LOWER YOUR STRESS, WALK FOR WELLNESS

Leave a comment April 23, 2021 Larrell Wilkinson

By Shayna Bryan, Intern & UAB Community Health & Human Services Student

Managing your stress and anxiety is important for long-term health and wellness. Healthy stress management improves resiliency, especially when times are tough, but it can be tricky to put into practice. There are a lot of pressures in everyday life that demand attention so taking care of your own mental health can feel difficult to prioritize. The very pressure to manage your stress can be stressful itself, but finding healthy ways to cope with stress is good for your mind and body. Reducing your stress also reduces your risk for cardiovascular disease and supports healthy immune system functioning.

If thinking about stress management is at all overwhelming and you just want somewhere to start, there’s a simple solution: Go for a walk.

Walking is easy and you already know how to do it. Other common methods of stress-relief like yoga and meditation take skill and practice, but anyone can go for a walk. It gives you time to yourself away from the usual distractions and is a low-impact aerobic exercise. If you’re new to tackling your stress and feeling overwhelmed at all, walking is effective and can quickly become part of your daily routine. It’s low-stress stress relief for beginners!

Here are a few things to keep in mind as you plan your wellness walk:

Walk outside. Being outside among nature is good for your, mental-wellbeing, particularly if you live in a city.

Walk for at least 20-30 minutes. If you’re not sure how to plan a walking route, just pick a direction and walk for 10-15 minutes, then turn around and walk back.

Take deep calming breaths while you walk. Breathe in for 5 seconds while expanding your whole chest, then exhale slowly.

It is safe to walk outside without a mask, provided you are more than 6 feet from the nearest person. Take a mask with you anyway, for safety.

Use this time to take a break from the news and social media. Focus only on enjoying the moment.

Sources:

CDC. Mental health and coping during covid-19. (n.d.). Retrieved March 18, 2021, from https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/managing-stress-anxiety.html 

Hunter, M. R., Gillespie, B. W., & Chen, S. Y. (2019). Urban nature experiences reduce stress in the context of daily life based on salivary biomarkers. Frontiers in Psychology, 10. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00722

CDC’s Commitment to Addressing Racism as an Obstacle to Health Equity

Leave a comment April 13, 2021 Larrell Wilkinson

Commentary drawn from Center for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) Media Statement & Website released Thursday, April 8 2021

According to the CDC (2021),…”Racism—both interpersonal and structural —negatively affects the mental and physical health of millions of people, preventing them from attaining their highest level of health, and consequently, affecting the health of our nation. A growing body of research shows that centuries of racism in this country has had a profound and negative impact on communities of color. The impact is pervasive and deeply embedded in our society—affecting where one lives, learns, works, worships and plays and creating inequities in access to a range of social and economic benefits—such as housing, education, wealth, and employment. These conditions—often referred to as social determinants of health—are key drivers of health inequities within communities of color, placing those within these populations at greater risk for poor health outcomes.”

The CDC is committed to ensuring every person has the opportunity to live a healthy life. To that end, CDC—as the nation’s leading public health agency—has established this web portal, “Racism and Health” to serve as a hub for our activities, promote a public discourse on how racism negatively affects health and communicate potential solutions. Working with the broader public health community, the CDC will serve as a catalyst to further investigate the impact of racism on health and efforts to achieve health equity for all.

As the nation’s leading public health agency, other efforts from the CDC in addressing the impact of racism on public health include:

Continuing to study the impact of social determinants on health outcomes, expand the body of evidence on how racism affects health, and propose and implement solutions to address this.
Making new and expanded investments in racial and ethnic minority communities and other disproportionately affected communities around the country, establishing a durable infrastructure that will provide the foundation and resources to address disparities related to COVID-19 and other health conditions.
Expanding internal agency efforts to foster greater diversity and create an inclusive and affirming environment for all.

For more information about the CDC’s efforts in addressing Racism & Health, please visit https://www.cdc.gov/healthequity/racism-disparities/index.html. Also, feel free to share your thoughts and concerns regarding racism here in the comments section, or engage with us at the Wilkinson Wellness Lab on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.

