#SaludTues Tweetchat 1p ET 9/1/15: “Why Health is Cool for Back to School”

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With the growing percentage of Latino students, schools are an important environment to support of a culture of health.  Research shows that Latino children are exposed to and consume more unhealthy meals and snacks than non-Latino students, partially because schools with a higher proportion of Latino students tend to have weaker policies regarding access to competitive foods in schools.  Additionally, research shows that Latino students engage in less physical activity both in and out of school compared to their peers, partially because schools with a higher proportion of Latino students tend to offer less time for physical activity.

Several barriers to physical activity and nutritious food still exist within Latino communities, both in and out of schools.  It is important for parents and schools to work together to ensure that local, state, and national physical activity and nutrition standards eliminate these barriers in schools.  When parents and schools work together to make the healthy the easy choice, they support a culture of health to make health cool for their children.

Join #SaludTues on September 1, 2015 to tweet about how parents and schools can create safe spaces for Latino children to be physically active outside of regular school hours by using existing resources.

WHAT: #SaludTues Tweetchat: “Why Health is Cool for Back to School”

• DATE: Tuesday, September 1, 2015
• TIME: 1-2 p.m. ET (Noon-1 p.m. CT)
• WHERE: On Twitter with hashtag #SaludTues
• HOST: @SaludToday
• CO-HOSTS: Healthy Schools Campaign (@healthyschools), Center for Science in the Public Interest (@CSPI), and LiveWell Colorado (@livewellco).

We’ll open the floor to your stories and experiences as we explore:

• Why it is important for parents and schools to work together to reduce health disparities,
• How to parents and schools can make back to school healthier for Latino children by addressing physical activity and nutrition before, during and after school, and
• Examples of community members and schools that have done great work in improving Latino health.

#SaludTues is a weekly Tweetchat about Latino health at 12p CST/1p ET every Tuesday and hosted by @SaludToday, the Latino health social media campaign for the team at the Institute for Health Promotion Research (IHPR) at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio.

Be sure to use the hashtag #SaludTues to follow the conversation on Twitter and share your strategies, stories, and resources that can help raise awareness about important health issues that affect Latinos.