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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

Fitness Trackers Save Company $1,000 Per Employee



One company saw a 46% cost reduction for employees using wearable fitness tracking devices. According to a three-year study by Springbuk Inc., a healthcare analytics firm that tracks corporate wellness efforts, an actual return on investment has been calculated for an organization using wearable fitness tracking devices; employees using wearables for two years cost $1,292 less on average for a company. Additionally, the opportunity for cost savings could be the highest among less active individuals, individuals who tend to have higher rates of chronic disease and higher healthcare costs, like Latinos. Physical activity, such as walking, plays a critical role in health and wellness. Wearable fitness trackers have the potential to increase participation in physical activity, ...

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Elementary School Makes More Time for Recess And Physical Activity



We all know that healthy students learn better, but what can schools do to help? Rangerville Elementary School in San Benito Consolidated Independent School District in San Benito, TX (90.7% Latino), decreased the amount of time kids spend sitting at their desks and increased the amount of time kids spend being physically active by providing more time for recess, more activities during PE, physical activity breaks during class, and a running club. Additionally, school vending machines only provide water, school foods align with the USDA's Smart Snacks in School standards, and the school introduces students to two new fresh fruits and vegetables every week. The healthy changes at Rangerville Elementary School were recognized when the school was one of only 14 schools ...

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Residents Used Facebook to Stay Engaged and Prevent Pool Closure


Swimming Pool Latino Health Drowning Prevention Equity

When city leaders in Loretto, Tenn. (2% Latino) began discussion of closing the city's only pool, residents turned to social media to stay informed and engaged, and they won. Swimming may be most the promising activity to get and keep Latino kids active in and out of school. In 2011, the Loretto City Pool closed because of safety concerns. In early 2013, Loretto residents started a Facebook page to get a new pool built. Through the “Save the Loretto City Pool” Facebook page, residents stayed informed of city council meetings and project updates and encouraged each other to attend public meetings. The Loretto Parks and Recreation Department conducted a needs assessment asking residents what the top three priorities were over the next five years when it comes to parks and ...

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29 New Digital Tools to Expand Access to Jobs, Schools, Affordable Housing, & Other Resources


Latino Health Digital Technology Data Tool

In March 2016, President Barack Obama launched the Opportunity Project calling for technologists, local governments, and community groups to harness technology and innovation to expand access to opportunity for all Americans (17.6% Latino). The result? Non-profits, companies, and students built 29 new digital tools-during an 8-week software development sprint-using federal and local data to help communities access and navigate information to empower communities to solve problems in their everyday lives, such as affordable housing, quality schools, and jobs. Latinos often face social, environmental, and political barriers when accessing everyday opportunities, like healthy schools and safe places to walk and play. Equitable opportunity and easy-to-navigate information are ...

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Texas Gets Nation’s First “Dutch Junction” With Glow-on-the-Dark Bike Lanes



Cities across the world have come up with unique methods to make it safer for kids and everyone to bicycle. Safe places to bike-and walk and play-are critical to reduce health disparities and improve Latino and all kid's overall health and wellbeing. In College Station, Texas (14% Latino) the Texas Transportation Institute at Texas A&M designed a protected intersection, modeled after the Dutch Junction, with glow-in-the-dark bike lanes. Bike lanes are, in fact, a sound public health investment. The Dutch Junction is designed to separate cars and bicyclists using islands, moving bicyclists in front motorists and out of their blind spots. To improve path visibility, the bike lanes are coated with a glow-in-the-dark material that absorbs and stores solar energy during the ...

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Washington State Get’s it’s First Bike Playground


Bicycle latino health physical activity equity safety

When Cascade Bicycle Club in King County, Washington (9.5% Latino), found out about a grant opportunity in early 2015, they jumped at the chance to build their youth and family-oriented programming. Cascade Bicycle Club's mission is to improve lives through bicycling. Physical activity, like bicycling, is critical to improve overall health and wellbeing for Latino and all kids. Read and watch a Salud Hero story about an elementary school that teaches kids bike safety thanks in part to Cascade Bicycle Club. Partnering with King County Parks for the King County's Youth Sports Facility Grant for $75,000, the Cascade Bicycle Club discussed ideas and locations for kids and adults to practice and learn bike safety. An urban designer suggested a traffic garden after seeing one in ...

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Case Studies: Building a Culture of Health in Texas



Making healthy choices is complex. In this digital age, people are bombarded by conflicting health messages and face social and environmental barriers to carry out the most basic essentials of healthy lifestyles-eating healthy and being physically active. Latinos face added barriers to making healthy choice due to lack of access to healthy food and safe places to walk and play. It's Time Texas interviewed 50 individuals in the government, healthcare, insurance, K-12 education, academic, business and community sectors across Texas to get a better understanding of these barriers and identify local opportunities and strategies to address and remove these barriers. They compiled these interviews into a white paper and six case studies, Building a Healthier Texas. The health and ...

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Making Strides: State Report Cards on Support for Walking, Bicycling, and Active Kids and Communitie


Walking Latino health biking

How supportive is your state of walking, bicycling, and physical activity? The Safe Routes to School National Partnership working with the YMCA of the USA, developed Making Strides: State Report Cards to provide a snapshot of how supportive each state is of walking, bicycling, and physical activity for children and adults as of 2016. Physical activity, like walking and biking, are critical to fight childhood obesity and help kids grow up healthy and avoid lifelong, burdensome chronic diseases. The report cards primarily look at state policy focusing on four key areas: Complete Streets and Active Transportation, Safe Routes to School and Active Transportation Funding, Active Neighborhoods and Schools, and State Physical Activity Planning and Support. In addition to the state ...

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Application for 2016 Every Body Walk! Micro Grants


Walking Latino Health

America Walks and the Every Body Walk! Collaborative are excited to announce the second year of Micro Grant Funding. This program will award grantees up to $1,500.00 for projects related to increasing walking and walkability. walking and walkabilty can help to bridge community divides and overcome existing disparities. Read why, according to the Surgeon General's Call to Action to Promote Walkable Communities, it is important to promote walkability and increase walking and physical activity to improve community health. Applications for the micro grant are due November 18th by 5pm Eastern. Apply ...

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