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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

#SaludTues Tweetchat 1/9: How to Build Support for Latino Families in 2018!


Parents looking daughter exercise book

Almost 4 in 5 Latino kids suffer at least 1 adverse childhood experience (ACE) such as poverty, neglect or abuse. 1 in 5 Latino youth suffer from depressive symptoms. This coupled with a lack of parental involvement in a child’s education and poor health can make things extraordinarily difficult for Latino kids to graduate from high school and succeed in life. The good news is communities can take action by pooling resources and working with others to support Latino families from before birth through adulthood. Join us this Tuesday, Jan. 9, during our weekly #SaludTues chat, as we chat about ways to support education and build communities that thrive. WHAT: #SaludTues Tweetchat: How to Build Support for Latino Families in 2018! TIME/DATE: 1-2 p.m. ET  Tuesday, Jan. 9, ...

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Museum’s Kid-Friendly ‘Body Adventure’ Boosts Health in San Antonio


Visitors explore at the H-E-B Body Adventure at the Witte Museum in San Antonio

The Witte Museum's H-E-B Body Adventure exhibit has made a positive health impact on more than 500,000 children and adults in San Antonio (68% Latino) since its launch in 2014, according to a new report by museum officials. "It's really a safe haven to encourage the community to find out and explore that physical activity, healthy eating and rest and relaxation are fun," Dr. Bryan Bayles, the museum's curator of anthropology and health, told KSAT-TV. The exhibit, now in its third year, works like this, according to the Rivard Report: The H-E-B Body Adventure is a modular interactive, electronic, hands-on experience for both children and adults that involves activities like working off the calories of a soda on a step machine, dissecting the human body at a simulated autopsy ...

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#SaludTues Tweetchat 11/28: How to Take Action & Prevent Diabetes During the Holidays and Beyond



At least 1 in 2 Latinos will experience diabetes in their lifetime, yet many are unaware they are even at risk! November is National Diabetes Awareness month and a great opportunity to share life saving information with family and friends! According to the CDC, U.S. Latinos are 50% more likely to die from diabetes than their non-Latino white peers. The good news is that there are steps one can take to help prevent diabetes and advocate for healthier communities on behalf of others.   Join us this Tuesday, Nov. 28th, during our weekly #SaludTues chat, as we chat about ways to take action against diabetes. WHAT: #SaludTues Tweetchat: “How to Take Action & Prevent Diabetes The Holidays & Beyond" TIME/DATE: 1-2 p.m. ET  Tuesday, Nov., 28 2017 WHERE: On Twitter ...

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New Website Seeks to Promote Healthy Food Access & Health Equity


healthy food policy project logo

Having easy access to healthy food can drastically change the way we eat. So it's alarming that Latinos neighborhoods lack grocery stores and other healthy food options, while abundant in fast food. Policies that aim to make healthy food access a priority can improve the quality of food we eat, stimulate economic growth and create jobs. That's why three nationally recognized policy think tanks—the Vermont Law School's Center for Agriculture and Food Systems, the Public Law Center, and the UConn Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity—partnered to launch the Healthy Food Policy Project (HFPP). The HFPP will focus on making healthy food access a priority for socially disadvantaged and marginalized groups, promote health equity, and support local economies through ...

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#SaludTues Tweetchat 10/24: Improving Health Literacy and Advocacy For Latinos



About half of Latino adults lack basic health literacy. Health literacy is how well a person understands health info, and uses it to make health decisions. The lower your health literacy, the worse your health. Fortunately, advocates have many ways to improve health literacy in schools and communities! Let's use #SaludTues on Oct. 24, 2017, to share how to push for health literacy among local families, and celebrate #healthliteracymonth! WHAT: #SaludTues Tweetchat: Healthy Literacy and Advocacy TIME/DATE: 1-2 p.m. EST Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2017 WHERE: On Twitter with hashtag #SaludTues HOST: @SaludAmerica CO-HOSTS: Society of Health and Physical Educators (@SHAPE_America); March of Dimes nacer sano  (@nacersano); University of Texas Center for Health Communication ...

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Health Worker Alma Galvez Helps Families ‘Rethink’ Their Sugary Drink



Alma Galvez was sick of seeing a growing number of overweight Latino child patients at her clinic in Minneapolis, Minn. (10.5% Latino population). In her job as a community health worker for St. Mary’s Health Clinics in Minnesota, Galvez was able to pinpoint a big culprit—sugary drinks. Galvez and Shannon Gavin, the organization’s coordinator of family health programs, wanted to reduce sugary drink consumption among Latino child patient and families. So they jumped head-first at the chance to work with state health officials to create a bilingual, culturally relevant campaign to urge Latino families to rethink their drink. Sugar’s Stranglehold on Latino Health Galvez and Gavin are big players in how St Mary’s Health Clinics serves its large minority and ...

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#SaludTues Tweetchat 9/12: Healthy Minds and Latino Kids



Nearly 1 in 5 Latino adults suffers a mental health problem, such as depression, anxiety, and traumatic stress. But what's the state of mental health for Latino kids? Use #SaludTues on Sept. 12, 2017, to tweetchat with us as we explore the new Salud America! "Healthy Minds and Latino Kids" research review! The new research review, to be released during the chat, will cover the latest data on mental health and access to care among Latino youth. The review also features programs and policies that promote healthy minds in communities, schools, and homes for Latino kids. WHAT: #SaludTues Tweetchat: Healthy Minds and Latino Kids TIME/DATE: 1-2 p.m. EST Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2017 WHERE: On Twitter with hashtag #SaludTues HOST: @SaludAmerica CO-HOSTS: @APAEducation; ...

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Guidelines on Feeding Infants During the Month of Life



What do physicians recommend when it comes to feeding an infant?  According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) children should be exclusively breastfed between the ages of 1-6 months. After the first months of life with the guidance of a physician, parents may begin to introduce solid foods but should continue to breastfeed for another 12 months. Below are some tips from the AAP for feeding infants: Establish a pattern of feeding for a full 4oz of milk, at a set amount of time; During the first month babies may indicate hunger by rooting or by placing a fist in their mouth; Babies should be fed 8-12 times throughout the day (every 2-3 hours); Babies should feed adequately within the first 15-20 minutes (otherwise they may not be latched on well). For more ...

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Salud America! Gets $1.5M to Develop Culturally Tailored Content to Fuel Healthy Changes that Reduce Latino Childhood Obesity



Salud America! The RWJF Research Network to Prevent Obesity Among Latino Children has received a one-year, $1.5 million grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) to develop culturally tailored educational content and tools that empower people to work for policy changes to help Latino children grow up healthy. Salud America!, established in 2007 and based at UT Health San Antonio, has a national online network of 100,000 parents, school and academic personnel, and community leaders who support its mission: “Promote a healthy weight for Latino children by communicating good health and driving people to start healthy changes in their schools and communities.” The new funding will allow Salud America! to expand its network and engage members with enhanced educational ...

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