It's a common belief that if you want to eat healthy, you have to be prepared to spend some money. Researches at the Harvard School of Public Health decided to test this theory, NPR reports. After looking at data from 10 different developed countries that grouped retail prices of food by healthfulness, researchers found that the cost difference between eating a healthful and unhealthful diet was pretty much the same: about $1.50 per day. With many low-income Latino families struggling to eat healthy, energizing meals, this study suggests that small trade-offs at the grocery store could lead to healthier meals. Read more about the study ...
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, determined to bring fresh fruits and vegetables to folks in inner-city Houston, teamed up with a food pantry 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 bag fresh produce each week to take to their homes in underserved Houston neighborhoods—and ended in kids demanding extra kale smoothies.
EMERGENCE
Awareness/Learn: When Lisa Helfman and her husband, Jonathon, wanted their family to eat healthier, ...
Because Latino children often grow up in areas that lack safe streets and sidewalks it is important to understand how the Safe Routes to School movement can help support communities. If you're looking to gain a better understanding of the how the Safe Routes of School initiative can help bring street-scale improvements check out this resource from the Safe Routes to School (SRTS) National Partnership that talks about MAP-21, the 2012 federal transportation law that determines how transportation funds will be distributed among local communities. The SRTS National Partnership has also put out information on how Safe Routes to School initiatives can work to prevent street violence in areas ridden with high crime ...
If your wandering what shared use agreements (SUA) are all about check out this resource produced by the The Safe Routes to School National Partnership. These resources, available in English and Spanish, detail why shared use agreements are beneficial, what challenges one might encounter in trying establish a SUA, and how SUAs may increase physical activity participation in different settings (i.e. rural, urban, suburban, faith-based). Additional shared use resources aimed at specific audiences like principals, the district superintendent, and the school board are also ...
Check out this great video that aims to inform and inspire minority youth about how learning science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) can build a career. The video, "I Am A Scientist," was developed by superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson, the Department of Education, The California Endowment, California Biotechnology Foundation and Lybba produced the film "I Am A Scientist". View the video ...
This policy brief by the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research examines the eating habits of children ages two to five years. Despite steady declines in soda consumption, 60 percent of children in this age group continue to eat fast food at least once a week. Among young Latino children, the rate is 70 percent; overall, one in ten young children eats three or more fast food meals per week. Read the full policy brief ...
Low-income communities, particularly communities of color, are more likely to lack access to healthy foods, smoke-free air, and safe places to play and be active. But these health inequalities are preventable. A new tool, A Practitioner's Guide for Advancing Health Equity, can help public health practitioners work at the community level to tackle health inequities through policy, systems, and environmental improvements designed to enhance tobacco-free living, healthy eating, and active living among the underserved. The guide, from the Prevention Institute and the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, has practical tips on how you can build change for health equity: Tips to help you and your colleagues build organizational capacity; develop partnerships; foster meaningful ...
Change occurs at many levels, and while transforming one's community may at first seem daunting, anyone can participate in making a difference (especially if they are well equipped with the right tools and knowledge)! The Community Toolbox is a free, easy-to use comprehensive guide to creating change. It was developed by researchers at the University of Kansas and is comprised of 46 chapters and 300 learning modules. Chapter 25 of the toolbox is entitled Changing Policies. The next chapter is called Changing the Physical and Social Environment. One section (ch. 26 sec. 6) is dedicated solely to Improving Parks and Other Community Facilities. At the bottom of this section, one can find a list of organizations who work to improve parks. The toolbox also features chapters devoted to ...
Check out this great video about Adriana de la Peña, a Latina who led a courageous battle with breast cancer despite language and other barriers. The video is from Susan G. Komen for the ...
