Research

1 in 14
Only one in 14 Hispanic adults in the United States has been screened for skin cancer, far fewer than the one in four whites screened, a new study shows.

Research from The Cancer Institute of New Jersey (CINJ) shows socioeconomic factors such as lack of health insurance and poorer access to healthcare serve as barriers for Hispanics who might otherwise receive this check-up.

Only 7% reported ever having had a full skin examination by a physician, and 6% of participants born outside of the U.S. noted they had undergone a full skin exam, compared to 9% among those born in the U.S. Low exam rates were also noted for those who reported speaking little or no English. Of those who spoke mostly or only Spanish, four percent said they had received a skin exam.

The study appeared in the latest issue of the Archives of Dermatology.

Bad month for lending
According to the Thomson Reuters/PayNet Small Business Lending Index, April was not a great month for small business lending as it eased for the fourth month in a row. The index, which measures the overall volume of financing to U.S. small businesses, fell to 94.1 from 96.0 in March, PayNet said.

But, accounts in moderate delinquency, or those behind by 30 days or more, fell to 1.29% from 1.39% in March.

Accounts 90 days or more behind in payments, or in severe delinquency, went down to 0.35% percent from 0.36%.

Accounts behind 180 days or more, considered to be in default and unlikely ever to be paid, eased to 0.43% from 0.48%.

7%
Small businesses don’t have high hopes for a solid recovery in the near future from the economic downturn, according to a survey from the national Federation of Independent Business.

A paltry 7% of businesses surveyed said now is a good time to expand, which was the same percentage from the previous month’s survey. About 6% said it was a good time to hire new employees. The percent of owners expecting better business conditions in six months was a -2% percent (a 3 point improvement).

However, more owners still expect the economy to deteriorate further than those who anticipate improvement. About 20% reported that “poor sales” are their top business problem, up 1 point from April.

Falling Further
The average price for a gallon of regular gasoline in the United States fell almost 16 cents to $3.62 at the end of May into the first week of June due to a drop in crude oil, the Lundberg Survey showed, according to Reuters.

The national average for regular gasoline as of June 8 was down more than 11.62 cents from previous-year price of $3.74 a gallon, according to the survey of some 2,500 gasoline stations in the continental United States.

The price was the lowest since the Feb. 10, which recorded an average of $3.51 per gallon.

This was the fourth straight survey to show a price decline.

The average price of a gallon of diesel is down 30.61 cents over the past nine weeks since June 8, and 17.64 cents over the past three, to $3.90.

Both gasoline and diesel prices are lower than a year ago, the survey showed.