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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

Latino Health in Focus: Progress in the Fight Against Breast, Liver, and Colorectal Cancer



Find the latest advances in Latino health—studies on liver cancer rates and colorectal cancer screening, and a promotora’s heartwarming story of survival—in the IHPR Noticias E-newsletter. IHPR Noticias has lots of info on the latest local and national health disparities-related news, resources and events: Story: A Latina Cancer Survivor Makes a Career of Helping Others through Cancer (Pg. 1) Profile: An Aspiring Doctor, Jennifer Garcia-Davalos, Works for Latino Health (Pg. 2) Study: South Texas Latinos Have Nation’s Highest Liver Cancer Rates (Pg. 3) Study: Local Researcher Hopes to Increase Colorectal Cancer Screening (Pg. 4) Story: How to Fix Huge Lack of Hispanics in Clinical Trials (Pg. 6) Story: Food Trucks—Healthy or Junk Food for Latinos (Pg. ...

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Tweetchat 7/15/14: Latino Kids and Junk Food Marketing



Latino kids are a particularly attractive target for junk food marketing because of their increasing population size, spending power, and media exposure, research shows. What can be done? Learn about the latest efforts to reduce junk food marketing through industry self-regulation and options to improve marketing in local Latino communities at the #GrowingHealthyChange Tweetchat, “Marketing & Latino Kids,” at noon CST (1 p.m. EST) on Tuesday, July 15, 2014. Follow the Tweetchat hosts—@SaludToday, @BMSG, and @CSPI—and use the hashtag #GrowingHealthyChange to ask questions, learn about the latest research and campaigns, and share your own stories and resources that can help drive healthier marketing: DATE: Tuesday, July 15, 2014 TIME: Noon CST (1:00 PM ...

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Help Get Sugary Drinks Out of Summer Camps



Summer is here. Do you know what your child is drinking at summer camp? The American Camp Association (ACA), the country's leading camp resource and accreditation group, requires camps to take many steps to ensure the safety and well-being of young people. They also offer suggestions on how camps can help kids be active and eat healthy foods. But ACA does NOT require camps to have a healthy beverage policy to gain accreditation. That means, for the more than 2,400 ACA-accredited camps nationwide, none are required to refrain from serving campers sugary sodas, juices, or flavored milk. Research shows Latino kids already consume more sugary drinks on average than their peers (see video below), so they have more to lose when camps recruit Latino families and then provide ...

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Video: Does Where You Live Affect How Long You Live?



A zip code is 5 numbers meant to give mail to people—not indicate how long they live. But all too often, that's exactly what a zip code does. Millions of Americans actually live sicker and shorter lives than others just a few miles away. Some of us are more likely to live 25 years less or be 3 times more likely to have a heart attack all because of where we live. America's future depends on the health of all Americans. Find out more about health in your own zip code ...

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Latino Areas Named Among ‘Culture of Health’ Prize Winners



The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) Culture of Health Prize honors communities which place a high priority on health and bring partners together to drive local change, and are among the nation’s most innovative efforts to build a culture of health. Six communities, selected from more than 250 across the nation, received a no-strings attached $25,000 cash prize. The 2014 winners are: Brownsville, TX. Brownsville is highly successful in promoting active lifestyles and demonstrates the strength of community partnerships in action. Taos Pueblo, NM. The Taos Pueblo community of northern New Mexico is drawing on its cultural traditions to address modern challenges. Williamson, WV. In the heart of central Appalachia coal country, Williamson is committed to improving health ...

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Infographic: Kids Suffer Unequal Access to Safe Places to Play



Kids in predominantly minority or low-income neighborhoods are less likely to have clean, safe, and attractive places to be physically active. They are also at higher risk for obesity and related health problems. A new infographic from our friends at Active Living Research features evidence on some of the barriers these kids face in being able to walk, bike, or play in their schools and neighborhoods. Barriers include a lack of recreational facilities, broken or uneven sidewalks, inadequate time for recess, and higher rates of automobile crashes and crime. Fortunately, all of these problems can be addressed with better policies, infrastructure improvements, and planning that can make neighborhoods safer, cleaner, and better designed for walking, biking, and playing. Find ...

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Report: What is the Current State of Obesity Solutions in the U.S.?



Good news is happening in the obesity fight: Rates have fallen among low-income kids in several states, rates have plateaued among girls, and targeted efforts in some states have reduced childhood obesity rates. Yet major problems remain. Diseases associated with obesity continue to incur substantial costs and cause widespread human suffering. Substantial disparities in obesity rates are widening among Latinos and other population groups. With a big need for solutions, a new report highlights some of the most innovative programs to prevent and treat obesity. The report, The Current State of Obesity Solutions in the United States, is the result of a 2014 workshop by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) Roundtable on Obesity Solutions. The roundtable formed to engage ...

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Food as Medicine: San Antonio Study Tests Disease- and Cancer-Fighting Foods



A group of breast cancer survivors gathered in San Antonio on Tuesday, June 17, 2014, to hear a lecture and cooking demonstration about how certain foods may reduce the risk of cancer recurrence — deliciously. The women are participants in the study Rx for Better Breast Health. As a part of the study, this group will attend several lectures by study co-principal investigator Dr. Michael Wargovich of the UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, combined with cooking demonstrations by Chef Iverson Brownell, who creates innovative culinary recipes that taste great and promote health. Read or watch a WOAI-TV report about the event. To see if you qualify for the study, call 210-562-6579 “We want to teach survivors the importance of a dietary plan full of foods with ...

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Study: Delinquent Youth, Especially Hispanics, Face Higher Risk of Violent Death as Adults



Delinquent youth face a significantly increased risk for a violent death when they're adults, a new study finds, HealthDay reports. This finding is especially true for delinquent Hispanics, teens, and girls. The study, published online in the journal Pediatrics, found that the rate of violent death among delinquent Hispanic females and males were nine and five times higher, respectively, than in the general population. "Our findings are shocking," study author Linda Teplin, a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Northwestern University, said in a university news release, HealthDay reports. "Death rates in our sample of delinquent youth, ages 15 to 19, are nearly twice those of troops in combat in wartime Iraq and Afghanistan." "Early violent death is a health ...

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