MCH Alert


Maternal and Child Health Library

This and past issues of the MCH Alert are available at http://www.mchlibrary.info/alert/archives.html.


May 4, 2007

1. Issue Briefs Demonstrate Women’s Unmet Health Coverage Needs
2. Fact Sheet Focuses on Medicaid and SCHIP Eligibility Policies Affecting Older Adolescents
3. Program Launched to Help Families and Communities Prevent Overweight and Improve Children's Health
4. Article Investigates Reasons for Unprotected Intercourse

************************************************************

1. ISSUE BRIEFS DEMONSTRATE WOMEN’S UNMET HEALTH COVERAGE NEEDS

Women and Health Coverage: The Affordability Gap examines the unique difficulties women encounter in obtaining and paying for health care. The issue brief, jointly authored by the Commonwealth Fund and the National Women's Law Center, cites data taken mainly from three surveys: the Annual Social and Economic Supplement to the Current Population Survey, 2005; the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, 2004; and the Commonwealth Fund Biennial Health Insurance Survey, 2005. Figures depicting key data and findings, along with a discussion of coverage patterns and the difficulties women face in affording health services, are presented. The brief is available at http://www.nwlc.org/pdf/1020_Patchias_women_hlt_coverage_affordability_gap.pdf.

Women and Health Coverage: A Framework for Moving Forward, a companion issue brief from the National Women's Law Center, describes and analyzes a range of health-coverage-expansion proposals for their effect on coverage generally and for their specific effects on women. Topics include employer-sponsored health insurance, the individual insurance market, public programs, and universal coverage. A conclusion is also presented. The brief is available at
http://www.nwlc.org/pdf/NWLCHealthInsuranceIssueBrief2007.pdf.


************************************************************

2. FACT SHEET FOCUSES ON MEDICAID AND SCHIP ELIGIBILITY POLICIES AFFECTING OLDER ADOLESCENTS

The Public Health Insurance Cliff for Older Adolescents reviews the mandatory and optional pathways for extending Medicaid or State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) eligibility to older adolescents (ages 19 and 20) and presents information on states that adopted each option. The 12-page fact sheet was published by Incenter Strategies, an affiliate of the Maternal and Child Health Policy Research Center. The fact sheet draws on published reports, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Web site, a review of state plan documents, and communications with state Medicaid and SCHIP agency staff. Eligibility policies under which older adolescents can be targeted specifically, as well as policies under which they can be covered as part of a larger group by virtue of their family circumstances or health status, are discussed. Two tables display 2006 data on states' Medicaid and SCHIP income-eligibility levels for adolescents (ages 12-20) as a percentage of poverty and on states' use of Medicaid options for expanding eligibility to special groups of older adolescents (ages 19 and 20). Conclusions are also provided. The fact sheet is available at http://www.incenterstrategies.org/jan07/factsheet4.pdf.



************************************************************

3. PROGRAM LAUNCHED TO HELP FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIES PREVENT OVERWEIGHT AND IMPROVE CHILDREN'S HEALTH

Ways to Enhance Children's Activity and Nutrition (We Can!) is a national program designed for families and communities to help children achieve a healthy weight. The program is a component of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute's (NHLBI) Obesity Education Initiative and was developed by NHLBI in collaboration with the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, and National Cancer Institute. We Can! provides families and communities with a variety of resources and materials focused on three behaviors: improved food choices, increased physical activity, and reduced screen time. Selected materials include a community toolkit, a parent handbook, posters, print ads, and wristbands. More information, including a streaming video that highlights the importance of preventing overweight and a list of We Can! community sites, is available at http://wecan.nhlbi.nih.gov.

************************************************************

4. ARTICLE INVESTIGATES REASONS FOR UNPROTECTED INTERCOURSE

"This study provides important insight into reasons for unprotected intercourse leading to an unintended pregnancy," state the authors of an article published in the May 2007 issue of Contraception. Intercourse without contraception is common in the United States, even among women who wish to avoid pregnancy. To investigate issues relevant to developing effective interventions that prevent unprotected intercourse that places women at risk for an unintended pregnancy, the authors of this article analyzed information from the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System phase 4, administered in 2000-2002. The primary aims of this research were to (1) identify the reasons given by women for having unprotected intercourse and (2) evaluate whether women typically had single or multiple reasons for having unprotected intercourse.

The study population consisted of 7,856 women who reported unintended pregnancies and who were not using a method of pregnancy prevention. Women were asked to think back to the time before they became pregnant and to describe how they felt about becoming pregnant. Women with unintended pregnancies were then asked if they were "doing anything to keep from getting pregnant," and then "what were your or your husband's or partner's reasons for not doing anything to keep from getting pregnant?" Women were also asked to give one of the following reasons for having unprotected intercourse: (1) I did not mind if I got pregnant, (2) I thought I could not get pregnant at that time, (3) I had side effects from the birth control method I was using, (4) I had problems getting birth control when I needed it, (5) I thought my husband or partner or I was sterile, (6) my partner did not want to use anything, or (7) other.

The authors found that

The authors conclude that "the results show a need to raise awareness of pregnancy risk and to explore the concept of intendedness."

Nettleman MD, Chung H, Brewer J, et al. 2007. Reasons for unprotected intercourse: Analysis of the PRAMS survey. Contraception 75(5):361-366. Abstract available at http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6T5P-4N7RDCV-1&_user=10&_coverDate=05%2F31%2F2007&_alid=571426500&_rdoc=1&_fmt=summary&_orig=search&
_cdi=5008&_sort=d&_docanchor=&view=c&_ct=3&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_
userid=10&md5=c4ba23ca9e4ea6aa57dd28ae552b8b5b.

************************************************************

To subscribe to MCH Alert, send an e-mail message to MCHAlert-request@list.ncemch.org with SUBSCRIBE in the subject line. You do not need to enter any text in the body of the message.

To unsubscribe from MCH Alert, send an e-mail message to MCHAlert-request@list.ncemch.org with UNSUBSCRIBE in the subject line. You do not need to enter any text in the body of the message.

************************************************************

MCH Alert © 1998-2007 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.
 
Permission is given to forward MCH Alert, in its entirety, to others. For all other uses, requests for permission to duplicate and use all or part of the information contained in this publication should be sent to mchalert@ncemch.org.

The editors welcome your submissions, suggestions, and questions. Please contact us at the address below.

MANAGING EDITOR: Jolene Bertness
CO-EDITOR: Tracy Lopez
COPYEDITOR/WRITER: Ruth Barzel
LIST ADMINISTRATOR: Beth DeFrancis Sun

MCH Alert
Maternal and Child Health Library
Georgetown University
Box 571272
Washington, DC 20057-1272
Phone: (202) 784-9770
Fax: (202) 784-9777
E-mail: mchalert@ncemch.org
Web site: http://www.mchlibrary.info/alert/default.html

************************************************************