The Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL), funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), was published this week in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). It shows that 80% of Hispanic/Latino men and 71% of Hispanic/Latino women have at least one risk factor for heart disease. In the U.S. general population, around 49% of adults have one major risk factor for heart disease.

“Heart disease is the leading cause of death among Hispanic/Latino people in the United States; however, prior research has underestimated the burden of heart disease risk factors in Hispanic/Latino populations,” said Dr. Larissa Avilés-Santa, project officer for HCHS/SOL at the Division of Cardiovascular Sciences in the NIH’s National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI). “Additionally, previous studies on heart disease risk factors among Hispanics/Latinos have mainly involved Mexican-American participants, or have considered Hispanics/Latinos as a single group.”

Among the Hispanic/Latino population of the U.S., the study found that those born in the U.S. or who have lived in the U.S. for 10 year or more and prefer English over Spanish (what the study calls “acculturated”) are “significantly” more likely to have three or more risk factors for heart disease. Also, those with lower education or incomes were also significantly more likely to have more than one risk factor.

“Clinicians now have more data to understand the prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors in Hispanic/Latino communities,” said Dr. Greg Talavera, professor in the Graduate School of Public Health at San Diego State University, where the study took place. “For example, here in San Diego the majority of Hispanic/Latinos are of Mexican background and the study found that the prevalence of diabetes was generally higher compared to other Hispanic/Latino background groups.”

The announcement will be made at 7:30pm EST at either Jacksonville or Sanford.

If he is in fact charged with anything of substance it will put to an end a contrived national drama brought about by the main stream media. We learned earlier in the week that the case would not be heard in front of a grand jury which had experts saying that this was ok because it meant that Corey had enough to put a case together against Zimmerman that would stick.

Be reminded that this is the state that let Casey Anthony off, so even if charges are filed, there is no guarantee that Zimmerman will be convicted. If he is not convicted, look for riots to happen once again (see:OJ).

The incident, which involved self-appointed neighborhood watch captain George Zimmerman following 17-year old Trayvon Martin–who was unarmed and walking home from the store–before confronting him for looking suspicious, led to Zimmerman fatally shooting the boy after a scuffle broke out between the two. Zimmerman claims he acted in self defense, but a lot of people are wondering if the fact that Martin was African American played a part in it.

Adding fuel to this fiery topic is the fact that Martin’s father, Robert, released a statement last week to the Orlando Sentinel which claimed that Zimmerman is of Hispanic descent and grew up in a multi-racial family.

“He would be the last to discriminate for any reason whatsoever …,” the statement reads. “The media portrayal of George as a racist could not be further from the truth.”

The statement has raised many questions regarding racism and whether it’s strictly an issue for the white community, as reported on Fox News Latino. Writer Chantilly Pantino expresses concern that certain comments in a recent Breitburt.com article imply just that.

The first paragraph of the article reads:

“The media immediately portrayed the death as a case of white on black racism. CBS News, on its Crimesider website, immediately called Zimmerman a “white neighborhood watch volunteer.” Martin’s parents accused the police of racism for not arresting Zimmerman. There’s only one problem: Zimmerman is Hispanic.”

Pantino explores the assertion that Zimmerman cannot be racist because he is Hispanic:

“…Are we to believe then, that he can’t be racist because he’s not white? Is prejudice and discrimination restricted only to those who are direct European descendants?”

There have been many reports over the years of suspected Hispanic/African American hate crimes, including one involving the 2006 death of a 14-year old girl in Los Angeles, which adds more weight to the argument that perhaps the fact that Zimmerman is Hispanic doesn’t excuse him from possibly being racist.

And there are other avenues of thought to consider, such as why Zimmerman continued his pursuit of Martin despite a warning from police to leave him alone.

This is certainly not an issue that will go away anytime soon, and the debate that has been raised will more than likely draw out for many years with no easy answer. The general public has flooded social media sites with their opinions and will continue to do so as the investigation into the shooting goes on.

Hispanics are at the top of the general market when it comes to "media meshing" and the use of key mobile phone features as they spend over half of their day with television, Internet and technology gadgets.

The study found that Hispanics identified 51 hours of total daily activities, which included 14 hours spent with technology and 13.5 hours with media. They combine TV and Internet to enhance their media experience and would prefer more online options in Spanish.

Results from the study "Conexin Cultural/Connected Culture" come from a poll of 2,600 18-55 online Hispanics who consume Spanish language media weekly, along with in-home interviews and media usage diaries from 24 Hispanic families in three major U.S. markets.

The study focused on online Hispanics who on a regular basis used some form of Spanish language media so as to identify the role the Internet and TV have in their lives.

"In Hispanic households, TV serves as a backdrop to everyday living," said Michele Madansky, vice president, global market research, Yahoo!. "Layered on top of that, Hispanics engage with online content and use both cell phones and the Internet to enhance personal connections." "

"Hispanics are heavy users of ubiquitous media and technology because they help them stay connected to what matters most to them – culture, community, friends and family – in both the U.S. and their countries of origin."

