Contrary to popular belief? Between 2002 and 2020 total sugar purchases DECREASED, both in absolute terms and as a percentage of total calories purchased. Sugar purchases declined for all sociodemographic groups. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37890585/

Being "out" in high school being out in high school is associated with higher levels of community connectedness and lower rates of internalized homophobia. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/38546568

via @HUDusernews "Due to rising field costs and declining response rates, HUD is shifting to a continuous data collection model for the American Housing Survey (AHS)...
Data collection was initially planned to begin May 1, 2025, but now will be delayed until January 2026 or later." https://www.huduser.gov/portal/elist/2024-May-12.html?utm_source=censusSDC

Thirteen percent of all California households experienced food insecurity at some point in 2023—and households with children were disproportionately affected.

ICYMI, Tess Thorman (@ppic.notes) provided Congress with a snapshot of the state of food insecurity in the Golden State.

Read it here: https://www.ppic.org/blog/testimony-a-snapshot-of-food-insecurity-in-california/

"...if we address the whole set of things that make it hard to manage having children in the United States, that would probably collectively have an impact" said Sarah Hayford, director of the Institute for Population Research at the Ohio State University.

Note: It was hard to pick just one quote because so many experts across a range of population centers were quoted in this article. You can read them all here:

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/what-does-it-take-to-increase-birth-rates-experts-say-theres-no-magic-solution

WEBINAR: Assessing the Impact of Medicaid Cuts on Children and Youth
Tues. May 6
Hosted by Manatt and LPFCH
Details and registration:
https://manatt.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Fa8QM0BtSU2VlUiWbZoSNw#/registration

For Homeless Youth, Is Poor Health Just a Matter of Time?
A new study finds that the longer young adults spend unsheltered, the more likely they are to report poor health outcomes
https://www.prb.org/articles/for-homeless-youth-is-poor-health-just-a-matter-of-time/

School policies supporting sexual and gender minority youth improve student feelings of safety at school.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39460603/

Expansions to the social safety net during the COVID-19 pandemic brought California’s child poverty rate to a historic low in 2021 (7.5% based on the Supplemental Poverty Measure, or SPM). Following the expiration of these investments, SPM rates returned to pre-pandemic levels (19%) in 2023.
https://www.kidsdata.org/blog/?p=11250

New analysis of genetic ancestry testing participants supports an emerging view that people selectively interpret genetic information to confirm rather than transform their race concepts.
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/01419870.2023.2224871

A new national data set on ‘sundown towns’ expands researchers’ ability to conduct quantitative and spatial analysis on the legacy of racial violence and control beyond the U.S. South.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39779710

Geographic disparities in access to inpatient procedures are a significant issue within the US healthcare system. New study reveals that minimally invasive and newer procedures (such as skin graft and minimally invasive gastrectomy) show higher inequality, more invasive & older procedures are more widely available.
https://academic.oup.com/healthaffairsscholar/article/2/11/qxae142/7877316
@medmastodon @publichealth

ICYMI: Suspension and other forms of exclusionary discipline put students at increased risk for dropping out, experiencing employment problems later in life, and becoming involved with the criminal justice system—all with very little evidence that they make schools safer or improve student behavior.

Psychosocial protective factors can help.

Read more: https://www.prb.org/articles/exclusionary-discipline-threatens-youth-mental-health-but-protective-factors-can-help/
@edutooters

There are only so many hours in a day. With work and caregiving responsibilities, are Americans meeting their basic needs for sleep and exercise?

Read our latest Research Highlight: https://www.prb.org/articles/in-the-battle-for-time-exercise-beats-sleep-for-american-parents/

#parenting #sleep #health #caregiving

"Medi-Cal is especially important for children with disabilities because they often need more specialized and expensive care than children without special health care needs."

New report from Claudia Boyd-Barrett at California Health Report explores what Medicaid cuts would mean for children with disabilities.

https://www.calhealthreport.org/2025/03/19/medicaid-cuts-could-upend-lives-of-children-with-disabilities-can-california-do-more-to-prepare

#Health #Healthcare #Disability #Pediatrics @publichealth @pediatrics

WEBINAR: Bridging the Gap: Supporting Healthcare Transitions for Students with Disabilities
April 3, 2025
Details and registration: https://transitionta.org/trainings/supporting-healthcare-transitions/

The "last updated" date on this National Survey of Children's Health page is a lie.

I have a copy of the data and codebook from Oct 2024.

The materials there today are missing at least one key measure: whether or not the child faced discrimination for their sexual orientation or gender identity.

Large study--assessing 11 million births--finds that expectant mothers with Medicaid coverage who received WIC benefits (Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children) were less likely to experience a premature birth and infant mortality.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31800070

CDC suspension of PRAMS data collection on maternal and infant health is confirmed
https://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/cdc-shutters-prams-program-on-maternal-and-infant-health

#Health #PublicHealth #Data #DataScience #MedMastodon #pediatrics #womenshealth #obgyn

Worth noting: Education data helps us know what needs fixing.
Good news in math, bad news in reading. Here's what we know about the latest school test scores:
https://www.npr.org/2025/01/29/nx-s1-5270880/math-reading-covid-naep