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Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans 2nd Edition



On November 12, 2018, the second edition of the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans was released by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. Lack of physical activity is linked to approximately $117 billion in annual health care costs and about 10% of premature mortality, according to the report. Since 2008, the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans have served as the primary voice of the federal government for evidence-based guidance and recommendations for health professionals and policymakers on how everyone can improve their health through regular physical activity. The new Guidelines are an important part of a complex and integrated solution to promote health and to reduce the burden of chronic disease ...

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The Digital Divide: Kids Face Homework Gap


Frustrated Latino Son and Mother Study Homework School

Nearly 1 in 5 U.S. households with school children do not have high-speed Internet access at home, and 1 in 4 low-income teens have no access to a computer at home, according to a new analysis by Pew Research Center. This causes a "homework gap." Latinos and other youth of color, especially those from low-income families, are more likely to face this digital divide at home to complete tech-based school homework. Latino and other minority students are already at a significant disadvantage due to an unhealthy school environment and less physical activity, according to a Salud America! Research Review. Additionally, Latino and other minorities, both children and adults, suffer a big lack of access to support for economic and education success, which makes it extremely difficult ...

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Physical Activity Grades Are Bad, But Rising, for U.S. Children and Youth


Physical acticity grades for U.S. children

The United States earned a D- in overall physical activity, with only about 24% of kids ages 6-17 getting the recommended 60 minutes of physical activity every day and racial/ethnic disparities persisting, according to the new 2018 U.S. Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youth. The 2018 Report Card is from the National Physical Activity Plan. It grades how well U.S. is doing these categories: overall physical activity, sedentary behaviors, active transportation, organized sport participation, active play, health-related fitness, family and peers, schools, and community and the built environment. The grades for each category, while poor, have improved some since 2016. Grades improved for sedentary behavior, active transportation, organized sports, and physical ...

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Wintermission Competition to Increase Social Interaction and Physical Activity


Mom and son playing at park on cold winter day.

Does your city want to embrace the winter, rather than merely endure it? Apply for Wintermission! Wintermission will coach three U.S. cities to plan, pilot, and implement creative solutions to increase social interaction and physical activity among children, newcomer families, and other vulnerable communities in public spaces during the coldest, darkest months of the year. Applications, offered by nonprofit 8 80 Cities, are due Nov. 29, 2018. “Building a culture of public life outside in winter also helps build a culture of public life in all seasons,” according to the 8 80 Cities website. Improving Social and Physical Activity in Winter Fewer people spend time outdoors in the winter, which contributes to lower rates of physical activity and social ...

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Most People Underestimate Latinos’ Environmental Concerns—Even Latinos


Are Latinos are concern about Environment

Most Americans underestimate just how concerned Latinos and other minority groups are about environmental threats, including members of those groups, according to a new study by Cornell University. Researchers surveyed 1,200 Americans about their levels of concern for the environment. They found widespread underestimation of the environmental concerns of a broad range of racial/ethnic and sociodemographic groups. This underestimation was largest for judgments of minorities’ and low-income Americans’ concerns—groups that indicate high levels of environmental concern in public opinion surveys. Also, most people associate the term "environmentalist" with whites and the well-educated. "We found a very consistent pattern that if the American public thought a group was very ...

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School Strategies to Support Immigrant Students, Families


Male High School Student Talking To Male Latino Teacher.

Immigrants are a part of American society, regardless of ongoing political battles. Schools play a big role in embracing and accommodating the unique socio-emotional needs of immigrant students and their families, well beyond academics. But not all school personnel are equipped to respond to these needs. Fortunately, recent guidelines from the National Dropout Prevention Center can help you and other teachers, administrators, and staff at your school understand and better meet the social, economic, and emotional needs of immigrant students and families. “Meeting the needs of such diverse immigrant child and family situations requires knowledge, commitment, and emotional energy on the parts of school administrators, teachers, and other school personnel,” according to the ...

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The Rural Broadband Divide


Wifi access road sign concept in rural area Internet broadband

In today’s world, fast and dependable Internet is essential to thrive. Want to apply for a job? Application is online only! Want to read the latest health news? Online! Need to do homework or get a tutor? Online! Yet, many in rural areas do not have access to high quality broadband services. 24% of rural adults said that access to high-quality Internet service is problematic in their community, according to an alarming new report from Pew Research Center. Another 34% of rural adults say that internet access is a minor problem. Together, 6 in 10 rural Americans see quality internet access as problem.  Furthermore, 39% of rural Americans, or 23 million people, lack proper broadband access, according to a 2016 report by the Federal Communications Commission ...

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Groups Suffer From Wealth Divide


race wealth taxes divide equity gap

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act aims to give an economic boost to hardworking Americans. But it's not working that way, some experts say. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act actually rewards top-income earners, and expands the ever-growing wealth divide between whites and Latinos and others, according an Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP) report. "These tax cuts reward existing White wealth at the expense of the economic security of households of [people of different backgrounds], poor households, and a stalling middle class," according to the ITEP report. For Latino and Black families, the economic outlook is bleak. Wealth and Communities of Color Income is already a rising issue. Latino families have a median net worth of $21,000, respectively. Black families have a ...

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