Salud America! Guest Blogger
Jefferson Dental Clinics Fewer than 1 in 3 people floss daily. On top of that, the U.S. federal government recently made a controversial ruling to quietly remove flossing from its list of dietary guidelines, after having supported floss since 1979, due to mixed research results on the benefits of flossing. We can all toss the floss, right? Wrong. Flossing remains an effective method to remove food particles and buildup from between the teeth, and help people reach the plaque where it does form between the teeth, said Dr. Leslie Renee Townsend, regional dental director for Jefferson Dental. "Leaving particles and buildup trapped between the teeth is a quick route to developing decay and disease around the teeth and gums," Townsend ...
The United States spends far more on health care than any other developed nation; a record 17.5% of the country’s gross domestic product in 2014 was spent on health care. However, life expectancy in the U.S. is lower, maternal and infant mortality is higher. Also, the prevalence of chronic illness is far more common in the U.S. than in European countries. These poor health outcomes are also connected to another type of spending where the country falls far below multiple European countries. In terms of social services that target education, housing, nutrition and poverty, the U.S. is spending significantly less. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) analyzed this spending in 2011 and found the ratio of social service to medical care spending was associated with “better health ...
School is back! But when classes end, does your school lock up its recreational facilities? Many Latino families live near schools that lock fields, courts, pools, and playgrounds before and after class—meaning kids miss physical, mental, and emotional benefits of physical activity and play. Tell your State PTA to help get schools to open school rec facilities after class with “Shared Use” or “Open Use” policies! Open or shared use policies can serve as a beacon of good health for local residents, boost community safety, and increase children’s opportunities for physical activity, which is scientifically proven to reduce disease risk and contribute to physical, mental, and social well-being. Open use policies allow a school to formally grant public access to its ...
A new study, soon to be published in Obstetrics & Gynecology, has shown that the number of women in Texas dying from pregnancy complications have inexplicably doubled. The study’s authors don’t speculate as to what the causes for this startling trend are, but the trend seems isolated to the Lone Star State. One trend noted by the study’s authors was the possible linkage toward the increase in maternal mortality rates and the Texas Legislature’s decrease in funding to family planning agencies in 2011. Vital statistics personnel in Texas and at the National Center for Health Statistics couldn’t determine that there was a correlation between the two incidences. In order to reduce health disparities, it is critical to address inequities in programs, practices, and ...
Would the millions of children suffering from hunger and food insecurity in the United States be healthier, and have homes full of fresh produce if we started re-designing old abandoned buildings to new-tech farms? AeroFarms, co-founded by Marc Oshima and David Rosenberg, vertical farm entrepreneurs, hope to build a way to bring more farm fresh produce to urban citizens, no matter what the weather. Planning to produce over 2 million pounds of fresh vegetables per year in an old New Jersey steel mill, they also see their business as a way to help the areas of Newark that are underprivileged. Rosenberg explained to the Chicago Tribune, that there are many areas of Newark (33.8% Latino) that do not have economic development or access to supermarkets, that's why they chose to put ...
Soda, sweet tea, energy drinks, sports drinks, all have something in common in Berkely, they are sugar-filled and taxed. The city's 1-cent-per-ounce excise tax, which began collecting taxes in March 2015, has now been shown to benefit public health efforts that helped support the tax. A new study, released Tuesday, 2016 in the American Journal of Public Health, reveals how over 2,679 people in low-income neighborhoods across San Francisco, Oakland and Berkeley, CA are increasing water consumption and decreasing soda consumption. Not only are people drinking more water, but millions of funds from the excise tax will now help schools with gardens and work to build more community nutrition and health efforts. Whether it's the soda tax or the awareness of the dangers of sugary drinks ...
Have you and your kids ever wanted to go play, but didn’t have anywhere safe to go? Many Latino families live near schools that lock gyms, courts, pools, fields, and playgrounds before and after class—meaning kids miss the physical, emotional, and social benefits of physical activity and play. In a show of support for play, Salud America! and SaludToday invite you to snap a photo of a playground, field, pool, or other community rec facility that isn’t open outside of school time. Share that photo on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram with the hashtag #ActiveSpaces, and we’ll share or like your post nationally and enter you into a random drawing for a Jawbone fitness tracker! It’s an easy way to show your support for kids and families who don’t have access to safe ...
Access to safe parks plays a huge role in overall health and wellness by promoting promoting physical activity and improving mental health. Parks even have the potential to reduce health care costs. Unfortunately, there are inequities in Latino kids' access to parks and safe places to play; therefore, they are at increased risk for mental and physical health problems, according to a Salud America! research review. Learn more about why equitable access to safe places to walk and play are so important here. The National Park Service celebrates 100 years of stewardship the week of August 22, 2016. To celebrate this milestone in American history, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Culture of Health blog's editorial team asked six leaders to their reasons why parks matter for ...
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) awarded more than $100 million to over 1,300 health centers across the United States to invest in health center quality improvement. The centers will use these funds to “expand current quality improvement systems and infrastructure.” The centers will use the funds to improve systems and infrastructure as well improve some of the primary care services they deliver in their communities. “Millions of Americans rely on health centers to provide them with quality health care,” said Dr. Mary Wakefield, HHS Acting Deputy Secretary. “These quality improvement awards will support health centers to continue to deliver superior health care that engages patients, improves care coordination and bridges overall access to ...
