Patricia Chalela

The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio | UT HSC · Institute for Health Promotion Research

Background: Hormone therapy (HT) is highly effective for nearly all breast cancer patients with hormone receptor-positive tumors, which are about 80% of all breast cancer diagnoses. Long-term use of HT reduces cancer recurrence rates and cuts the risk of mortality nearly in half during the second decade after diagnosis. Despite proven benefits, 33%...

South Texas (STX), spanning from San Antonio to the Texas-Mexico border, includes 25 rural counties, with 96% designated as primary care shortage areas, are notably the nation’s poorest and most medically underserved regions in the United States. Hispanic/Latinos (H/Ls) in the U.S. face challenges related to social determinants of health (SDoH), co...

Background: Despite major advances in tobacco control and treatment, tobacco use remains the single largest preventable cause of morbidity and mortality in the US. Smoking prevalence is highest among Texas young adults (ages 18-29), especially those with lower education and income and those living in rural areas, like Latinos. About 19.2% of Latino...

Purpose: Avanzando Caminos (Leading Pathways): The Hispanic/Latino Cancer Survivorship Cohort Study aims to examine the influence of sociocultural, medical, stress, psychosocial, lifestyle, behavioral, and biological factors on symptom burden, health-related quality of life, and clinical outcomes among Hispanics/Latinos who have been previously tr...

Abstract Background Cervical cancer (CC), colorectal cancer (CRC), and breast cancer (BC) are diseases that can be prevented/detected through early test. Through educational programs, individuals can become better informed about these cancers and understand the importance of screening and early detection. However, many people, especially low-income...

Background: Physicians have unparalleled access to smokers. It is estimated that over 70% of smokers visit a physician every year, which provides a powerful opportunity to promote tobacco cessation by asking about smoking behaviors and providing cessation advice and counseling to tobacco users at every visit. In general, smokers consider a physicia...

Background: Knowledge gained through cancer clinical trials (CTs) has been proven critical to preventing, diagnosing and treating the disease, and providing the evidence base for clinical practice. Major advances in cancer treatment, which are essential for improving patients’ outcomes, come from investigations of new therapeutic agents in CTs. Des...

Background: Adjuvant hormonal therapy (HT) is highly effective and appropriate for nearly all women with hormone receptor-positive tumors, making such treatment the most widely prescribed therapy for patients with this type of breast cancer. Despite its proven benefits in reducing cancer recurrence and improving survival, HT adherence is suboptimal...

PURPOSE Identify key barriers that keep Latinos from participating in clinical trials (CTs) and interventions proven effective in increasing their representation in clinical research. METHODS Utilize our own extensive research experience and review the literature to: identify key barriers, summarize strategies that have been proven effective in in...

Promoting coronavirus vaccination is deterred by misinformation, ranging from elaborate conspiracy theories about sinister purposes to exaggeration of side effects, largely promulgated by social media. In this pilot study, we tested the effects of different messages on actions leading to vaccination. Two theory-based advertisements were produced fo...

Background: The successful use of hormone therapy (HT) has contributed to improved 5-year cause-specific breast cancer survival rates, and evidence shows that long-term use produces a larger reduction in recurrence and mortality, with nearly 50% reduction in breast cancer mortality during the second decade after diagnosis. Despite the proven benefi...

With the increasing use of smartphones, performance monitoring and the analysis of mobile applications (apps) are gaining momentum. Smartphones are resource-constrained devices. Thus, mobile apps typically rely on cloud services for the execution of resource-intensive functionalities, storage, and computation power. Measuring the user experience is...

Given how smart phones, internet services, and social media have shown great potential for assisting smoking cessation, we constructed a Facebook chat application based on our previous work with SMS texting services. This report summarizes findings from 2,364 Spanish-speaking young adults recruited through Facebook advertising in South Texas during...

U.S. Latinos are 1.5 times more likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease (AD) than non-Latino Whites. To raise awareness of and action around this rising public health issue, Salud America!, a national Latino health advocacy network, organized three #SaludTues tweetchats on Twitter between 2018 and 2020. For the three Alzheimer’s tweetchats ─Aug. 14,...

BACKGROUND Quitxt is a mobile smoking cessation service delivered through text messaging (SMS) and Facebook Messenger chat. Cigarette smoking and alcohol use are well known to be concomitant behaviors, however there is a lack of studies related to recruitment of smokers for mobile cessation services at places where alcohol is consumed, such as bars...

Background: Cigarette smoking and alcohol use are well known to be concomitant behaviors, but there is a lack of studies related to recruitment of smokers for mobile cessation services at places where alcohol is consumed, such as bars and clubs. Adapting recruitment strategies to expand the reach of cessation programs to where tobacco users are lo...

p>Background: The successful use of hormone therapy (HT) has contributed to improved 5-year cause-specific breast cancer survival rates and evidence shows that long-term use produces a larger reduction in recurrence and mortality, with nearly 50% reduction in breast cancer mortality during the second decade after diagnosis. Despite the proven benef...

