Poverty News and Research

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Self-confidence pays dividends

Believing in yourself may be good for the soul, but it can also be good for the bank account, according to a new University of Florida study that finds self-confidence can translate into earning hundreds of thousands of dollars more over a lifetime.

18 May 2007

High-quality child care for poor children found to offset the risk of later depression

Young adults from low-income families who were in full-time early educational child care from infancy to age 5 report fewer symptoms of depression than their peers who were not in this type of care.

18 May 2007

American College of Physicians commends introduction of Bipartisan Health CARE Act

The American College of Physicians (ACP) has commended Marcy Kaptur and Steven C. LaTourette, members of Congress, for their bipartisan sponsorship of the Health Coverage, Affordability, Responsibility and Equity (CARE) Act.

18 May 2007

Structural brain development and behavior from birth to young adulthood

Yes, there are gender differences in cognitive function, but they're more limited than previously thought.

18 May 2007

Research into poverty-conditioned diseases

As part of a new funding initiative, the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) is promoting projects in which German and African scientists carry out joint research on infectious diseases.

15 May 2007

One-third of pregnancies in the United States are unwanted

That is, 2 million of the 6.4 million pregnancies in 2001 were unwanted (most recent data available). Over half (54%) of unwanted pregnancies occur to women in their twenties. And there is evidence that the rate of unwanted pregnancies may be increasing.

10 May 2007

States increasingly expanding SCHIP coverage to middle-class families

Several states are working to raise income eligibility limits for SCHIP, despite White House opposition, AP /Long Island Newsday reports. According to a survey conducted by Georgetown University's Center for Children and Families, 18 states already have received federal approval to offer SCHIP coverage to families with annual incomes greater than 200% of the federal poverty level -- the income threshold established when SCHIP began a decade ago.

1 May 2007

Oregon, Texas HIV/AIDS, STI awareness efforts focus on black youth

The following summarizes recent newspaper coverage of efforts in Texas and Oregon to increase HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted infections awareness among black youth.

1 May 2007

Minority widows are at a particularly high risk of poverty in late life

While the data reveal a substantial financial widowhood penalty among all ethnic groups, minority women often have lower incomes and fewer assets to begin with.

1 May 2007

Panel calls on G8 to deliver on 2005 promises made for Africa

The Africa Progress Panel on Tuesday in Berlin called on the Group of Eight industrialized nations to fulfill commitments made at its 2005 summit regarding aid to Africa, including HIV/AIDS funding, the Washington Post reports (Williams, Washington Post , 4/25).

30 Apr 2007

Democratic Presidential candidates discuss abortion rights

Eight candidates for the Democratic presidential nomination on Thursday in a debate at South Carolina State University "uniformly criticized" the U.S. Supreme Court's decision last week to uphold a federal law (S 3) banning so-called "partial-birth" abortion, the Washington Post reports (Balz, Washington Post , 4/27).

30 Apr 2007

Cover the uninsured week focuses on enrolling children in SCHIP

Several states have held events as part of Cover the Uninsured Week, sponsored by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

30 Apr 2007

Heavy toll caused by indoor air pollution

In the 21 worst-affected countries, close to 5% of death and disease is caused by indoor air pollution, according to new estimates published by WHO.

30 Apr 2007

SCHIP has been successful in increasing access to health care for low income children

As the debate over reauthorization of the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) heats up in Washington, a new survey of leaders in health policy and health care finds that large majorities feel the program has been successful in increasing access to health care for low income children (71%) and in reducing the rate of uninsured, low-income children (65%).

24 Apr 2007

Stress-induced physiological changes in young teens

Adolescents who are chronically exposed to family turmoil, violence, noise, poor housing or other chronic risk factors show more stress-induced physiological strain on their organs and tissues than other young people.

21 Apr 2007

Problem gambling is an addiction that medical professionals should be aware of

Decisions about building casinos in the UK have not given enough weight to the potential health effects, argue two doctors in this week's BMJ.

20 Apr 2007

Common misconception that diabetes is 'in the genes' for Indigenous people dispelled

The high rate of diabetes among indigenous people is not due to their genetic heritage, according to a recently published study.

17 Apr 2007

Study dispels myth that certain minority groups are genetically prone to diabetes

A study by U.S. and Australian researchers is helping dispel the 40-year-old "thrifty genotype theory," which purports that certain minority groups are genetically prone to diabetes.

17 Apr 2007

Factors that influence late stage cancer diagnosis

Researchers from the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California (USC) found that patients who received a later stage cancer diagnosis were likely to be living in an unsafe neighborhood, using public transportation and traveling at least 45 minutes to get to a doctor's office.

16 Apr 2007