Latinx Heritage Month Panel Presentation

Living as a Latino in the Midwest and the Social Forces that Shape Community Health

with speakers Brandi Janssen, Nicole Novak, and Adriana Maldonado

Wednesday, Sept. 12 | 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. | C217 CPHB

This panel brings together three public health scholars on the University of Iowa campus to illustrate the social determinants of health for Latinx communities.

First, Nicole Novak (Post-Doctoral Research Fellow with the University of Iowa Prevention Research Center) will discuss the health implications of immigration enforcement, with a focus on community-wide impacts of large immigration raids. She will review research on a number of community-driven efforts to mitigate the impact of immigration enforcement on community health and well-being, including locally-issued photo ID cards, immigration bond funds, and responses of schools and faith communities in the wake of immigration raids.

Second, Brandi Janssen (Clinical Assistant Professor in Occupational and Environmental Health) will focus on how global policies affect food resources and access in local communities. She will explain how the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) has changed corporate ownership structures and commodity trade in Mexico then will discuss the current food environment and NAFTA’s impact on community health using data collected during a food system needs assessment in the city of Xicotepec, Puebla.

Third, Adriana Maldonado (doctoral student in Community and Behavioral Health) will focus on hypertension control among Latinos residing in Ottumwa, Iowa, a non-traditional settlement community. She has conducted focus groups to identify and describe the factors that contribute to poor hypertension control and will consider determinants as diverse as hypertension knowledge, disease impact, barriers to medication adherence, and occupational stress, among others.

In summary, the panelists will illustrate the overarching concept of the social determinants of health with tangible examples from their work. The discussion will show the complex indirect and direct ways that global, domestic, and local policies affect the lives of Latinx people in the Midwest. Audience members will be prepared to identify and describe such factors and mechanisms affecting Latinx community health in the Midwest.

Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to attend all University of Iowa-sponsored events. If you are a person with a disability who requires a reasonable accommodation in order to participate in this program, please contact the College of Public Health in advance at (319) 384-1500.