Healthy Kids, Healthy Communities
332 W. Commerce
San Antonio, Texas 78205
Phone: 210-207-2002
Fax: 210-207-6983
Supporting Community Action to Prevent Childhood Obesity in
San Antonio
Healthy Kids, Healthy Communities Project
San Antonio(click to view pdf file)
Healthy Kids, Healthy Communities is a national program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) whose primary goal is to implement healthy eating and active living initiatives that support healthier communities for children and families across the U.S. The program places special emphasis on reaching children who are at highest risk of obesity on the basis of income, race/ethnicity or geographic location. Healthy Kids, Healthy Communities supports a comprehensive, community-based approach that focuses on strategies—especially policy and environmental changes—to advance active living and healthy eating among children and their families.
In 2009, the San Antonio Metropolitan Health District (Metro Health) was selected to receive the Healthy Kids Healthy Communities grant. Metro Health convened a diverse network of partners, called the Healthy Kids Healthy Communities Partnership to plan and implement strategies to increase opportunities for physical activity and access to healthy foods for children and families. The HKHC Partnership will primarily focus their work within the boundaries of the Westside Development Corporation, a densely-populated area of the near west side of San Antonio, with a population of over 116,000 residents, nearly 96% of which are Hispanic. The HKHC Partnership includes the City of San Antonio’s Planning & Development Services and Parks & Recreation Departments; the Metropolitan Planning Organization; the University of Texas School of Public Health; VIA Metropolitan Transit; the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio – School of Nursing; the San Antonio Restaurant Association; the Health Collaborative; Texas Public Radio; and several community based organizations located within the target area. Working together, this partnership will focus their efforts on the following goals and tactics:
Goal 1: Develop Partnerships, Build Capacity, and Communicate with Local Stakeholders to Establish Support.
Goal 2: Expand shared use of schools and other public facilities in the target area for after-hours use for physical activity.
Goal 3: Implement the Complete Streets concept in the target area for new development and redevelopment projects.
Goal 4: Promote the voluntary adoption and implementation of a healthy menu Initiative by restaurants in the target area through incentives and technical support.
Goal 5: Promote the voluntary adoption and implementation of a healthy selections initiative by corner stores in the target area through incentives and technical support.
David Clear
Senior Management Analyst
Healthy Kids, Healthy Communities Program
San Antonio Metropolitan Health District
(210) 207-2002 . (210) 207.6983 (fax)
david.clear@sanantonio.gov
Project Target Area – Westside Development Corporation boundaries and description
The target area includes over 116,000 residents and 2 school districts, the San Antonio Independent School District (SAISD) and Edgewood Independent School District (EISD). The racial/ethnic composition of the area is 63% White, 2% African American, 35% other or multiple races, and 95% are identified as Hispanic. The target population is also young with 69% under the age of 45. As of 2000, 35% of the population had less than a ninth grade education and 58% did not have a high school diploma. This area has an estimated per capita income of $9,925, and a median household income of $25,160. In addition, 33% of the population was living below the poverty line as of 2000. The projected unemployment rate in 2007 was nearly 13%, with most of those employed working in blue-collar jobs.
In Bexar County, two-thirds of the population is overweight or obese, and the obesity rate continues to increase. According to Metro Health’s 2007 Health Profiles, of 47,844 clients enrolled in the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program, 11.3% of children were at risk for being overweight and 11.3% were overweight. As part of a Metro Health program, the body mass index (BMI) of SAISD students was collected in 2007. Of the 19,045 students measured, 29% had a BMI greater than the 95th-percentile. The Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS) survey administered at 8 local high schools in 2007 indicated that of 1,317 students, 19.1% were overweight and 20.2% were obese.
