Seventy-three percent of parents report that their child's afterschool program is located in a public school building, according to the Afterschool Alliance. However, Latino kids in underserved communities have limited options for healthy afterschool programs, which is part of the reason they are more likely to be overweight or obese than their peers. Schools and communities must work together to create a support network to provide healthy food and active play for Latino and all children to succeed. The Alliance for a Healthier Generation consulted with seven experts to talk about why school-community collaborations are essential and how to craft successful partnerships. One of the takeaways is to utilize existing resources/facilities/networks. For example, one of the ...
The PEW Charitable Trusts is encouraging parents to eat with their kids during September and bring awareness to healthy eating during National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month. Here are some tips to help students know their parents, grandparents or family members support them in healthy eating. Make a date! Enjoy lunch with your child to see exactly what is offered in school meals and show support to school staff and students who are making healthy meal choices. This can help support mindful eating as well, giving students a warm supportive environment for healthy food choices.
School meal for dinner? Yes, that's right! Ask your school nutrition director for a recipe your child might like and make it at home for dinner. This gives children a way to get involved and parents a ...
Young adults had the highest uninsured rates before the Affordable Care Act and have seen the sharpest drop in uninsured rates since 2010. Latinos currently make up the largest population of uninsured individuals overall. Latinos are also the youngest racial or ethnic group in the U.S. Nearly one-third of the nation’s Latino population is younger than 18. According to the Pew Research Center, nearly six-in-ten Latinos are Millennials or younger. Millions of young adults remain uninsured and new tools are needed to bridge the gap to obtaining coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace. “More than 9 in 10 Marketplace-eligible young adults without health insurance have incomes that could qualify them for tax credits to make plans affordable, but that fact hasn’t fully ...
Kids who receive physical education (PE) in school are more active outside of school, according to the Physical Activity Council (PAC) 2016 Participation Report. The PAC annually tracks US participation in 120 sports, fitness, and recreation activities and also found that all age groups rate swimming for fitness in their top three favorite interests among 10 different activities. According to the 2016 Participation Report, children ages 6-17 rate swimming as their second favorite interest behind camping. Individuals ages 25-35 rate swimming as their number one interest among camping, bicycling, hiking, running, canoeing, backpacking, working with machines, working with weights or kayaking. Read more about why swimming in school may be the most promising physical ...
The National Drinking Water Alliance (NDWA), a coalition of nonprofits, academic institutions, advocates, and individuals, works to ensure that all children are able to access safe water in the places where they live, learn and play. The NDWA recently launched its new online resource clearinghouse for drinking water research, policy, access, and education. DrinkingWaterAlliance.org provides users with hundreds of useful tools, research studies, fact sheets, promotional materials and policy papers, as well as the latest developments in the field. Together, we can improve access to drinking water in childcare centers, use local school wellness policies to improve water quality, educate families and help people pledge to drink water instead of sugary beverages – and much ...
Despite the number of American living in poverty having fallen by over 3.5 million in 2015, there are still more than 43 million struggling to overcome financial hardships. The metro area in which poverty rate is the highest is heavily Latino populated Brownsville-Harlingen, Texas (89.9% Latino population). Nearly 33% of the area’s 245,000 live below the poverty line, 24/7 Wall St. reports. South Texas accounted for the top three cities on the list. Reviewing data from the U.S. Census Bureau to determine which cities had the highest poverty rates, a list of 56 was created. The cities were chosen based on the basis of their being more than one in five residents living in poverty. In order to reduce health disparities, it is critical to address inequities in programs, ...
Do you have a home or small urban garden? Compost pile? According to a new study, you may be helping the environment and reducing climate change. Researchers from the University of California at Santa Barbara studied how well-tended gardens for every family home in California may help increase the chance of the state reaching its goal of reducing emissions by 2020. The study reveals that anyone who gardens in their home or backyard could help contribute to reducing two pounds of carbon emissions for every pound of homegrown vegetables consumed. Latino's often miss out on gardening opportunities or fresh food access in their neighborhoods, studies show. Reducing access to growing healthy foods could also increase the high risks that Latino's already face in dealing with ...
If you had grown vegetables as a kid, you might be more likely to eat your greens, reports a new study. The study put on by researchers from the University of Florida interviewed over 1,300 students and found that 30% of those who gardened as a child ate 2.9 cups of fruits and vegetables a day versus those who only may have watched parents garden, eating 2.4 cups of fruits and vegetables per day. "Hands on experience seems to matter," Anne Mathews, UF/IFAS assistant professor told Newswise. Other studies show that Latino kids are more likely to be advertised unhealthy foods and have access to unhealthy fast food and tobacco outlets within walking distance of their schools. Farm-to-school, school gardens, and agriculture or STEM farming in schools may help increase more ...
From age 2 to 5, nearly 1 in 7 Latino boys are obese; by middle school, these rates go up to 22%. These facts and more about the overall health and education of young Latino males are discussed in a new report from the National Research Center on Hispanic Children & Families. The status is particularly important as Latino children currently make up nearly 25% of the all children in the United States and by 2050 are projected to be nearly 30%. With nearly half of all children male, how Latino boys and young men fare has a great impact overall on the country’s social and economic well-being. In order to reduce health disparities, it is critical to address inequities in programs, practices, and policies. Join our site, connect with others, and get involved. Other ...