Highlights of the study include that two-thirds of respondents consumed their online content in English because of a lack of Spanish-language choices. Fifty percent go online while watching TV, and over half search for content related to their favorite shows.

"The study shows us once again that the online U.S. Hispanic community is vibrant and well ahead of the general population in many aspects," said Millie Carrasquillo, SVP, Research, Telemundo. "They are avid consumers of both TV and Internet and demand more options in Spanish language content."

Hispanics Internet Usage Continues To Grow

By “blended marketing,” I mean TV and Internet, English and Spanish. But if you wanted to choose, according to the poll numbers, an English Internet campaign would be the most effective.

Of the 16 million U.S. Hispanics online, which represents more than half of the total US Hispanic population, 77 percent have broadband access. Of that number, 81 percent were defined as “mostly or partially acculturated,” relating to the level of assimilation into the Anglo-dominant society.

The study, conducted by Synovate, reports that acculturated Hispanics tend to prefer English-language online content, though almost 40 percent still appreciate Spanish-language content. From the segment considered unacculturated, representing just 19 percent of online Hispanics, 37 percent prefer both languages. Only 15 percent of the total prefer Spanish only.

Over two-thirds of the total population (68 percent) regard the Internet as the best source for making final brand decisions. AOL says this makes the Internet the most relevant medium for marketers.

“With this new data,” says Mark Lopez, publisher of AOL Latino, “marketers will be able to better understand how to reach the rapidly growing online Hispanic market.

“This study also helps to understand the complexities of U.S. Hispanics, and that marketers seeking to connect with the online Hispanic population must address cultural needs, which differ depending on levels of acculturation.”

The same number that considered the Internet the best source for brand decisions also reported enjoying social networking online: 68 percent use instant messaging; 63 percent share photos online; 52 percent read or post blogs; 43 percent visit social networking sites; and 40 percent use VoIP.

The most popular types of website content and offerings included news (48 percent), maps (43 percent), followed by music, weather, health and travel.

By the numbers:

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Yahoo has linked with Telemundo to debut the new website, the online face of their joint venture. AdAge reported that both Telemundo.com and Espaol.Yahoo.com will merge their staffs and share advertising revenue.

The pairing will position the two to take on Univision.com, which AdAge cites as the biggest recipient of Spanish-language online ad dollars. Further, Univision claims that half of its advertisers run exclusively on its site.

Telemundo president Don Browne said in the report that the Hispanic market has been adapting faster and consuming more content than the general population. His network has an advantage in that it creates the majority of its content, putting Telemundo in a good position to move it online.

Repurposing that content enables Yahoo to do what it does very well. Yahoo has demonstrated considerable skill in attracting well-known brands to advertise online. The growth of the Hispanic market provides Yahoo with an effective component to add to its sales pitches.

From a portal standpoint, the two companies noted how the change will affect visitors to the new website:

They also plan to develop various social media tools for the audience, and provide a way for those viewers to contribute content. Peter Blacker, Telemundo’s senior VP-digital, said in the report, “There are issues like immigration that we’ve covered as a news organization; now our audience can tell their own story.”

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David Utter is a staff writer for WebProNews covering technology and business.

It helps that 45% of online Hispanics are 24 years old or younger, making them a hot group to target. A younger consumer is typically a more frivolous consumer.

In the United States alone, over 14 million Hispanics have Internet access and by 2020, Hispanics are expected to make up a fifth of the US population. Even better for the online salesman, buying power for this group is growing faster than for non-Hispanic groups.

So it’s probably a good idea to pay attention, especially since this growing group of Hispanic web-surfers views 15% more pages and spends 9% more time online than the general US market.

For a free PDF download of IAB’s presentation entitled “Reaching US Hispanics Through Online Marketing,” click here.

An estimated 43 million Hispanics constitute 15% of the U.S. population, making them the largest minority group in the country. Furthermore, more than half of the population is under the age of 35 – prime purchasing age, according to advertisers. And according to The Direct Marketing Association’s study on the Hispanic population’s direct buying habits three out of ten Hispanics spend over $200 on online purchases while 82% made an online purchase within the last year. What should these facts mean for search marketers? That there is a large relatively untapped consumer segment ripe for targeting.

So, while it’s quite obvious that the online Hispanic market deserves some serious attention from search marketers, how does one actually go about marketing to that segment of the population? How does it differ from marketing to “traditional” segments of the population? Well, the most obvious challenge, and opportunity, to marketing to Hispanics online is language. While many U.S. Hispanics speak English and those most likely to shop online speak English, as well, that doesn’t guarantee that they will always type English search terms into search engines. And even if they do use English when conducting searches, they might be more receptive to a website that offers Spanish features, such as a Spanish translation section. And lastly, but equally as important is the fact that the Hispanic market is quite diverse – Mexicans, Puerto Ricans, Cubans, etc. – and the actual meanings of phrases sometimes vary depending on where a Hispanic consumer originated.

