The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has released initial findings that show significant variations in disease prevalence and health behaviors among Hispanics.

The findings suggest Hispanics are a diverse group, not only in ancestry, culture, and economic status, but also in the prevalence of several diseases, risk factors, and lifestyle habits.

A mother who develops diabetes during pregnancy could increase her child's chances of having autism, a new study suggests.

How cultural barriers can be more important than income

Recent studies have found that Latinos are the racial and ethnic group least likely to visit the doctor. More than one-fourth of Latino adults in the United States lack a usual healthcare provider and almost half of Latinos never visit a medical professional during the course of the year. Other reports show that Latinos are more likely than members of other groups to delay healthcare for an illness or drop out of treatment when symptoms disappear.

It can be an uncomfortable thing to tell someone your dietary habits, especially when they aren’t what most would consider healthy. Inaccurate diet reporting isn’t surprising, but it may do more harm than initially realized, particularly for Hispanics.

People who suffer from mental illness, including depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia, face a litany of challenges: dark moods, an inability to enjoy lifes pleasures, powerful prescription medication, isolation, and social stigma. Making things worse, many also experience the pain of self-stigma, an under-reported condition in which the patient internalizes social myths and prejudices about mental illness. Experts say self-stigma can impede a depressed or mentally ill persons ability to recover.