Free ‘Multicultural’ Webinar on June 2 Focuses on Latinos, African Americans



Editor’s Note: This post is part of an ongoing series that will highlight the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s work in Latino communities across the country. SaludToday Guest Blogger: Debra Joy Pérez Latinos in the United States are disproportionately affected by childhood obesity, chronic disease, access to health care and other health issues—all of which are impacted by social and economic factors in the communities in which we live, learn, work and play. Understanding these issues in their larger context is critical to addressing and solving them. And Latino media play a major role in helping us do both. In 2009, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) polled Latino and African-American journalists about what information they most needed for reporting on major health ...

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New Insight on How to Reduce Tobacco’s Impact Among Latinos, Others



The Tobacco Research Network on Disparities (TReND) has announced the release of the special journal issue, Cigarette Smoking Interventions Among Diverse Populations. This issue, published in the American Journal of Health Promotion, includes 15 papers that provide insight into how to effectively reduce tobacco's impact on populations who are disproportionately affected by tobacco use, including African Americans and Latinos. In the issue, researchers examine the use and efficacy of evidence-based interventions among diverse ...

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San Antonio Kids Learn Healthy Eating Through Gardening Program



The "Garden Angel" program at Oak Meadow Elementary School in San Antonio, supported by parent and grandparent volunteers, promotes nutritious eating and reinforces the school's commitment to health as a member of the Alliance for a Healthier Generation’s Healthy Schools Program. Students take part in planting, caring for and harvesting vegetables throughout the year. Students are encouraged to experiment with new tastes and try new vegetables. “Children learn early on that taking an active role in a garden can be rewarding," said Lori Chapa, outdoor classroom coordinator at the school. "They take pride in the garden they have cared for and are excited to eat what they have grown. We hope this practice will promote healthier eating habits and lifestyles today and for years ...

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VIDEOS: Forum Touts Innovative Ways to Tackle Latino Obesity



The 2nd Annual SALSI Research Forum: Latino Obesity united UT Health Science Center at San Antonio (UTHSCSA), UT San Antonio (UTSA), and community researchers and advocates to share current Latino health disparities and obesity research and program advancements on May 10, 2011, in San Antonio. ""It's important to highlight and learn from these efforts, to gain better knowledge of what works best to encourage healthier lifestyles among Latinos," said Dr. Amelie Ramirez, director of the Institute for Health Promotion Research (IHPR) at UTHSCSA, the team that coordinated the forum with UTSA. The forum was made possible by the San Antonio Life Science Institute (SALSI). VIDEO: UT San Antonio Researchers: Drs. Zenong Yin, Meizi He, Lesli Biediger-Friedman, and Gayle ...

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NBA All-Star Creates ‘Fitness Break’ Videos for Students



NBA All-Star Paul Pierce of the Boston Celtics, in collaboration with the Alliance for a Healthier Generation, created six fun fitness breaks students can do anywhere. The six short fitness breaks are a fun way to create an environment of physical activity within the halls of the school. The activities require no equipment and all ages can participate and benefit from the movement, exercise and flexibility activities. Learn more here and watch one of Pierce's fitness breaks here or ...

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VIDEO: San Antonio Senior Citizens Are Joining Fight Against Diabetes



Instead of throwing up their hands in frustration over the growing diabetes epidemic among Hispanics in San Antonio, Humana and the Mexican American Unity Council are joining forces to combat the problem, KENS-TV reports. Not doctors and nurses, but senior citizens are the newest soldiers on the front line of the battle against the disease. Read more here, or watch ...

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VIDEO: How the Community Can Play a Role in Reducing Health Disparities



Dr. Karen Emmons, a cancer prevention expert at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, addressed critical behavioral health and policy changes and the role communities can play in those changes, on May 5, 2011, at the Cancer Therapy and Research Center (CTRC) in San Antonio as part of the SALSI/CTRC Health Disparities Lecture Series. Emmons pointed out the need for translational research and the vital role of the community in bridging translational gaps to solve disparities like child obesity and tobacco cessation. Watch video of her talk here. The SALSI/CTRC Health Disparities Lecture Series, sponsored by the San Antonio Life Sciences Institute (SALSI) and the CTRC, brings some of the top U.S. health disparities experts to San Antonio to offer the latest trends, tools and ...

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Just the Facts: Latino Childhood Obesity



Leadership for Healthy Communities, a national program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, has a fact sheet in English and Spanish that highlights the prevalence, consequences and causes of overweight and obesity among Latino youth. While childhood obesity has increased significantly throughout the general population, children from minority communities, particularly Latinos, have been disproportionately affected. Why are Latino rates so much higher? Read the fact sheet and find out the many ...

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Check Out the Latest in Latino Fitness, Cancer Survival, Population Growth and More



Check out the latest in health disparities—from San Antonio's push to curb Latino childhood obesity to all aspects of the Latino population boom—in the latest E-newsletter from the Institute for Health Promotion Research (IHPR) at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. View the IHPR E-newsletter to see: Story: “BFF” Helps Latina Girl Scouts Get Physically Active (Pg 1) Story: Targeting Moms, Daughters to Encourage Use of HPV Vaccine on Border (Pg 3) Story and Video: Latest in Latino Cancer Survivorship (Pg 5) Story: San Antonio’s Big Push to Thwart Latino Child Obesity (Pg 6) Story: Latino Population Boom: What Does it Mean? (Pg 7) Find much more on local and national health disparities-related news, funding, resources and events by ...

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