Americans spend more than $3.2 trillion on healthcare annually, yet healthcare purchased with that expenditure explains as little as 10% of the variability in life expectancy in the overall population. Health behaviors, in contrast, may explain as much as 50% overall and more than 75% in certain diseases. Of the ten leading causes of death, eight h...

With the evolving artificial intelligence technology, the chatbots are becoming smarter and faster lately. Chatbots are typically available round the clock providing continuous support and services. A chatbot or a conversational agent is a program or software that can communicate using natural language with humans. The challenge of developing an in...

Background: Adjuvant hormonal therapy (HT) is highly effective and appropriate for nearly all women with hormone receptor-positive tumors, making such treatment the most widely prescribed therapy for patients with this type of breast cancer. Despite its proven benefits in reducing cancer recurrence and improving survival, HT adherence is suboptimal...

Background: Quitxt is an evidence-based mobile text messaging service for smoking cessation promoted in South Texas via social media advertising. A group analysis of 798 Quitxt participants with a mean age of 29.3 found that 21% of the enrollees reported abstinence at 7 months. This confirmed that a text and mobile media service specifically design...

Background People living in the Mays Cancer Center (MCC) catchment area face greater cancer-related disparities and face a greater risk of developing liver and cervical cancer. Other priority cancers include colorectal, prostate, and breast cancer. All five major metropolitan cities in the catchment area have lower use of preventive screening servi...

Background Latinx people comprise 18% of the US adult population and a large share of youth and continue to experience inequities that perpetuate health disparities. To engage Latinx people in advocacy for health equity based on this population’s heavy share of smartphone, social media, and Twitter users, Salud America! launched the #SaludTues Twee...

BACKGROUND Latinx people comprise 18% of the US adult population and a large share of youth and continue to experience inequities that perpetuate health disparities. To engage Latinx people in advocacy for health equity based on this population’s heavy share of smartphone, social media, and Twitter users, Salud America! launched the #SaludTues Twee...

Mobile health (mHealth) apps have received increasing attention, due to their abilities to support patients who suffer from various conditions. mHealth apps may be especially helpful for patients with chronic diseases, by providing pertinent information, tracking symptoms, and inspiring adherence to medication regimens. To achieve these objectives,...

Mobile Health (mHealth) applications (apps) are being widely used to monitor health of patients with chronic medical conditions with the proliferation and the increasing use of smartphones. Mobile devices have limited computation power and energy supply which may lead to either delayed alarms, shorter battery life or excessive memory usage limiting...

In South Texas, smoking rates among young Latino adults aged 18–29 are high (23.2%–25.7%). This is a serious public health problem, yet few are reached by services to help them quit smoking. Cellular phones have an extraordinary potential for assisting smoking cessation by providing access to peer modeling and social reinforcement for behavior chan...

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1016/j.conctc.2018.10.001.].

Adjuvant endocrine hormonal therapy (EHT) is highly effective and appropriate for nearly all breast cancer patients with hormone receptor-positive tumors, which represent 75% of all breast cancer diagnoses. Long-term use of EHT reduces recurrence rates and nearly halves the risk of death during the second decade after diagnosis. Despite the proven...

Minority representation in clinical trials is vital for researchers to assess differential effects in outcomes of therapies on biological and genetic characteristics among groups. This study assessed the effect of Choices, a bilingual multi-component intervention, on perceived understanding of clinical trials, agreement with stages of decision read...

To realize the promising potential of services delivered via smart phones to help young adults quit smoking at a high level of cost-efficiency, we constructed a texting and mobile media system that was promoted in South Texas via social media advertising and other recruitment channels. During the 6-month service period described here, enrollments w...

Evidence shows that variations in the degree and type of a message's emotional arousal, particularly disgust, can influence message impact on smokers' interest in quitting and likelihood of seeking help. Negative emotional appeals are widely used to attract attention of Latino audiences, but positive appeals, especially those designed to increase s...

Smoking among Latino young adults (18-29) in South Texas is high (23.2% to 25.7%), representing a serious public health problem. Yet few are reached by services to help them quit smoking. Young adult Latinos are heavy users of mobile devices for texting and access to mobile media. These have an extraordinary theoretical potential for assisting smok...

Purpose: This study examined interest in and attitudes toward genetic testing in 5 different population groups. Methods: The survey included African American, Asian American, Latina, Native American, and Appalachian women with varying familial histories of breast cancer. A total of 49 women were interviewed in person. Descriptive and nonparametr...

Background: Without adequate minority representation in clinical trials, researchers cannot assess differential effects in outcomes or ensure the safety of therapies across a range of biological and genetic characteristics among groups, nor can they ensure generalizability of trial results. In response, this theory-based educational intervention ai...

Background: Inclusion of minorities in clinical research is an essential step to develop novel cancer treatments, improve health care overall, understand potential differences in pharmacogenomics and address minorities' disproportionate cancer burden. However, Latinos and other minority groups continue to be critically underrepresented, particular...

Background: Genetic testing for breast cancer may facilitate better-informed decisions regarding cancer prevention, risk reduction, more effective early detection, and better determination of risk for family members. Despite these potential benefits, Latinas lack awareness of genetic testing for breast cancer susceptibility. Among women who are tes...

