April 2014
NIH releases new data on Hispanic health
A new resource from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) provides
data on the health and lifestyles of Hispanics. The data come from the Hispanic
Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL). HCHS/SOL includes more than
16,000 adults in San Diego, Chicago, Miami, and the Bronx, NY.
Key findings in the data book include these:
- Diabetes is common among Hispanics. It affects about 1 in 4
adults ages 45 to 64, and almost half of those ages 65 to 74.
- Obesity is most common among those of Puerto Rican origin (nearly
half) and least common among those originating from South America (about 3 in
10).
- High blood pressure is most common among those of Cuban
origin (just under one-third) and least common among those of South American
origin (roughly 1 in 5).
You can find the data book in English and Spanish at http://1.usa.gov/1fHGa0L.
April is National Minority Health Month
Promote health with these resources
WIN offers content that supports minority health. Examples
include
-
WIN’s
Sisters Together program, which is designed to help black women move more and
make healthy food and beverage choices. For more, go to
http://1.usa.gov/1gH9cQa.
Study finds overweight kids four times as likely to become
obese teens
Findings
suggest efforts to prevent obesity should start early
Kids who are overweight by age 5 may be four times more likely
to be obese by age 14 than children at a healthy weight at age 5. A new study
funded by the NIH looked at data from about 7,700 kids who started kindergarten
in 1998. The children’s height and weight were measured seven times until they
were in eighth grade. At the start of the study, about 12 percent of the kids were
obese. By eighth grade, about 21 percent were obese.
Almost one-third of kids who were overweight but not obese
when they started kindergarten became obese by age 14, compared with about 8
percent of normal-weight kids. Most moved from overweight to obesity before
fifth grade.
A high birth weight was also linked to teen obesity. More
than one-third of kids who weighed more than 8.8 pounds at birth were obese by
eighth grade. The study does not explain why high birth weight or early
overweight may lead to teen obesity. But findings suggest that efforts to
prevent obesity should start early.
For more on this study, go to http://bit.ly/1kN5CtM.
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Watch for the next issue of the WIN Notes Update for…
…ways
to mark National Physical Fitness and Sports Month in May.
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