UC Irvine study reveals health impacts of repeated wildfires and smoke exposure

Irvine, Calif., Aug. 28, 2024 — University of California, Irvine public health researchers have published a study in the journal Environmental Research Health highlighting the compounded effects of frequent wildfires and smoke exposure on physical and mental health, local economies and community resilience in Southern California.

Link found between sociocultural institutions in ethnic enclaves and resident health

Irvine, Calif., Aug. 8, 2024 — The number of sociocultural institutions within ethnic enclaves may play a significant role in positively influencing the health of immigrant Asian American and Hispanic populations, according to recent research led by the University of California, Irvine. For the study, published online in the journal Social Science and Medicine, researchers created and validated two novel measures – Asian- and Hispanic-serving sociocultural institutions – to identify the different mechanisms that link majority minority neighborhoods to health outcomes.

BIPOC individuals bear greater post-COVID health burdens, new research suggests

Black, indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) who were infected with COVID-19 experienced greater negative aftereffects in health and work loss than did similarly infected white participants, new research finds.

Chronic kidney disease may be linked to sudden cardiac arrest in Hispanic/Latino adults

Research Highlights:

Chronic kidney disease was strongly associated with an increased risk of sudden cardiac arrest among Hispanic/Latino adults, in a new study.
Early identification and management of kidney disease may reduce risk of sudden cardiac arrest among Hispanic/Latino people, researchers suggest.

From undocumented immigrant to medical student

Mauricio Soto arrived in the United States when he was 6 years old. Because he learned English quickly, he became his family’s translator. Years later, due to an expired visa, Soto’s status as an undocumented immigrant, prevented him from becoming a doctor serving the Hispanic community in South Georgia until a generous benefactor opened the door.

American Heart Association’s ASA adopts Spanish-language R.A.P.I.D.O. acronym for stroke awareness created by UTHealth Houston

R.Á.P.I.D.O., a culturally relevant acronym created under the leadership of Jennifer Beauchamp, PhD, RN, at Cizik School of Nursing at UTHealth Houston to raise awareness of stroke signs in the Spanish-speaking Hispanic/Latino community and save lives, has been adopted by the American Stroke Association (ASA), the organization announced today.

Addressing disparities in Alzheimer’s disease research

Age-related cognitive decline and the escalating prevalence of Alzheimer’s disease are pressing social challenges as the population of those 65 and older continues to expand. Age is the primary risk factor, but research has shown that social and structural determinants of health play significant roles in the higher incidence of Alzheimer’s among marginalized communities.

A commonly used tool is suboptimal in predicting osteoporosis fracture risk in younger post-menopausal women

The commonly used U.S version of the Fracture Risk Assessment Tool (FRAX) should not be routinely used to select younger postmenopausal women for bone mineral density testing. But the Osteoporosis Self-Assessment Tool (OST) is excellent at identifying women with osteoporosis-level bone mineral density, which is the goal of these screenings, while FRAX is not.

New onset chronic kidney disease in people with diabetes highest among ethnic, racial minorities

New onset chronic kidney disease (CKD) in people with diabetes is highest among racial and ethnic minority groups compared with white persons, a UCLA-Providence study finds. The study, published as a letter to the editor in the New England Journal of Medicine, found that new onset CKD rates were higher by approximately 60%, 40%, 33%, and 25% in the Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, Black, American Indian/Alaska Native, and Hispanic/Latino populations, respectively, compared to white persons with diabetes.

UCI named Fulbright HSI Leader by State Department for second consecutive year

The University of California, Irvine has been named a 2022 Fulbright HSI Leader by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Last year, UCI was an inaugural recipient of the newly created designation, which recognizes the noteworthy engagement that selected Hispanic-Serving Institutions have achieved with the Fulbright Program, the federal government’s flagship international educational exchange program.

UCI study examines broad impacts of COVID-19 pandemic on food insecurity among rural, Latino immigrants in California

A recent study led by Denise Diaz Payán, PhD, MPP, corresponding author and assistant professor of health, society, and behavior at the UCI Program in Public Health, examined how household food environments of rural Latino immigrants were impacted during the COVID-19 pandemic, and how access to nutritional food is complicated by barriers to government assistance programs.

Findings are published online in the journal Nutrients.

