[ Golden Gater Online - March 4, 1997 ]
Maria Pikoula
Staff Writer
Jack Adams Hall was crowded with students of all races and ethnicities Thursday afternoon as the African American Health Fair provided testing for various diseases, nutritional evaluations and information about breast cancer, AIDS and other health issues.
The annual event focused on students of color, but sponsors encouraged all students to participate, according to Kamal Harb, fair coordinator and SF State health educator.
"It is a commitment to all students on campus, but especially to students of color, to teach them to take better care of themselves and make them aware of health issues," Harb said. "We try to reach everyone and provide them with resources."
"There may be people out there who need me," said Nikki Tran, who is Asian and is studying biochemistry.
Tran was signed up to be a donor at the Judie Davis Marrow Donor Recruitment booth. "I may be able to help people."
According to Beverly Reeves, a bone marrow recruitment coordinator, people of color need to know bone marrow is very "ethnic specific." She said the chances for a black person to have a successful marrow transplant are greater if there is marrow available from other black people.
"We try to increase the number of eligible minority bone marrow donors," Reeves said.
She said the fear of needles among black people poses an obstacle for more donations.
"We want to inform people of color that it is not dangerous to become a bone marrow donor," Reeves added.
The fair was not only an example of the center's commitment to the diverse student population, but according to SF State student Danielle Schoeman, the fair was a good way to inform students about the services offered at the health center, such as free body-fat testing, sickle-cell anemia testing, glaucoma and blood pressure screening.
"There are many students like me who are commuters and don't know about the services offered to us by the center because we don't spend much time on campus," Schoeman said.
The nutrition assessment booth, where nutritionist Teresa Leu was conducting computerized analyses of students' food intake, proved to be one of the most popular booths.
"The fair made me aware of health issues," said computer science major Willie Chin, who waited for a nutrition assessment analysis. "I am a young person and I try to eat healthy, but I want to confirm it."
According to Gwenn White at the nutrition education booth, many students are concerned about eating healthy and most of them are aware of what kinds of food they should eat.
"When you are a student, eating healthy may not be high in your priority list," said White, whose booth featured samples of cereals, snack bars, ice cream and their nutritional values. The booth also displayed cookbooks on healthy eating.
Students could also learn that sickle-cell anemia affects not only African Americans (10 percent have the trait), but also the genetic disease is dominant in individuals coming from the Philippines, Central and South Africa, the Middle East and the Mediterranean countries, according to educational pamphlets available at the fair.
According to Diana Lee, program coordinator of the Comprehensive Sickle-Cell Center at Children's Hospital in Oakland, babies have been routinely tested for sickle-cell anemia since 1990.
"For children under 5 years old, the disease has dropped by 75 percent," said Lee, who is also the director of the Northern California Sickle Cell Camp, which aims to teach children more about their disease and how to cope.
Informational brochures on safe sex, breast cancer, smoking cessation tips, disease prevention and other health issues were available at the fair.
"It is a good thing," said SF State student Natasha Crane, speaking of the fair. "It gives us a chance to think about our health."
[ Golden Gater - March 4, 1997 ]