Dr. Norma Olvera Selected As Grant Recipient

Dr. Norma Olvera, ¡Salud, familia! board member and associate professor for the University of Houston Department of Health and Human Performance, was awarded a $75,000 grant from Salud America!, a national program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.  Olvera was one of twenty recipients chosen nationwide to conduct research on reducing and preventing obesity among Latino youths. Specifically, she will investigate the efficacy of two community-based exercise programs—BOUNCE and ReBOUNCE—for physical activity and weight control among Latina mothers and their “tween” daughters in Houston.

“These researchers will work closely with Latino populations to make a meaningful impact on policy and environmental changes that can help reverse childhood obesity,” said Dr. Amelie Ramirez, director of Salud America! and the Institute for Health Promotion Research (IHPR) at the Health Science Center. “This is critical work given the alarming prevalence of obesity among Latino children and adolescents.”

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) established Salud America! in 2007 with a five-year, $5.2-million grant to bridge this research gap. The program also aims to increase the number of researchers seeking policy and environmental solutions to childhood obesity among Latinos.

“There must be real urgency in addressing the obesity epidemic among Latino children, who are part of the largest, youngest and fastest-growing minority group in the United States,” said James S. Marks, RWJF senior vice president and health group director. “This new research will inform our work and accelerate the momentum needed for Latino children to lead healthier lives.” For more information, visit http://www.salud-america.org.