Only one in four U.S. public elementary schools offered students physical activity breaks apart from physical education class and recess during the 2009–11 school years, according to a new report. The report, Activity Breaks: A Promising Strategy for Keeping Children Physically Active at School by the Bridging the Gap program, examined the percentage of schools that provide physical activity breaks, including breaks for stretching, yoga, and other movement during and between classroom activities, outside of P.E. class and recess. It also considered the type and total duration of breaks and explored whether the use of activity breaks varies by school characteristics or by provision of other opportunities for activity. Although most schools do not offer activity breaks, evidence ...
The Center for Faith Based and Neighborhood Partnerships has launched an interactive toolkit in Spanish for faith-based and community leaders to learn about the various ways they can partner with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Designed specifically for the Latino Community, the La Mesa Completa Pastor’s Toolkit describes federal nutrition assistance programs from the lens of a pastor or community leader interacting with members of their community. The toolkit includes helpful links, best practices, stories, and even videos of personal testimonies of how federal programs are helping families get the nutrition they ...
Can't decide what to get mom for Mother's Day on May 13, 2012? // Have her sign up for Text4baby, a free bilingual mobile information service that provides pregnant women and new moms with info to help them care for their health and give their babies the best possible start in life. First, text BABY (or BEBE for Spanish) to 511411. Once enrolled, women get free weekly text messages timed to either her due date or baby’s date of birth. Messages were developed by government and non-profit health experts, such as the CDC, and cover nutrition, immunization, and birth defect prevention, among other topics. Text4baby, an educational program of the National Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition (HMHB), launched two years and has enrolled about 300,000 subscribers and sent ...
Latino patients reported significantly higher rates of pain, numbness, cognition difficulties, vomiting and severe sadness than non-Hispanics in a recent survey of 622 cancer patients awaiting appointments at three hospitals in the Bronx, New York City’s poorest borough, Internal Medicine News reports. About 45% of Hispanic patients reported moderate to severe pain, more than twice the percentage of whites (20%) and also more than African Americans (37%). On some measures, differences were seen between Latino patients who spoke English and those who did not. For example, 64 percent of Spanish-dominant Hispanics reported fatigue, compared with 49 percent of English-dominant Hispanic patients. Read more about the survey ...
The time kids spend in front of a screen for entertainment has increased by an hour and 17 minutes since 2004, research shows. Check out this new infographic about the surprising amounts of TV, video game, computer and other entertainment screen time that children are getting, and the opportunities for physical activity that they are missing out on. The infographic, from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, also provides tips for healthier activities and ways parents can limit screen time in the home. Find the infographic here. For more information, visit ...
The ¡Nunca Más! Novela Health Series seeks to educate Latinas and their families about the importance of safe medication use. The series, launched in October 2011 by the Office of Women's Health at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, provides consumers and community leaders with access to four video novelas and free health materials about safe medication use, which is vital given that each year thousands of preventable injuries and deaths are caused by improper medication use. The series follows the lives of main character Lourdes and her family. In each episode, the family faces a problem because they don't use medicines wisely. Find more about the campaign in English or Spanish. Watch all episodes here. When you watch them, ask yourself: What lessons do Lourdes and her ...
With literally more than a million cancer cases a year in the U.S., the special emotional needs of children of adult cancer patients are sometimes overlooked. That's why Camp Kesem, a national nonprofit program, created a college-student-run summer camp for kids with a parent who has or has had cancer. The one-week camps give kids ages 6-13 a chance to have a fun-filled week and "just be kids" and get extra attention and support, according the group's website. Since 2001, Camp Kesem has grown from a single camp to 37 active chapters in 22 states. Camp Kesem Berkeley (Calif.), for example, supports children in the Greater Bay Area and Tri-Valley area by putting on a completely free week-long overnight summer camp for children and teens (ages 6-16) who have a parent that either has or ...
About 80% of American voters favor national standards that would limit calories, fat and sodium in snack and à la carte foods sold in U.S. schools and encourage the consumption of fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy items, according to a new poll. The poll was commissioned by the Kids' Safe & Healthful Foods Project, a joint project of The Pew Charitable Trusts and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Check out this brief video that explains the impact these foods and beverages can have on kids' health and how policymakers are trying to make sure schools provide kids with healthy foods and ...
A new National Institutes of Health website, NIH Clinical Research Trials and You, is designed to help people learn about clinical trials and how they can participate. The resource, offered in English and Spanish, answers basic questions such as What are clinical trials and why do people participate? and What do I need to know if I am thinking about participating? In addition, the website offers volunteer stories, researcher stories and educational resources. You can also get help finding a clinical ...