What are Complete Streets and how can your community benefit from this type of policy? If you're interested in learning more about the health benefits of active transportation then you will definitely want to watch this webinar.
In this presentation sponsored by the Michael and Susan Dell Center for Healthy Living, Dr. Harold Kohl of the University of Texas School of Public Health and Robin Stallings of Bike Texas talk about promoting active living and using environmental approaches to improve health. In Texas, many initiatives to promote Complete Streets are already underway and communities that have adopted such policies are seeing benefits such as increased property values, less traffic congestion, healthier employees, increased tourism and higher revenues generated by retail ...
This resource provides insight into how shared use (joint use) agreements work. Often schools have verbal agreements which allow their facilities to be used by other parties during non-school hours. While having access to schoolyards is a step in the right direction, it is important to create written agreements that define terms, detail partner responsibilities, specify hours of use, and address liability, in order to avoid any issues that could arise in the future. In this manual you will learn about four different types of shared use agreements and about the many benefits of establishing a shared use agreement. You can also read about two state policies that support the creation of shared use and about two schools which have successfully implemented shared use ...
Even when shared use agreements already exist, school districts can often be hesitant to actually enforce such policies. Because this seemed to be the case in North Carolina, the North Carolina Division of Public Health (NCDPH) and North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) worked together to learn more about shared use practices in the state. They soon learned that although 76 percent of schools in the state seemed to have policies that allowed for the shared use of their facilities during after-school hours, that only a fraction of these schools actually had written agreements. According to a case study written by the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO), the NCDPH and NCDPI also found that some of the schools' written policies were weak ...
Editor's Note: Salud Heroes are a weekly feature from the Salud America! Growing Healthy Change website, which aims to empower healthy changes in Latino communities through news, resources, and stories. Hispanics make up almost half of the total population in Houston and many live in areas that lack easy access to grocery stores and fresh produce. To grow lasting healthy changes in these communities, teamwork is essential. One mom, Lisa Helfman, determined to bring fresh fruits and vegetables to folks in inner-city Houston, teamed up with a food bank that had been looking for a creative way to distribute fresh fruits and vegetables to families in need. This is the story of a unique partnership that led to students being sent home from school with a free bag fresh produce ...
Taxing sugar-sweetened beverages is considered by many public health experts and policymakers to be one of the best strategies to improve the nation's nutrition and raise revenue for health programs. Studies show that Latino children drink more sugary drinks than their peers; if the cost of these drinks went up, it could encourage kids to pick something healthier. This webinar examines the evidence behind this policy proposal with two of the nation's leading experts on the subject, Dr. Kelly Brownell and Roberta Friedman of Yale University's Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity. Dr. Steven Kelder, Co-Director of the Michael & Susan Dell Center for Healthy Living, will discuss the potential outcomes of implementing such a policy in Texas. Check out the webinar ...
Editor's Note: This is the story of a graduate of the 2013 Èxito! Latino Cancer Research Leadership Training program. Apply by March 7, 2014, for the 2014 Èxito! program. Nicolas Lopez
San Diego, Calif. When is a banana not just a banana? For Nicolas Lopez, who grew up in a family who owned a banana plantation in Ecuador inherited by his grandmother, bananas are much more than a healthy snack. Bananas represent the extensive support of his late grandmother and his journey from Ecuador to the United State at age 18 to become the first of his family to attempt higher education. He has gone on to earn his undergraduate degree in biology at the University of California, Los Angeles and is currently pursuing a master’s in public health degree and a master’s of art in Latin ...
UPDATE: Garcia's grocery store, Alba Snacks & Services, officially re-opened in March 2014, offering several new options of fresh fruit, like bananas and oranges, and healthy snack foods like applesauce. Because his crowd-funding goal was met, Garcia will eventually add more fresh produce as well as a stock of student supplies, a computer lab, and a remittance service where people can transfer money to their home countries. The grand re-opening event held March 30th was well attended by local leaders and folks from the community. With a school two blocks away, health advocates (including Garcia) hope that the store will encourage youth to make smart, healthy snack choices.
Read more here. From February 18, 2014: After college, Nelson Garcia moved from his home ...
A new study published in the American Journal of Public Health (AJPH) predicts that taxing sugary drinks would not have any significant negative impact on employment. In fact, the study suggests that there may even be modest job gains. This study focused on the impact of a tax in California and Illinois, and the researchers expect the overall results would be similar in other states In addition to net job gains and significant health savings, a tax on these beverages would be expected to raise over $500 million in Illinois and nearly $1billion in California, according to the study. Read more here. Check out Bridging the Gap's issue brief on the ...
In December 2013, the YMCA of the Greater New York area announced plans for the development of a new 48,000 sq ft. facility in the Bronx. The new building, which will bring a much needed recreation space to a predominantly Latino neighborhood, is part of an exciting new mixed-use development known as La Central. The new YMCA facility will feature an aquatic center, fitness studios, a community center and a rooftop garden. After school programs along with teen leadership activities will be provided to local children. Nutrition and fitness courses will also be offered to address the growing prevalence of obesity and type 2 diabetes in the area. The La Central community is part of public-private development which will create 1,000 new housing units for low-moderate income residents. ...
