Salud America! today released six Spanish-language animated videos that shed light on the causes of solutions to Latino childhood obesity. The videos, which are also available in English, explore the latest research into how six critical topics—marketing, school snacks, sugary drinks, neighborhood food environments, active play and access to active spaces—impact Latino child health. The videos also feature evidence-based recommendations on how to address the problem. The child-narrated videos are part of a six new packages of research materials produced by Salud America!, a national research network on Latino childhood obesity that is funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) and based at the Institute for Health Promotion Research (IHPR) at the UT Health Science ...
Deborah Parra-Medina, Ph.D., a professor at the Institute for Health Promotion Research (IHPR) at the UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, was given the prestigious Mayhew Derryberry Award from the Public Health Education and Health Promotion section of the American Public Health Association (APHA). The award, given annually, recognizes outstanding contribution of behavioral scientists to the field of health education, health promotion and/or health communications research or theory. Parra-Medina has more than two decades of research and interventions in chronic disease prevention with underserved groups, including women, Hispanics, immigrants, youth and financially disadvantaged populations in diverse geographic and community settings. She will be recognized at a lunch ...
Latinas are less likely than others groups to get an annual mammogram, which can help detect breast cancer early, when it is most treatable. This puts them at higher risk of being diagnosed with breast cancer at advanced stages. So, just in time for National Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October, check out our playlist of videos in English or Spanish that puts an emotional spin on why Latinas should get cancer screening. These public service announcements were developed by researchers at Redes En Acción, a national network dedicated to reducing Latino cancer. Redes is funded by the National Cancer Institute and directed by the Institute for Health Promotion Research (IHPR) at the UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, the team behind ...
In San Antonio, half of adults do not meet national physical activity recommendations. But there's good news. Attending Síclovía—an event that shuts down a major road for several hours to provide a safe, open space for families to "play in the street"—opens the door to a healthier future for families, according to a new study. More than half of Síclovía attendees say they improved their physical activity behaviors after attending the event, says preliminary study data presented at a press conference on Sept. 24, 2013 by representatives of the YMCA of Greater San Antonio and the Institute for Health Promotion Research (IHPR) at UT Health San Antonio. The study results show: 53% of respondents reported they changed their physical activity level after attending a ...
Half of all Hispanic children will develop diabetes, health officials say, KENS-TV reports. In South Texas, where the population is mostly Hispanic, diabetes and obesity are the top biggest threats to health, given their link to certain cancers, heart disease, stroke, and more. South Texas, a 38-county region spanning 45,000 square miles along the Texas-Mexico border and northward up to San Antonio and Bexar County, is home to 18 percent of the state's population. Yet, South Texas residents who are predominantly Hispanics struggle with lower educational levels, less income and less access to health care, setting the stage for disease, according to the South Texas Health Status Review, an examination of health problems in the region by the Institute for Health Promotion Research ...
How do… …city officials cut obesity rates from 35% to 29%? (Pg 1) …Latino families go “a day without sugar”? (Pg 3) …Bodegas add healthier foods? (Pg 5) Find the answers and more in the new Salud America! E-Newsletter. Salud America! The RWJF Research Network to Prevent Obesity Among Latino Children is a national program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The program aims to unite and increase the number of Latino stakeholders engaged in community change and research on environmental and policy solutions to the epidemic. The network is directed by the Institute for Health Promotion Research at The UT Health Science Center at San Antonio. For more info, go ...
When a city works together to make healthy changes, incredible things can happen quickly!
In just 2 years, obesity rates in San Antonio and Bexar County dropped from 35.1% in 2010 to 28.5% in 2012 on the heels of new health and fitness initiatives across the city, said San Antonio Mayor Julián Castro and local health officials at a press conference July 31, 2013.
The city now has a lower rate of obesity than the current Texas average (29.3%). "We now have evidence that our investments are paying off and positively impacting the health of our families and the overall quality of life in San Antonio," Castro said. Overall, 70,000 of adults in Bexar County moved into a healthier weight category from 2010 to 2012. Obesity rates also decline among local racial/ethnic minority ...
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 ...
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 ...
