Nearly 2 of 3 U.S. children's drinks sold in 2018 were unhealthy fruit drinks and flavored waters with added sugars and/or diet sweeteners, according to Children’s Drink FACTS 2019, a new report from the Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity. In fact, none of the 34 top-selling children's sugary drinks met expert recommendations for healthy drinks for children. These unhealthy drink sales complicate health equity for Latino and black children, who are targeted more with sugary drink marketing and have higher rates of sugary drink consumption. They face obesity, higher rates of cavities (57% of all Latino kids have cavities), and other health conditions as a result. "Beverage companies have said they want to be part of the solution to childhood obesity, but they continue to ...
Youth sports are a great way to help kids get the recommended 60 minutes of physical activity a day. But only about half of U.S. kids participate on a youth sports team. Latinos or other racial/ethnic minorities, girls, rural, low-income, and/or youth with disabilities all have lower rates of both physical activity and youth sports participation, data show. For Latinos, cost and local access to places to play are big barriers to youth sports equity. Fortunately, the new federal National Youth Sports Strategy outlines opportunities for youth, adults, organizations, communities, and policymakers to improve youth sports equity. "[The strategy] aims to unify U.S. youth sports culture around a shared vision: that one day all youth will have the opportunity, motivation, and access ...
In Nashville (10.4% Latino), Latinos are one of the city’s largest minority groups. Yet, they are more than four times as likely to not have health insurance than their white or black neighbors, according to a survey by city officials and NashvilleHealth, a local nonprofit. “Doctor visits and health insurance are simply out of reach for many Latino families, who struggle with poverty, transportation and language barriers,” officials from two local Latino organizations told The Tennessean. This is even worse for immigrants who do not have proper documentation and do not qualify for TennCare, the state Medicaid. More on the Survey
The Nashville Community Health + Well-being survey revealed that one-third of Latinos don’t have insurance and more than half do not have a ...
How important is the 2020 Census? Well, the results will determine political power, representation in Congress, and funding for schools, hospitals, roads, and social services in your community for the next 10 years. Here are some Q&As that emphasize the need to count Latinos and all people! Supreme Court Update, October 15, 2020: The Supreme Court ruled on Oct. 13, that Trump administration can end census field operations early despite delays and difficulties related to the ongoing pandemic. Internet self-response will be available through 11:59 p.m. Hawaii Standard Time (HST) Oct. 15 (5:59 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time on Oct. 16).
Paper responses must be postmarked by Oct. 15, 2020. Coronavirus Update, July 7, 2020: Learn how the Census Bureau is pushing forward ...
Every kid needs physical activity and active spaces for healthy growth. But physical inactivity has increased 10% in rural and low-income communities, according to a new study. Rural children have higher risks for obesity than kids living in cities—and rural children of color are at the most risk. This is where Play Streets comes in. Play Streets are place-based interventions that temporarily close a public area to create safe places for physical activity. This engages kids and families, gets people active, and promotes community connections. Now researchers from Baylor University and Johns Hopkins University has released their Guide to Implementing Play Streets in Rural Communities. Using first-hand experience, the guide teaches local groups, ...
A new study published in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine suggests that there is no safe level of tobacco smoke exposure and that smoking cessation is the most effective means of harm reduction. Researchers from Columbia University examined the lung function of 25,000 people, including smokers, ex-smokers, and those who have never smoked. The study found that people who smoke five cigarettes a day are doing almost as much damage to their lungs as people who smoke more than 30 cigarettes a day. "Light" or "social" smokers will develop as much lung damage in one year as "heavy" smoking does in nine months. The study also noted that each lit cigarette releases 7,000 chemicals, 69 of which are considered to be cancer-causing substances. "Smoking a few cigarettes a day is much ...
Latino kids have higher childhood obesity rates than their peers at nearly all age groups, according to a new report. For example, the newest data show Latino kids ages 10-17 have higher obesity rates (19%) than their white (11.8%) and Asian (7.3%) peers. They also have higher rates than the nation (15.3%), but lower rates than black kids (22.2%). The new stats are part of a bigger report, the State of Childhood Obesity: Helping All Children Grow up Healthy from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF). It highlights big data on childhood obesity, with policies and stories to drive change. “These new data show that this challenge touches the lives of far too many children in this country, and that Black and Hispanic youth are still at greater risk than their White and Asian ...
The vast majority of major baby foods brands contain toxic heavy metals, recent data show. Of the 168 popular brands tested, 95% contained lead, 73% contained arsenic, 75% contained cadmium, and 32% contained mercury, finds Healthy Babies Bright Futures' newly published report. These numbers should be troubling, as even low levels of these kinds of toxins can cause harm as they build up, according to Dr. Philip Landrigan, pediatrician and Director of the Program in Global Public Health and the Common Good in the Schiller Institute for Integrated Science and Society at Boston College. "Arsenic, lead, and other heavy metals are known causes of neurodevelopmental harm," Landrigan said. "Low-level exposures add up, and exposures in early life are especially dangerous. The cumulative ...
Texas Latinos and other communities of color are among the hardest hit by medical debt, according to a new report. The report, from the Center for Public Policy Priorities, shows that 1 in 4 Texans (23%) has medical debt. In communities of color, that rises to nearly 1 in 3 Texans (29%). These rates are higher than in other states and the nation. "When people can’t pay their medical bills, costs turn into mounting medical debt," according to the report. "[This medical debt] compromises patients’ health and financial security, harms their credit scores, and can even limit a patient’s housing, job, and health opportunities."
Alarming Medical Debt among Texans of Color
The median medical debt in collections owed in Texas is $850. Texans of color owe slightly more at $875. ...
