Search

Since 2010, Arizona's immigration law (SB 1070) has produced unintended racial profiling consequences for Hispanics. Earlier empirical evidence establishes its adverse mental health effects on young Hispanics. This study expands the analysis by introducing obesogenic repercussions. Using Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System data from 2001 to 2017, Synthetic Control Method techniques are employed to isolate the law's health consequences. Results indicate significant post-2010 deviations from indistinguishable pre-2010 trends in health indicators for Arizona and its synthetic states. After 2010, Arizona's Hispanic youths registered relatively significantly higher incidences of mutually reinforcing mental and physical (obesogenic) indicators, even after accounting for nutritional improvements. Our findings do not discredit weight reduction benefits of favorable diet choices, but rather emphasize the stronger offsetting influence of SB 1070-induced obesogenic health behaviors. Thus, there is a need for policy re-evaluation to curb the law's unintended ramifications and launch more targeted youth-oriented health support programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stroke is a leading cause of mortality in the United States. Hispanics have the same incidence of stroke, but are more likely to have subsequent strokes than non-Hispanic whites. This difference in outcome may be attributable to differences in stroke risk factor awareness. Patients at a community health center in Tucson, AZ completed an anonymous survey regarding existing and perceived health issues. Patient responses were compared in terms of ethnicity and acculturation, as indicated by language preference. Patient responses (n = 301, Spanish: 150, English: 151) indicated that proportionately fewer non-acculturated Hispanics than acculturated Hispanic and non-Hispanic patients indicated that they were at risk for stroke. Acculturated Hispanics and non-Hispanics displayed similar morbidity trends, including increased obesity, hypertension, diabetes, heart problems, depression, and previous stroke. These findings suggest that Hispanics become less healthy and more at risk for stroke and stroke risk factors as they become acculturated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increased depression symptomatology results in a reduced willingness to seek help from family. Focusing on Mexican-Americans, the current study hypothesized that the a reduction in favorable perceptions of familial relations could be partially to blame for limited help seeking among people with depression. Data were collected from 84 Mexican-Americans. Measures assessed depression symptomatology, familism, perceptions of help seeking from family, and demographics. As predicted: (1) depression symptomatology was negatively associated with perceptions of help seeking from family; (2) familism was positively associated with perceptions of help seeking from family; and, (3) depression symptomatology was negatively associated with familism. Further, familism partially mediated the relationship between depression symptomatology and help seeking comfort, as well as between depression symptomatology and the perceived utility of familial help seeking. The results indicate a reduction in familistic values may be partially responsible for reduced help seeking among Mexican-Americans with depression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding contemporary socio-cultural stressors may assist educational, clinical and policy-level health promotion efforts. This study presents descriptive findings on a new measure, the border community and immigration stress scale. The data were from two community surveys as part of community based participatory projects conducted in the Southwestern US border region. This scale includes stressful experiences reflected in extant measures, with new items reflecting heightened local migration pressures and health care barriers. Stressors representing each main domain, including novel ones, were reported with frequency and at high intensity in the predominantly Mexican-descent samples. Total stress was also significantly associated with mental and physical health indicators. The study suggests particularly high health burdens tied to the experience of stressors in the US border region. Further, many of the stressors are also likely relevant for other communities within developed nations also experiencing high levels of migration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heat exposure is a leading cause of death in undocumented border crossers along the Arizona-Mexico border. We performed a validation study of a weather prediction model that predicts the probability of heat related deaths among undocumented border crossers. We analyzed a medical examiner registry cohort of undocumented border crosser heat- related deaths from January 1, 2002 to August 31, 2009 and used logistic regression to model the probability of one or more heat deaths on a given day using daily high temperature (DHT) as the predictor. At a critical threshold DHT of 40 °C, the probability of at least one heat death was 50 %. The probability of a heat death along the Arizona-Mexico border for suspected undocumented border crossers is strongly associated with ambient temperature. These results can be used in prevention and response efforts to assess the daily risk of deaths among undocumented border crossers in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

American Indians have one of the lowest colorectal cancer (CRC) screening rates for any racial/ethnic group in the U.S., yet reasons for their low screening participation are poorly understood. We examine whether tribal language use is associated with knowledge and use of CRC screening in a community-based sample of American Indians. Using logistic regression to estimate the association between tribal language use and CRC test knowledge and receipt we found participants speaking primarily English were no more aware of CRC screening tests than those speaking primarily a tribal language (OR = 1.16 [0.29, 4.63]). Participants who spoke only a tribal language at home (OR = 1.09 [0.30, 4.00]) and those who spoke both a tribal language and English (OR = 1.74 [0.62, 4.88]) also showed comparable odds of receipt of CRC screening. Study findings failed to support the concept that use of a tribal language is a barrier to CRC screening among American Indians. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study describes the development and evaluation of online Public Health Emergency Preparedness (PHEP) training adapted to the learning styles and needs of tribal Community Health Representatives (CHRs). Working through a university-tribal community college partnership, the Arizona Center for Public Health Preparedness at the University of Arizona and Diné College of the Navajo Nation delivered a blended online and face-to-face public health preparedness certificate program based on core public health emergency preparedness competencies. This program was carefully adapted to meet the environmental and learning needs of the tribal CHRs. The certificate program was subsequently evaluated via a scenario-based decision-making methodology. Significant improvements in five of six competency areas were documented by comparison of pre- and post-certificate training testing. Based on statistical support for this pedagogical approach the cultural adaptations utilized in delivery of the certificate program appear to be effective for PHEP American Indian education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]