre la conclusión del programa y el seguimiento, aexcepción de la presión arterial sistólica. Los niveles de glucosa mejoraron entre la finalización y el seguimiento del programa (P=.01). Conclusión Estos resultados sustentan los hallazgos iniciales referidos a la mejoría autorreportada por los participantes en relación conpatrones de alimentación y actividad física al mostrar cambios en medidas objetivas. Este programa basado en la evidenciademuestra el potencial de los programas de control y prevención de enfermedades crónicas llevados a cabo por promotores desalud para mejorar la salud física abordando la prevención primaria y secundaria en organizaciones y comunidades hispanas.
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    From Program to Policy: Expanding the Role of Community Coalitions
    (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2007) Hill, Anne; De Zapien, Jill Guernsey; Staten, Lisa K.; McClelland, Deborah Jean; Garza, Rebecca; Moore-Monroy, Martha; Elenes, JoJean; Steinfelt, Victoria; Tittelbaugh, Ila; Whitmer, Evelyn; Meister, Joel S.
    Background Diabetes mortality at the United States–Mexico border is twice the national average. Type 2 diabetes mellitus is increasingly diagnosed among children and adolescents. Fragmented services and scarce resources further restrict access to health care. Increased awareness of the incidence of disease and poor health outcomes became a catalyst for creating community-based coalitions and partnerships with the University of Arizona that focused on diabetes. Context Five partnerships between the communities and the University of Arizona were formed to address these health issues. They began with health promotion as their goal and were challenged to add policy and environmental change to their objectives. Understanding the meaning of policy in the community context is the first step in the transition from program to policy. Policy participation brings different groups together, strengthening ties and building trust among community members and community organizations. Methods Data on progress and outcomes were collected from multiple sources. We used the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health (REACH) 2010 Community Change Model as the capacity-building and analytic framework for supporting and documenting the transition of coalitions from program to policy. Consequences Over 5 years, the coalitions made the transition, in varying degrees, from a programmatic focus to a policy planning and advocacy focus. The coalitions raised community awareness, built community capacity, encouraged a process of “change in change agents,” and advocated for community environmental and policy shifts to improve health behaviors. Interpretation The five coalitions made environmental and policy impacts by engaging in policy advocacy. These outcomes indicate the successful, if not consistently sustained, transition from program to policy. Whether and how these “changes in change agents” are transferable to the larger community over the long term remains to be seen.
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    Indiana Latino Community Profile and Survey Latino-Serving Organizations
    (Indiana University Public Policy Institute, 2016-03) Thelin, Rachel; Sapp, Dona
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    Latino immigrant parents of adolescents: Need for parenting support
    (2014) Bigatti, Silvia; Diaz, Virna; Conrad, Katrina; Weathers, Tess; Mirabal, Magdy
    Statement of problem: Latino immigrants in Indianapolis report difficulties parenting their adolescents, meanwhile higher rates of suicide attempts among Latino adolescents have been documented. Relevance: Successful transition through adolescence leads to family and individual well-being. This is especially important for families dealing with the stress of migration and acculturation. Methods: As part of a larger study to identify predictors of Latino adolescent depression, the community partner recruited adolescents and their parents from the population they serve. While the adolescents completed survey instruments, parents (roughly 100) participated in focus groups (n = 8) at various locations around the metropolitan area. One community partner and one academic partner ran the focus groups jointly, asking parents about their concerns regarding parenting and their children. Results: Parents reported problematic behaviors in their children, including aggression, isolation, and cutting. Several themes emerged, with two highlighted here: 1) an understanding that depression and anxiety explained some of the more extreme adolescent behaviors, and 2) a concern that their children would lose their identity and acculturate so much that they would disconnect from the family and its values. Parents reported need for parenting resources to help them navigate the adolescent years. Conclusions: It is challenging to parent adolescents, especially those who have the additional burden of straddling two very distinct cultures. When the parents themselves are adjusting to the new culture it is even more difficult. Culturally-tailored parenting guidance is desired by this Latino community and is likely to improve family functioning and adolescent adjustment.
