Some chemicals cause serious harm and just don’t quit. These substances, known as perfluorinated and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS), can be found in water, cosmetics, food packaging, fire-fighting foam, furniture, and other things that many come into contact with on a regular basis. For years, researchers classified PFAS as permanent, undestroyable. Recent research shows, however, that might not be the case. A study, published in the Journal of Environmental Engineering shows that a technique using water heat and pressure can annihilate 99% of PFAS in water. How does this impact Latinos? Well, one recent National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences study showed that PFAS exposure can increase risk of type 2 diabetes in Latina girls. Therefore, this ...
Two years ago, Seattle city leaders passed a 1.75-cent-per-ounce tax on sugary drinks, aiming to reduce consumption of these unhealthy products that contribute to obesity. The tax accomplished its goal – and then some – experts say. Sales of soda, juice, and other sugary drinks dropped by 22% since the soda tax, according to a new study led by Dr. Lisa Powell of the University of Illinois at Chicago. A second study from Powell also found that total sales of added-sugar foods and drinks fell almost 20%, driven largely by the decline in sugary drink purchases. "Our studies show that even after accounting for potential substitution behaviors, like cross-border shopping or selection of other items with added sugars, these taxes have a large, sustained impact on reducing volume ...
Free school meals have been a staple for kids from low-income households for decades, especially Latino kids. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, unions and advocacy organizations successfully fought to bring universal free school meals to students learning from home, with federal support from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Then after several extensions, USDA funded school meals through June 30, 2022. But what happens after that? Let’s explore the current state of free school meals, the impact they have on Latino kids, and what the future holds. UPDATE 2/4/22: The Biden administration announced the USDA will change its school nutrition standards for the 2022-2023 school year, reinstating health goals that were rolled back throughout the Trump administration on ...
In November 2021, Congress passed the $1.2 trillion bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to rebuild roads, expand access to clean drinking water and high-speed internet, and tackle climate change — with priority investments in Latino and other often left-behind communities. Although this bill adds new money to fix some transportation problems, it pours hundreds of billions into the same old highway programs that perpetuate those problems, like auto-dependence and dangerous roads. “Today’s transportation system works extraordinarily well for its original intended purpose, to build a national highway system, but fails to meet the climate, economic recovery, equity, and safety challenges of the present day,” according to the National Association of City ...
Childhood is critical for building healthy eating behaviors that can help your child grow and prevent chronic diseases. That’s why Healthy Eating Research (HER) has developed new guidelines that can help parents decide not only what to feed young kids aged 2 to 8, but how to feed them and introduce lifelong healthy habits. These guidelines apply to all parents, but it can be particularly helpful to Latino parents, as Latino kids are more likely to develop chronic health issues like high blood pressure and obesity and are often in schools with few healthy options.
How Should You Encourage Kids to Try New Foods?
To create these guidelines, HER gathered a national panel of 15 experts in child development and nutrition. They developed strategies to help parents get their children ...
Día de los Muertos, also known as Day of the Dead, is a lively annual Mexican holiday that celebrates friends and family members who have passed away. Characterized by vibrant parades, singing, traditional dress and costumes, and altar building, Día de los Muertos brings unity between the living and returning spirits. “This indigenous holiday from Mexico celebrates the loving connection between the living and our departed loved ones that is so deeply missing in Western culture,” said Aya de Leon, a Puerto Rican novelist and Berkley professor, as reported by San Antonio Express News. For Día de los Muertos, our team at Salud America! is honored to remember the loved ones we’ve lost from COVID-19 and other conditions, and protect the health of our living familia.
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Climate change is an ongoing environmental dilemma that threatens the health of all people. Yet, research has shown that certain groups, such as Latinos and other people of color, immigrants, those with a lower socio-economic status, and vulnerable occupational groups are most likely to suffer longer and more severely from climate change. “The effects of climate change add to other longstanding differences among people that result in different health outcomes for communities in the United States,” reported the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.
What Is Climate Change?
Climate change is defined as a long-term shift in global or regional climate patterns. Long-term alterations in temperature or the typical weather patterns of a certain location can lead to ...
Hispanic Heritage Month is here! This annual U.S. observance, from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, celebrates the histories, cultures, and contributions of Americans whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America. We at Salud America! invite you to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month in these awesome ways.
1. Learn How Hispanic Heritage Month Started
U.S. Congressmen Edward R. Roybal of Los Angeles and Henry B. Gonzales were among those who introduced legislation on the topic in 1968. President Lyndon Johnson implemented the observance as Hispanic Heritage Week that year. U.S. Rep. Esteban E. Torres of Pico Rivera proposed the observance be expanded to cover its current 30-day period. President Ronald Reagan implemented the expansion to Hispanic ...
Where we live and the conditions that we live in impact our health and life outcomes. This concept is widely called the Social Determinants of Health (SDOH). Unfortunately, when people live in and experience negative conditions, it can lead to poor health outcomes and disparities, particularly among Latinos and other marginalized communities. In their new SDOH framework, the Praxis Project highlights the root systems of oppression that have led to health disparities for communities of color. “Many traditional SDOH frameworks lack the explicit naming of systems of oppression that cause disparities in health determinants. In an effort to incorporate these systems of oppression and to highlight the root causes of these determinants from a justice and community power ...
