A roundup of recent newspaper stories about children's health...
Monday, Dec. 17, 2007:
Parents
See Their Own Behaviors in Kids' Diagnoses
The number of children diagnosed with some sort of disorder,
from bipolar to depression to autism, has tripled since the early 1990s,
experts say, and many parents are beginning to see their own behaviors
reflected in their child's disorder. Psychiatric disorders and developmental
problems run in families, researchers say, but may not be diagnosed until
more pronounced symptoms are seen in children. (NY Times, 12/9/07, by
Carey)
Study:
Boys Increasingly Concerned About Body Image
In 2005, 27 percent of teenage boys reported dieting, and
5 percent of teenage boys used diet products, according to a nationwide
study conducted by Wesleyan University . This is a 16 percent and 2 percent
increase, respectively, from data collected in 1995, and experts say the
findings indicate that boys are increasingly concerned about body image.
(Reuters, 12/7/07, by Hendry)
Study: High School Athletes Less Likely to Smoke
A study from the Abramson Cancer Center of the University of
Pennsylvania has found that students who participate in high school athletics
are 18 percent less likely to smoke than students not involved in sports.
The study also found that the effect can last up to three years after
graduation. (Science Daily, 12/10/07)
Student
Ethnicities Not Mirrored by Administrators in County
This San Jose Mercury News cover story addresses the racial disparity
between public school administrators and the population of students they
serve. For example, in the Santa Clara Unified School District, Latinos,
Asians, and African Americans make up two-thirds of the student body,
but only 13 percent of principals and vice principals. (SJ Mercury, 12/7/07,
by Mangaliman and Swift)
Mentors
Play a Preventive Role in Children's Lives
Mentors give a child a role model, which can play a preventive
role for children living in neighborhoods riddled with drugs and violence,
experts say. With about 400 East Bay children on the waiting list for
a Big Brother or Big Sister, the program has a shortage of volunteers.
(SF Chronicle, 12/10/07, by May)
Childhood
Obesity Leads to Adult Obesity, Studies Show
This Time Magazine article notes the lifelong effects of childhood
obesity. According to two studies recently published in the New England
Journal of Medicine, by the year 2020 as many as 44 percent of 35-year-old
American women and 37 percent of 35-year-old men will be obese. (Time.com,
12/6/07, by Sharples)
Study: Teens Using Fewer Illicit Drugs but More Prescription Drugs
Rates of illicit drug use among eighth-, 10 th - and 12 th -graders
have declined by 11 percent, 10 percent, and 6 percent, respectively,
over the last decade, according to a study released by the White House
and the U.S. National Institute on Drug Abuse. The study also found that
rates of prescription drug abuse have increased slightly among the same
age groups. (AP, 12/11/07, by Reichmann)
Poll:
Parents Don't See Their Children as Obese
Fewer than 10 percent of parents with obese children are concerned
about their child's weight, according to The National Poll on Children's
Health conducted by the C.S. Mott Children's Hospital at the University
of Michigan. Researchers said parents' indifference may mean they don't
modify a child's diet or activity-level, which can be harmful to their
health. (UPI, 12/11/07)
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