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Amanda Merck

Merck completed her MPH with a concentration in Physical Activity and Health. She curates content for Salud America! (@SaludAmerica), a Latino childhood obesity prevention project based at the Institute for Health Promotion Research at UT Health San Antonio. She focuses on the latest research, resources, and stories related to policy, systems, and environmental changes to enhance equitable access to safe places for kids and families to walk, bike, and play.

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Articles by Amanda Merck

5 Tips for Latino Moms-to-Be to Avoid Premature Birth



1 in 9 American babies are born too soon. Premature birth rates are especially high in U.S. Hispanics (11.3%) and African Americans (16.3%) than in Whites (10.2%), due to issues of stress, health care access, and more. These babies and families struggle with extended NICU stays, ongoing costs and time away from work, and potentially lifelong disabilities. That why the bilingual "Someday Starts Now" campaign is here. The campaign, run in English and Spanish by the Texas Department of State Health Services and coinciding with Prematurity Awareness Month in November, promotes the idea that a healthy, full-term baby begins with healthy, well-informed parents who are active participants in their health care. Here are five tips for women thinking about having a baby to ensure ...

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Survey: Latinos Are Satisfied with U.S. Life, But Not Confident in Nation’s Direction



Latinos express widespread optimism and satisfaction with life in the United States, but are not confident in the nation's current direction, according to a new survey, the Denver Post reports. The State of the Latino Family survey, conducted by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, interviewed 1,000 Latinos to explore the attitudes and quality of life of Latinos, who are expected to rise from 17% of the current U.S. population to about 30% by 2060. The good news? Latinos have "upbeat attitudes" on several fronts, such as economic opportunities, personal health and the education of their children. For example, more than 60% of Latino parents with young children are attending parent-teacher conferences, volunteering at the schools and working with administrators and teachers. The bad ...

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Study: Hispanic Immigrants Succeed with Education, Time



Hispanic immigrant are succeeding in Houston the longer they spend in the United States, according to a new study. The study, by Rice University's Kinder Institute for Urban Research, showed that, over time, "Hispanics are assimilating by nearly all measures, from increasing their salaries to graduating more frequently from high school and purchasing more of their own homes," the Houston Chronicle reports. Education has been a key, according to the study. Most Hispanic immigrants in Houston, which has and under-age-20 population that is 50% Hispanics, came to the city without a high-school diploma. But their rates of education, homeownership, and income all improved. These gains extended to the immigrants' second and third generations, although the gains were more slight by ...

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Join Us for #SaludTues 11/11/14: How to Bring More Green Space to Latino Neighborhoods



Latino kids are less likely to live near safe places for physical activity like parks and recreation centers, which contributes to higher obesity rates. What can be done? Learn more about examples and resources on how to increase access to green space for Latino kids at the #SaludTues Tweetchat, “How to Bring More Green Space to Latino Neighborhoods” at noon CT (1 p.m. ET) Tuesday, November 11, 2014.You're invited to share your resources, stories, and questions, too! The chat is co-hosted by Salud America!, The Michael and Susan Dell Center for Healthy Living and the Children and Nature Network (via @SaludToday, @ChildrenNature & @msdcenter): WHAT: #SaludTues Tweetchat: “How to Bring More Green Space to Latino Neighborhoods” DATE: Tuesday, Nov. 11, 2014 TIME: ...

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Celebrity Chef Helps Latinos Manage Diabetes



U.S. Hispanics are nearly twice as likely to be diagnosed with diabetes as non-Hispanic whites, and diabetes is the fifth leading cause of death within the Hispanic community, according to federal stats. Latina celebrity chef Leticia Moreinos Schwartz is working with Merck on Desafiando La Diabetes: Logra Tus Metas, a program urging Hispanics with type 2 diabetes to know their A1C - average blood sugar level over the past two to three months - and to work with their doctor to attain their personal A1C goal. “After struggling with type 2 diabetes for many years, my grandfather passed away from a stroke, one of the serious complications of diabetes,” says Moreinos Schwartz. “That’s why I’m passionate about empowering Hispanics to learn how to reach their blood sugar ...

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6 Ways Hispanics Can Protect against Eye Disease



The number of Hispanics with diabetes-related eye diseases is expected to double from 1.2 to 3 million by 2030, according to the National Eye Institute (NEI). All diabetics can develop eye problems. But Hispanics and older adults with diabetes are at higher risk of losing vision or going blind from diabetic eye disease—a group of eye problems that people with diabetes may face as a complication of the disease and includes cataract, glaucoma, and diabetic retinopathy, the leading cause of blindness among adults ages 20-74. Here are seven tips from the NEI to reduce or detect diabetic eye disease: All diabetics should have a dilated eye exam at least once a year to detect vision problems early. Take your medications. Reach and maintain a healthy weight. Add physical ...

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Research: Genetics may Play a Part in Hispanic Obesity



Researchers are now reporting that they have identified a protease (protein) responsible for weight gain and the one that can inhibit fat generation, reports The Latin Times. The researchers from Mexico and Spain — who hail from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), the Autonomous Metropolitan University (UAM), the National Institute of Genomic Medicine (IMEGEN) and Landsteiner Scientific Laboratory with the Spanish subsidiary Neopharm Obesity — have disclosed that the new information will help them create an effective drug to fight obesity in target populations. "Obesity is one of the major problems that we will 'attack' with the use of genomic medicine," said Francisco Kuri Brena, director of new developments from the laboratory. "There are already companies ...

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Tweet with Us 11/4/14: How to Solve the Latino Doctor/Nurse Shortage



Latinos comprise 17% of the U.S. population—but only about 5% of doctors and 5% of nurses. This shortage of Latino doctors and nurses makes it harder to build strong doctor-patient relationships, deliver preventive care, and focus on Latino-specific health conditions or cultural barriers. Let’s focus on what we can do to solve the problem by using #SaludTues to tweet about innovative programs, campaigns and other resources to increase the number of Latino health professionals: WHAT: #SaludTues Tweetchat: “Solving the Latino Doctor/Nurse Shortage” DATE: Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2014 TIME: Noon CT (1:00 PM ET) WHERE: On Twitter with hashtag #SaludTues HOST: @SaludToday CO-HOSTS: @NHMAmd and @LatinoDoc (Dr. George Flores of the California Endowment) We’ll open the ...

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Study: Foreign-Born Adults, Especially Hispanics, Less Likely To Get Vaccinated



Foreign-born U.S. adults—especially Hispanics—are less likely to get vaccinated than those born in the United States, according to a new study, the Latin Times reports. The study, from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, found that foreign-born adults had lower vaccination rates for: influenza; PPV to prevent pneumococcal diseases, especially pneumonia; tetanus; Tdap (which prevents tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis); hepatitis A; hepatitis B; shingles; and HPV, the human papilloma virus. For example, 34% of foreign-born adults received the flu vaccine, vs. 40% of U.S.-born adults. And 51% of foreign-born adults were vaccinated for vaccinated for tetanus, vs. 65% of U.S.-born adults. Hispanics were the least likely foreign-born adults to be vaccinated. "As their ...

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