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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

Study: Mother-Daughter Exercise Program Improves Latina Girls’ Activity, Weight



Editor’s Note: This is a 20-part series featuring new research briefs on Latino childhood obesity, nutrition, physical activity and more by the 20 grantees of Salud America! Part 8 is Dr. Norma Olvera. Find all briefs here. Dr. Norma Olvera “Combating Obesity and Inactivity in Latina Girls” In her Salud America! pilot research project, Dr. Norma Olvera of the University of Houston assessed the immediate and long-term impact of a program—Behavior Opportunities Uniting in Nutrition, Counseling, and Exercise (BOUNCE)—on indicators of obesity. Mother-daughter pairs enrolled in BOUNCE participated in a four-week healthy lifestyle summer program, followed by a 12-week, family-based aerobic program. Key preliminary findings include: a family-centered exercise ...

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Study: Fewer Than Half of Latino Families Eat Meals Together Every Day



Editor’s Note: This is a 20-part series featuring new research briefs on Latino childhood obesity, nutrition, physical activity and more by the 20 grantees of Salud America! Part 7 is Dr. Angela Wiley. Find all briefs here. Dr. Angela Wiley “Abriendo Caminos (Clearing the Path)” In her Salud America! pilot research project, Dr. Angela Wiley of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign took a family-based approach—accounting for developmental patterns of behavior and practices in early mealtime experiences—to prevent childhood obesity and promote wellbeing among Spanish-speaking families in Illinois. The 6-week curriculum actively involves Latino families in food preparation, shared physical activity, and shared mealtimes featuring family storytelling and ...

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Study: Community Gardens Boost Latino Child Health, Save Families Money



Editor’s Note: This is a 20-part series featuring new research briefs on Latino childhood obesity, nutrition, physical activity and more by the 20 grantees of Salud America! Part 6 is Dr. Dina Castro. Find all briefs here. Dr. Dina Castro “Growing Healthy Kids: How Community Gardens Can Increase Latino Child Health” In her Salud America! pilot research project, Dr. Dina Castro of the University of North Carolina used community gardens and parental nutrition education and activities to promote healthy eating and physical activity among lower-income Latino families who have young children. The project established three community gardens in Orange County, N.C. Key preliminary findings include: children had access to more fruits and vegetables after their families ...

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U.S. Obesity Rates Plateau (at a High Level); Rates Still Higher in Blacks, Latinos



The prevalence of obesity in the U.S. largely leveled off over the last decade, even as some individual groups, such as boys from ages 6 to 19, saw increases, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association, Bloomberg reports. Obesity rates in adults rose slightly to 35.7% from 30.5% between 1999 and 2010, compared with rates that nearly doubled the two previous decades. Overall, a third of the population—78 million adults and 12.5 million children—were obese in 2009- 2010. According to the story: “The fact that prevalence rates are reaching a plateau is good news, but by no means are we at the end of the epidemic,” said David Ludwig, a pediatric endocrinologist and director of the New Balance Foundation Obesity ...

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Study: Health Coaches Key to Addressing Latino Lifestyle Issues



Editor’s Note: This is a 20-part series featuring new research briefs on Latino childhood obesity, nutrition, physical activity and more by the 20 grantees of Salud America! Part 5 is Dr. Alexy Arauz Boudreau. Find all briefs here. Dr. Alexy Arauz Boudreau “A Family Approach to Addressing Lifestyle Decisions Regarding Obesity and Diabetes” In her Salud America! pilot research project, Dr. Alexy Arauz Boudreau of Massachusetts General Hospital tested the feasibility and effectiveness of a family-centered approach consisting of interactive group classes followed by six months of health coaching. The five-session group classes, known as Power-Up, are for Latino families with obese children. Health coaching is delivered by a Latina medical assistant who knows the ...

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Study: Parenting Tips Positively Affect Latino Parents’ Feeding Attitudes, Practices



Editor’s Note: This is a 20-part series featuring new research briefs on Latino childhood obesity, nutrition, physical activity and more by the 20 grantees of Salud America! Part 4 is Dr. Harris Huberman. Find all briefs here. Dr. Harris Huberman “Using Parenting Newsletters to Reduce Young Latino Children’s Weight” In his Salud America! pilot research project, Dr. Harris Huberman of SUNY Downstate Medical Center in New York tested a low-cost parenting intervention to reduce rates of overweight and obesity in Latino children during the first three years of life. The intervention features a series of age-paced parenting newsletters called Primeros Pasos in Spanish or Building Blocks in English (PP/BB), which are mailed monthly to families beginning at the birth of a ...

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Study: Latino Youth Perceive Their Weight Problems; Parents, Grandparents Don’t



Editor’s Note: This is a 20-part series featuring new research briefs on Latino childhood obesity, nutrition, physical activity and more by the 20 grantees of Salud America! Part 3 is Dr. Cristina Barroso. Find all briefs here. Dr. Cristina Barroso “Body Image and Childhood Obesity in Mexican-Americans” In her Salud America! pilot research project, Dr. Cristina Barroso of The University of Texas School of Public Health, Brownsville Regional Campus, examined body image perceptions across three generations of low-income Latinos in South Texas, and studied the association between body image and physical activity in the same population. For the study, families viewed sketches of body shapes and body sizes and to select images they perceive as healthy, as well as the image ...

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Study: Menu Labeling Can Increase Health in Latino-Serving Restaurants



Editor’s Note: This is a 20-part series featuring new research briefs on Latino childhood obesity, nutrition, physical activity and more by the 20 grantees of Salud America! Part 2 is Dr. Carmen Nevarez. Find all briefs here. Dr. Carmen Nevarez “Salud Tiene Sabor: Creating Healthy Eating Environments for Latino Families” In her Salud America! pilot research project, Dr. Carmen Nevarez of the Public Health Institute evaluated the Salud Tiene Sabor program. Sabor, the first program of its kind in California, supports healthy food choices in restaurants by providing access to healthy menu items and nutrition information, including calories posted on menu boards. Seven independent restaurants have implemented the Sabor program at Mercado La Paloma, a community marketplace ...

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Study: ‘Fit for the Lord’—How Churches Can Join Battle against Obesity



Editor’s Note: This is a 20-part series featuring new research briefs on Latino childhood obesity, nutrition, physical activity and more by the 20 grantees of Salud America! Part 1 is Dr. Meizi He. Find all briefs here. Dr. Meizi He "Latino Faith-Based Communities’ Perspective on Childhood Obesity" In her Salud America! pilot research project, Dr. Meizi He of the University of Texas at San Antonio conducted interviews and focus groups among church leaders and congregations to gather their insights on childhood obesity. Key preliminary findings include: Latino church leaders and members perceived a link between faith and health; obesity-prevention efforts should be culturally sensitive; and there are perceived financial, environmental, cultural and lifestyle ...

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