First and foremost, just as the parameters of any search marketing campaign include initial research, so should a campaign targeted specifically at the Hispanic market. Recognizing that this segment is one with unique requirements including differences in language, culture, and spending habits will go a long way in forming a strong foundation for a search marketing campaign. Just as a website must be user-friendly for the typical shopper, it should also be equally accommodating for the Hispanic market. This could include everything from featuring more images of Hispanics on a website, making cultural references that would appeal to Hispanics in the content presented, or creating an entire page or duplicate site “En Espanol”. Because even if the majority of online Hispanic shoppers do speak English, no one likes to feel left out, and a website that demonstrates that they have considered the wants and needs of Hispanic shoppers is much more likely to convert a Hispanic visitor to a customer and possibly a faithful customer, at that.

Actually getting Hispanic shoppers to a website is where the hard work begins. Research, which will probably cost a little but could foster much more in returns, is essential to ensuring that the correct search terms are being used to bring Hispanic shoppers to a website and not alienate them from it. For instance, one thing that might not be obvious to a search marketer is that Spanish keywords are sometimes backwards to their English translations (e.g. “green blouse” translates to “blusa verde” in English). Also misspellings of both English and Spanish terms should be considered. And, highly important, is the consideration of varying meanings of words throughout the Hispanic community. For example, the Spanish term “cuero” could mean “drums” to a Cuban shopper but have a quite negative and offensive meaning to a Puerto Rican shopper.

Attempting to tap into the Hispanic market is not something that a website owner should take on single-handedly in a free afternoon by picking Spanish keywords that sound good out of thin air and sending them over to his in-house tech guy to optimize and implement on the site. It should include serious preparation and research, and possibly outside help, to guarantee the best returns. But the benefits are well worth the time and initial cost for many online retailers.

Chris Winfield is the President and Co-founder of 10e20. He has written for various organizations in the past and frequently speaks with the media.

The Direct Marketing Association studied the Hispanic demographic for a report on direct buying habits. 82 percent of those surveyed made purchases online in the past year. Of that group, more than a third made six or more purchases online in that time.

That buying behavior has been noticed. Many e-commerce sites have made significant investments in presenting their information in Spanish, as well as other languages. There’s definitely an audience, as Pew Internet noted in January 2005 that 63 percent of Hispanics are Internet users.

One business that wants to capture that market, Illuminations, has launched a version of its dcor and candle site entirely in Spanish. Like shoe maker Puma and consumer electronics firm Crutchfield, Illuminations uses technology from MotionPoint.net to render the Spanish-language site.

“We place great value on our Hispanic customers and believe they are currently underserved in the world of online commerce,” said Clay Lingo, vice president, direct-to-consumer, at Illuminations. “Each of our largest online markets – California, Florida and Texas – enjoy a strong Latino presence, so we decided to act quickly to ensure our Spanish-speaking customers have complete access to our website in the language they are most comfortable.”

David Utter is a staff writer for WebProNews covering technology and business. Email him here.

Such was the case with Orchard Supply Hardware, who recently launched a Hispanic version of their ecommerce site with the help of MotionPoint’s TransMotion technology. MotionPoint offers site translation from English to Espanol.

I sent the press release to Nacho Hernandez in order to gauge his reaction and to perhaps get a quote or two to supplement my previous article. However, in his responses, Nacho offered so much good information, I felt it necessary to write a follow-up article using Nacho’s points and tips as the focus.

One thing Nacho emphasized is translating your site to Spanish is not enough, in fact, it’s only the beginning. He does remind us that human translation is preferred over machine translations. As many of know from using BabelFish, machine translations are far from exact, instead they provide users with an idea of what the text being translated means. While he commended OSH for actually offering a Hispanic version of their site, Nacho offered the following criticism:

Unfortunately, neither OSH nor MotionPoint has placed enough attention into the optimization of its web pages for search engines…

To back up his point, Nacho points out that OSH’s Hispanic version of their site resides on MotionPoint’s server, which is apparent when you look at the URL:

http://www.trans1.motionpoint.net/osh/enes/?24;http://www.osh.com/Cultures/en-US?ft=true

Because of this, whenever a site links to OSH’s Hispanic site, they will not receive any search engine benefits from these backlinks. Developing a Hispanic version of your site in order to attract this audience is just like any other marketing endeavor that makes use of the Internet and search: You cannot “set it and forget it.” You have to be an active participant in the not only the translation of the site but also the optimization what’s just been translated.

Just because a site sports a bi-lingual presentation does not mean its going to be any easier to find by either the search engines or the audience that’s being targeted. Nacho furthers this point by saying:

Going through the website I was able to spot other potential factors that may need optimization, but it seems it has nothing to do with either MotionPoint’s technology or OSH’s marketing objectives.

In my opinion, it’s most likely the result of two companies working very well together to achieve a common goal but just forgot to add the right team member into this project: the search engine marketer. I’m positive there are hundreds, if not thousands of solid professionals in our search marketing industry that would have easily pointed out this error. Companies need to realize that they need this type of professional into their mix of team members.

As you can see from Nacho’s advise, translation is just the beginning. Optimization of the translated material goes hand-in-hand. Also, having the translated site or page hosted on your own server is important as well, especially if you want your site to receive any link credit from the search engines.

Chris Richardson is a search engine writer and editor for WebProNews. Visit WebProNews for the latest search news.