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Amelie Ramirez

I am director of Salud America! at UT Health San Antonio. I have spent 30 years directing research on human and organizational communication to reduce chronic disease, cancer, and obesity health disparities affecting Latinos.

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Articles by Amelie Ramirez

Active Spaces & Latino Kids: A Research Review



Abstract Latino kids and families have limited spaces to be physically active. What are the best ways to improve Latino families’ access to “active spaces” like gyms, athletic fields, parks, and playgrounds? Many schools do not provide public access to physical activity facilities. Shared use agreements set up rules for public use of schoolyards after class. Repairing sidewalks, installing street lights, and improving parks can stimulate more physical activity. Creating safer streets can people to walk or cycle to schools, parks, and other family destinations. Also, using marketing and technology to change Latino kids’ physical activity patterns. Read the Issue Brief in English (PDF) Read the Issue Brief in Spanish (PDF) Contents Introduction & Methods. This ...

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Food & Latino Kids Research: Future Research



This is part of our Food and Latino Kids: A Research Review » Future Research Needs This review of the evidence indicates that researchers should conduct additional and more rigorously designed studies, such as experimental or quasi-experimental studies with less reliance on self-reported data whenever possible. Future research should examine the degree to which increased access to local healthy foods impacts dietary habits and obesity in Latino communities. Researchers also should: Identify other multilevel factors (for individuals, at homes, in neighborhoods, counties and cities), that contribute to obesity and health outcomes. Such factors include stressors, lack of time or interest in preparing healthy foods, prices for healthy foods that far exceed those for unhealthy ...

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Food & Latino Kids Research: Access to Healthy Food


access to healthy food store

This is part of our Food and Latino Kids: A Research Review » Increased access to healthy foods in low income neighborhoods does not necessarily ensure that it will lead to improvements in residents’ diets. Some studies some no affect on dietary improvement Two studies of low-income neighborhoods that have reported findings without racial sub-analyses have shown that increased access to healthy foods does not affect diet quality in low-income neighborhoods. A national study using longitudinal data observed that proximity to a supermarket was not related to diet quality in low-income young to middle-aged adult populations.27 In addition, the first controlled (one intervention neighborhood and one comparison neighborhood), longitudinal study of a PFFFI-funded project found that ...

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Food & Latino Kids Research: Supermarkets


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This is part of our Food and Latino Kids: A Research Review » More access to supermarkets results in less obesity risk Greater neighborhood access to supermarkets catering to underserved populations is linked to a lower prevalence of obesity in adults and children. Evidence from systematic reviews, longitudinal and cross-sectional studies collectively show the relationship between greater access to supermarkets and lower prevalence of obesity. Only two studies have analyzed the relationship between lack of local supermarket access and obesity over a period of time (2 years and 4 years). The data from these studies show mixed evidence in adults and children. One study reported that an increase in accessible supermarkets was associated with decreased BMI for adults who moved ...

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Food & Latino Kids Research: Farmers Markets


farmers market infographic

This is part of our Food and Latino Kids: A Research Review » Access to farmers markets is lacking among Latinos In the past decade, the number of farmers’ markets in the United States has more than doubled.51 However, many of these markets had not previously been accessible to underserved and Latino populations. Efforts to increase number of farmers markets A number of food financing initiatives have increased the number of farmers’ markets operating in underserved communities.52 For example, through the activities of community groups, there are nearly a dozen farmers’ markets in underserved neighborhoods in Oakland, California. Latinos comprise 25 percent of these communities.53 Similarly, the Y USA’s Pioneering Healthier Communities initiative prompted the ...

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Food & Latino Kids Research: WIC and SNAP


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This is part of our Food and Latino Kids: A Research Review » Latinos are a major participant in federal food assistance Research on the impacts of healthy food financing initiatives among SNAP and WIC participants is important because a large proportion of them are Latino, and/or belong to underserved populations. Latinos comprise 19 percent of SNAP and 32 percent of WIC participants.36,37 About 50 percent of U.S. Latino children are served by the WIC program.37 Efforts to promote healthier food via federal food assistance In 2009, the U.S. government revised the “package” of food eligible for WIC food to include a wider variety of healthy foods, including whole grains, fruits and vegetables, and lower-fat milk. Three studies found that the new WIC food package ...

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Food & Latino Kids Research: Corner Stores


tiendas bodegas corner stores

This is part of our Food and Latino Kids: A Research Review » Efforts rising to boost healthy food in corner stores Initial findings on the impact of initiatives aimed at expanding healthy foods in corner stores have been generally favorable, although most studies to date are not large and rigorous in their methods and analyses. Additionally, the majority of studies have not been conducted in areas with significant Latino populations. Two reviews of several studies on corner store initiatives in areas with small numbers of Latinos found that most stores reported that the interventions were linked to increased sales of promoted healthy foods, including fruits and vegetables, low-fat milk, high-fiber cereals, and water.71,72 A small, randomized, controlled study of tiendas in ...

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Food & Latino Kids Research: Marketing of Unhealthy Food


Latino kid remote TV

This is part of our Food and Latino Kids: A Research Review » Latinos face economic barriers to healthy eating Focus groups of Latino mothers have revealed that the most significant barrier to establishing healthy eating habits for their children is economic constraint.82 Many Latino families experience intermittent or chronic food insecurity; however, food is usually given the highest priority. Because of financial constraints, lower-income Latino mothers’ food purchases are driven almost exclusively by price.83 Mothers have expressed that they commonly travel to several different locations to purchase specific items at the lowest prices available.82 These practices demonstrate that Latino mothers’ desire to provide healthy meals for their families and protect their ...

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Food & Latino Kids Research: Policy Implications



This is part of our Food and Latino Kids: A Research Review » Conclusions A large portion of U.S. families lack access to healthy, affordable foods in their neighborhoods. Lack of access is especially prevalent in low-income communities, including Latino communities. In these neighborhoods, convenience stores and fast-food restaurants are widespread, but there is a scarcity of supermarkets and farmers’ markets that can provide fresh and healthy food options. Healthy food financing initiatives are relatively recent, but promising at increasing the availability of healthy foods in low-income neighborhoods. These initiatives involve children and adults and are spread across highly diverse localities with different environments, social characteristics, and obesity rates. There ...

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