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8 tips for staying safe on the road 

Texas traffic fatality data from 2022 shows September recorded the most motor-vehicle deaths1. Pedestrians and motorists can both take action to make roads safer. Here are 8 tips to help people on the go — in Texas and beyond —arrive safely.
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Content Type: Blog
National Hispanic Heritage Month 2023

As we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month over the next several weeks, we hope you will join us in learning more about the Center’s work in the Hispanic community and the many ways you can support and benefit from the richness of Hispanic culture and heritage.
Topic(s): Spanish
Content Type: Blog
Meet our Newest Center Faculty Member, Dr. Chris Pfledderer!

Dr. Pfledderer is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Health Promotion and Behavioral Sciences at UTHealth Houston School of Public Health in Austin and a faculty member at the Michael & Susan Dell Center for Healthy Living. His expertise relates to school-based physical activity promotion, optimization of childhood obesity-related interventions, and rural health promotion.
Topic(s): Physical Activity Health Policy Obesity
Content Type: Blog
August Healthy Summer Challenge

This summer, the Michael & Susan Dell Center for Healthy Living challenges you and your kids to build healthy habits while school is out! See our last challenge of the year.
Topic(s): Physical Activity
Content Type: Blog
July Healthy Summer Challenge

This summer, the Michael & Susan Dell Center for Healthy Living challenges you and your kids to build healthy habits while school is out!
Topic(s): Physical Activity Obesity
Content Type: Blog
June Healthy Summer Challenge 2023

School is out, and summer is here! Summer is a great time for kids to develop healthy habits for life. With all of the extra time, they can learn to cook their favorite dishes, explore different vegetables, and create a balanced eating pattern that will fuel them through their summer activities and beyond! Each month this summer, the Michael & Susan Dell Center for Healthy Living is advocating for creating healthier habits with our Healthy Summer Challenge calendars.
Topic(s): Nutrition School Health Obesity
Content Type: Blog
National Women's Health Week with Anna Wilkinson, PhD

UTHealth Houston School of Public Health Austin Campus professor Dr. Anna Wilkson’s research focuses on the primary prevention of tobacco and alcohol use as well as obesity prevention and the promotion of physical activity among youth and young adults.
Topic(s): Tobacco Physical Activity
Content Type: Blog
Kelly Bloodworth, Epidemiologist, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Last month, the UTHealth Houston School of Public Health in Austin partnered with the CDC Science Ambassador Program to host a regional training workshop for public high school and middle school teachers in Central Texas. One of the CDC epidemiologists leading the training was UTHealth SPH graduate from the Austin Campus, Kelly Bloodworth. After the training, we had the opportunity to chat with Kelly to learn more about her experiences as a public health practitioner and the path that led her to her current work with the CDC.
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Content Type: Blog
Interview with Marlene Schwartz, PhD

We are excited to welcome Dr. Marlene Schwartz as the 2023 Michael & Susan Dell Center Lectureship in Child Health Award Recipient on April 27, 2023. Dr. Schwartz’s research addresses how nutrition and wellness policies implemented in schools, food banks, and local communities can improve food security, nutrition quality, and health outcomes.
Topic(s): Nutrition School Health Health Policy
Content Type: Blog
Moving Toward Transportation Justice

Researchers from the Michael & Susan Dell Center for Healthy Living recently published a case study on the City of Austin’s process of dividing and prioritizing $27.5 million dollars for Safe Routes to School (SRTS) improvements from the 2016 Mobility Bond. To the authors’ knowledge, this was the largest amount of money allocated to SRTS improvements within one municipality to date. Council members chose to split the money equally across city council districts, so that improvements could be implemented across the city; however, data show that there might have been a better way to distribute the funds to more adequately address areas with greater need.
Topic(s): Physical Activity School Health Safe Travel Environments Evaluation in Texas Schools
Content Type: Blog
TX SPAN Data Explorer

