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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

Infographic: Shared Use Agreements & Kids


BigBet3_Active Play-Shared Use-final

Schools often have physical activity facilities, but many are not open to the public. Shared use agreements—contracts between a school and a city, county, or sports league that outlines rules for sharing existing facilities—can help neighborhoods have more access to active spaces and help kids stay active and healthy, according to our new infographic on shared use agreements. The infographic is part of Salud America!’s Active Spaces and Kids research package, which tackles the latest issues on the physical activity environment and offers recommendations. Share this infographic today! Salud America! is a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation-funded national childhood obesity prevention and communication ...

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Infographic: Safe Streets & Kids


BigBet3_Active Play - Safe Streets graphic 3G1815

Many kids lack access to active spaces and safe streets where they can be physically active. These streets are often plagued with speeding cars and lack of sidewalks. Research shows that when communities adopt a “Complete Streets” policy and organize events such as “Open Streets,” more kids and their families become physically active, according to our new infographic on safe streets. The infographic is part of Salud America!’s Active Spaces and Kids research package, which tackles the latest issues on the physical activity environment and offers recommendations. Share this infographic today! Salud America! is a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation-funded national childhood obesity prevention and communication ...

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Infographic: Safe Neighborhoods & Kids


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Only 70% of Latinos say their neighborhood has safe, active spaces for kids. Research shows that when communities address challenges to park use such as broken fences, poor lightening and sidewalks, more people visit community parks, according to our new infographic on safe neighborhoods. The infographic is part of Salud America!’s Active Spaces and Kids research package, which tackles the latest issues on the physical activity environment and offers recommendations. Share this infographic today! Salud America! is a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation-funded national childhood obesity prevention and communication ...

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Research: Kids Lack Play Spaces, Increasing Obesity Risk


Kids Lack Play Spaces

Did you know that 81% of Latino neighborhoods don’t have a safe recreational facility? That means many kids lack places to play and be active, which contributes to higher rates of physical inactivity and obesity, according to a new package of research from Salud America!, a national network for childhood obesity prevention and communication funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Salud America!’s Active Spaces and Kids research package tackles the latest issues on the physical activity environment and offers recommendations. Solutions are emerging to improve access to and safe use of active spaces: Shared use agreements are formal contracts between a school and a city, county, or sports league that outline terms for sharing existing physical activity facilities. They ...

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#SaludTues Tweetchat 1p ET 1/12/16: How to Increase Active Spaces for Kids


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Physical activity is scientifically proven to improve health outcomes. But some kids have less safe physical activity opportunities, including fewer parks and places to walk and bike in their neighborhoods and less time for recess and P.E. in their schools. Join #SaludTues on December 15, 2015, at 1:00 PM EST to tweet about how we can use new research and stories to redefine physical activity for lifelong health, and how parents, schools, cities, nonprofits, and parks can collaborate and ensure access to #ActiveSpaces for all kids. WHAT: #SaludTues Tweetchat: “How to Increase Active Spaces for Kids” TIME/DATE: 1-2 p.m. EST Tuesday, January 12, 2016 WHERE: On Twitter with hashtag #SaludTues HOST: @SaludAmerica CO-HOSTS: @AL_Research @kaboom @americawalks ...

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New Dietary Guidelines Released


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Updated federal dietary guidelines suggest Americans should consume less sugar, fat and salt and more vegetables and whole grains, The Wall Street Journal reports. The guidelines, which are updated every five years recommend a “healthy eating pattern” with conscious decisions about what we drink and eat. “By focusing on small shifts in what we eat and drink, eating healthy becomes more manageable,” Secretary of Health and Human Services Sylvia M. Burwell said. The guidelines suggest Americans should consume: A variety of vegetables, including dark green, red and orange, legumes (beans and peas), starchy and other vegetables Fruits, especially whole fruits Grains, at least half of which are whole grains Fat-free or low-fat dairy, including milk, yogurt, ...

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Join our #SaludTues Tweetchat 1p ET 1/5/16: Connecting People to Coverage Before the End of Open Enrollment


health insurance coverage family

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) was designed to increase access to quality health care for everyone in the country. The ACA’s open enrollment phase is currently underway through January 31, 2016. Health coverage under the new enrollment period began as early as January 1, 2016. To date, nearly 17 million individuals have gained coverage through the ACA and it has seen the largest reduction of uninsured Americans in four decades. Many now have access to vital preventive services such as mammograms, cervical cancer screenings, and flu shots. On Jan. 5, 2016, use #SaludTues to tweet with us as we discuss all the need-to-know facts about healthcare coverage. WHAT: #SaludTues Tweetchat: “Connecting People to Coverage Before the End of Open Enrollment” DATE: Tuesday, Jan. ...

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Learn Your Family Medical History This Holiday Season


autoimmune christmas

Christmas is the perfect holiday to learn more about your family history and listen to the stories of your abuelo and abuela; catch up with la typical tia who wants to know everything about your romantic life and los primos you haven’t seen the whole year. Christmas can also be the perfect opportunity to learn about your family medical history and how likely you are to develop one of the 100-plus autoimmune diseases. The American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association (AARDA) has the following advice to help you get started: 1. Get educated. There are more than 100 known autoimmune diseases (ADs) and an additional 51 diseases that are suspected to be autoimmune-related. Autoimmunity is the underlying cause of these diseases. It is the process whereby the immune system ...

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Salud America! Wins More Web Health Awards for Raising Awareness of Health


mobile social media tablet communication web health awards

Spreading the word about how to improve health is a dire need. That’s why we created the Salud America! program. We recently won a trio of Web Health Awards for our digital efforts to raise awareness for health from the Health Information Resource Center, which gives awards twice annually for online health information. We earned a “gold” award for our @SaludAmerica Twitter/X feed, a "silver" award for our Growing Healthy Change Platform and a "bronze" award for the Salud Heroes story "Wild About Health." Please help us continue to raise awareness of health issues and solutions by following us on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and ...

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