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Rosalie Aguilar-Santos

Rosalie Aguilar Santos, MS, is Salud America!'s national project coordinator. She is passionate about nutrition, physical activity, and opportunities to engage communities in advocacy actions to promote Latino childhood health.

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Articles by Rosalie Aguilar-Santos

Webinar 8/28: How to Start a School Food Pantry



Food insecurity affects at least 1 in 6  U.S. children. In states like Texas, 15% of children go home from school wondering where their next meal will come from. Sadly, food insecurity is linked to behavioral and developmental problems. It also contributes lower performance on tests, absenteeism, and grade repetition. But there is good news! Texas public schools can address food insecurity and reduce food waste thanks to a new law that allows schools to redistribute food to students by starting its own School Food Pantry! Register for our webinar on Aug. 28 to get free tools to help you start a School Food Pantry in your school. Or bring food pantries to many schools in your district! Our webinar will feature two Salud Heroes, Texas State Rep. Diego Bernal and Jenny ...

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#SaludTues Tweetchat 7/31: HPV Prevention & Back to School Month!



August is just around the corner which means national immunization month is nearly upon us! Nearly 30,000 cases of cervical, oral, vaginal and penile cancers can be prevented each year with human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). While many kids and families will soon be getting ready for the new school year, now is the perfect time to make sure your preteens and teens get the HPV vaccine. Girls and boys usually begin this series of vaccines between the ages of 11-12 years. However, certain cultural barriers and misinformation can keep kids from getting vaccinated. This is especially true among Latino populations where HPV vaccination rates remain low. Join us this #SaludTues on Tuesday, July 31, 2018, to ...

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#SaludTues Tweetchat 7/3: How to Celebrate A Fun & Healthy 4th of July!



Independence day is right around the corner which means families and friends will be gathering to celebrate the many things they have to be grateful for. Fireworks, picnics, BBQs, and time spent unwinding outdoors are just some of the wonderful activities that come to mind as we get ready to celebrate this July 4th. What will you be doing this 4th of July to have fun, be healthy, and stay safe? Join us this #SaludTues on Tuesday, July 3, 2018, to tweet about ways to celebrate a fun and healthy 4th of July holiday! WHAT: #SaludTues Tweetchat: How to Celebrate a Fun & Healthy 4th of July! TIME/DATE: 1-2 p.m. ET (Noon-1 p.m. CT), Tuesday, July 3, 2018 WHERE: On Twitter with hashtag #SaludTues HOST: @SaludAmerica CO-HOST: @ChapCareOrg @eatright, ...

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#SaludTues Tweetchat 6/26: How to Curb Underage Drinking Among Latinos



Despite claims that underage drinking may be on the decline, certain groups like Latino youth continue to be at a high risk for engaging in frequent binge drinking behaviors. Nearly 1 in 2 high school aged youth reported drinking, according to a report from Child Trends, and over 1 in 6 high school seniors had five or more drinks in less than a couple of hours (defined as binge drinking), according to the CDC. Underage drinking poses a number of threats to youth especially since their brains are still developing at this age. Communities of color are often targeted through aggressive marketing of alcoholic beverages and living near a high density of alcohol outlets. Let’s use #SaludTues on Tuesday, June 26, 2018, to tweet about ways to prevent binge drinking among high ...

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#SaludTues Tweetchat 5/22: Healthy Minds & Hearts ❤ for National Physical Activity Month



May is National Physical Activity month. It's also National Mental Health Month!    Unfortunately, not all kids and families have access to safe places to play or services to promote healthy minds. While physical activity has numerous health benefits we often forget how important it is for promoting overall mental health and wellbeing. Some studies even show that having access to green space and physical activity programming can reduce stress levels, promote mental health and increase community resilience. Schools, workplaces, and communities all over can and should take action by promoting movement throughout the day this month and every day. On May 22, 2018 let’s use #SaludTues to chat about ways to boost physical activity and promote healthy minds in Latino ...

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Salud America! Members Speak Up for Equity in Physical Activity Guidelines


Active Spaces & Kids school children playing tug of war with rope in park

You have spoken up big-time for healthy physical activity! In fact, Salud America! network members provided 73% (203) of the 278 public comments made during the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' comment period to help shape the next edition of its Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. Public comments will be considered alongside a new report released by the Physical Activity Guidelines Advisory Committee. The guidelines haven’t been updated since 2008. "Salud America! members' big participation in the public comment period will likely play an important role in ensuring the equity in the new Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans," said Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez, director of Salud America! and leader of the Institute for Health Promotion Research at UT Health ...

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Nearly 700 Salud America! Members Spoke Up for Healthy Dietary Guidelines!



You wanted healthier guidelines and spoke up to make it happen! To fuel change in Latino and all communities, Salud America! recently asked its national network to take action by submitting comments to the USDA, as it works to develop its 2020-2025 national dietary guidelines. USDA received 5,800 public comments, including 639 from Salud America! members (11% of all comments)! 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans Every 5 years the USDA updates the national dietary guidelines in order to promote healthy living and prevent chronic disease. Regular updates to the guidelines are mandated through the National Nutrition Monitoring and Related Research Act of 1990, according to regulations.gov. As the next cycle of updates rapidly approaches, many are looking to the USDA in ...

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6 Ways Child Life Specialists Make A Difference in Health Care!



Did you know that March is Child Life Month? This year Salud America! worked with a group of special co-hosts to highlight the child life profession and child life month during one of our #SaludTues tweetchats. Co-hosts for the chat included The HSC Health Care System (@HSCHealthCare); The Association of Child Life Professionals (@AssocChildLife); and Certified Child Life Specialist, Shani Thornton (@Childlifemommy). During the tweetchat participants discussed the important role that child life specialists play as part of the health care team and ways CCLSs can help improve the quality of care for children from underserved communities. What is a child life specialist (CCLS)? Certified child life specialists (CCLSs) work with children to communicate important health care treatment ...

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