(Press-News.org) Although Latinos and Hispanics are at elevated risk for Alzheimer’s disease and account for almost half of Los Angeles County’s population, a recent UCLA Health study finds that accessible digital resources for these communities remain in short supply since the COVID-19 pandemic.
The study, published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research, found only a handful of the 15 websites from the county’s top Alzheimer’s disease organizations had features or tools to improve access for Latino and Hispanic families during and amid the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Senior author Dr. Mirella Daz-Santos said the pandemic has only widened the existing digital divide among Latino and Hispanic communities as more health care tools and resources migrated online.
“The prevalence of Alzheimer’s disease in Latino and Hispanic communities is estimated to triple by 2040. Yet, the digital divide keeps too many families from accessing essential Alzheimer’s resources,” said Díaz-Santos, director and founder of the Equity for Latinx-Hispanic Healthy Aging (ELHA) Lab at the UCLA Easton Center for Alzheimer’s Research and Care. “It is critical that we develop accessible, culturally competent digital solutions to close this gap.”
In the study, researchers evaluated 15 of Los Angeles County’s top Alzheimer’s disease organizations or institutions, including UCLA, based on four criteria: type and number of services available in Spanish; web accessibility tools; support for familial dialogue and community-based approaches, or “familismo”; and the inclusion of linguistic or cultural barriers. The initial survey took place in early 2022 with an additional post-hoc evaluation occurring in early 2025.
Of the 15 websites, the study found:
4 offered Spanish-language services in 2022; up to 6 in 2025
5 offered web accessibility tools (font size adjustments, screen reader compatibility) in 2022; down to 4 in 2025.
2 included support for familial dialogue and community-based approaches in 2022; up to 3 in 2025.
Structural barriers included required email sign-ups, English-language forms and limited Spanish-speaking support staff impeded access
While the findings are limited to Los Angeles institutions, the findings serve as a case study of how digital health disparities can be addressed for populations at higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, Díaz-Santos said.
Article: Addressing Digital Disparities in Alzheimer Disease by Improving Access to Alzheimer Resources for Spanish-Speaking Latino or Latina Individuals in Los Angeles County: Mixed Methods Study; Stephanie Ovalle-Eliseo et al.; Aug. 13, 2025; Journal of Medical Internet Research; doi: 10.2196/6714
END
Alzheimer’s disease digital resources lacking for Latinos, Hispanics in Los Angeles years after COVID-19, study finds
UCLA Health study finds many websites missing Spanish-language resources, accessible features or services to facilitate family dialogue
2025-09-10
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Chronic disease deaths decline globally, but progress is slowing
2025-09-10
IMPERIAL COLLEGE LONDON PRESS RELEASE
Peer Reviewed / Observational study / People
Under STRICT EMBARGO until:
Wednesday 10th September 2025
23:30 (UK Time) / 18:30 (US Eastern Time)
Chronic disease deaths decline globally, but progress is slowing
**Country-level data available, see notes to editors**
Mortality from chronic diseases fell in 80% of countries in the decade leading up to the COVID-19 pandemic (2010-2019)
Progress has slowed, with 60% of countries performing worse than in the preceding decade
Among high-income ...
The Lancet: Chronic disease deaths decline globally, but progress is slowing
2025-09-10
Death rates from chronic diseases have fallen in four out of five countries around the world in the last decade - but progress has slowed, suggests an analysis led by researchers at Imperial College London and published in The Lancet.
In recent decades there have been many global and national political pledges and plans to improve prevention and treatment of chronic diseases (also called non-communicable diseases - NCDs), such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, kidney disease, liver disease, neurological conditions and others. This includes the UN Sustainable Development Goal of reducing premature mortality from NCDs by one-third by 2030.
This study is believed to be the first ...
The Lancet: Parent-focused programs insufficient to prevent obesity in toddlers, finds meta-analysis; authors call for a re-think of childhood obesity prevention approaches
2025-09-10
A meta-analysis of 17 trials including over 9,000 toddlers found no evidence that parent-focused early childhood obesity prevention programs have an impact on young children's BMI.
Authors say their findings underscore the need to re-think current behavioural approaches to prevent obesity in early childhood and stress the need for broader, coordinated and resourced public health action.
Existing approaches to parent-focused behavioural programs delivered up to 12 months of age which aim to combat childhood obesity are ...
Study sheds light on hurdles faced in transforming NHS healthcare with AI
2025-09-10
UCL Press Release
Under embargo until Thursday 11 September 2025, 00:01 UK time
Peer reviewed, qualitative study
Study sheds light on hurdles faced in transforming NHS healthcare with AI
Implementing artificial intelligence (AI) into NHS hospitals is far harder than initially anticipated, with complications around governance, contracts, data collection, harmonisation with old IT systems, finding the right AI tools and staff training, finds a major new UK study led by UCL researchers.
Authors of the study, published in The Lancet eClinicalMedicine, say ...
Astrocytic “brake” that blocks spinal cord repair identified
2025-09-10
Spinal cord injuries caused by external trauma, such as traffic accidents or falls, often lead to the permanent loss of motor and sensory functions. This is because the spinal cord—the central pathway connecting the brain and the rest of the body—harbors a “brake” mechanism that halts repair. For the first time, the molecular mechanism behind this braking system has been revealed.
