medicine and health

ScienceDaily (Oct. 18, 2012) — An African-American or Mexican-American senior living in a community where many neighbors share their background is less likely to have cancer or heart disease than their counterpart in a more mixed neighborhood.

Results of the new study by Kimberly Alvarez, a PhD student at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health, and Becca Levy, PhD, associate professor of Epidemiology and Psychology at the Yale School of Public Health, appear in the December issue of the American Journal of Public Health and online.

Counter to prevailing notions, researchers found that "living in the barrio or ethnically dense communities isn't always bad for your health," says Alvarez. "For older minority adults, it's actually the reverse: living in an ethnically dense neighborhood is beneficial when it comes to heart disease and cancer," adding that these are the two most common chronic conditions and causes of death among minority older adults.

The researchers used survey data to look at health outcomes of 2,367 Mexican-American and 2,790 African-Americans over age 65 living in communities with high percentages of African-Americans (New Haven, Conn. and north-central North Carolina) and Mexican-Americans (Arizona, California, Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas). Among African-Americans, those living in a county with an ethnic density of 50% or more (that is, where half or more of the population shared the same background) were 46% less likely to report doctor-diagnosed heart disease and 77% less likely to report cancer than those who lived in an ethnic density of less than 25%. Mexican Americans living in a county with an ethnic density of 50% or more were 33% and 62% less likely to report heart disease and cancer, respectively, than those who lived in an ethnic density of less than 25%. Ethnic density was significantly more protective for heart disease in African-Americans than Mexican-Americans; the association between ethnic density and cancer was equally strong for both groups.

Cultural factors could help to explain the phenomenon. "Communities with high ethnic density may be more likely to share values like respect for elders and have close-knit family structures," says Dr. Levy. Earlier studies showed high levels of social support within communities of Hispanic immigrants. "These networks may facilitate better health behaviors and, in turn, better health outcomes," adds Alvarez. "For example, information about free health clinics may be more freely exchanged in these communities."

Past studies showed a health benefit of ethnic density for Hispanics, but the reverse for African-Americans; these results were in keeping with what is known as the Hispanic Paradox: that even with similar levels of socioeconomic status, Hispanics have comparable, or in some cases better, health outcomes than White Americans. Adding a wrinkle to this rule, Alvarez and Dr. Levy are the first to find a positive effect for ethnic-density among African-Americans. The difference, Alvarez explains, may owe to the fact that past studies have looked at African-American children and young adults rather than seniors and measured ethnic density in relation to whites rather than within subsets of other minority populations.

"Having this information is important given the rapidly growing population of older adult minorities," says Alvarez.

Support for the study was provided by grants from the National Institute on Aging (R01AG032284), the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (R01HL089314), and the Patrick and Catherine Wildon Donaghue Medical Research Foundation (to Dr. Levy).

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.
Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

Journal Reference:

Kimberly J. Alvarez and Becca R. Levy. Health Advantages of Ethnic Density for African American and Mexican American Elderly Individuals. American Journal of Public Health, 2012; DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2012.300787

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Health Tip: Is Your Child a Biter?

1:51 AM

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(HealthDay News) -- Biting is a common behavior in toddlers, who may be easily frustrated.

The Nemours Foundation offers these suggestions to help curb biting among toddlers:

First, give attention and comfort to the person who has been bitten.Calmly and firmly address the biter with simple language, such as "no biting" or "biting hurts."Talk to the child about alternatives to biting, such as using words like "stop" or "no."Redirect a frustrated toddler with positive ways to burn off energy, such as by playing a game or dancing to music.Put the child in a timeout; one minute per year of age is a good benchmark.

Health Tip: Encourage Your Family to Exercise

1:28 AM

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(HealthDay News) -- Having the will to exercise can be challenging when you're the only family member who would rather be active than watching TV.

The American Council on Exercise offers these suggestions to spare children from a "couch potato" lifestyle:

Exercise lowers the risks of type 2 diabetes, being overweight, and heart attack and stroke.Exercise improves energy levels, increasing one's desire for activities such as camping, biking and hiking.Exercise helps improve brain health, which leads to better critical thinking, concentration and learning.Exercise fosters a healthier, more positive body image.Exercise promotes a healthier family culture of physical activity.

Friday, October 19, 2012

Health Tip: Choosing the Right Running Shoes

7:09 PM

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(HealthDay News) -- Healthy running largely depends on choosing the correct running shoes. And a prime consideration is the shape of your arches -- be they low/flat, "normal" or high.

