Child well-being slumps along with US economy: report

WASHINGTON (AFP) — The recession has put US children at greater risk of everything from obesity, as parents substitute cheap fast food for healthy meals; to poverty, as adults lose jobs; to crime and instability, a report has found.

"We are in a period where, at least in economic well-being, we may be back where we were in 1975," Ruby Takanishi, head of the Foundation for Child Development which funded the 2009 Child Well-Being Index, told reporters at the launch of the report Wednesday in Washington.

The index, which uses US government data to assess how American children are doing in areas ranging from health to community-connectedness, shows that the welfare of US children began to decline last year as the country plunged into recession, and projected it would continue its downward slide.

"As the impact of the current recession reverberates through parents' employment and income patterns in families, as people are forced to move, lose their houses or otherwise have severe economic restrictions on what they can do, there will be impacts on child well-being," said Kenneth Land, research coordinator for the index.

Comparing current data with information from past recessions, the report predicts that child well-being will continue to sour until at least 2010, even though, said Land, economists are projecting that the economy will round the corner this year.

"The decline in child well-being will be driven most directly by the decline of material well-being," Land said.

"The number and percentage of children living below the poverty line will go up. The percentage of children living with at least one parent employed full-time, year-round will decline as the impact of job loss is felt," he said.

Median family income was projected to decline as unemployment rises, and single-parent families headed by men would be the hardest hit because more jobs are being cut in sectors like construction, dominated by male workers, than those in which women traditionally work, such as health care and education.

The decrease in family economic well-being would be felt in the short term and long term by children.

"Extreme deprivation and poverty in early childhood ... and persistent poverty really matter in terms of cognitive outcomes and later life economic outcomes," said Greg Acs, a senior fellow at the Urban Institute's Income and Benefits Policy Center.

Another danger faced by American children enduring economic hardship was "recession obesity", said Land.

"There is a concern that parents will substitute fast food, high carbohydrate and high sugar-content food, for healthy food, and that this will cause an uptick in the rate of overweight children and adolescents," he said

Nearly 32 percent of US children are overweight and 16 percent are obese, according to a study published last year in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

With obesity bringing with it a higher risk of developing heart disease, high cholesterol and diabetes, a rise in the rate of obesity would mean a fall in children's overall health, the Index predicted.

To compile the Index, researchers at Duke University analyzed dozens of indicators to to assess how American children are faring today, compare their current situation with the past, and project what they might face in the future.

"Mortality rates for children aged 1-19 in past recessions have picked up a bit and so we anticipate this may occur again," Land said.

"In past recessions, we've seen an upturn in the rate of violent crime among adolescents ... We anticipate this will occur again," he said.

A growing number of youths aged 16 to 19 were found by the researchers to be neither working nor in school, leaving them particularly vulnerable to delinquency and crime, said Land.

A unique aspect of the current recession, the housing crisis, could also add to the disruption brought to American children's lives by the economic downturn.

"Residential mobility typically slows down in recessions, allowing kids to maintain social connections with friends, peers, family and their neighborhood.

"But because this recession started with the housing crisis, there's a lot more loss of homes and mobility will be less reduced," said Land.

Top five tips to help manage your family's health

(ARA) - As kids head to summer camp or back to school this fall, moms everywhere will be digging through their files searching for immunization records and other health information. Some will find exactly what they need with just a few flips through an organized file cabinet. But many busy moms will be sifting through piles, shoe boxes, or drawers full of papers trying to find the most recent health records.

Managing health information, making appointments, keeping track of medications, and monitoring self-care recommendations are just a few of the routine tasks of today's family health advocate, a role often played by mom. In addition to managing their kids' health and their own, many moms are also in charge of managing health matters for their spouse or partner, and sometimes an elderly parent or other relative.

Taking care of yourself and your family can be overwhelming at times. Mayo Clinic suggests five tips for managing your family's health:

1. Ask yourself a few questions.
Take a few minutes to sit down and figure out the questions you'll most likely be asked in the event of an emergency or in common healthcare situations. If your child's school nurse called today and asked for his health history, what details would you be able to provide? If your mother fell in the shower, would you have access to critical information needed by emergency caregivers?

2. Get organized.
It seems that health information is never where you need it, when you need it. An online tool like the Mayo Clinic Health Manager gives you the opportunity to store and update personal health records and those of your family members. This free and secure online application gives you a place to store medical information and receive real-time individualized health guidance and recommendations based on the expertise of the Mayo Clinic. You can give access to family members or your doctor and use the tool no matter where you receive medical care. The Mayo Clinic Health Manager isn't just a place to store and organize your health information, it helps you become more active and engaged in your healthcare.

3. Make doctor visits more efficient.
The time you spend with your doctor is typically brief, but valuable. Take advantage of your time by arriving to the appointment prepared. Before you go, write down any questions you have so you don't forget to ask them. Bring a list of any medications, vitamins and supplements you're taking.

"I truly appreciate when my patients are actively engaged and informed about their health," says Dr. Sidna Tulledge-Scheitel, a primary care physician. "The Mayo Clinic Health Manager can help patients share information more easily with their doctors and manage their own health better between office visits."

4. Know and use your history to be more proactive.
Use the Mayo Clinic Health Manager to track wellness visits and immunizations for you and your family, as well as to gain control of medication schedules and chronic condition symptoms. Sharing this information with your doctor could help determine future treatment.

5. Build your health assets.
Finances, retirement savings and home equity are all viewed as long-term personal management projects, but people don't often see their health the same way. Look at your health as a long-term investment and take steps to quickly address any issues while maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

Health Reform that Works for Kids

Congress has set the stage for further steps toward providing affordable coverage for all Americans with the reauthorization of the Children’s Health Insurance Program and significant investments in health care infrastructure in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act in 2009. As the nation’s attention turns to systemic health reform, one challenge will be to ensure that all children enjoy stable, affordable coverage.

Leaders of the push for health reform appear committed to ensuring that all children enjoy the health benefits and enhanced financial security of health coverage. Yet proposals currently under development in Congress will not automatically achieve this goal. Current proposals pay more attention to expanding coverage for uninsured working-age adults than for uninsured children, while delivery system reforms may not necessarily benefit pediatric patients. Congress must ensure that systemic health reforms work for children. Children’s advocates will need to identify and pursue opportunities embedded within health care reform proposals to ensure that all children will have affordable, meaningful coverage that meets their unique needs.

Congress is now weighing new approaches to providing affordable coverage for all Americans. Congressional committees have not yet released initial legislation, but it is already evident from option papers and other materials that the legislation will build on the framework of “shared responsibility,” also embraced by President Barack Obama’s campaign plan. This approach seeks to expand health coverage and reform the health care delivery system through a combination of public insurance program expansions, subsidies for private coverage, restructuring the health insurance market, and investments in delivery system improvements.

How well these reforms will work for children is an open question. Policymakers must carefully consider their choices to ensure that all children can enjoy the benefits of health coverage.