The population of Texas is a bellwether for the larger demographic shifts we have seen nationwide. Texas’ young, diverse population can tell us a lot about the health status of children in both the state and the nation, especially since one of every 10 children in the U.S. lives in Texas. The Texas School Physical Activity and Nutrition Survey (Texas SPAN) is a statewide serial cross-sectional surveillance study that measures the health status of school-aged children by collecting state-representative data about their diets, activity levels, and other related behaviors.
Topic(s): Measurement Nutrition Physical Activity School Health Obesity
Content Type: Blog
Reintroducing the Texas Research-to-Policy Collaboration

With the 2022 Texas general election completed and the legislators and legislators-elect beginning to file bills for the 88th Legislative Session, it is essential to have a data-driven, reputable source for public health policy. The Texas Research-to-Policy Collaboration Project (TX RPC) serves as a resource for legislative offices, advocates, and constituents interested in policies that make Texans healthier.
Topic(s): Health Policy
Content Type: Blog
Tips for a Healthy Holiday Season

As the holiday season gets into full swing, many of us are excited to spend some much-needed time with family and friends. Whether your holidays consist of gathering with the entire family or relaxing with a hard-earned vacation, we all want to enjoy happy and healthy celebrations. Here are some tips to make the holidays the most wonderful time of the year!
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Content Type: Blog
Reflecting on our Language: Stakeholder

The Austin Campus Diversity & Inclusion Committee is committed to sharing best practices that foster an inclusive environment and encourage open and honest communication. This includes confronting the systems and policies that have perpetuated generational injustice and health inequities. One way to approach this is by addressing the language we use daily, both in our professional work as researchers and in our personal interactions outside of work. The words and phrases we use matter and shape the interactions we have within our communities and work spaces. For the first Reflecting On Our Language series, we explore the term stakeholder.
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Content Type: Blog
A Conversation with Dr. Ethan Hunt

Dr. Ethan Hunt, Assistant Professor of Health Promotion & Behavioral Sciences at UTHealth Houston School of Public Health in Austin, recently sat down for an interview during which he shared the experiences that helped shape his interests as a student and public health professional.
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Content Type: Blog
Historically Black Colleges and Universities: Their Significance and Impact

With the fall semester well under way, the Michael & Susan Dell Center for Healthy Living (the Center) would like to take time to celebrate and acknowledge the tremendous impact and significance of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). The contributions made by HBCUs across the country, specifically in Texas, are immeasurable in terms of education and economy.
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Content Type: Blog
4 Tricks to Enjoy Your Treats

With Halloween right around the corner, many people are looking forward to having a traditional evening of trick-or-treating with friends and neighbors, while others are planning to have a quieter at-home celebration. Regardless of how you plan to spend your Halloween, the ultimate goal is to have a safe, fun holiday that does not involve a sugar hangover!
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Content Type: Blog
Getting to Know Center Faculty: Dr. Dale Mantey

Dr. Mantey began his work at UTHealth School of Public Health in Austin as a postdoctoral fellow and is now an Assistant Professor of Health Promotion and Behavioral Sciences in the Michael & Susan Dell Center for Healthy Living at the School of Public Health Austin Campus. His work centers around the health of adolescents, more specifically, the prevention of youth substance (tobacco and cannabis) use and abuse.
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Content Type: Blog
Hispanic Heritage Month: Discussing Hispanic vs. Latino vs. Latinx

As we continue to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month (HHM) through October 15, it is worth taking some time to discuss the language and demographic categories public health professionals use in their research. In this case, these terms include Hispanic, Latino, Latina, Latine, and Latinx.
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Content Type: Blog
Walk to School Day 2022

Wednesday, October 12, 2022 is Walk to School Day, an international event that takes place annually on the second Wednesday of October in which children and families from over 40 countries walk or bike to school on the same day.
Topic(s): Physical Activity School Health
Content Type: Blog
Indigenous Peoples' Day 2022

On Indigenous Peoples’ Day, we honor America’s first inhabitants and the Tribal Nations that continue to thrive today. The contributions that Indigenous peoples have made throughout history — in public service, business, education, science, and the arts, among other fields — are integral to our country, our culture, and our society. It is also a day to recognize that there were indigenous people here long before European settlers ever set foot in the Americas, and it is a day to honor that rich history.
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Content Type: Blog
Get to Know Keynote Speaker Dr. Angela Odoms-Young

