National Center for Education in Maternal and Child Health
Search past issues of the MCH Alert at http://mchlibrary.info/search/default.htm
April 25, 2003
1. New Resources Available for Head Start Oral Health Programs
2. Publication Series to Help Support State and Local Prevention Efforts Is Released
4. Bullying Is Associated with Other Violent Behaviors, Study Suggests
************************************************************
1. NEW RESOURCES AVAILABLE FOR HEAD START ORAL HEALTH PROGRAMS
Head Start: An Opportunity to Improve the Oral Health of Children and Families discusses Head Start programs' potential role in providing participants with access to oral health services, including education, screenings, and examinations. This fact sheet, produced by the National Maternal and Child Oral Health Resource Center (OHRC) in collaboration with the Association of State and Territorial Dental Directors and the Maternal and Child Health Bureau, includes a profile of current Head Start participants, describes their access to oral health services and their oral health status, and outlines promising strategies. The fact sheet is intended for use by policymakers, researchers, health professionals, and others interested in improving children's oral health and is available at http://www.mchoralhealth.org/PDFs/HSOHFactSheet.pdf.
OHRC has also produced two oral health tip sheets to help Head Start staff ensure that pregnant women, infants, and children (including children with special health care needs) enrolled in Head Start receive oral health care. The tip sheets outline strategies to comply with Head Start Program Performance Standards involving an ongoing source of continuous, accessible care; the recommended schedule of preventive and primary care visits; family partnerships; education; and community partnerships. Print and organizational resources are provided. The Oral Health Tip Sheet for Head Start Staff: Working with Health Professionals to Improve Access to Oral Health Care is available at http://www.mchoralhealth.org/PDFs/HSOHTipPro.pdf. The Oral Health Tip Sheet for Head Start Staff: Working with Parents to Improve Access to Oral Health Care is available at http://www.mchoralhealth.org/PDFs/HSOHTipParent.pdf.
************************************************************
2. PUBLICATION SERIES TO HELP SUPPORT STATE AND LOCAL PREVENTION EFFORTS IS RELEASED
Steps to a Healthier US: A Program and Policy Perspective (Prevention Portfolio) is a series of three publications designed for use by community leaders, policymakers, and health officials in their efforts to make their communities healthier. The portfolio was developed as part of a department wide effort by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to support the president's HealthierUS initiative. The series includes the following items:
Further information about Steps to a HealthierUS is available at http://www.HealthierUS.gov/steps.
************************************************************
3. SERVICES FOR CHILDREN WITH SERIOUS MENTAL DISORDERS GIVEN LOW PRIORITY BY MEDICAID MENTAL HEALTH SYSTEMS, REPORT FINDS
No One's Priority: The Plight of Children with Serious Mental Disorders in Medicaid Systems examines parents' experiences in attempting to access mental health services for their Medicaid-eligible children. Building on their previous report on the expansion of child mental health services in state Medicaid plans, the Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law examined whether Medicaid-eligible children in two states (Oregon and New York) were, in fact, receiving an expanded range of mental health services in their communities. The report includes an overview, services listed in each state's Medicaid plan, parent reports, implications for public policy, recommendations, and a conclusion. The report is available at http://www.bazelon.org/issues/children/publications/focusgroups/index.htm.
************************************************************
4. BULLYING IS ASSOCIATED WITH OTHER VIOLENT BEHAVIORS, STUDY SUGGESTS
"In this study, a strong and consistent relationship between bullying and involvement in violent behaviors was observed," state the authors of an article published in the April 2003 issue of the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine. By definition, an act of bullying involves an intention to harm and a power differential between the bully and the target. The authors note that although the abusive nature of bullying, which indicates a lack of regard for others, may be an important risk factor for the perpetration of more serious violent behavior, little research has addressed this issue. The study described in this article determined the extent to which bullying and being bullied are associated with violence-related behaviors. The following four violence-related behaviors were selected for inclusion in the study: (1) weapon carrying, (2) weapon carrying at school, (3) frequent fighting, and (4) being injured in a fight.
This study made use of the World Health Organization's Health Behavior of School-Aged Children survey. A national sample of 15,686 students in grades 6-10 completed the survey in 1998. Respondents answered questions on bullying, weapon carrying, frequent fighting, and fighting injuries.
The authors found that
The authors conclude that "findings from this study indicate that . . . the association [between bullying and violence-related behaviors] is strongest not for the targets of bullying, but rather for the bullies themselves." They add that "programs designed to reduce violent behaviors should address less severe forms of aggressive behavior, particularly bullying."
Nansel TR, Overpeck MD, Haynie DL, et al. 2003. Relationship between bullying and violence among US youth. Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine 157(4):348-353.
************************************************************
5. ARTICLE PRESENTS FINDINGS ON THE HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE OF SEVERELY OBESE CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS
Obese children and adolescents "were more likely to have impaired health-related QOL [quality of life] than healthy children and adolescents and were similar to children and adolescents diagnosed as having cancer," state the authors of an article published in the April 9, 2003, issue of JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association. This article presents results of a study comparing the health-related QOL of severely obese children and adolescents ages 5 to 18 (mean body mass index of 34.7) with that of healthy children and adolescents and with that of children diagnosed as having cancer who were receiving chemotherapy.
Children and adolescents who were newly referred to a pediatric gastroenterology or nutrition clinic at Children's Hospital and Health Center in San Diego, CA, for the evaluation of obesity between January and June 2002 were recruited for the study. The primary comparison group was recruited from private practice pediatrician offices and community health clinics. The secondary comparison group was recruited from two large children's hospitals. A QOL inventory was self-administered for parents and for children and adolescents ages 8 to 18 and administered by an interviewer for children ages 5 to 7. A total of 106 children and adolescents who completed a QOL inventory were included in the analysis.
The authors found that
The authors conclude that a comprehensive evaluation of an intervention to treat obesity in children and adolescents should include not only the effects of the intervention on weight status but also an assessment of health-related QOL before, during, and after the intervention.
Schwimmer JB, Burwinkle TM, Varni JW. 2003. Health-related quality of life of severely obese children and adolescents. JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association 289(14):1813-1818.
Readers: For more information on obesity and children and adolescents, see the Bright Futures Web site at http://www.brightfutures.org/nutrition/about.html and http://www.brightfutures.org/physicalactivity/about.html. Also see the MCH Library knowledge paths on Child and Adolescent Nutrition at http://www.mchlibrary.info/KnowledgePaths/kp_childnutr.html and Physical Activity and Children and Adolescents at http://www.mchlibrary.info/KnowledgePaths/kp_phys_activity.html.
************************************************************
To subscribe to the MCH Alert, send an e-mail message to mchalert@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 the MCH Alert, send an e-mail message to mchalert@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 © 2003 by National Center for Education in Maternal and Child Health and Georgetown University. MCH Alert is produced by MCH Library Services at the National Center for Education in Maternal and Child Health under its cooperative agreement (6U02 MC 00001) 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 to individual colleagues. 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 MCH Alert Editor, National Center for Education in Maternal and Child Health, at mchalert@ncemch.org.
The editors welcome your submissions, suggestions, and questions. Please contact us at the address below.
EDITORS: Jolene Bertness, Tracy Lopez
COPYEDITOR: Ruth Barzel
National Center for Education in Maternal and Child Health
Georgetown University
Mailing address: Box 571272, Washington, DC 20057-1272
Street address: 2115 Wisconsin Avenue, N.W., Suite 601, Washington,
DC 20007-2292
Phone: (202) 784-9770
Fax: (202) 784-9777
E-mail: mchalert@ncemch.org
Web site: <http://www.ncemch.org>
************************************************************