Of all Indian Health Service areas, the Aberdeen Area has consistently had the highest infant mortality rate. Among some tribes in this area the rate has exceeded 30/1000 live birth and half the infant deaths have been attributed to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, a rate four to five times higher than the national average. The Indian Health Service,…

This annual report describes the activities of the International Child Development Initiatives (ICDI) in improving youth welfare in a wide range of countries as well as its plans for the upcoming year. ICDI is a non-profit organization that is practice, research and policy-oriented and works globally to address violations of the rights of children…

Background: Differences in service utilization indicating that boys use more mental health services than girls were analyzed to see if they could be explained by known correlates of service use. These correlates were arranged into individual (severe emotional disturbance, level of impairment and externalizing disorders), family (parental…

Despite the efficacy of cognitive behavioural treatment for anxiety disorders, more than 70% of individuals with anxiety disorders go untreated every year. This is partially due to obstacles to treatment including limited access to mental health services for rural residents, the expense of treatment and the inconvenience of attending weekly…

Ascertains the dental health needs of the following refugee groups in Fresno County, California: (1) Cambodians; (2) lowland Lao; and (3) Hmong. Discusses successful health marketing and educational strategies aimed at these groups. A Dental Screening program instructed community health specialists, provided dental health education, and performed…

Efforts of health professionals are shifting away from programs that "deliver health" toward those that build the capacity of communities to work together to create healthy places. The Healthy Communities Initiative (HCI) is a community development model in central Alberta (Canada) that involves the creation of a widely shared vision of…

Presents 11 recommendations related to improving child health that are based on a synthesis of 58 research reports published 1988-92. Suggests that the development of policies that reduce inadequate health care for women and children, unintended pregnancy, deficient education, and poor nutrition will ultimately improve the life circumstances, and…

Victims of child abuse are at risk for contracting sexually transmitted diseases, including AIDS, not only directly through sexual abuse, but also because they engage in more high-risk behaviors. Because American Indian youth experience higher rates of sexual abuse and have less access to treatment and counseling, they are especially at risk.…

Provides an overview of the major federal and state health care programs serving children and pregnant women, including (1) Medicaid; (2) the Maternal and Child Health Block Grant Program; (3) the Community and Migrant Health Center Program; and (4) the Special Supplemental Food Program for Women, Infants, and Children. (SLD)

Discusses nonfinancial barriers to receiving medical care, including legal restrictions, geographic isolation and provider shortages, provider practices and policies, and personal circumstances. Suggests ways to reduce these barriers. These efforts should not wait for health care financing reforms, because nonfinancial barriers will continue even…

Analyzes implications of the birthrate for teenage mothers, and examines the limitations of key statistical indicators. Evidence suggests that the rate of childbearing among U.S. teens may be increasing after a decade of stability. To deal with this effectively, it may be necessary to enhance life options of teenagers. (SLD)

Discusses treatment modalities for drug-abusing women. The following are barriers that prevent women, particularly pregnant women, from getting treatment they need: (1) lack of programs admitting women; (2) lack of programs tailored to women; and (3) fear and isolation experienced by drug-abusing women. (SLD)

Factors contributing to the gap between white health status and black health status include the following: (1) a lack of culturally sensitive health information; (2) denial by blacks of early warning signs of disease; (3) delays by blacks in seeking care; and (4) decreased access of blacks to high quality health care. (SLD)

Black-white differences in infant mortality rate are examined for 38 large metropolitan statistical areas for 1982 through 1986. The most important difference predictor was a "segregation index" (residential dissimilarity) apparently independent of variation in median family income and poverty prevalence but possibly reflecting…

Social ecological theory, social-work community organization models, and health-promotion models are brought together to address ways to generate change at the individual and policy levels, and to provide guidance for community health-promotion programs. An eight-year cancer-prevention project is presented as a case study. (EMK)