A predominantly Latino elementary school proves that morning exercise through a walking school bus program can benefit students, parents, and the community. Not only have school attendance rates increased, community engagement levels have increased, too. A Walking School Bus at Brightwood Elementary School in Springfield, Mass., now offers hope—and physical activity—to a community that not long ago faced fears of unsafe streets and high crime rates. Karen Pohlman, a nurse practitioner and community program manager for Baystate Medical Center, knew the community was struggling and wanted to improve people’s health, so she developed a plan to implement a walking school bus at Brightwood Elementary.
EMERGENCE
Awareness: Crime was high in the North End of Springfield, Mass., which ...
Latino kids consume more soft drinks, fruit-flavored drinks, and other sugary drinks on average than do their White peers. Sugary drink consumption contributes to increased rates of obesity and diabetes, studies show. Raising the price of sugary drinks could reduce consumption among Latino kids, and potentially improve weight outcomes, according to a new package of research materials produced jointly by Salud America! and Bridging the Gap, two national research programs funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF). The new Sugary Drinks & Latino Kids research materials start with an in-depth review of the latest science on sugary drink consumption by Latino kids and how pricing strategies could influence such consumption. The materials also provide policy implications ...
San Antonio sisters Makayla Esparza, 9, and Alyssa Esparza, 8, led largely inactive lifestyles. They saw a weight-loss contest on TV and decided to get active and help others get active, but they didn’t know of any afterschool programs to join and they didn’t have anyone to be active with. This led to their big idea: invite all the kids from their neighborhood for a 90-day get fit challenge to improve. With the help of their grandmother, Dawn Guerrero, Alyssa and Makayla posted an ad on Craigslist to invite kids to be active with them. They also invited members from the fitness community to show them ways to be fit. Soon kids from all over the neighborhood started showing up, and the group “Fitness FUNatics” was born. Although their 90-day challenge is now over, the Fitness ...
The obesity epidemic poses a growing burden across the U.S., and low-income Latinos lacking insurance coverage are especially hard hit by the cost and disabilities from obesity-related type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. Latino communities are fighting back by improving opportunities for healthy eating and physical activity. The second Web Forum in the series Weight of the Latino Nation, set for 1 p.m. CST Thursday, Aug. 29, 2013, will highlight the latest research on the obesity epidemic and the factors impacting Latino communities. Presenters include Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez, director of Salud America! and the Institute for Health Promotion Research at the UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, the team behind SaludToday. Salud America! recently released several research ...
Food and beverage marketers increasingly target Latino kids because of their increasing population size, media exposure and spending power. Much of this kid-focused advertising is for unhealthy foods, studies show. But additional industry self-regulation and governmental regulation—stimulated by community awareness and action—can help limit the marketing of unhealthy foods and beverages to Latino kids, according to a new package of research materials from Salud America! The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) Research Network to Prevent Obesity Among Latino Children. Download the new Salud America! "Healthier Marketing & Latino Kids" research materials, which include a research review of the latest science, an original animated video, and an infographic. Latino kids ...
Latino kids have fewer opportunities to engage in physical activity than other kids. They are also less likely to meet federal recommendations of at least 60 minutes of activity a day, due to fewer parks and other active spaces, fewer school- or community-based physical activity programs during school or after, and parenting styles. But culturally relevant school- and community-based programs, better access to active play sites, and education for parents can help young Latinos become more physically active, according to a new package of research materials from Salud America! The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) Research Network to Prevent Obesity Among Latino Children. The new Salud America! “Active Play and Latino Kids” materials include a research review of the latest ...
About 18% of all third-graders in Connecticut are obese. About 25% of Latino third-graders in the state are obese. Some experts in the region are highlighting unhealthy marketing as a contributor, given Latino kids' high exposure to media, the New Britain Herald reports. “In my opinion, Spanish-speaking children are more heavily targeted by junk food, dessert and sugar-sweetened beverage ads because their community is very disempowered and does not have the means to advocate for changes in these unhealthy marketing practices that have been seriously questioned by groups that have a higher social position in the country,” Dr. Rafael Perez-Escamilla, director of the Connecticut Center for Eliminating Health Disparities among Latinos at the University of Connecticut, told the ...
Latino kids often have limited access to safe gyms, fields, and playgrounds, but shared use agreements and street-level improvements can improve access to these “active spaces” in underserved communities and may help young Latinos become more physically active and maintain a healthy weight, according to a new package of research materials from Salud America! The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) Research Network to Prevent Obesity Among Latino Children. The new Salud America! “Active Spaces for Latino Kids” has a research review of the latest science, an original animated video, and an infographic. A study shows that 81 percent of Latino neighborhoods did not have a recreational facility, compared with 38 percent of White neighborhoods. Fewer schools provided public ...
About 93% of Latinos and 87% of African Americans endorsed the new USDA school nutrition standards, higher percentages than the overall population (83%), according to a recent survey conducted by Field Research Corp. About 78% of all parents think healthier school food will boost academic performance. The phone survey, conducted in 2013, reached 2,104 adults across the country to assess the public's pulse on childhood obesity, and actions schools and communities could take to combat the epidemic. Other key findings include: Among all respondents, 90% believe their local K-12 schools should play the biggest community role in fighting obesity.
Among all respondents, 74% believe that community groups and organizations should be involved in reducing obesity, and that it's not a ...
