MCH Alert


Maternal and Child Health Library

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March 2, 2007

1. Fact Sheets on Unintentional Injury and Violence Among Adolescents and Young Adults Updated
2. Special Report on Breastfeeding Released
3. Report Raises Awareness and Examines the Impact of the Sexualization of Girls
4. Journal Publishes New Research on Public Health Financing
5. Article Provides Analysis of State Hearing Screening Rates

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1. FACT SHEETS ON UNINTENTIONAL INJURY AND VIOLENCE AMONG ADOLESCENTS AND YOUNG ADULTS UPDATED

The National Adolescent Health Information Center (NAHIC) has released two updated fact sheets containing the most recent available data on unintentional injury and violence among adolescents and young adults (ages 10-24). The 2007 fact sheets, produced with support from the Maternal and Child Health Bureau, highlight key findings and present data (in color-coded figures and text) by age, gender, type, and race and ethnicity. Information about the data sources and other notes are also included. The 2007 Fact Sheet on Unintentional Injury: Adolescents & Young Adults is available at http://nahic.ucsf.edu/download.php?f=/downloads/UnintInjury.pdf; the 2007 Fact Sheet on Violence: Adolescents & Young Adults is available at
http://nahic.ucsf.edu/download.php?f=/downloads/Violence.pdf. A list of other NAHIC-produced briefs and fact sheets is available at http://nahic.ucsf.edu/index.php/data/article/briefs_fact_sheets.

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2. SPECIAL REPORT ON BREASTFEEDING RELEASED

The supplement to the January-February 2007 issue of Obstetrics and Gynecology contains a special report on breastfeeding guidelines. The report, titled Breastfeeding: Maternal and Infant Aspects, was developed by the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG) Committee on Health Care for Underserved Women and the ACOG Committee on Obstetric Practice to support clinical care for women and to foster change in the public environment that will support breastfeeding. Topics include
Other topics of discussion include the following: (1) research on established and potential protective effects of human milk and breastfeeding on infants, (2) hospital practices to encourage and support breastfeeding, (3) breast cancer detection, and (4) emerging issues (environmental toxins, milk banks). A conclusion and references are also provided.

The report is intended for use by health professionals to ensure that women have the correct information to make an informed decision and to ensure that each woman has the help and support necessary to breastfeed successfully. The report is available at http://www.breastfeedingtaskforla.org/ACOG%20statement%20on%20BF.pdf.

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3. REPORT RAISES AWARENESS AND EXAMINES THE IMPACT OF THE SEXUALIZATION OF GIRLS

Report of the APA Task Force on the Sexualization of Girls examines and summarizes psychological theory, research, and clinical experience addressing the sexualization of girls. For the purposes of the report, sexualization occurs when one or more of the following conditions is present: (1) a person’s value comes only from his or her sexual appeal or behavior, to the exclusion of other characteristics; (2) a person is held to a standard that equates physical attractiveness (narrowly defined) with being sexy; (3) a person is sexually objectified -- that is, made into a thing for others’ sexual use, rather than seen as a person with the capacity for independent action and decision-making; (4) a sexuality is inappropriately imposed upon a person. The authors of the report, published by the American Psychological Association, address how the prevalence and effects of sexualization may vary among girls from different ethnic, socioeconomic, religious, and family backgrounds, as well as among girls of different sexual orientations. They discuss (1) examples of sexualization in society and in cultural institutions, as well as interpersonally and intrapsychically; (2) evidence suggesting that sexualization has negative consequences for girls and for the rest of society; and (3) positive alternatives that may help counteract the influence of sexualization. Recommendations for research, practice, education, training, policy, and public awareness are presented. The report concludes with a list of references and media-literacy resources.  An executive summary is available at http://www.apa.org/pi/wpo/sexualization_report_summary.pdf. The full report is available at http://www.apa.org/pi/wpo/sexualizationrep.pdf.

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4. JOURNAL PUBLISHES NEW RESEARCH ON PUBLIC HEALTH FINANCING

The March-April 2007 issue of the Journal of Public Health Management and Practice is dedicated to public health financing topics. The special journal issue was published with support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and is one of several initiatives the foundation has undertaken to help build the field of public health systems research. Selected topics addressed by contributors to the issue include (1) how theories and concepts from related fields are applied to the practice of public health and used to advance the public health finance agenda; (2) the benefits of a strong public health system and how inadequate support continues to undermine the ability to meet needs, reduce disparities, and respond to emergencies; (3) an overview of the financial impact of Hurricane Katrina on the City of New Orleans Health Department and implications for future funding mechanisms; (4) an examination of state and local budgeting patterns to document financing trends at the federal and state levels; (5) a proposed framework for identifying funding opportunities based on current federal allocation strategies; and (6) how the breakdown of appropriation dollars may conflict with established public health frameworks, such as the 10 Essential Services. The issue is available at http://www.jphmp.com/pt/re/jphmp/currenttoc.htm;jsessionid=Fb5PnyyGJPLf3khhD20PwkP1GZL8cLHsfWVX2LpwWylyCmyvvXzW!2089961419!-949856144!8091!-1.

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5. ARTICLE PROVIDES ANALYSIS OF STATE HEARING SCREENING RATES

"Although the gap in screening rates has diminished among states without legislation or non-mandatory legislation when compared with those having mandates, states without mandates remain less likely to achieve the benchmark that 95% of all newborns be screened for hearing loss before 1 month of age," state the authors of an article published in the March-April 2007 issues of Public Health Reports. During the 20th century, state and federal legislation proved to be an important component in many public health achievements. Newborn hearing screening initially became a focus of state legislation beginning in the 1970s,with legislation targeted at high-risk populations. More recently, state legislation requiring the screening of most infants has been enacted. The primary objective of the study described in this article was to determine whether states with universal newborn hearing screening (UNHS) legislation screened a higher percentage of infants for hearing loss than states without UNHS legislation.

The authors obtained estimated state hearing screening data for calendar years 2000 through 2003 from state hearing screening programs. States were classified into one of three categories for each year from 2000 to 2003: (1) implemented legislation, (2) partial legislation (states in which legislation had been passed but not yet implemented), and (3) no legislation.

The authors found that
The authors conclude that "while other factors undoubtedly affect how many infants are screened, legislation is a tool that could help to raise the national screening level to the 95% screening target."

Green DR, Gaffney M, Devine O, et al. 2007. Determining the effect of newborn hearing screening on legislation: An analysis of state hearing screening rates. Public Health Reports 122(2):198-205. Available at http://www.publichealthreports.org/userfiles/122_2/11_PHR122-2_198-205.pdf.

Readers: More information is available from the MCH Library's knowledge path, Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic, and Treatment (EPSDT) Services, at http://www.mchlibrary.info/KnowledgePaths/kp_EPSDT.html and from the bibliography, Neonatal Screening, at http://www.mchlibrary.info/action.lasso?-database=Biblio&-layout=Web&-response=/databases/BibLists/bib_neoscrn.html&-MaxRecords=all&-DoScript=auto_search_neoscrn&-search.

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MCH Alert © 1998-2006 by National Center for Education in Maternal and Child Health and Georgetown University. MCH Alert is produced by Maternal and Child Health Library at the National Center for Education in Maternal and Child Health under its cooperative agreement (U02MC00001) with the Maternal and Child Health Bureau, Health Resources and Services Administration, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Maternal and Child Health Bureau reserves a royalty-free, nonexclusive, and irrevocable right to use the work for federal purposes and to authorize others to use the work for federal purposes.
 
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