A group of students from Brownsville Early College High School in Brownsville, Texas, worried how Latinos are less likely to report and seek care for mental health issues. The students wanted to help. So, as part of a national competition, the Brownsville students researched mental illness, observed its impact on their campus, surveyed their peers, and crafted their own 10 ideas how schools can meet students’ mental health needs. Now their effort has won them the Big Problems Big Ideas Challenge sponsored by the Taylor Wilson Thompson Family Foundation to address childhood issues. The award gives them $3,000 to continue their efforts in mental health. “As a predominately Hispanic population in times of struggle, we feel like we are one step closer to making an impact ...
An unhealthy diet is the leading risk factor for death, causing more than 500,000 U.S. deaths in 2016, according to a new study. For the study, University of Washington researchers analyzed data on 333 diseases in every state from 1990-2016. They implicated diet in 529,999 deaths from heart disease, stroke, diabetes, cancer, and other diseases in 2016. After diet, tobacco, high blood pressure, and obesity were the next biggest early death risks. These findings have big implications for Latinos, who tend to struggle with local access to healthy food, according to a Salud America! research review. “To an increasing degree, overweight, obesity, and sugary diets are driving up health care costs and are costing Americans years of healthy life,” said Dr. Christopher Murray, ...
Racism can crush a person’s mental health. In fact, racism negatively affects mental health because it causes depression, anxiety, and heightened psychological stress in those who experience it, research shows. How can we help Latinos and other communities of color who experience racism every day? To celebrate Mental Health Month in May, let’s use #SaludTues on Tuesday, May 1, 2018, to tweet strategies to reduce racism, help those who experience racism, and boost mental health in communities of color! WHAT: #SaludTues Tweetchat: Racism and its Alarming Impact on Mental Health
TIME/DATE: 1-2 p.m. ET (Noon-1 p.m. CT), Tuesday, May 1, 2018
WHERE: On Twitter with hashtag #SaludTues
HOST: @SaludAmerica
CO-HOSTS: Dr. Silvia L. Mazzula, executive director, Latina ...
You don’t need to hold political office to make a healthy change in your community. Parents and residents play a big role in helping leaders make change by getting involved in neighborhood associations and local committees, boards, and commissions. These groups rely on your input to shape plans and policies that impact health in your area. Contributing to healthy local change is important because where you live─down to your ZIP code─can predict your and your family’s education, income, and physical and mental health. So how can you get involved? Ways to Get Involved First, check out our Health Equity Report Card to see what healthy change is needed in your town! Get Your Report Card! Now that you know, here are some ways you can help shape local policies, ...
Congratulations to Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez, director of Salud America! at UT Health San Antonio, who has received the "Icons in Healthcare Award" from CentroMed, a San Antonio health and human service agency! The award recognizes individuals and groups for their important contributions to community healthcare. Dr. Ramirez has more than 30 years of experience developing robust health research and communication models to reduce cancer and improve health among Latinos locally and nationally. The award will be presented at a gala on Nov. 1, 2018. "I'm very thankful for this award and its recognition of our ongoing progress to boost Latino health in San Antonio," Ramirez said. Dr. Ramirez's studies and programs have contributed to increased cancer screening, better cancer risk ...
Texas State Rep. Diego Bernal had a simple question for school leaders in San Antonio. What's your biggest concern for students? Wasted food, they told him. In fact, Bernal toured schools in San Antonio (63.2% Latino) and learned leaders were frustrated with how much food is trashed and not given to students who live in poverty and have no food at home. Even in more affluent school districts, students were going hungry while schools threw away, “untouched, unopened, ripe, perfectly edible food,” Bernal told the San Antonio Express-News. Bernal was heartbroken. He wanted to do something. But how could he bring leftover school food to the mouths of hungry students? Children Going Hungry
Bernal saw two types of hungry students in San Antonio. Students who are ...
Social and emotional learning is BIG for early childhood development. Social and emotional learning is how Latino and all kids acquire the knowledge and skills to manage emotions, set positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, and build strong relationships. With strong social and emotional skills, kids overcome challenges and avoid unhealthy behavior. They also do better in and after school, and are more likely to become healthy, functioning adults. How can we find ways to optimize the teaching of social and emotional learning to kids? Let’s use #SaludTues on Tuesday, April 24, 2018, to tweet about new ways to promote social and emotional learning in and out of school for Latino and all kids! WHAT: #SaludTues Tweetchat: Our Kids and the Need for Social and ...
Evidence for Action, a national program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, is seeking research proposals for up to $2.5 million to study innovative ways to "make health a shared value." This "shared value" involves individual, family, and community factors to renew a societal commitment to health and health equity. The new funding aims to understand what drives and enhances these values. Proposals, being sought for differing budgets of up to $2.5 million for up to 48 months of work, could use data from placed-based initiatives to see the effect on mindsets, sense of community, or civic engagement, and the impact on population health. "We seek evidence on the extent to which...mindsets and expectations, sense of community, and civic engagement can be changed through ...
Paul Rezaei loved being physically active as a kid, so much so that he became a personal trainer and has helped people get fit in San Antonio for 10 years. One day, as Rezaei watched people spend energy to jog on treadmills and move weights, he had a revelation: "Can't we do this [work out] while doing something positive for the community?" Rezaei wanted to host events where people could work out—and at the same time serve as volunteers to create gardens, help at-risk families, and improve the community. How could he make it happen?
Physical Inactivity and the Need for Healthy Spaces
Rezaei, a trainer at Life Time Fitness, sees many people in San Antonio (67% Latino) struggle to get the recommended daily physical activity. More than half of adults here are obese or ...
