Latinas and all women have increased their ranks in the workforce by 21.4% in the past 25 years, which is good for the economy. But there's a big downside. The United States still lags well behind other “advanced economies” in guaranteeing workers paid family leave, according to the Center for American Progress. “[In 63.9% of American families,] a mother was the breadwinner—bringing home as much or more than her husband or a single working mother—or a co-breadwinner, bringing home at least a quarter of the family’s earnings,” the Center reported. To address inequties that rise from a lack of paid family leave, ChangeLab Solutions has developed materials to cover its importance for Latino and all families.
What is 'Paid Family Leave'?
The new ChangeLab materials ...
Sit and wait. That's what most people do at bus stops. Robert de León, a business management analyst with the city of McAllen, thought people could be more active while waiting for buses in McAllen, Texas (85% Latino). In fact, he and other McAllen city employees wanted to turn a bus stop into a play area with swings, hopscotch, and fun for the whole family. Could they turn a sit-place into a play-place, and boost health in McAllen?
Sorry State of Health in Hidalgo
De León knows health is a problem in McAllen, the largest city in Hildalgo County (91% Latino) in South Texas, which sits next to the Mexican border. Many county residents are living in poverty (26.4%) and report poor or fair health (26.7%), with an obese population of 34.4%. In McAllen, 7.6% don't own ...
Latinos are less likely to seek health screenings or preventive care than their black and white peers, according to a new survey, American Heart Association News reports in English and Spanish. The Healthy Americas Survey indicates that: Only 55% of Latinos say they are vigilant about getting health screenings and checkups, compared with 68% of blacks and 60% of whites.
Latinos were more likely than blacks and whites to say they don’t have significant control over their health.
Only about 25% of Latinos say they earned more than $50,000 a year, compared with 47% of whites and 30% of blacks. “This is dangerous for the long-term health of U.S. Latinos,” Amelie G. Ramirez, Dr.P.H., a health disparities researcher at UT Health San Antonio and director of the Salud ...
Imagine a world where every person has the opportunity to attain full health potential—with no disadvantages due to race, money, etc. That is health equity. Unfortunately, Latinos and other people of color often struggle with health inequity as a result of poverty, structural racism, and discrimination. This causes gaps in how long Latinos live and how they struggle with disease and health, compared to their peers, according to the new Communities in Action: Pathways to Health report from thew National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. The new report does have some good news: Communities have agency to promote health equity. However, community-based solutions are necessary but not sufficient.
Supportive public and private policies at all levels and ...
The USDA announced an interim final rule that would weaken school food nutrition standards. The rule, effective 2018-2019, would allow schools to serve 1% and nonfat flavored and non-flavored milk, apply for an exemption to serve refined grains over whole grains, and allow schools to not reduce salt levels in meals. Health experts say this rolls back progress to improve school nutrition and children's health. What do you think? Fortunately, you have a limited time—until Jan. 29 2018—to tell USDA you want better school food for Latino and all families!
Submit a Model Comment
Copy one of three model public comments developed by our Salud America! research team, then hit the submit button to paste it to USDA's website... MODEL COMMENT: GENERAL
For the health of Latino and ...
Many Latino families suffer a big lack of access to support for economic and educational success, and quality healthcare. This makes it harder for Latino kids to achieve academically, socially, and physically. However, hope appears to be on the horizon for Latino and all families, according to U.S. Census Bureau data. For the second year in a row, Americans made “solid” financial gains in 2016 as the median household income rose across the country. Also shown as positive signs were the poverty numbers fell, and the rate people without health insurance also fell, according to USA Today.
U.S. Economy on the Rebound
The median U.S. household income climbed 3.2% to $59,039, which followed growth of 5.2% in 2015; this is the largest on records dating to 1968. The combined increase ...
You know junk food marketing to Latino kids is a problem and degrades Latino kids' health. But how do you communicate this issue to others? A new framing brief by the Berkeley Media Studies Group (BMSG) can help you communicate more effectively and frame the targeted marketing of junk food to children of color as a health equity issue. Understanding and communicating effectively about how junk food companies specifically target Latino children is a critical step toward action and achieving health equity.
Targeted Marketing is a Health Equity Issue
Targeted marketing of junk food to Latino children is a major obstacle because food and beverage companies aggressively target Latinos in their communities and schools. California passed historic legislation this year to ban ...
Map, track, and evaluate. These words are music in public health nerd's ears. Especially for walking nerds, America Walks is hosting a webinar to help public health advocates turn data into action to improve walkability across the United States at 2 p.m. EST Dec. 13, 2017.
Why Connect Health and Walking Advocates?
Decades of inequity in investment in streets, sidewalks and communities has disproportionately burdened Latino and many communities with health disparities, traffic fatalities, and even criminal citations for jay-walking. Many health advocates lack adequate data or the ability to use data to make the case for environmental, systems, or policy changes. Particularly when it comes to walking and walkability because, traditionally, non-health departments and ...
Eighth-grade students in Kansas City, Kan. (29.3% Latino), are conducting neighborhood audits around their middle school to see how friendly the area is for kids and families to walk. Latino kids often lack safe places to walk and play. They are less physically active than their peers and face higher rates of obesity and chronic disease. Safer routes would enable families to choose walking, thus improving children's their physical activity and health, research shows.
Why Walking Audits?
Walking audits are one way to assess factors that help or hinder safe routes for children to walk. Audits typically focus on a specific site, like a school or park, or a specific street or corridor. Audits account for things like sidewalk width and condition, street lighting, distance between ...