A research team led by Director C. Justin LEE of the Center for Cognition and Sociality at the Institute for Basic Science (IBS), in collaboration with Professor HA ...
As farm jobs decline, food industry work holds steady
2025-09-10
CORNELL UNIVERSITY MEDIA RELATIONS OFFICE
FOR RELEASE: Sept. 10, 2025
Adam Allington
(231) 620-7180
aea235@cornell.edu
As farm jobs decline, food industry work holds steady
ITHACA, N.Y. – A new Cornell University study covering nearly three decades and 189 countries finds that while traditional farm jobs decline as nations grow wealthier, employment in the broader food industry – from processing plants to restaurants – remains surprisingly steady, offering better wages but ...
Kennesaw State researcher aiming to move AI beyond the cloud
2025-09-10
Artificial intelligence (AI) is often linked to supercomputers and massive data centers, but Kennesaw State University researcher Bobin Deng is aiming for something a bit more accessible through a new National Science Foundation (NSF) grant.
An assistant professor in Kennesaw State’s College of Computing and Software Engineering, Deng said the goal is to move AI beyond the cloud and into the hands of people where it can have the most impact – their personal devices. The research could allow AI tools to function without an internet connection, something that is uncommon ...
Revolutionizing impedance flow cytometry with adjustable microchannel height
2025-09-10
Ikoma, Japan—Many advances in medicine and drug development were possible owing to flow cytometry, a single-cell analysis technique that analyzes cells using the emitted fluorescence of their chemical tags while passing through a laser beam. Most flow cytometers possess a microfluidic channel, a small channel that regulates the flow of fluorescently tagged analytes. Flow cytometry enables quick single-cell counting and analysis, making it a cornerstone of modern biomedical research.
A powerful variant, impedance flow cytometry, replaces ...
Treating opioid addiction in jails improves treatment engagement, reduces overdose deaths and reincarceration
2025-09-10
FOR EMBARGOED RELEASE
Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2025
5 p.m. EDT
Contact: NIH Office of Communications
301-496-5787
Treating opioid addiction in jails improves treatment engagement, reduces overdose deaths and reincarceration
NIH-funded study demonstrates life-saving potential of providing medications for opioid use disorder in carceral settings
A study supported ...
Can’t sleep? Insomnia associated with accelerated brain aging
2025-09-10
EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE UNTIL 4:00 P.M. ET, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2025
Highlights:
Chronic insomnia—trouble sleeping at least three days a week for three months or more—could speed up brain aging.
People with chronic insomnia were 40% more likely to develop dementia or mild cognitive issues than people without insomnia.
Insomnia with perceived reduced sleep was associated with lower cognition comparable to being four years older.
Better sleep isn’t just beauty rest—it might protect your brain health.
MINNEAPOLIS — People with chronic insomnia may ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
Scientists create ChatGPT-like AI model for neuroscience to build one of the most detailed mouse brain maps to date
AI and omics unlock personalized drugs and RNA therapies for heart disease
2023 ocean heatwave ‘unprecedented but not unexpected’
Johns Hopkins researchers develop AI to predict risk of US car crashes
New drug combination offers hope for men with advanced prostate cancer
New discovery finds gene converts insulin-producing cells into blood-sugar boosters
Powerful and precise multi-color lasers now fit on a single chip
Scientists agree chemicals can affect behavior, but industry workers more reluctant about safety testing
DNA nanospring measures cellular motor power
Elsevier Foundation and RIKEN launch “Envisioning Futures” report: paving the way for gender equity and women’s leadership in Japanese research
Researchers discover enlarged areas of the spinal cord in fish, previously found only in four-limbed vertebrates
Bipolar disorder heterogeneity decoded: transforming global psychiatric treatment approaches
Catching Alport syndrome through universal age-3 urine screening
Instructions help you remember something better than emotions or a good night’s sleep
Solar energy is now the world’s cheapest source of power, a Surrey study finds
Scientists reverse Alzheimer’s in mice using nanoparticles
‘Good’ gut bacteria boosts placenta for healthier pregnancy
USC team demonstrates first optical device based on “optical thermodynamics”
Microplastics found to change gut microbiome in first human-sample study
Artificially sweetened and sugary drinks are both associated with an increased risk of liver disease, study finds
Plastic in the soil, but not as we know it: Biodegradable microplastics rewire carbon storage in farm fields
Yeast proteins reveal the secrets of drought resistance
Psychiatry, primary care, and OB/GYN subspecialties hit hardest by physician attrition
New Canadian study reveals where HIV hides in different parts of the body
Lidocaine poisonings rise despite overall drop in local anesthetic toxicity
Politics follow you on the road
Scientists blaze new path to fighting viral diseases
The mouse eye as a window to spotting systemic disease
AI and the Future of Cancer Research and Cancer Care to headline October 24 gathering of global oncology leaders at the National Press Club: NFCR Global Summit to feature top scientists, entrepreneurs
FDA clears UCLA heart tissue regeneration drug AD-NP1 for clinical trials
[Press-News.org] Alzheimer’s disease digital resources lacking for Latinos, Hispanics in Los Angeles years after COVID-19, study findsUCLA Health study finds many websites missing Spanish-language resources, accessible features or services to facilitate family dialogue