While studies have demonstrated that men are important to maternal and child health, expectant fathers lack specific roles in pregnancy and childbirth. In this article from the September/October 2012 edition of Trends in Urology and Men's Health, Dr. Jermane Bond examines pathways to improve paternal involvement in childbirth and family health. Men and expectant fathers have until recently been excluded from pregnancy and childbirth. Retrospective studies have been largely reassuring that fathers play a vital role in child health and development; however, little is known regarding the role of the expectant father in pregnancy outcomes. Though, the little that we do know about paternal involvement and pregnancy outcomes suggests that paternal involvement can have a positive influence on maternal health behaviors during pregnancy.

Dr. Jermane Bond was commissioned to write the American Journal of Public Health’s “Editor’s Choice” for their October publication. The piece, “Pathways to Optimal Health: A Life Course Framework for Adolescents” discusses the life course perspective (LCP) as an ideal framework for understanding population-level health behaviors and maternal and child health. Glen H. Elder defined the LCP as “a pattern of socially defined, age graded events and roles that is subject to historical changes in culture and social structure.” (Elder GH. Children of the Great Depression: Social Change in Life Experience. 25th ed. Boulder, CO: Westview; 1999.) Dr. Bond believes that we should use the LCP to shape our health goals for adolescents, because the health-related behaviors that we instill in our children in early life can shape stable patterns of future well-being.

Summary: Information is limited about the knowledge, attitudes, expectations, and intentions of African American teens with respect to their reproductive health. For example, a relationship between contraceptive knowledge and contraceptive behavior remains in question. However, receiving sex education before (rather than after) teens become sexually active is known to be more effective.

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Date Published: February 2002
 

Early in 2004, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that obesity was rapidly moving to the top of the list of major causes of premature or preventable deaths. This fact is highlighted by statistics in this issue brief indicating that nearly two-thirds of U.S. adults can be classified as obese or overweight. People who are overweight or obese are at risk for any number of chronic conditions, including diabetes, stroke, heart disease, and hypertension. As is the case for many other adverse health conditions, African Americans and Latinos are much more likely than other Americans to be overweight or obese. There are steps that people can take, through weight loss and improved fitness, to reduce their chronic-disease risk. But the conditions in many low-income communities create barriers for residents who want to “do the right thing.” Streets may not be safe to walk or bike, and recreational facilities may be few and far between, making it difficult for residents to get the regular physical activity recommended by their health care providers. A paucity of grocery stores with healthy food options also prevents many families from pursuing low-fat or low-sodium diets. In addition, school cafeterias and vending machines, lacking nutritious food choices, can make it difficult for young people to avoid consuming excessive nutritionally empty calories. While individuals acting alone may not be able to overcome these barriers, as this brief explains, a community can take collective action to lower them. A collaboration between the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies and PolicyLink, this brief is one of four that outline strategies for achieving better health through community-focused solutions.

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To provide fuller detail on disparities in child health, the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies undertook an examination of how child health indicators vary by sociodemographic characteristics. Comparisons are made for the health indicators including low birthweight, health status, unmet dental care needs, ADHD/ADD diagnosis, lifetime asthma diagnosis, learning disability diagnosis, and activity limitation. The findings for Hispanic children and white children are provided in this brief.

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Given the recent national discourse on health care reform, Joint Center Senior Research Associate Wilhelmina Leigh and Research Assistant Anna Wheatley conducted a multi-variable analysis to identify and assess racial/ethnic differences among children on selected health outcomes, specifically, low birthweight, asthma, dental care, ADHD/ADD-LD and activity limitation and by sociodemographic characteristics of their families.

This report examines the child welfare system with respect to the ability of minority children to pursue positive life options, with a special emphasis on male children of color.

To provide fuller detail on disparities in child health, the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies analyzed selected child health indicators [low birthweight, health status (excellent, very good, good, fair, poor or unknown), unmet dental care needs, ADHD/ADD diagnosis, asthma diagnosis, learning disability diagnosis, and activity limitation] by sociodemographic characteristics of the families in which children reside. This brief examines disparities in diagnosing ADHD/ADD and learning disability among children under the age of 18 who are African American, Hispanic or white. Comparisons of the frequency with which diagnoses were received are made between the racial/ethnic groups of children overall and between children of various racial/ethnic groups in families with comparable sociodemographic characteristics (such as family type, educational attainment of householder, employment status of household, poverty status, and health insurance coverage). Hispanic children were found to be less likely than both white children and black children to have received a diagnosis of either condition, although interpreting the meaning of this disparity is complicated by the challenges associated with diagnosing neuro-behavioral conditions such as ADHD/ADD and learning disability.

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To provide fuller detail on disparities in child health, the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies analyzed selected child health indicators [low birthweight, health status (excellent, very good, good, fair, poor or unknown), unmet dental care needs, ADHD/ADD diagnosis, asthma diagnosis, learning disability diagnosis, and activity limitation] by sociodemographic characteristics of the families in which children reside. This brief examines disparities in the reporting of unmet dental care needs (due to cost) during the past 12 months among children under the age of 18 who are African American, Hispanic or white. Comparisons of unmet dental care needs are made between the racial/ethnic groups of children overall and between children of various racial/ethnic groups in families with comparable sociodemographic characteristics (such as family type, educational attainment of householder, employment status of household, poverty status, and health insurance coverage). Hispanic children are most likely to report unmet dental care needs due to cost.

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To provide fuller detail on disparities in child health, the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies undertook an examination of how selected child health indicators (low birthweight, health status (excellent, very good, good, fair, poor or unknown), unmet dental care needs, ADHD/ADD diagnosis, asthma diagnosis, learning disability diagnosis, and activity limitation) vary by sociodemographic characteristics. This brief examines disparities in the prevalence of a lifetime asthma diagnosis among children under the age of 18 who are African American, Hispanic or white. Comparisons of asthma frequency are made between the racial/ethnic groups of children overall and between children of various racial/ethnic groups in families with comparable sociodemographic characteristics (such as family type, educational attainment of householder, employment status of household, poverty status, and health insurance coverage).

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