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    The obesity epidemic in children: Latino children are disproportionately affected at younger ages
    (Elsevier, 2015-03) Liu, Gilbert C.; Hannon, Tamara; Qi, Rong; Downs, Stephen M.; Marrero, David G.; Department of Medicine, IU School of Medicine
    Background and objectives National surveillance clearly illustrates that U.S. children are becoming increasingly overweight. However, the timing of the onset of childhood overweight has not been well-described. Patients and methods An accelerated failure time (AFT) model was used to describe the emergence of overweight based on a 12-year collection of height and weight data of over 40,000 children. Race, sex, insurance status and their interactions were specifically examined as predictors of earlier onset of overweight. The outcome of interest was an estimate of the age at which the model predicted that a subgroup would attain a 20% prevalence of overweight. Results The three-way interaction of race, sex, and insurance status was a significant predictor of onset of overweight. The model estimated that the publicly insured Latino male subgroup had the earliest onset of overweight, attaining a prevalence of 20% overweight by 4.3 years of age. The emergence of overweight in Latino subjects was significantly earlier than that for black or white subjects, irrespective of sex or insurance status. Conclusion Regardless of sex or insurance status, overweight emerges at significantly younger ages in Latino children when compared to black and white children. Substantial numbers of Latino male children are predicted to develop overweight at preschool ages. Obesity prevention may need to be directed toward parents or children well before children enter grade-school.
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    The School Health Index as an Impetus for Change
    (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2005-01) Staten, Lisa K.; Teufel-Shone, Nicolette I.; Steinfelt, Victoria E.; Ortega, Nohemi; Halverson, Karen; Flores, Carmen; Lebowitz, Michael D.
    Background The increase in childhood obesity and prevalence of chronic disease risk factors demonstrate the importance of creating healthy school environments. As part of the Border Health Strategic Initiative, the School Health Index was implemented in public schools in two counties along the Arizona, United States-Sonora, Mexico border. Developed in 2000 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the School Health Index offers a guide to assist schools in evaluating and improving opportunities for physical activity and good nutrition for their students. Context Between 2000 and 2003, a total of 13 schools from five school districts in two counties participated in the School Health Index project despite academic pressures and limited resources. Methods The Border Health Strategic Initiative supported the hiring and training of an external coordinator in each county who was not part of the school system but who was an employee in an established community-based organization. The coordinators worked with the schools to implement the School Health Index, to develop action plans, and to monitor progress toward these goals. Consequences The School Health Index process and school team participation varied from school to school. Individual plans were different but all focused on reducing in-school access to unhealthy foods, identified as high-fat and/or of low nutritional value. Ideas for acting on this focus ranged from changing the content of school lunches to discontinuing the use of nonnutritious foods as classroom rewards. All plans included recommendations that could be implemented immediately as well as those that would require planning and perhaps the formation and assistance of a subcommittee (e.g., for developing or adopting a districtwide health curriculum). Interpretation After working with the School Health Index, most schools made at least one immediate change in their school environments. The external coordinator was essential to keeping the School Health Index results and action plans on the agendas of school administrators, especially during periods of staff turnover. Staff turnover, lack of time, and limited resources resulted in few schools achieving longer term policy changes.
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    Upper Gastrointestinal Cancer: Delays in Diagnosis and Treatment Caused by Barriers to Healthcare in the Latino Community
    (Elmer Press, 2022) Montalvan-Sanchez, Eleazar E.; Beas, Renato; Norwood, Dalton Argean; Alkashash, Ahmad Mahmoud; Rodriguez Murillo, Aida A.; Calderon, Gerardo; Medicine, School of Medicine
    We report a case of an 81-year-old male immigrant from a Latin American developing country with a high burden of upper gastrointestinal neoplasms, who presented with a small bowel gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) after 2 years of delay in the diagnosis due to multiple barriers to healthcare. The patient presented with a partial intestinal obstruction in an abdominal computed tomography (CT) scan suggestive of a GIST. Surgical resection was performed, and adjuvant therapy was initiated with imatinib (a tyrosine kinase inhibitor) after the diagnosis was confirmed. The patient had a successful outcome. Due to his migratory status, the patient planned to follow up with different health providers in two different countries, which constitutes a common challenge in the immigrant population.
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    When it comes to baseball’s ethnic tensions, the problems run deeper than bat flips
    (The Conversation US, Inc., 2015-10-19) Lamb, Chris; Journalism and Public Relations, School of Liberal Arts