After Nikki Van Strien delivered her first son in Mesa, Ariz. (30.5% Latino), she realized the discharge package given to all new moms by the hospital could undermine a woman’s breastfeeding goals by pushing formula. She wanted to do something to support breastfeeding moms immediately after delivery. In 2011, Van Strien and some other moms developed the AZ Breastfeeding Bag Project to provide all new breastfeeding mothers with a bag filled with educational material and breastfeeding supply samples. They became a non-profit and recruited volunteers and donations to reach new mothers birthing in the hospital, birth center, or home.
Breastfeeding Rates Low in Arizona
Nikki Van Strien, a new mom in Mesa, Ariz., wanted to connect with other moms for support. She joined a local group she ...
A history of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) may negatively impact a mother's exclusive breastfeeding rates. ACEs are negative events or experiences, such as abuse, neglect, or household dysfunction that cause disproportionate stress to children, which can harm their health and development. As the number of ACEs increases, so does the risk for negative health outcomes throughout adulthood. According to a study published in the Breastfeeding Medicine Journal, among the women with a history of ACEs, only 36.6% of moms exclusively breastfed their babies for up to 6 months, compared to 46.7% of moms without a history of ACEs. Latina moms face many barriers to breastfeeding, such as low income, participation in federal food assistance programs that offer free infant formula, ...
Low expectations for Latino kids is a modifiable factor that negatively influences their health, academic success, and future. In order and build a culture of higher expectations, kids need positive messaging in school and in the home. Lionel Sosa, a legend in Hispanic marketing and former Fellow at the Institute of Politics at Harvard University, created Yes! Our Kids Can, a digital education system, to raise expectations for Latino youths growing up in poverty. Rather than expect parents to go into schools, this app-based tool allows families to bring it into their homes to set goals for their kids and encourage them to go go college. Technology plays an important role in reaching and engaging Latino kids. Sosa previously worked as a media consultant for Presidents Ronald ...
The National Parks Service is $12 billion behind in needed repairs to park infrastructure, such as deteriorating trails, buildings, and structures in our national parks. In December 2016, the House and the Senate approved the National Park Service Centennial Act (H.R. 4680) to help address the $12 billion maintenance backlog by leveraging federal funds with private dollars for visitor-oriented projects; establishing dedicated funding for an endowment; and providing educational programs and opportunities for youths to serve and learn. Public-private partnerships have been successful in leveraging funds over the last two years. Congress committed to a federal match of $25 million, which raised twice that in private donations for the National Park Service (NPS). Parks play a vital ...
Ever had a song stuck in your head before? Well if it's Minneapolis youth's "Grow Food" song, it may just help you think more about healthy food. Rapping to encourage people to grow healthy food, teens from Minneapolis with the non-profit Appetite For Change (AFC), have made veggies like broccoli into latest and greatest rap song of 2016, according to Vibe. After working in the summer of 2016 with AFC's Youth Employment & Training Program that also worked with Beats & Rhymes, youth in Northern Minneapolis were inspired to create the "Grow Food" song, which has garnered over 136,138 likes and counting. The catchy song that raps phrases like "pullin' veggies out the garden" and "drinking water living longer, no processed drama", inspires youth to change their unhealthy ...
The average Latino infant has 3.8 hours of TV exposure a day, and TV and other media usage remains high as Latino kids get older. Sugary drink marketers are taking full advantage. Latino preschoolers saw 23% more #SugaryDrink ads on Spanish TV in 2013 than in years prior, according to new Sugary Drinks and Latino Kids research from Salud America!, an obesity prevention network under Dr. Amelie Ramirez at UT Health San Antonio. Ads for sugary beverages were more commonly found on Spanish-language than English-language TV. Ad spending on sugary drinks on Spanish-language TV rose 44% from 2010 to 2013, a study found.
How can this change?
The Children’s Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative (CFBAI) is a voluntary self-regulation program for food and drink companies to create ...
There are many options for dining out these days, but which restaurants offer healthier and more sustainable options for families? REAL, standing for Responsible, Epicurean, and Agricultural Leadership, is a nationally recognized mark of excellence for food and foodservice operators committed to holistic nutrition and environmental stewardship. The United States Healthful Food Council (USHFC), established in 2012, works to help restaurants become REAL Certified in three areas that show conscious health for the environment and the people. The goal is to make sure healthy choices are highlighted and offered, and that unhealthy options are limited or changed for families dining out. Through this certification, healthy changes are being made in restaurants all over the ...
In September, Gatorade announced its new line of organic sports drinks. The new beverage is said to have only seven ingredients (water, organic cane sugar, citric acid, organic natural flavors, sea salt, sodium citrate and potassium chloride). Yet, despite its use of organic sugar, it still contains an unhealthy amount of about 20 grams of sugar per 12-ounce bottle. Lindsay Moyer, a senior nutritionist with the Center for Science in Public Interest says, “G Organic is still a sugary drink-essentially, liquid candy-and organic sugar is no healthier than [regular] sugar. For most people the best ‘sports drink’ is water.” The organic label can be misleading to consumers because many think that organic is always healthier. Lisa Cimperman, a clinical dietitian and spokesperson ...
Sugary drinks are a rising threat to the health of Latino preschoolers. Being Latino and drinking sugary beverages at least once in the past week were associated with 2.3 times the odds of severe obesity in kindergarten, which can lead to obesity-related diseases, according to a study. The study is part of a research review, Sugary Drinks and Latino Kids, released today by Salud America!, an obesity prevention network at UT Health San Antonio, and Bridging the Gap, an obesity research team at the University of Illinois. “We have to work together to do more to reduce sugar consumption and help kids grow up at a healthy weight, well before they ever enter kindergarten,” said Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez, director of Salud America! and the Institute for Health Promotion Research at UT ...
