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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

Research Brief: Disparities in Park Quality and Pedestrian Streetscape Environments



According to an Active Living Research research brief, of the following two new studies shed light on how to make neighborhoods more physical activity-friendly for all people, regardless of income or race: Disparities in pedestrian streetscape environments by income and race/ethnicity Socioeconomic and race/ethnic disparities in observed park quality Both studies found evidence of “disparities” (pedestrian features that were worse in low‐income and/or high‐minority neighborhoods) and “equitable differences” (pedestrian features that were worse in high‐income and/or mostly White neighborhoods). The different patterns found across regions suggest that local policies, practices, and funding priorities can be effective. Disparities in physical activity ...

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USA Swimming Foundation Surpasses 4 Million Children Served Through Swim Lessons



Ten people drown each day in the United States. Seventy percent of African-American children, 60 percent of Latino children, and 40 percent of Caucasian children have low or no swimming ability, which increases their risk of drowning and drowning related injuries and shuts them off from numerous water activities that are associated with physiological, emotional, and behavioral development. Young children who swim reach key milestones earlier than their peers. Watch and share video. The USA Swimming Foundation, the philanthropic arm of USA Swimming, has provided more than $4 million in grants to Make a Splash Local Partners for free and low cost swimming lessons nationwide to spread national awareness and bring together strategic partners to end drowning.  They announced ...

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Georgia DOT and Pedestrian Safety Advocacy Group Survey Residents About Barriers to Walking in their Community



The Georgia Department of Transportation and Pedestrians Educating Drivers on Safety (PEDS) are developing an action plan aimed at increasing safety for people who walk. First, they are gathering input from Georgia residents about the challenges they face while walking in their community. It is essential for decision makers at the city and state level to seek community input to ensure that new plans, programs, and policies recognize and address barriers that are important to often-overlooked disadvantaged populations. The survey only takes five minutes and is available in English and Spanish. It will be used to prioritize solutions that you feel are most important to your community. Take the survey and spread the word. Learn more about why pedestrian safety is so ...

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Xtreme Eating Awards 2016: The 9 Worst Restaurant Dishes



For the ninth year in a row, the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) has announced the restaurant winners of its Xtreme Eating Awards. Restaurants with high-calorie dishes are "honored" by CSPI and this year's winners are: Uno Pizzeria & Grill - Whole Hog Burger Hamburger, sausage, bacon, prosciutto, pepperoni, four types of cheese, garlic mayo, and pickles with fries and onion rings. Calories: 2,850 Saturated Fat: 62 g (3 day’s worth) Sodium: 9,790 mg (6 day’s worth) Equivalent to eating: Four McDonald’s Quarter Pounders with Cheese and two medium French fries, doused with 18 packets of salt. Cheesecake Factory - Fried Chicken & Waffles Benedict Belgian waffle topped with fried chicken, poached eggs, and Hollandaise sauce with ...

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How Massachusetts is Incentivizing Complete Streets



In April, 2014 the Governor of Massachusetts signed the Transportation Bond Bill, which authorized $50 million dollars for the creation of Complete Streets policies. Complete Streets are defined as streets that provide accommodations for users of all transportation modes including, but not limited to, walking, cycling public transportation, automobiles, and freight. States and local governments across the nation have adopted new policies for Complete Streets; however, some have been slow to put these policies into practice. In February 2016, Massachusetts (11.2% Latino) launched the Reimbursable Municipal Funding Program to incentivize Complete Streets projects across the state. The reward for municipalities that chose to participate is: Funding for technical assistance ...

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Being Overweight or Obese Ages the Brain 10 Years, Study Finds



Researchers from the U.K. have found a correlation between being overweight or obese (a condition that affects close to 80% of Latino adults) to the loss of white matter in the brain, BBC News reports. According to researchers the reduction of white matter in the brain “represents around a decade of brain aging.” For the study, investigators looked at data from 473 adults ages 20-87 and found that obesity had the most impact on the brains of middle-aged adults. “Middle-aged adults who were overweight or obese had a white matter volume that was comparable to those of lean adults who were 10 years older; for example, the white matter volume of a 50-year-old overweight adult was on par with that of a 60-year-old lean adult,” researchers ...

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UT Dell Medical School Welcomes Inaugural Class



In 2012, Travis County (33.9% Latino) voters approved a proposition to raise property taxes to support health care initiatives in Central Texas, which included $35 million annually for the Dell Medical School. Less than four years later, on June 26, 2016, the University of Texas at Austin Dell Medical School opened their doors to their first class of students. Twenty-two percent of the first class identifies with racial or ethnic groups historically underrepresented in medicine, compared to the national average last year, which was 13 percent, according to one source. “We simply cannot create the transformative changes we envision without a strong connection both to vulnerable communities and to clinical programs that provide health care access to those communities,” Dean ...

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