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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

Tweetchat Today (9/16): How to Create a ‘Culture of Health’ for Latinos



Editor's Note: #SaludTues is a weekly Tweetchat hosted at 1 p.m. every Tuesday on Twitter by @SaludToday, the Latino health social media campaign of the Institute for Health Promotion Research (IHPR) at The UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, the team behind SaludToday and Salud America!. Latino health is vital. But Latino families face barriers to good health—lack of access to care, parks, healthy food, as well as more junk food marketing and sugary drinks—which contribute to high obesity rates. Today let’s tweet about the issues that impact our health and well-being during Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept. 15-Oct. 15) and what we can to create a culture of health for Latino families at the inaugural #SaludTues Tweetchat. WHAT: #SaludTues Tweetchat: “How to Create ...

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Study: More Latino Workers Died on the Job in 2013



More Latino workers died on the job last year, even though overall worker deaths declined, according to new federal statistics. Overall, 4,405 workers died from injuries sustained on the job in 2013, 223 fewer than in 2012, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the Center for Public Integrity reports. That is about 3.2 deaths per every 100,000 full-time workers. However, Hispanic worker deaths increased from 708 to 797, about 3.8 deaths per 100,000. “It’s no surprise that the number remains high,” said Rebecca Smith, deputy director of the National Employment Law Project, a worker advocacy and research group, told the Center for Public Integrity. “In part, that’s a function of many Latino workers moving to more dangerous forms of employment, ...

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Latina Researcher Dr. Amelie Ramirez Wins ‘Mujer’ Award for Community Service


Amelie Ramirez

Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez, director of the Institute for Health Promotion Research at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, has received the 2014 “Regional Mujer Award” from the National Hispana Leadership Institute, a national leadership organization for Latinas. Mujer (Woman) awards are given annually to Latinas who serve their communities with “justice, love, and the deepest pride in their culture.” Past Mujer winners include actresses Eva Longoria and Rosaro Dawson, Lidia Soto-Harmon, CEO of Girl Scouts, and Ivelisse Estrada, VP of Univision. Ramirez, an internationally recognized expert in health disparities research, has spent 30 years developing unique health communication models that have helped reduce cancer rates and increase cancer screening ...

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What the Heck is #SaludTues?



Please join #SaludTues, a new weekly Tweetchat series about Latino health (salud)! The series, which takes place every Tuesday at 1 p.m. ET (12 P.M. CST) every Tuesday, will feature any Latino health issue can be a topic for the #SaludTues chat, from heart health, childhood obesity, nutrition and physical activity, access to health care, education, culture of health, etc. Chats are hosted by @SaludToday, the Latino health social media campaign directed by the team at the Institute for Health Promotion Research (IHPR) at The UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, and two co-host experts or organizations. When is #SaludTues Tweetchat No. 1? On Tuesday, Sept. 16, let's tweet about what we can to create a culture of health for Latino families at the inaugural #SaludTues chat and ...

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Spanish Video: How to Reduce Sodium in Kids’ Diets



More than 90% of kids ages 6-18 eat more sodium than recommended, heightening their risk of developing high blood pressure and heart disease. That sodium doesn't come from the salt shaker, either. About 43% of sodium eaten by children comes from the 10 foods they eat most often: pizza, bread and rolls, cold cuts/cured meats, savory snacks, sandwiches, cheese, chicken patties/nuggets, pasta mixed dishes, Mexican mixed dishes, and soups, according to the CDC. Check out the CDC's new English or Spanish video to find tips on how to reduce sodium in children's diets. “If you choose a lower sodium option, chances are that your children will too,” said Dr. Ileana Arias, the CDC's principal deputy director, in the new ...

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Report: Latino Millenials Value Health, Exercise More Than Non-Hispanics



Latino millennials ages 18-34 rate their health more positively, define health as having a good diet, feeling good, and exercising, and report lower levels of stress compared to non-Latino Millennials, according to a new report, MediaPost reports. The report, The Hispanic Millennial Project, was conducted by market researchers at ThinkNow Research and the ad agency Sensis to address Latino millennials' "motivators and mindsets around health, wellness, diet, exercise, adoption of health related technology, health care insurance knowledge and enrollment and attitudes towards the ACA." Foreign-born Hispanic Millennials are more likely to define health as “having no physical problems” while U.S. born Hispanic Millennials are likely to define health as “feeling good” or ...

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Training Black, Latino Teen Girls in Computer Programming



Young black and Latina girls now have a better chance of becoming computer programmers. Google is expected to donate $190,000 to the Black Girls Code initiative, which empower young women of color ages 7-17 to embrace the current tech marketplace as builders and creators, thus diversifying the "white, male-dominated tech industry," New York Daily News reports. The grant enables a bilingual session at Google’s headquarters to teach 75 black and Latina teens how to build a mobile app in one day. “Our goal is to change the face of technology by showing the world that girls of color can code and do so much more,” said Kimberly Bryant, founder of the nonprofit with seven chapters across the country and one in South Africa, according to New York Daily News. Read more about ...

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Why Do Latinos Care so Much about the Environment?



U.S. Latinos care more about the environment than non-Latinos. In fact, Latinos care more about water, air and land conservation, protecting against wildfires and drought, and creating national parks and monuments, says research by the Sierra Club and the Latino Sustainability Institute, according to an article by Boulder Weekly. But why? Jobs, health, recreation, and culture/morality are big reasons, according to the article: For starters, clean energy and conservation efforts provide jobs for the Latino community in the U.S. At nearly 11 percent unemployment, Latinos see initiatives like the American Jobs Act and renewable energy legislation as opportunities for gainful employment. In fact, three out of four Latinos believe renewable energy can bring immediate jobs to ...

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Report: Adult Obesity Remains High; Highest among Latinos



U.S. adult obesity rates remained high overall, and highest among Latino adults and children, according to a new report. The report, The State of Obesity: Better Policies for a Healthier America by the Trust for America’s Health (TFAH) and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), found that adult obesity rates did not decrease in any states, increased in six states, and now exceed 35% for the first time in two states, and are not below 21% in any. Highest rates: Mississippi and West Virginia (35.1%), Arkansas (34.6%), and Tennessee (33.7%). Lowest rates: Colorado (21.3%), Hawaii (21.8%), Washington, D.C. (22.9%), and Massachusetts (23.6%). Disparities persist, with adult obesity rates the highest in the South and among Latinos, Blacks, and lower-income, less-educated ...

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