#STOPAAPIHATE, Be a Good Neighbor

Leave a comment April 7, 2021 Larrell Wilkinson

By Jun Wang & Shayna Bryan (Interns & UAB Community Health & Human Services Students), & Dr. Larrell L. Wilkinson

Photo by RODNAE Productions on Pexels.com

The United States of America is a country of great cultural diversity. People from all around the world come here and contribute to the broader American community. Asian Americans & Pacific Islander (AAPI) citizens also call the United States of American their home, about 22.6 million in number which accounts for about 5.4% of the population (US Census Bureau, 2021).

Anti-Asian sentiment is not a new problem in the United States. Asian immigrants first came to the US in the 1850s and were instrumental in expansion and development of the western half of the country (US Census Bureau, 2020). But in response to cultural and economic objections fueled by ethnic discrimination, President Arthur signed into law the Chinese Exclusion Act, which remains the first and only immigration law that targeted a specific ethnic group. The law wasn’t repealed until 1943. This type of in-group/out-group mentality threatens our strength and abilities as a country. It is in this vein and in working to affirm the humanity of all individuals that the recent rise in violent acts against the AAPI community must be addressed and stopped.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, hate crimes targeting Asian-Americans has risen by 150% (Center for the Study of Hate & Extremism, 2020). During this time when our country should unite to face down the COVID-19 pandemic, some choose dissension, violence, and hate. But we can choose to be kind to each other, seek to live peacefully with one another, and act to care for our neighbors.

Here are some tips for all of us to combat this challenge together:

Call 911 for help or to make a report to authorities if you witness a hate crime or harmful incident suspected of being racially or ethnically motivated.
Use your voice within social media to speak against hate speech, while affirming support for all humanity.
Do a “care check-in” with your AAPI neighbors and friends

For this on other ways to help build a more “just” and healthy society, please visit the websites of the Society of Public Health Education and the American Public Health Association. Please continue to follow us at the Wilkinson Wellness Lab. Join the conversation at https://www.facebook.com/wilkinsonwellnesslab.  Let’s all be better, together!

Everyone please put on masks, practice social distancing, and stay safe.

Use this image to share our message on social media

References

Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month: May 2020. (30 April 2020). United States Census Bureau. Retrieved from https://www.census.gov/newsroom/facts-for-features/2020/aian.html

US Census Data. Retrieved from: https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=united%20states&g=0100000US&tid=ACSDP5Y2018.DP05&hidePreview=true

Chinese Immigration and the Chinese Exclusion Acts. Office of the Historian, Foreign Service Institute United States Department of State. Retrieved from https://history.state.gov/milestones/1866-1898/chinese-immigration

FACT SHEET – Anti-Asian Hate 2020. Center for the Study of Hate & Extremism. CSUSB. Retrieved from https://www.csusb.edu/sites/default/files/FACT%20SHEET-%20Anti-Asian%20Hate%202020%203.2.21.pdf

Stop AAPI Hate 2020-2021 National Report. Retrieved from: https://stopaapihate.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Stop-AAPI-Hate-National-Report-210316.pdf

Stop AAPI Hate Resources. https://stopaapihate.org/resources/

Newsletter – SOPHE Community of Practice on Healthy Aging | March 5, 2021

Leave a comment March 5, 2021 Larrell Wilkinson

By Jun Wang, Intern & UAB Community Health & Human Services Student

Title: Working Longer Cannot Solve the Retirement Income Crisis

Brief Description: One of the warning signs of the oncoming retirement crisis is how often people are told to work longer. You work longer if you have not been able to save enough or your savings are wiped out by any other expenses. Studies overestimated benefits of working that only 26 percent of people could maintain their pre-retirement standard of living if they retired at age 62. However, 72 percent could reach financial security if they waited until age 70 to retire. Due to COVID-19 pandemic, job loss exacerbates the retirement saving crisis that nearly 5 million workers age 55 to 70 lost their jobs in the recession resulting from the virus.

Link to resource: https://generations.asaging.org/working-longer-cant-solve-retirement-crisis

Title: Hispanic Older Adults at Greatest Risk of Poverty from COVID-19

Brief Description: The National Council on Aging (NCOA), a trusted national leader working to ensure that every person can age well, is warning that while the financial hardships created by the COVID-19 pandemic will impact the economic security of all older adults, it will disproportionately hurt Hispanics over age 60. The NCOA Senior Director, Research and Evaluation Dr. Susan Silberman says, “All groups over age 60 will experience significant decreases in total net wealth, but without question, the Hispanic population will experience the most dramatic declines.” Hispanic older adults are more vulnerable due to lower and non-growing household incomes and having multiple chronic conditions. Dr. Silberman says it is very important to maintain a strong social safety net and undertake policies that focus on narrowing financial disparities across racial and ethnic lines.

