Articles by Cliff Despres

#SaludTues Tweetchat 10/10: Latino Kids & Bullying

October 3, 2017

boy sad depressed bully bullying school playground sit system justification

Did you know 17.2% of Latino students report being bullied at school? Latino and children who are bullied report frequent worries, sadness, and fearfulness. Race-related bullying has negative emotional and physical health effects. Latino parents even list bullying as their No. 1 child health concern, according to the recent National Poll on Children’s Health. How can we help? Let’s use #SaludTues on Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2017, to tweet how to stop bullying, create innovative bullying prevention programs in schools and communities, build better minds for Latino kids, and celebrate National Bullying Prevention Awareness Month in October! WHAT: #SaludTues Tweetchat: Latino Kids and the Crisis of Bullying TIME/DATE: 1-2 p.m. ET (Noon-1 p.m. CT), Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2017 ...

Get Water Bottle Fountains at Your School!

October 2, 2017

SaludWater water bottle filling praxina guerra school

Classic water fountains aren't always accessible or safe for kids. Water Bottle Fountains are filtered water dispensers for easily filling and refilling water bottles. This gives kids much-needed access to safe drinking water throughout the school day. They help keep kids hydrated while saving families money from buying bottled water. They also help the environment by reducing waste. Salud America! wants to help you get Water Bottle Fountains at your school with our custom-for-you Water Bottle Fountain Action Pack with Coaching! Request an Action Pack to get (at no charge to you): Customized, click-to-send emails, graphics and resources One-on-one support from an Action Pack Coach Ads on Facebook Promotion of your efforts to 100,000+ change-makers 25 Salud ...

The Unsettling State of Latino Childhood Obesity

September 27, 2017

Latino toddler kid with sugury drink obesity

Recent reports have shown a leveling off in childhood obesity rates. But, for Latino kids, the crisis of obesity is continuing at significantly higher rates than among their peers, according to new data from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Trust for America’s Health, and the Child and Adolescent Health Measurement Initiative. Across the nation, Latino kids ages 10-17 were more overweight or obese (39.9%) than their black (38.2%) and white (26.3%) peers. “Children as young as 11 from socially and economically disadvantaged families and neighborhoods appear more likely to have thicker carotid artery walls, which in adults may indicate higher risk for heart attack and stroke in later life," said Nancy Brown, American Heart Association CEO, in a recent statement. "Elected ...

The Science of Digital Content Curation at Salud America!

September 12, 2017

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The Internet is crazy huge. So, how can health communicators reach the right people with the right health messages? At Salud America!, we use "digital content curation" to raise awareness of the particular health issues that disproportionately burden Latino children and families, as well as promote solutions and build people's capacity to change these issues. "We want to help people understand Latino health issues and solutions, and inspire people to drive healthy community change for Latino and all families," said Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez, director of Salud America!, based at the Institute for Health Promotion Research at UT Health San Antonio. Check out our new scientific article that explains how we "curate." Our approach to digital content curation Digital content curation ...

Mental Health Research: Policies with Promise

September 11, 2017

Primary school kids eating at a table in school cafeteria

This is part of our Mental Health & Latino Kids: A Research Review » Policies are lacking on mental health and Latino kids In addition to the evaluation of programs and interventions dedicated to the improvement of mental health among Latino youth, there is a need for Latino-specific mental health policies at the local, state, and federal levels. Current healthcare policy has been focused primarily on reorganization of the healthcare system and payment reform without much consideration of the factors outside of medicine that affect health. Latino mental and physical health are influenced by many factors, including neighborhood characteristics, employment, social policies, culture, and beliefs about health; the implementation of health impact assessments that evaluate the ...

Rick Carrillo Gives Latino Health a Starring Role for Salud America!

September 8, 2017

In the movie The Killing Strain, Juan “Rick” Carrillo plays a soldier who escapes a helicopter crash to lead a group of flu-epidemic survivors to safety. On screen, he was a nothing-can-stop-him hero. Off screen, Carrillo struggled fighting the elements—mountain cedar had him blowing his nose, taking antihistamines and using his inhaler between takes. “I wasn’t feeling 100%, but the scenes captured during filming were very effective in telling the story of this gutsy soldier,” Carrillo said. “This always reminds me the great power a camera has on creating a world for audiences to absorb and be part of.” Today, Carrillo uses his acting and film-making experience as a Video Production Manager for Salud America! at UT Health San Antonio, a national program that ...

What’s Your Big Idea for Healthy Change?

August 29, 2017

What is the one thing you want most for kids in your schools? Salud America! can customize an "Action Pack” just for you to help you build a case and get supporters for your big idea for a healthy change, whether it’s water bottle fountains, brain breaks, shared use, bullying policies, etc. Action Packs can include: Custom emails to school/district leaders Custom webpage to build supporters Custom data and graphics for social media Custom fact sheets, FAQs and PPTs See samples Request your customized Action Pack now! Michaeli Smith, the wellness coordinator at Comal ISD in Texas, had a big idea for more water bottle fountains in schools. Water bottle fountains, compared to traditional water fountains, help improve students' access to water in schools be ...

Tell WHO: I Want Equitable Active Spaces!

August 29, 2017

Hand holding megaphone with bubble speech

The World Health Organization (WHO) is drafting a global action plan to promote physical activity. WHO wants your comments on this plan through Sept. 22, 2017. How can you take advantage of this unique opportunity to speak up for equity in access to active spaces for physical activity for Latino families and communities of color around the world? Copy and paste the below model comment from our research team at Salud America!... I believe priority should be given to creating safe routes to walk and bike and developing shared use agreements and open use policies that formally share school recreational with the public after class. These initiatives can help Latino children and families living underserved communities access the physical, mental, social, and health benefits of ...

#SaludTues Tweetchat 8/22: How to Turn Schools into Health Hubs

August 17, 2017

If you're a teacher or health worker, you already know that students who are healthy also perform better in the classroom. But not all schools maximize this health-and-education connection. By working together, schools, providers, and community members have a unique opportunity to improve the health of Latino and all students, while fostering better classroom performance and attendance, as well as a culture of health among parents, educators, and beyond. Let’s use #SaludTues on Aug. 22, 2017, to tweet about ways to partner up for creating healthy environments for students and their families! WHAT: #SaludTues Tweetchat: “Working Together to Boost Student Health” TIME/DATE: 1-2 p.m. EST Tuesday, Aug. 22, 2017 WHERE: On Twitter with hashtag #SaludTues HOST: ...

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Cliff Despres

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