1. Provide the title of your story or series and the names of the journalists involved.
The title of this three-parts series is "The Bittersweet American Dream".
2. List date(s) this work was published or aired.
Dec. 13, 2010; Dec. 20, 2010; Dec. 27, 2010.
3. Provide a brief synopsis of the story or stories, including any significant findings.
My three-part series was about diabetes and how this disease is affecting the Mexican-immigrant community in New York City. Type 2 diabetes represents a major health challenge and threat for this group, in which both new cases of the disease an the risk of associated complications are greater than in other communities. Health authorities and many doctors in the United States already classified diabetes as an "epidemic" and Latinos have two times higher risk of developing this disease than people of any other race. Diabetes ranks first among health problems affecting Hispanics in this country. According to the American Diabetes Association, 2 million Hispanics have type 2 diabetes (10.2 percent of all U.S. Latinos). The Mexican community is at highest risk, representing 24 percent of all cases and the worst part is that half of them do not know they are ill. For this reason, I thought it was of great significance to inform Mexican immigrants about this illness, especially in New York City, where they represent one of the faster-growing communities of new immigrants.
4. Explain types of documents, data or Internet resources used. Were FOI or public records act requests required? How did this affect the work?
I researched many sources on the Web and found several very important studies documenting about this specific health issues. I also found statistics and graphics, which establish the case as well. For example, one study from the Center for Health Policy Research at UCLA, base on the U.S. National Health Interview Survey, found that 2.6 percent of new Mexican-immigrants with lest than 10 years in the U.S., were diagnosed with diabetes compared with 7.7percent of Mexican-immigrants with 10 years of more and 8.3% of Mexican-Americans (or first generation). I received by mail a few reports published by the New York City Health Department, including: Diabetes in New York City: Public Health Burden and Disparities (June 2007); Community Health Profiles (2006); Health Disparities in New York City (2010); The Health of Immigrants in New York City (2007); and NYC Vital Signs (2008), among others.
5. Explain types of human sources used.
I contacted a few doctors and experts on diabetes and obesity for interviews. I worked with the Mexican consulate in New York, community organizations and community clinics and hospitals.
6. Results (if any).
I think the most important result of my series was the lessons from the human testimonies, both in print and video, of people afflicted with this disease. With these stories, we gave a human face to the problem and presented it in an easier way for our readers to understand the factors that contribute to this chronic disease, including behavioral elements like increased fat consumption, decreased physical activity and obesity.
7. Follow-up (if any). Have you run a correction or clarification on the report or has anyone come forward to challenge its accuracy? If so, please explain.
No.
8. Advice to other journalists planning a similar story or project.
As health journalists, beside informing the public about important issues like diabetes, we need to educate them, so people can make informed decisions about their health because that is going to benefit themselves, their entirely family, the community and, in consequence, the society as a whole.