About 60% of kids under the age of 6 are placed in some form of non-parental care-early childcare and education (ECE)-during the work week. Thus, these settings are promising environments to provide obesity-prevention resources and establish physical activity habits early in childhood, particularly for Latino kids who are at greater risk for obesity-related health problems than their white peers. In 2012, researchers in Wisconsin developed a year-long, quasi-experimental study to examine the efficacy of the Active Early guide, an 80-page guide developed by experts and statewide partners in the fields of ECE, public health, and physical activity, to improve physical activity opportunities in ECE settings using low- to no-cost strategies along with training and environmental ...
A new study published in Genome Biology found that despite significant health disparities, Latinos age at a slower rate than individuals of other ethnicities. Researchers used 18 sets of data from DNA samples of nearly 6,000 people that representing seven different ethnicities, including two African groups, African-Americans, Caucasians, East Asians, Latinos and an indigenous people genetically related to Latinos called the Tsimane. “Latinos live longer than Caucasians, despite experiencing higher rates of diabetes and other diseases,” Steve Horvath, lead author and professor of human genetics at the David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California, Los Angeles, said in a news release. “Our study helps explain this by demonstrating that Latinos age more slowly at the ...
Más latinos tienen acceso a internet que hace unos años y la brecha digital entre los latinos y los blancos "se encuentra ahora en su punto más estrecho desde el año 2009", según los resultados de un estudio realizado por Pew Research Center. El estudio muestra que el acceso a Internet entre los latinos aumentó de 64% a 84% entre 2009 y 2015. Otros hallazgos claves incluyen: • El 80% de los adultos latinos acceden a Internet desde un dispositivo móvil
• El 46% de los latinos accede a Internet desde una conexión de banda ancha en casa Según los autores, la mayoría del 16% de los latinos que aún no tienen acceso a internet son nacidos en el ...
A new black stop sign label is being placed on packaged foods to help Chileans understand how much sugar, salt, fat, and calories are in their favorite foods. The increase of packaged food consumption has risen across all populations in Chile, states the local article, showing how Chile is now the world's largest per-capita consumer of sugary drinks, more than Mexico and the United States. Increased consumption of unhealthy packaged foods and sugary drinks along with half of the countries deaths being stomach and gallbladder cancers, has health officials concerned. A recent Swedish study revealed that people who consumed more than two sugary drinks a day had a higher risk of developing gallbladder tumors and 79% higher odds of getting biliary tract cancer. The labels are to ...
West Virgina's soft drink excise tax created back in 1951, taxes one cent for every 16.9 ounces. It is now being re-examined to see how the state can decrease soda consumption and generate more funds for Medicaid coverage, and higher education. Tara Holmes, summer research associate for the West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy explained in a recent article, that a once-cent-per-ounce tax would need to be implemented to both generate revenue and potentially bring down soda consumption. According to the local news, the state generated $15 million last year in current "soda tax" revenues, where funds go to medical, dental and nursing schools in the state. The state, however, is looking for more streams of revenue to fund Medicaid. The State of Obesity research reveals that ...
All neighborhoods are not created equal. Your city's land use policies determine your access to public goods and resources like transit options, employment opportunities, healthy food, walkable and bikeable neighborhoods, quality schools, parks and green space, and much more. Thus, your city's land use policies shape your health. Read about nationwide disparities in active zoning and land use policies here. On behalf of the Healthy, Equitable, Active Land Use Network (HEALU Network), the Prevention Institute prepared a policy brief with four strategies to move Los Angeles to a healthier, more equitable land use system. Increase the percentage of public funds invested in health-promoting infrastructure in low income communities of color.
Build capacity in government, ...
Since 2008, Novato school district stopped serving red meat for Humane Society's Meatless Monday initiative. Miguel Villarreal, director of the district's food and nutritional services told local news the initiative helps them save water. "When you do that math for 2,500 gallons of water per one pound of beef for 1,000 pounds of beef,...over the last eight years we have conserved like 3 billion gallons of water," Villarreal said. With over 4,000 students in the district receiving breakfast and lunch, keeping kids satisfied, and providing nutritious easy-to-make foods are important for the district. The district is now working on gearing up for the new school year with fresh new ingredients and recipes. Sofia Garcia, who works in one of the High School's cafeteria explained to ...
According to a report by the National Women’s Law Center, the gender wage gap can cost Latinas up $1 million over a 40 year career in some states. The report breaks down the gender wage gap by state and found that, in 2014, Latina women earned between $.54 and $.55 for every $1 that their white male counterparts did. “A big driver of the wage gap is the gap in opportunities that push Latinas … into different occupations than white men,” said Emily Martin, vice-president for workplace justice at NWLC. “Latina women and African American women are over-represented in low-wage jobs, for example, and under-represented in high-paying occupations like law and engineering,” Latina women lose more than $1 million over their careers in 23 different states, including the District ...
Meditation is known for reducing stress and mental issues, and according to a new study by Harvard University meditation also helps build stronger brains, the Harvard Gazette reports. For their research university investigators tracked patients for eight weeks who spent on average 27 minutes meditating a day. Magnetic resonance imaging scans were taken of the patients two weeks before the trial and at the end of the eight-week trial. “Although the practice of meditation is associated with a sense of peacefulness and physical relaxation, practitioners have long claimed that meditation also provides cognitive and psychological benefits that persist throughout the day,” study senior author Sara Lazar told the Harvard Gazette. “This study demonstrates that changes in ...