The American Podiatric Medical Association offers these guidelines for choosing running shoes:

If you have a low arch, buy shoes that offer plenty of support, motion control and stability.If you have a "normal" arch, look for shoes that have generous, equal amounts of cushioning and support to help absorb more shock.If you have a high arch, look for shoes with a soft midsole and plenty of flexibility.

Doctors who go digital provide higher quality healthcare: Study says electronic health records help physicians provide better care

4:07 AM

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ScienceDaily (Oct. 17, 2012) — The use of electronic health records is linked to significantly higher quality care, according to a new study by Lisa Kern and her team, from the Health Information Technology Evaluation Collaborative in the US. Their work appears online in the Journal of General Internal Medicine, published by Springer.

Electronic health records (EHRs) have become a priority in the US, with federal incentives for 'meaningful' use of EHRs. Meaningful use entails tracking and improving specific patient outcomes, as well as gathering and storing information.

Kern and colleagues examined the effect of EHRs on ambulatory care quality in a community-based setting, by comparing the performance of physicians using either EHRs or paper records. They assessed performance on nine specific quality measures for a total of 466 primary care physicians with 74,618 patients, from private practices in the Hudson Valley region of New York.

The quality measures included: eye exams, hemoglobin testing, cholesterol testing, renal function testing for patients with diabetes, colorectal cancer screening, chlamydia screening, breast cancer screening, testing for children with sore throat, and treatment for children with upper respiratory infections.

Approximately half of the physicians studied used EHRs, while the others used paper records. Overall, physicians using EHRs provided higher rates of needed care than physicians using paper, and for four measures in particular: hemoglobin testing in diabetes, breast cancer screening, chlamydia screening, and colorectal cancer screening.

The authors conclude: "We found that EHR use is associated with higher quality ambulatory care in a multi-payer community with concerted efforts to support EHR implementation. In contrast to several recent national and statewide studies, which found no effect of EHR use, this study's finding is consistent with national efforts to promote meaningful use of EHRs."

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Springer Science+Business Media.
Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

Journal Reference:

Lisa M. Kern, Yolanda Barrón, Rina V. Dhopeshwarkar, Alison Edwards, Rainu Kaushal. Electronic Health Records and Ambulatory Quality of Care. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 2012; DOI: 10.1007/s11606-012-2237-8

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Thursday, October 18, 2012

Health Tip: Exercising in Cold Weather

8:38 PM

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(HealthDay News) -- Most people can exercise comfortably in cold weather, assuming they bundle up. The prime concern is preventing hypothermia -- the loss of too much body heat.

The American Council on Exercise offers these suggestions for exercising safely in the cold:

Wear layers of clothing that you can peel away as you warm up.Keep your head, hands and feet warm with a hat, gloves and socks.Always check the weather before heading out. Don't exercise outdoors in dangerous conditions.Avoid cotton or tightly woven clothing, which may retain moisture next to the skin.If it's very cold, wear a scarf or mask to cover your nose and mouth.

Monday, October 15, 2012

Health Care Is No. 2 Concern on Voters' Minds

1:17 AM

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THURSDAY, Oct. 11 (HealthDay News) -- Health care is now the second most important issue in the presidential election, topped only by concerns about the economy, according to a study that analyzed 37 national opinion polls.

That's the highest health care has ranked as a presidential election issue since 1992, according to the researchers.

The study also found that voters who consider health care the top issue are more likely to side with President Barack Obama over challenger Mitt Romney on the Affordable Care Act and Medicare.

The analysis of survey data, conducted by 17 different organizations, revealed that 20 percent of respondents said health care/Medicare was the most important issue in their 2012 voting choice. The economy and jobs was first, at 51 percent.

Voters who said health care/Medicare was the most important issue were much more supportive of the Affordable Care Act than the general public. Forty-one percent of such voters said they were much less likely to vote for a candidate who would repeal all or part of the act, while 14 percent said they were much more likely to vote for such a candidate.

An average of current polls shows that about 44 percent of people support the act and 45 percent oppose it.

The study also found that 27 percent of people support and 66 percent oppose changing Medicare to provide seniors with a fixed amount of money they could use to buy either private health insurance or Medicare coverage.

Among voters who said health care/Medicare is the most important issue, 39 percent said they were much less likely to vote for a candidate who supported such a change in Medicare, and 11 percent said they were much more likely to vote for such a candidate.

The study was published online Oct. 10 in the New England Journal of Medicine.

"The economy dominates most voters' thinking in terms of their priorities for choosing a candidate," study co-author Robert Blendon, professor of health policy and political analysis at the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, said in a school news release. "But in a close election, the two candidates' stands on health care issues could help swing the balance among some voters."