This year for the Philip R. Nader Legacy of Health Lectureship, we are excited to introduce our keynote speaker, Dr. Angela Odoms-Young, Associate Professor and Director of the Food and Nutrition Education in Communities Program at Cornell University. Her research centers on understanding the social and structural determinants of dietary behaviors in low-income populations and black, indigenous, and people of color and identifying culturally appropriate programs and policies that promote health equity, food justice, and community resilience.
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Content Type: Blog
Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month: Manifest Cooler Weather with a Colombian ‘Aromática’

Community Health Education Specialist, Diana Guevara, MPH, RD, LD, shares a Colombian recipe for Hispanic Heritage Month.
Topic(s): Nourish
Content Type: Blog
Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month

Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated from September 15-October 15 each year in the United States to recognize the contributions and influence of Hispanic Americans to the history, culture, and achievements of the United States. Center staff member Alejandra Gonzalez shares what being Hispanic means to her, and local events to join in on the celebrations.
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Content Type: Blog
Teachers hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic

In the 2019-2020 school year, 4 million schoolteachers served approximately 60 million children in the United States. Historically, teachers have experienced lower wages, greater imbalances in effort and reward, unhealthy lifestyles, higher levels of food insecurity, greater work stress, and more signs of poor physical and mental well-being. However, since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, teachers have been subjected to a different level of financial crisis, exhaustion and burnout. As part of the Sharma Doctoral Fellowship, in partnership with Brighter Bites non-profit organization, two Sharma fellows, Fangyu Li and Nivi Parthasarathy, assessed the impact of social determinants of health on schoolteachers’ food insecurity and stress.
Topic(s): Brighter Bites Nutrition Health Policy
Content Type: Blog
August Healthy Summer Challenge: Why Sleep is Important

Sleep has always been one of the cornerstones of good health. Despite data showing the benefits of sleep, our Internet-connected world provides content around the clock, making it difficult for adults and children to get enough sleep. However, a recent study shows that the effects of lack of sleep might be more damaging than previously thought.
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Content Type: Blog
Lunch is in the Bag! (English)

Dr. Deanna Hoelscher spoke with Mas Mujer Austin about packing healthy lunch for kids for back to school.
Topic(s): Nutrition School Health Obesity
Content Type: Blog
August Healthy Summer Challenge

Each month this Summer, the Michael & Susan Dell Center for Healthy Living has been focusing on ways to stay healthy while school is out. In June, we shared nutritious challenges and healthy food substitutions for a balanced diet. In July, we challenged you to incorporate more physical activity into your day. For the month of August, we’re focusing on promoting good sleep habits and mental health with our Healthy Summer Challenge calendar. This is the perfect month to build healthy sleep habits before the school year begins, as good sleep is essential to good health!
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Content Type: Blog
Get to Know Center Faculty: Dr. Lindi Chuang

Dr. Ru-Jye (Lindi) Chuang is a Faculty Associate at the UTHealth School of Public Health in Houston and a member of the Michael & Susan Dell Center for Healthy Living. Her journey to public health began in Taiwan, where she grew up and majored in public health in college. Her true interest started when she did an internship with the Health Department at her hometown during her senior year of college.
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Content Type: Blog
July Healthy Summer Challenge: Stretching

This month for our Healthy Summer Challenge, we’re focusing on Physical Activity. Today’s challenge is “stretch with a friend.” Make sure to bring plenty of water to stay hydrated if you plan on stretching outside!
Topic(s): Physical Activity
Content Type: Blog
July Healthy Summer Challenge

This Summer, the Michael & Susan Dell Center for Healthy Living challenges you to complete fun activities with your kids to build healthy habits while school is out. Each month we’re focusing on a new set of challenges, and July’s focus is on physical activity.
Topic(s): Physical Activity Health Policy
Content Type: Blog
Association of masking policies with mask adherence and distancing during the SARS-COV-2 pandemic