UCI is founding member of Hispanic Serving Research Universities alliance

Irvine, Calif., June 9, 2022 — The University of California, Irvine is a founding member of the Alliance of Hispanic Serving Research Universities, a foundation of 20 of the nation’s top research universities which are partnering to increase opportunity for those historically underserved by higher education. The HSRU Alliance aims to achieve two key goals by 2030: Double the number of enrolled Hispanic doctoral students and increase by 20 percent the Hispanic professoriate in alliance universities.

Disparities in opioid treatment access remain for women, Black and Hispanic people

Buprenorphine is a prescription approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that effectively treats opioid dependence or addiction. But women, as well as Black and Hispanic populations, do not have equal access to this potentially lifesaving medication, new Mayo Clinic research finds.

Affirmative action bans had ‘devastating impact’ on diversity in medical schools, UCLA-led study finds

In states with bans on affirmative action programs, the proportion of students from underrepresented racial and ethnic minority groups in U.S. public medical schools fell by more than one-third by five years after those bans went into effect.

Exploring Sun Protection Behaviors among U.S. Hispanic Outdoor Workers

Carolyn J. Heckman, PhD, co-leader of the Cancer Prevention and Control Program at Rutgers Cancer Institute and an associate professor of medicine at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, is corresponding author and shares more on unburns and sun protection behaviors among male Hispanic outdoor day laborers in the Northeast U.S.

NSF funds UCI project to boost STEM degree success for underrepresented students

The National Science Foundation has awarded almost $3 million over a five-year period to The Institute for Meaningful Engagement at the University of California, Irvine. This new education project will explore the environmental factors prompting underrepresented students to leave science, technology, engineering and math programs and investigate how faculty can foster better classroom cultures to retain them. A multidisciplinary leadership team will partner with the deans of UCI’s six STEM schools to accomplish this.

For people of color in L.A., misinformation, past injustices contribute to vaccine hesitancy

New UCLA research finds that misinformation and politicization, awareness of past injustices involving medical research, and fears about the inequitable distribution of vaccines all contributed to hesitancy to be vaccinated among Los Angeles’ People of Color.

Mount Sinai Researchers Report Troubling Increase in Homebound Older Adults, Especially Blacks and Hispanics, During Pandemic

In a study to be published this coming Monday, August 23, at 11 am Eastern (please note embargo) in JAMA Internal Medicine, Mount Sinai researchers discuss a troubling rise in homebound older adults that underlines the inequality of the pandemic.

Student equity scholar Frances Contreras named dean of UCI School of Education

Irvine, Calif., Aug. 18, 2021 — Frances Contreras, who is widely acclaimed for her research on academic diversity and access from preschool to the Ph.D., has been appointed dean of the School of Education at the University of California, Irvine, following a nationwide search. She will assume her new role on Jan. 1, 2022. Contreras is currently associate vice chancellor for equity, diversity and inclusion, as well as professor of education studies, at the University of California, San Diego.

Hispanic organization honors nuclear waste management leader, cyber assurance architect

Two experts at Sandia National Laboratories have been honored for their achievements and leadership as top engineers and scientists from the Hispanic community.
Evaristo “Tito” Bonano, nuclear energy fuel cycle senior manager, and cyber assurance architect Angela “Ang” Rivas were recognized at the 32nd annual Hispanic Engineer National Achievement Awards Conference by Great Minds in STEM.

Rutgers Expert Can Discuss Ethnic or Exotic Crops in N.J., Mid-Atlantic

New Brunswick, N.J. (June 9, 2020) – Rutgers University–New Brunswick ethnic crop research specialist Albert Ayeni is available for interviews on growing non-native crops in New Jersey and the mid-Atlantic, including exotic peppers, okra, roselle (sorrel), tropical spinach (amaranths) and…

Paul Fleming & William Lopez: Why Hispanics are at higher risk to suffer health, economic consequences

FACULTY Q&AU.S. Hispanics are more likely than their white white counterparts to be affected by coronavirus independently of their immigration status. Two University of Michigan School of Public Health experts explain why, and offer some solutions the federal government could use to mitigate these negative consequences.Paul J.

Teaching Preschool Caregivers about Healthy Behaviors May Promote Healthier Lifestyle in Some High-Risk Groups

Study Shows Vascular Ultrasounds and Adhering to Interventional Education in Underserved Communities can Improve Health among Parents and School Staff