Link to resource: https://www.ncoa.org/news/press-releases/hispanic-older-adults-at-greatest-risk-of-poverty-from-covid-19/

Title: 15 Lessons that Coronavirus Pandemic Has Taught Us

Brief Description: From the past year, our country has been going through a lot: a pandemic, an economic meltdown, and a political transition. AARP collected all the shared deeper lessons of the past year on older Americans. Here is what shared by the older Americans: Family matters more than we realized, Medical breakthroughs, Self-care matters, Be financially prepared, Age is just a number, Getting online for good, Working anywhere, Restoring trust, Gathering carefully, Isolation’s health toll, Getting outside, Wealth disparities’ toll, Preparing for the future, Tapping Telemedicine, and Cities are changing.

Link to resource: https://www.aarp.org/health/conditions-treatments/info-2021/lessons-from-covid.html?intcmp=AE-HP-TTN-R2-POS2-REALPOSS-TODAY

Title: Stages of Alzheimer’s

Brief Description: Alzheimer’s disease typically progresses slowly in three general stages: early (mild), middle (moderate), and late (severe). It affects people in different way and may experiencing the symptoms differently. The symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease worsen over time, although the rate at which the disease progresses varies. On average, a person with Alzheimer’s lives four to eight years after diagnosis, but can live as long as 20 years, depending on other factors. Changes in the brain related to Alzheimer’s begin years before any signs of the disease. This time period, which can last for years, is referred to as preclinical Alzheimer’s disease.

Link to resource: https://www.alz.org/alzheimers-dementia/stages

WOMEN, BE SMART ABOUT YOUR HEART!

Leave a comment February 27, 2021 Shayna Bryan

By Shayna Bryan (UAB Community Health & Human Services Intern) and Dr. Larrell L. Wilkinson

Every February since 1964, Americans have celebrated American Heart Month! Why? According to the CDC, heart disease is the leading cause of death among American adults and most ethnic/racial groups. Heart disease the body’s circulatory system, i.e. your veins and arteries. There are several forms of heart disease, but some of the most common include heart attack and coronary artery disease. According to the American Heart Association , a heart attack occurs when blood flow to the heart is interrupted, thus the oxygen supply to the heart muscle is reduced or completely cut off. This is important because the CDC estimates that 805,000 heart attacks occur annually in the United States.

Among Americans, non-Hispanic Black (African Americans) are at great risk for heart disease. The American Heart Association reports that about half of African-American women over the age of 20 have some form of heart disease, yet only about 1 out of 3 know their heart health risk. Around 50,000 African-American women die from cardiovascular disease annually. But we can prevent the deaths and reduce the number of our families impacted by heart disease. Here is what we can do:

Step 1: Learn your risk for heart disease.

Visit your doctor and ask for diagnostic tests for coronary heart disease. If you don’t have a personal physician or access to health care, contact Jefferson County Department of Health or your local county health department for assistance.

In general, any individual who has been diagnosed with any of these conditions is at risk for heart disease:

• Overweight or obesity
• High blood pressure
• Diabetes
• Physical inactivity
• Family history (first degree relative, such as a parent or sibling, who has had a heart attack or stroke before age 50)

Step 2: Work to reduce your risk of heart disease.

Eat healthy
Add more fruits and vegetables to your diet. Five servings a day is the recommended minimum, so aim even higher by making vegetables half of your meal. Lower your sodium intake by eating more home cooked meals, instead of fast food. Drink water, not soda or juice which is high in added sugars.

Be active
Aim for 150 minutes of physical activity every week. That’s only around 20 minutes a day. You can make walking part of your routine. Try going for a walk and talking to a friend on the phone. Any activity that elevates your heart rate will improve your health and help lower your risk.

Manage stress
Stress management is important for heart health. Eating healthy and staying active can help keep your stress levels down. Learn what triggers your stress and address it by slowing down and engaging in meditation or breathing exercises.

