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AJPH NEWS Release

EMBARGOED UNTIL August 27, 2002, 4:00 PM (ET)
CONTACT: For copies of articles, call Natalie Raynor, (202) 777-2511

All articles are online at www.ajph.org

American Journal of Public Health: September 2002 Highlights

• Welfare reform has widespread health implications, especially for women and children
• American Indians/Alaska Natives still struggle with health disparities
• Suicide an increased risk for young widowers
• Improving indoor environments would boost health of 15 million U.S. workers
• Sugary drinks may contribute to childhood obesity

The articles highlighted below appear in the September 2002 issue of the American Journal of Public Health, the Journal of the American Public Health Association.

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Welfare reform has widespread health implications, especially for women and children.
As Congress plans to reauthorize welfare reform legislation this year, public health researchers urge caution because the health of low-income mothers and their children may be at stake. In particular, work requirements may be unfair to women struggling with health concerns. Women in bad health are more likely to need public assistance and less likely to be able to hold down a full-time job, according to a recent study of 504 low-income mothers in San Antonio, Texas, who had children with specific chronic illnesses. Low-income mothers who had never received public assistance had better physical and mental health as well as significantly lower rates of domestic violence and substance abuse than those currently or previously receiving welfare benefits. The worst health problems were reported among those women who applied for welfare but were denied. "Policy makers must recognize that social policies promoting employment will fail if they do not address the health needs of poor women and children." Several other studies in this month's AJPH also address the impact of welfare reform on women and children's health.
[From: "Welfare to Work? Impact of Maternal Health on Employment." Contact: Diana Romero, PhD, MA, Columbia University, drr6{at}columbia.edu.]

American Indians/Alaska Natives still struggling with health disparities
Diabetes is a major public health problem among young American Indians and Alaska Natives. According to a study of Indian Health Service data, the total number of young American Indians and Alaska Natives diagnosed with diabetes rose 71 percent from 1990-1998. Prevalence of the disease increased dramatically especially among adolescents and among young men. Diabetes in the young U.S. population increased at a lesser rate during the same time period. In a separate study, researchers found disturbing disparities between American Indians/Alaska Natives and Whites in receipt of adequate prenatal care and occurrence of infant death. These disparities were especially notable among rural American Indians and Alaska Natives. Two editorials written from a personal perspective by American Indians also touch on the health problems unique to the American Indian/Alaska Native population.
[From: Trends in Diabetes Prevalence Among American Indian and Alaska Native Children, Adolescents, and Young Adults." Contact: Nilka Rios Burrows, Atlanta, Ga, nrios{at}cdc.gov. Also from: "Perinatal and Infant Health Among Rural and Urban American Indians/Alaska Natives." Contact: Laura-Mae Baldwin, MD, MPH, University of Washington, lmb{at}u.washington.edu.]

Suicide an increased risk for young widowers
Young widowers are at especially high risk for suicide, according to a new study. While suicide has long been a known risk for both women and men whose spouses die, the new study showed that white men age 20-34 were 17 times more likely to kill themselves, and black men in that age group were nine times more likely than married counterparts to take their own lives than the general population. In comparing suicide rates, young widows are also more likely to die by suicide than older widows, according to the study of U.S. mortality data collected from 1991-1996. Suicide is a serious public health problem and was among the top 10 causes of death in industrialized countries in 1990. The study's authors urge prevention efforts aimed at young widowers and widows. "The high risk for suicidal behavior in this easily identified group represents a unique opportunity for prevention."
[From: "Suicide and Marital Status in the United States, 1991-1996: Is Widowhood a Risk Factor?" Contact: Jane Pearson, PhD, National Institute of Mental Health, jp36u{at}nih.gov.]

Improving indoor environments would boost health of 15 million U.S. workers
Millions of U.S. workers who spend their days inside could reap health benefits under a broad research and prevention strategy aimed at improving indoor air quality. A group of researchers convened in 1996 by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health studied indoor work environments nationwide. They found an alarming lack of data on what causes building-related illnesses and how to reduce those illnesses. Among the needs: building standards that focus not only on structural safety but also on a healthy work environment for those who spend hours inside each day; more study of how workers spread diseases inside their offices; and specific prevention strategies. The study's authors estimate that each year up to 8 million communicable respiratory infections could be prevented, asthma exacerbations could be eliminated by up to 15 percent and all workers could enjoy an up to 50 percent reduction in "nonspecific building-related symptoms" such as allergies. Indoor workers in the United States suffer about 55 millions cases of cold and flu each year with estimated annual costs of $33 billion. "If practical changes in indoor work environments could reduce transmission of these respiratory illnesses even slightly, public health and economic benefits would be substantial." Almost 70 percent of U.S. workers, or 89 million people, work in nonindustrial, nonagricultural indoor settings.
[From: "Improving the Health of Workers in Indoor Environments: Priority Research Needs for a National Occupational Research Agenda." Contact: Mark J. Mendell, PhD, MPH, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, mjmendell@lbl.gov.]

Sugary drinks may contribute to childhood obesity
Sweetened beverages are a nutritional low point in many children's diets, and the more sugary drinks a child consumes, the more likely that child is to eat an unhealthy diet that could contribute to overweight and obesity. A study of 505 children in grades four through six found that the average child's daily fluid intake included more than 51 percent of sweetened beverages. Children whose parents had a high school education or less were likely to drink higher amounts of soft drinks and sweetened beverages than those whose parents had more education. Kids in the study who drank the most soft drinks and sweetened fruit drinks ate more high-fat vegetables and fewer fruits than their peers. Researchers believe this is the first study to look at the relationship between sweetened beverage consumption and food intake. "This warrants further research...because of the obesity problem and chronic disease risks."
[From: : Intake of Soft Drinks, Fruit-Flavored Beverages, and Fruits and Vegetables by Children in Grades 4 Through 6." Contact: Karen Weber Cullen, DrPH, RD, LD, Baylor College of Medicine, kcullen{at}bcm.tmc.edu.]

The American Journal of Public Health is the monthly Journal of the American Public Health Association, the oldest and largest organization of public health professionals in the world and the foremost publisher of public health-related books and periodicals promoting high scientific standards, action programs and policy for good health. The Journal is online at www.ajph.org.

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