Dr. Deanna Hoelscher, Raja Malkani, and Kathleen Manuel from the Michael & Susan Dell Center for Healthy Living collaborated on the Systematic Observation of Mask Adherence and Distancing (SOMAD) Project. Using the SOMAD protocol created by Kaiser Permanente, Studio Ludio, San Diego State University (ret), and RAND Corp, 16 faculty members and their students across the United States observed individuals in public spaces to determine the quantification of the impact of local masking policies to the SARS-COV-2 pandemic.
Topic(s): Health Policy
Content Type: Blog
June Healthy Summer Challenge Recipe

Today, for National Eat Your Veggies Day, we’re sharing a recipe from the “How Good Food Works from Seed to Plate” cookbook, authored by our very own Center faculty. This delicious kale and apple salad is perfect for hot days and getting those veggies in!
Topic(s): Obesity
Content Type: Blog
Get to Know Center Faculty: Dr. Andrew Springer

Dr. Andrew Springer is an associate professor in the Department of Health Promotion and Behavioral Sciences at the UTHealth School of Public Health in Austin and a member of the Michael & Susan Dell Center for Healthy Living. He has over 20 years of experience in designing, implementing, and evaluating child and adolescent health promotion programs. His research focuses on child and adolescent health promotion with a specific interest in social-ecological influences on health behavior in young people and participatory community health planning and evaluation methods.
Topic(s): Measurement Nutrition Health Policy Obesity
Content Type: Blog
June Healthy Summer Challenge

Summer break is finally here! We know that without the structure of school, it can be hard to keep healthy routines in place. Kids often spend more time in front of the screen, become less active, and choose unhealthy snacks throughout the day. Each month this summer, we’re advocating for creating healthier habits with our Healthy Summer Challenge calendars.
Topic(s): Nutrition
Content Type: Blog
Get to Know Center Post-Doctoral Fellow: Dr. Leigh Ann Ganzar

Dr. Leigh Ann Ganzar is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow with the STREETS project at the Michael & Susan Dell Center for Healthy Living, part of the UTHealth School of Public Health. The STREETS (Safe TRavel Environment Evaluation in Texas Schools) project evaluates the effect of the City of Austin Safe Routes to School infrastructure program on the physical activity of elementary school students.
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Content Type: Blog
Get to Know Center Faculty: Dr. Marcia Otto

Interviewing faculty can be a great way to get to know more about them! Learning more about faculty research and interests can be helpful to students forming their own interests and career goals. Dr. Marcia Otto is an assistant professor in the Department of Epidemiology, Human Genetics and Environmental Sciences.
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Content Type: Blog
Publication Spotlight: Exploring the Impact of Policies to Improve Geographic and Economic Access to Vegetables among Low-Income, Predominantly Latino Urban Residents: An Agent-Based Model

The publication “Exploring the Impact of Policies to Improve Geographic and Economic Access to Vegetables among Low-Income, Predominantly Latino Urban Residents: An Agent-Based Model” developed an agent-based model to simulate the food environment of Austin, Texas, USA, and tested the impact of different food access policies on vegetable consumption among low-income, predominantly Latino residents. The development of this agent-based model was led by former Center Faculty Member Dr. Deborah Salvo and Dr. Pablo Lemoine and contributed to by Center Faculty Drs. Alexandra van den Berg and Nalini Ranjit, post-doctoral fellow Dr. Katie Janda, and Center staff member Aida Nielsen.
Topic(s): Nutrition
Content Type: Blog
Interview with Dr. Edward Maibach

This year for the Michael & Susan Dell Center Lectureship in Child Health, we are very excited to introduce our keynote speaker, Dr. Edward Maibach. His extensive career as a public health professional has created significant changes in promoting public engagement about climate change.
Topic(s): Health Policy
Content Type: Blog
National Nutrition Month

National Nutrition Month® is an annual campaign created by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. During the month of March, everyone is invited to celebrate food and learn about healthful eating and physical activity habits. The theme this year is “Celebrate a world of flavors.” The theme emphasizes that all cultures have a place at the table.
Topic(s): Nutrition
Content Type: Blog
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