Step 3: Always look for the signs of a heart attack

According to the American Heart Association, women are somewhat less likely than men to experience chest pain. Instead, they are more likely to experience:

Dizziness
Fatigue
Nausea
Pressure or tightness in the chest
Stomach pain

To learn more about heart disease in women, please click on the links above. Additional resources include the following links:

https://www.goredforwomen.org/en/about-heart-disease-in-women/signs-and-symptoms-in-women/symptoms-of-a-heart-attack

https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/consumer-healthcare/what-is-cardiovascular-disease/african-americans-and-heart-disease-stroke

https://www.heart.org/-/media/phd-files-2/science-news/2/2021-heart-and-stroke-stat-update/2021_stat_update_factsheet_black_race_and_cvd.pdf?la=en

https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/stress-and-heart-health

Newsletter – SOPHE Community of Practice on Healthy Aging | February 26, 2021

Leave a comment February 26, 2021 Larrell Wilkinson

By Jun Wang, Intern & UAB Community Health & Human Services Student

Title: The Intersections of Inequity in Aging
Brief Description: As the urgent issue of racial injustice took center stage, “Generations Today” highlighting for the aging advocacy community how aging, identity, and racial equity intersect. Women, in particular women of color, face significant barriers to economic security as they age. Older women represent nearly two-thirds of the more than 7 million people older than age 65 living in poverty today. What can be done to fix the systems that created the inequities. We could raise up and explicitly value women, and the work that women do, at all ages. If we make the right choices now, we are not only heling the older adult women today, but also bring the generations of women.
Link to resource: https://generations.asaging.org/intersections-inequity-aging

Title: 8 Things to Know Before Your Second COVID-19 Vaccines
Brief Description: Understand the do’s and don’ts of the two-dose coronavirus vaccination regimen. Your side effects will likely be stronger. You should avoid taking pain relievers before your shot. The timing between doses does not need to be exact. Your second dose should be from the same manufacturer as your first. A rash at the injection site is not a reason to skip your second dose. You should temporarily avoid all other vaccines. Full immunity is not immediate. You still need to wear a mask.
Link to resource: https://www.aarp.org/health/conditions-treatments/info-2021/what-to-know-before-second-vaccine-dose.html

Title: Chef’s persistent symptoms at last lead to hypertrophic cardiomyopathy diagnosis
Brief Description: Our story character Shawn Lewis was sick for four painful, frustrating years and received diagnose of heart failure and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in the ER. She has an advice for others with HCM that “take it seriously and try to control it to the best of your ability. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a heart muscle, or myocardial, a disorder that cannot be explained by another cardiac or systemic disease. In some cases, people with HCM at greater risk of developing abnormal heart rhythms or other cardiac problems. HCM can cause fatigue, fainting, shortness of breath, chest pain, or heart palpitations.
Link to resource: https://www.heart.org/en/around-the-aha/chefs-persistent-symptoms-at-last-lead-to-hypertrophic-cardiomyopathy-diagnosis

Title: 10 Early Signs and Symptoms of Alzheimer’s
Brief Description: Signs and Symptoms of Alzheimer’s or other dementia: Memory loss that disrupts daily life. Challenges in planning or solving problems. Difficulty completing familiar tasks. Confusion with time or place. Trouble understanding visual images and spatial relationships. New problems with words in speaking or writing. Misplacing things and losing the ability to retrace steps. Decreased or poor judgment. Withdrawal from work or social activities. Changes in mood and personality. A recommendation is to get checked and early detection matters.
Link to resource: https://www.alz.org/alzheimers-dementia/10_signs

Newsletter – SOPHE Community of Practice on Healthy Aging | February 19, 2021

Leave a comment February 19, 2021 Larrell Wilkinson

By Jun Wang, Intern & UAB Community Health & Human Services Student

Title: Heart Health Superfoods
Brief Description: When it comes to heart health, you probably know what the American Heart Association (AHA) offers as its top diet advice: Eat a good balance of fresh, fiber-rich fruits and veggies; whole grains; and healthy proteins, such as nuts, skinless fish and poultry. But recent studies have also named specific cardiovascular all-stars that are worth adding to your rotation. Here are a few standouts to add to your grocery list: beets, pumpkin seeds, walnuts, tofu, olives/olives oils, Garbanzo beans, oatmeal, Salmon, blueberries, broccoli, brussels sprouts, and chili peppers.
Link to resource: https://www.aarp.org/health/conditions-treatments/info-2021/heart-health-foods.html

