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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

#SaludTues Tweetchat 12/11: Place-Based Health Disparities



Where you live is a bigger predictor of your health and life expectancy than your genes. The places we live are made up of homes, schools, childcare, parks, grocery stores, workplaces, community services, and the streets connecting us to these destinations. However, the places we live were not created equal, contributing to health disparities among Latinos. UPDATE: Check out the recap on Wakelet.  Join #SaludTues on Dec. 11, 2018, at 1:00 PM EST to tweet about laws and policies that have created unhealthy places and strategies to reduce place-based health disparities.  WHAT: #SaludTues Tweetchat: “Place-Based Health Disparities” DATE: Tuesday, December 11, 2018 TIME: 1:00-2:00 p.m. EST (Noon-1:00 p.m. CST) WHERE: On Twitter with hashtag #SaludTues HOST: ...

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London to Ban Ads for Junk Food on Public Transit



London will ban advertisements for unhealthy food on public transportation in February 2019, as a publicly approved way to reduce rising obesity rates. Other cities can use the ban as a model. London Obesity London has one of the highest childhood overweight and obesity rates in Europe. Of children ages 10 and 11, more than 37% are overweight or obese. London Mayor Sadiq Khan is particularly concerned because children living in deprived neighborhoods are almost twice as likely to be overweight. “It’s completely unacceptable that in a city as prosperous as London, where you live and the amount you earn can have a massive impact on whether you have access to healthy, nutritious food,” the mayor said in a press release. “I’m determined to change this.” He is ...

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How to Merge Public Transit with Complete Streets


Healthline station with pedestrian crossing and bike lanes. Source: FDOT

Florida reinvented how they implement Complete Streets a few years ago, even adding coordinators to help each district create roads for people who travel by foot, bike, car, and more. And they didn’t forget about public transit. In fact, the Florida Department of Transportation’s (FDOT) created a guidebook to instruct and show examples of how to make public transit─trains, buses, & trolleys─a big part of Complete Streets. Read more below in Part 2 of Salud America!’s three-part series on transportation changes in Florida. Part 1 examined Florida’s reinvention of Complete Streets. Part 3 will cover pedestrian death reduction. Integrating Transit and Complete Streets Complete Streets can save lives by providing safe options for people to walk, bike and use public ...

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Florida Reinvents Complete Streets, 30 Years Later


Florida Ave. after Complete Streets improvements. Source: Space Coast TPO

In 1984, Florida transportation leaders crafted the state’s first policy for Complete Streets, which aim for safe access for all users, including pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists and transit riders. The policy worked. It saved 3,500 lives in 30 years, according to a study. But, even with a three-decade decline in pedestrian deaths, Florida remains car-dependent and repeatedly ranks among the most dangerous states for pedestrians and bicyclists. What could transportation leaders do now? Their answer: Reinvent how they implement Complete Streets. Read more below in Part 1 of Salud America!’s three-part series on transportation changes in Florida. Part 2 will examine the potential for transit integration. Part 3 will cover pedestrian death reduction. Why Didn’t the ...

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San Antonio Health Department Budgets for City’s First Trauma-Informed Position



San Antonio approved funding for the city’s first ever position dedicated to addressing and preventing childhood trauma and toxic stress. Nationwide, schools, communities, organizations and municipal agencies are working to better help the 46% of youth who have suffered an adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). For example, in Newark, New Jersey, Equal Justice USA is working with the Newark Police to teach policy and civilians how trauma impacts their daily lives, and in San Francisco, California, pediatricians are working community mental health providers in schools to address childhood trauma and reunification stress among unaccompanied immigrant children. Unfortunately, efforts like these often lack the coordinated, community-wide network needed to reach children and families ...

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Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans 2nd Edition



On November 12, 2018, the second edition of the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans was released by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. Lack of physical activity is linked to approximately $117 billion in annual health care costs and about 10% of premature mortality, according to the report. Since 2008, the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans have served as the primary voice of the federal government for evidence-based guidance and recommendations for health professionals and policymakers on how everyone can improve their health through regular physical activity. The new Guidelines are an important part of a complex and integrated solution to promote health and to reduce the burden of chronic disease ...

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The Midterms: Voters Approve Big Public Transit Improvements



During the 2018 midterm election cycle, U.S. voters passed 17 of 20 public transportation ballot measures—two remain undecided. Over the past two decades, Americans have voted in favor of public transportation more than 70% of the time, according to Josh Cohen, campaign director at the Center for Transportation Excellence. Earlier in 2018 during the primary elections, voters passed 13 of 16 measures supporting public transit; during the 2017 general election, voters passed seven of eight measures; and during the 2016 general election, voters passed 33 of the 49 measures. Elected leaders at the local and state level are getting the hint and increasingly addressing public transit issues while campaigning. “These candidates know that public transportation is an issue that ...

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#SaludTues Tweetchat 11/13: 2nd Edition of the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans


Two Young Girls Playing On Swing In Playground

Walking and other physical activities are vital for health, regardless of weight. However, physical activity levels among Latinos are low, particularly among women. Since 2008, the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans have served as the primary voice of the federal government for evidence-based guidance and recommendations for health professionals, schools, and policymakers on how everyone can improve their health through regular physical activity. In 2016, the process to develop the second edition of the guidelines began. Salud America! followers also spoke up and shared their comments. On Nov. 12, 2018, the 2nd Edition of the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, will be released. UPDATE: Check out the recap on Wakelet.  Join #SaludTues on November 13, ...

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