There are many barriers that exist that keep some Latinos from achieving the best health possible. Cultural stigmas, language barriers, and a lack of access are just some of these barriers. For Latinas, the problems can be even more frightening. Lack of insurance, lack of transportation, and even isolation are common problems that keep many Latinas from receiving medical treatment. At the Latino Community Center in Pittsburgh, PA (2.72% Latino population), has recognized this growing problem and has decided to do something about it, as reported by The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Using an idea based on the promotores de salud concept, the center has recruited and trained women to become “liaisons” in heavily Latino-populated neighborhoods in the city. These liaisons will ...
We believe in grassroots changes that help families have healthy lives. That's why we at Salud America! at UT Health San Antonio are proud to partner with Univision for a campaign to promote healthy change in San Antonio. The campaign will periodically feature our heroes of change on Univision 41's afternoon news and mid-day digital broadcasts, Edicion Digital. These San Antonio heroes of change, who we call Salud Heroes, are adding fruits and veggies to corner stores, creating community gardens, launching fitness programs in parks, and promoting water over sugary drinks. Our first Univision 41 segment in May 2017 featured the amazing Baby Cafe in San Antonio, which provides support and peer networking for Latina and all moms who breastfeed their babies. The hashtag ...
Did you know San Antonio (67% Latino) is the first U.S. city to conduct a citywide scavenger hunt for free health, wellness, and physical activity events? It’s called Fit Pass. You can pick up a pass or download a bilingual Fit Pass app to earn points by attending cool summer wellness activities, starting with a free 5K run and fitness expo at Pearsall Park on Saturday, June 10, 2017. You can earn points and prizes throughout the seven-week program that concludes with another free 5K at LBJ Park on Saturday, July 29, 2017. The origin of Fit Pass is featured in a new Rivard Report article and Salud Heroes video and story by Amanda Merck of Salud America!, a national Latino healthy weight promotion network based at UT Health San Antonio and funded by Robert Wood Johnson ...
Paid maternity leave is linked to numerous positive health outcomes for parents and baby, breastfeeding is one. Sadly, in the U.S., only 12% of private sector workers have access to paid family leave through their employers.
The Thing About Paid Family Leave Policies
The thing about paid family leave policies in the U.S., is that the U.S. does not mandate paid family leave. California, New Jersey, Rhode Island and soon New York are the only states to have state-mandated paid leave plans in place. Among 41 industrialized nations in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and European Union, the U.S. is the only country not to require paid maternity leave. The U.S. provides up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave through the federal Family Medical Leave Act ...
Most Latina and black women do not eat a healthy diet before pregnancy, despite its many benefits, according to a new study. A healthy maternal diet can reduce risk of obesity, preterm birth, and preeclampsia. The study scored the diets of 7,500 women in the weeks leading up to pregnancy. No women in any racial/ethnic group met the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, according to study leader Lisa Bodnar of the University of Pittsburgh. Only about 25% of white, 14% of Latina, and 5% of black women had well-scored diets. Soda was the primary contributor to energy intake among Latina an black women, according to the study. "Our findings mirror national nutrition and dietary trends. The diet-quality gap among non-pregnant people is thought to be a consequence of many factors, ...
More Latino youths are not in school and not working than white youths, according to a new report. These youth—also called "disconnected"—face hurdles as they become adults where they live. This includes lower rates of education, and higher rates of child poverty, unemployment, and teen births. 1 in 8 U.S. youths ages 16-24 are "disconnected." Disconnection, a new measure in the new 2017 County Health Rankings, creates health and economic issues. "Youth disconnected from opportunity—meaning the chance to advance in school, gain work experience, form relationships, and build social supports in the community—represent untapped potential to strengthen the social and economic vibrancy of our communities," according to the report.
How to Help
The County Health Rankings, ...
New guidelines are out from Healthy Eating Research (HER) for Health Professionals on infant and toddler feeding. Evidence shows that the first 1,000 days or the period from conception to age two for children are critical in obesity prevention. Many Latino children often deal with unhealthy weights due to more consumption of sugary drinks, less access to healthy foods and limited breastfeeding opportunities. With the new evidence-based guidelines from HER parents can find out what and how to feed infants and toddlers as well as how to address screen time, media use, sleep and other topics that impact childhood weight outcomes. Some of the main recommendations of the review include: Encouraging breastfeeding from birth until 6 months and after adding complimentary foods, ...
In addition to breastfeeding, research suggests that other factors that may also play a critical role in helping Latino kids achieve a healthy weight by kindergarten: mothers’ physical activity and healthy eating habits before and during pregnancy, formula marketing, maternity leave, and kids’ healthy eating and physical activity habits established during early childhood. An expert panel, convened by Healthy Eating Research, a national program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, developed Feeding Guidelines for Infants and Young Toddlers, a report of evidence-based recommendations for promoting healthy nutrition and feeding patterns for infants and toddlers. These guidelines can be used by parents and caregivers in the home, as well as be applied in child-care settings where ...
Growing up as “the minority kid” in school isn’t easy, but it helped Brenda Frutos develop a passion for fighting for health equity among Latinos. Frutos not only earned her master’s degree in public health from West Chester University of Pennsylvania, she also is working as a certified health education specialist. She provides research and technical support in the Department of Family Medicine at Lehigh Valley Health Network in Pennsylvania, and also has experience helping with interventions in breastfeeding among underserved women. Motivated by the hard work of her significant other who overcame challenges to reach medical school, Frutos wants to continue pursuing more education. Frutos applied for the Éxito! Latino Cancer Research Leadership Training program, which ...
