EDINBURG, Texas (ValleyCentral) — The UTRGV Edinburg campus will host a two-day health fair for pre-K children on Thursday and Friday.
According to UTRGV’s news release, the goal of the health fair is to help make an early impact on the nutrition, fitness and hygiene habits of children.
The South Texas Early Prevention Studies (STEPS) research group from the UTRGV College of Health Affairs invites 750 PSJA ISD pre-K students to participate in the health fair as part of a curriculum focused on obesity reduction.
Zasha Romero, co-principal investigator of the STEPS program, said this is a critical need, as children from the upper Valley are growing up in what has been ranked “the most overweight and obese city in America.” The word “city” in this study refers to the McAllen, Edinburg, Mission area and includes Pharr-San Juan-Alamo.
The students will be split up over two days, with half attending on Thursday, March 9, and the other half on Friday, March 10.
See the schedule for the two days.
Romero said it is the first health fair the program has hosted since a pilot study was held with 80 students seven years ago.
Romero added they plan to keep doing this health fair with other school districts.
The health fair will take place between 9:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. at the UTRGV Health and Physical Education II Building, Gym 118 and the track and field located at 1201 W. University Dr. in Edinburg.
For more information, contact South Texas Early Prevention Studies at elizabeth.alanis@utrgv.edu or (956) 665-2127.