Background: Without adequate minority representation in clinical trials, researchers cannot assess differential effects in outcomes or ensure the safety of therapies across a range of biological and genetic characteristics among groups, nor can they ensure generalizability of trial results. In response, this theory-based educational intervention ai...

Physician referral is among the most effective means of recruiting patients into cancer clinical trials. Therefore, to increase minority representation in early-phase clinical trials (EPCTs), specifically accrual of Latinos, it is first necessary to examine physicians' attitudes and practices regarding these studies and factors that influence physi...

Background: Genetic testing for breast cancer may facilitate better-informed decisions regarding cancer prevention, risk reduction, more effective early detection, and better determination of risk for family members. Despite these potential benefits, significant portions of the US population—particularly Latinas—lack awareness of genetic testing fo...

e16566 Background: Increasing minority accrual is critical to the development of novel cancer therapeutics. Without adequate minority representation in EPCT, researchers cannot assess differential effects among groups nor ensure the generalizability of trial results. Little is known about cultural factors that impact the decision to participate in...

U.S. childhood obesity has reached epidemic proportions, with one third of children overweight or obese. Latino children have some of the highest obesity rates, a concern because they are part of the youngest and fastest-growing U.S. minority group. Unfortunately, scarce research data on Latinos hinders the development and implementation of evidenc...

Latinas suffer longstanding disparities in breast cancer survival and cervical cancer incidence and mortality compared to non-Hispanic white women. A contributing factor for these disparities is the historic underutilization of screening services among Latinas. To increase the participation of low-income, uninsured Latinas in breast and cervical ca...

To increase accrual among Hispanics to the Cancer Genetics Network national cancer genetics registry. Drawing from South Texas cancer registries, 444 Hispanic men and women were randomly assigned to one of three experimental conditions: standard direct-mailed procedures (X1), X1 plus culturally tailored materials (X2), and X2 plus interpersonal pho...

Obesity has reached epidemic levels, with nearly two-thirds of the U.S. population considered overweight or obese. Latinos have one of the highest rates of overweight, obesity and sedentary lifestyle. Mexican American adults are especially affected, with the highest rates among females. Research of scientifically sound evidence-based interventions...

Obesity has reached epidemic levels, with nearly two-thirds of the U.S. population considered overweight or obese. Latinos have some of the highest rates of overweight, obesity, and sedentary lifestyle. Research from scientifically sound evidence-based interventions to reduce the disproportionate burden of obesity and its associated morbidity and m...

This study investigated the reliability and validity of the Brief Sensation Seeking Scale (BSSS-8) in both English and Spanish with Latinos, the fastest-growing minority group in the United States, and the correlation between sensation seeking and tobacco and alcohol use. Cross-sectional survey, computer-assisted telephone interviews (CATI). Dallas...

Adolescent smoking rates have declined among all ethnic groups since the late 1990s. However, despite the recent declines and intervention efforts, today smoking remains a serious problem among youth, with a quarter of adolescents being current smokers by the time they complete 12th grade. This problem is particularly prevalent among Latino youth,...

This study applied self-efficacy theory to assess empowerment to advocate on behalf of tobacco control policies. The Youth Tobacco Survey with added policy advocacy self-efficacy, attitudes, and outcome expectations scales was given to 9,177 high school students in Texas. Asians showed the lowest prevalence of experimentation and current smoking, f...

Personal health behaviors play a fundamental role in premature cancer morbidity and mortality. However, routine risk factor data on Latino groups are lacking. Knowledge of cancer risk prevalence by ethnoregional groups is particularly important for development of effective prevention and control strategies. Using the diverse populations and sites i...

To describe the epidemiology of ocular trauma in children 15 years and younger who underwent evaluation during a 5-year period in the emergency department of a tertiary referral center in northeastern Colombia. We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of children 15 years and younger. Records of 393 children with 415 incidents of eye injury...

Recent research suggests some alarming substance abuse trends among Hispanic/Latino adolescents. Children in this age group are at a particularly vulnerable juncture in their lives, and early prevention efforts are warranted. For a national anti-drug campaign targeting this young Hispanic/Latino audience and their parents, the White House Office of...

This study examined breast and cervical cancer knowledge, attitudes, and screening behaviors among different Hispanic populations in the United States. Data were collected from a random digit dial telephone survey of 8903 Hispanic adults from eight U.S. sites. Across sites, the average response rate was 83%. Data were collected as part of the basel...

Mirame!/Look at Me! is a substance abuse prevention program for low-income Mexican American youth 9 to 13 years of age. The theory-driven curriculum, developed for mass distribution via a satellite television network, features social models who demonstrate cognitive-behavioral skills and display conservative norms regarding substance abuse. An 18-s...

A theory-based program that used peer modeling and a network of peer communicators to promote breast and cervical cancer screening was designed and implemented in a barrio of San Antonio with a population of approximately 25,000 adult women. The implementation process was evaluated and documented through field notes, archival documents, content ana...