This is part of our Food and Latino Kids: A Research Review »
More access to supermarkets results in less obesity risk
Greater neighborhood access to supermarkets catering to underserved populations is linked to a lower prevalence of obesity in adults and children. Evidence from systematic reviews, longitudinal and cross-sectional studies collectively show the relationship between greater access to supermarkets and lower prevalence of obesity. Only two studies have analyzed the relationship between lack of local supermarket access and obesity over a period of time (2 years and 4 years). The data from these studies show mixed evidence in adults and children. One study reported that an increase in accessible supermarkets was associated with decreased BMI for adults who moved ...
The Strategic Growth Council recently released their final guidelines for the Affordable Housing Sustainable Communities (AHSC) program. The new guidelines reflect the feedback received during the program’s first year from its first round of applicants and its stakeholders. The changes were put into place to strengthen the AHSC and cover a range of topics including revising scoring criteria, projects in rural areas, and community benefits and engagement. The Safe Routes to School National Partnership worked with Sustainable Communities for All (SC4A), and the Coalition for Active Transportation Leadership (CATL), three of the program’s main stakeholders, to promote improvements for active transportation and to increase funding for walking and bicycling in communities in ...
A vaccine can't prevent disease unless people use it. In Texas, only 39% of girls and 15% of boys ages 13-17 complete the three-dose HPV vaccine for the human papillomavirus (HPV), a common sexually transmitted infection that can cause cervical cancer and other problems. Dr. Deborah Parra-Medina has a plan to change that. Parra-Medina, a Latino health researcher at the Institute for Health Promotion Research at the UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, received a new $1.2 million grant from the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas to develop an professional education and community outreach program to increase awareness and uptake of the HPV vaccine among young boys and girls in South Texas. She and her team will train local health care providers to deliver accurate ...
A recent report in California finds that over 50 percent of the glyphosate sprayed in the state is applied in eight impoverished counties with large Latino populations. Glyphosate, more commonly known as Roundup, is an herbicide classified as a carcinogen by the World Health Organization and may soon have the same classification in California. “We’ve uncovered a disturbing trend where poor and minority communities disproportionately live in regions where glyphosate is sprayed,” said Dr. Nathan Donley, a staff scientist with the Center for Biological Diversity in a press release. “In high doses glyphosate is dangerous to people, and California can’t, in good conscience, keep allowing these communities to pay the price for our overreliance on pesticide The report was ...
Efforts to reduce health disparities among Latinos received a boost as $23.5 million was awarded for two new studies. Research teams from the University of Alabama and Johns Hopkins University were selected by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The two studies will compare ways to improve blood pressure and close the health disparities gaps experienced by Latinos. Previous research has rarely targeted these high-risk populations. “Even as health outcomes associated with blood pressure control have improved nationwide, striking disparities remain among racial and ethnic minorities, low-income individuals and rural residents,” said Dr. Romana Hanain-Wynia, Director of the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) Addressing Disparities Program. “This suggests ...
“You can grow anything. People have grown some crazy stuff with the towers,” Nate Storey, a tower farmer in Wyoming stated in a recent article from Civil Eats. “We’ve grown tomatoes and very large statured crops, watermelons. It works until they’re about 20 pounds apiece and then things start falling." Growing indoors in rural Rocky Mountain West, tower farms like these help rural areas provide fresh produce to locals without strain of the harsh climates during winter. Wyoming is considered to have the largest ranches and farms, but the fewest number of vegetable farms of any state. Having an easily accessible source for local fresh produce is important to Wyoming as many foods are shipped in from other areas and may not stay fresh as long. Latinos living in rural ...
An announcement has been made from Local Foods and Local Places, about a grant opportunity for those wanting to build strong local food systems. Spurring on economic growth and health of the community, grantees will receive $800,000 to change their communities access to healthier local foods. Since 2014, the Local Food and Local Places program has existed to assist communities throughout the nation with plans for new farmers markets, to enhance neighborhoods' access to food hubs, to provide SNAP benefits, and to develop walkable community gardens. Various projects funded from the grant from 2014 can be found here. This federal initiative is a partnership between USDA, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the ...
This week, August 2nd through the 8th marks the 16th annual national farmers market week, according to an article from the USDA. Secretary Vilsack signed the proclamation, promoting and celebrating all local farmers markets, farmers, and community supporters for local markets. In the article, secretary Vilsack stated, "Farmers markets play a key role in developing local and regional food systems that support farmers and help grow rural economies. They bring communities together, connecting cities with the farms and providing Americans with fresh, healthy food." Festivities to kick-off celebrations will begin in Santa Fe New Mexico and continue throughout the nation. Building awareness and celebrations about fresh local farmers markets, may help Latinos to benefit from the ...
Alabama is known as a food desert, an area in need of healthy food access. The Food Trust and VOICES for Alabama’s Children released a mapping report earlier this year, showing a need for healthy food options in urban and rural communities. The report revealed that over 1.8 million Alabamians, with nearly half of a million being children, had limited access to fresh, healthy food options. Recently this month, a local news article showed Governor Bentley following through with the push for healthier retail options by signing the Healthy Food Financing Act. By signing this act the Bentley stated that he hopes to improve the health of Alabama's overall population. Although Latino's are not a large part of Alabama, the healthier access to foods will directly affect their access to ...