Title: Overthrowing Ageism
Brief Description: There are many major life milestones that represent change and growth. It is all about ageism! Growing older is not a milestone that comes with bragging rights or a celebratory rite of passage. Unlike in many other countries, aging is considered an inevitable and unfortunate decline from life’s supposedly higher points. Getting older, losing stamina, or needing some help is make some elderly feel ashamed. As social creatures, seeking out support from others that bring each other closer and can get through together. Let’s practice what can be preached and not be afraid to share in our own social cycles.
Link to resource: https://generations.asaging.org/overthrowing-ageism

Title: Middle-Age Obesity Linked to Higher Odds for Dementia
Brief Description: Being obese at mid-age appears to increase the risks of dementia. People who are obese at midlife have a 31% higher risk for dementia than middle-aged people whose weight is normal. The risk of dementia was even higher (39%) for women with abdominal obesity while both men and women are obese. There is no association between abdominal obesity and dementia was found among men. The good news is losing weight may significantly lower the odds. A healthy lifestyle can reduce the risk of dementia.
Link to resource: https://consumer.healthday.com/vitamins-and-nutrition-information-27/obesity-health-news-505/middle-age-obesity-linked-to-higher-odds-for-dementia-758936.html

Title: How to Stay Active with Winter Walking
Brief Description: According to a study of American Journal of Human Biology, among a group of 53 hikers burned more calories in cold weather than warm, leading to weight loss for both men and women. To keep the low-impact way to stay active during cold weather that we need to weatherproof the winter walking routine. Here are some expert tips for staying warm and motivated as temperature drop. The first is to perfect your winter wardrobe. Laying up is the key and do not neglect the extremities. Avoid cotton socks and clothing that trap moisture from sweat or snow and leave you feeling wet and chilly. Always start slow and stay safe. Consult the doctor if you have a preexisting condition or have recently recovered from an event like a heart attack or surgery.
Link to resource: https://www.aarp.org/health/healthy-living/info-2020/winter-walking.html

SECURE HEALTH INSURANCE FOR YOURSELF OR YOUR LOVE ONES: A SPECIAL ENROLLMENT PERIOD FOR HEALTH CARE COVERAGE DUE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Leave a comment February 18, 2021 Larrell Wilkinson

According to the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, individuals can enroll in Marketplace health coverage February 15 through May 15 due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) emergency. A person may also still be able to enroll for 2021 any time these two ways: with a Special Enrollment Period or through Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). For more information about Special Enrollment Periods for Health Insurance Coverage via the Marketplace created by the Affordable Care Act, please visit https://www.healthcare.gov/coverage-outside-open-enrollment/special-enrollment-period/.

According to an Issue Brief (August 19, 2020) from the Commonwealth Fund, during the first half of 2020, 43.4 percent of U.S. adults ages 19 to 64 were inadequately insured. The adult uninsured rate was 12.5 percent. In addition, 9.5 percent of adults were insured but had a gap in coverage in the past year and 21.3 percent were underinsured. According to 2012 data from the Alabama Department of Public Health, an estimated 15.8% of Alabamians are without health insurance coverage. 15.8% of uninsured Alabamians are ages 65 or older, while 15.5% of Alabamians without health coverage were between ages 40 – 64 years of age. Among the uninsured, 19% were African American and 34.6% were persons from Latino/Hispanic ethnicity.

Health Insurance Coverage is a significant resource to have in your life and the lives of your loved ones! Through the Marketplace created through the Affordable Care Act, health plans cover:

Ambulatory patient services (outpatient care you get without being admitted to a hospital)
Emergency services
Hospitalization (like surgery and overnight stays)
Pregnancy, maternity, and newborn care (both before and after birth)
Mental health and substance use disorder services, including behavioral health treatment (this includes counseling and psychotherapy)
Prescription drugs
Rehabilitative and habilitative services and devices (services and devices to help people with injuries, disabilities, or chronic conditions gain or recover mental and physical skills)
Laboratory services
Preventive and wellness services and chronic disease management
Pediatric services, including oral and vision care (but adult dental and vision coverage aren’t essential health benefits)

Plans may also cover:

Additionally, plans in various states may include: Dental coverage, Vision coverage, and/or Medical management programs (for specific needs like weight management, back pain, and diabetes). Start your process of gaining health coverage today by visiting Healthcare.gov to learn more about healthcare coverage and encourage your loved ones to the same.

Wilkinson Wellness Laboratory

Encouraging Healthier Lives & Thriving Communities

LOWER YOUR STRESS, WALK FOR WELLNESS

WOMEN, BE SMART ABOUT YOUR HEART!