Hunger in North America: Risky environments for children and their families

Researchers examine programs aimed at reducing food insecurity

2011-03-31

(Press-News.org) Food security is defined by access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food to maintain a healthy and active life, according to the World Health Organization. In the United States and Canada, the number of households considered food insecure has increased more than 50 percent over the past four years, with one in three households in the United States experiencing very low food security. Young children and households headed by women are disproportionately affected.

Children raised in food insecure households are at increased risk of academic, health, and socio-emotional problems. In addition to being exposed to food insecurity in their households, these children are at greater risk of having mothers who are depressed, having inadequate access to health care, and living in homes that are unstable.

The Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD) will host a symposium during its Biennial Meeting that brings together researchers from a variety of disciplines—including nutrition sciences, human development, public health, economics, family science, and public policy—to consider this issue from a number of perspectives. Among the questions that will be addressed: What are the effects of food insecurity on child development? What are current government and charitable food assistance programs doing to address food insecurity, and what are the similarities and differences among programs? How does current programming reduce the risk of children's health and academic problems? What are the public policy implications of food insecurity, a problem that remains stubbornly persistent in North America?

### The symposium will take place in the Palais des Congrès (Convention Center) de Montréal, 524C, on Friday, April 1, 2011, from 10:20 a.m. to 12:00 noon.

Researchers: Maureen Black, University of Maryland School of Medicine; Anna M. Quigg, University of Maryland School of Medicine; Mariana Chilton, Drexel University School of Public Health; Ruth Rose-Jacob, Boston University School of Medicine; John Cook, Boston University School of Medicine; Valerie Tarasuk, University of Toronto; Sharon Kirkpatrick, National Cancer Institute; Barbara H. Fiese, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; Craig G. Gundersen, University of Illinois at Urbana- Champaign; Brenda Koester, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; LaTesha A. Washington, University of Illinois; Mariana Chilton, Drexel University School of Public Health; Jenny Rabinowich, Drexel University; Barbara Izquierdo, Witness to Hunger/Drexel University; Imani Sullivan, Witness to Hunger/Drexel University School of Public Health; Jenny Rabinowich, Drexel University; Barbara Izquierdo, Witness to Hunger/Drexel University; Imani Sullivan, Witness to Hunger/Drexel University

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Overscheduled children and adolescents

2011-03-31

Popular books and media reports have perpetuated the belief that children and adolescents are overscheduled in their extracurricular activities, and that this can disrupt how families function and undermine young people's opportunities for success. Although there is little empirical research to support this idea, some studies suggest a threshold effect in which the benefits of involvement stabilize or drop slightly after a certain point. But we know little about who becomes involved in extracurricular activities to this extent, what happens at such high levels of involvement, ...

School experiences of sexual-minority adolescents

2011-03-31

School victimization of sexual-minority youths—those who identify as lesbian, gay, or bisexual, for example—is well documented. This type of victimization has been linked to a variety of negative psychosocial and academic outcomes. But a number of questions about the effects of victimization on sexual-minority youths remain. The Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD) will host a symposium during its Biennial Meeting that brings together researchers to consider this issue from a number of perspectives. Among the questions that will be addressed: Is victimization ...

Online Male Enhancement Retailer Becomes Most Visited Website in Product Category

2011-03-31

Launched in 2006, the website has steadily been able to gain traction in the last two years, projecting higher growth, and further integration into social media sphere. According toe Alexa.com, existing ventures have helped to boost Sinrex.com's traffic ranking steadily over the past 3 months, moving the site 392,000 positions to its present position of the 51,647 most visited website in the world. In the United States, Sinrex.com is one of the Top 10,000 most visited websites. The news has been particularly promising for private investors involved in the company. ...

Sleep during adolescence

2011-03-31

Although adolescents need just as much sleep as younger children, sleep times decrease over the course of development, leaving many teens chronically sleep-deprived. Studies have consistently indicated that insufficient sleep can have a negative effect on many aspects of adolescents' lives, leading to mood disturbances, poorer physical health, and academic difficulties. But few studies have examined how sleep affects the ways adolescents function on a daily basis or how the effects of sleep change over time. The Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD) will host ...

Study suggests a relationship between migraine headaches in children and a common heart defect

2011-03-31

Cincinnati, OH, March 31, 2011 -- Roughly 15% of children suffer from migraines, and approximately one-third of these affected children have migraines with aura, a collection of symptoms that can include weakness, blind spots, and even hallucinations. Although the causes of migraines are unclear, a new study soon to be published in The Journal of Pediatrics suggests a connection between migraine headaches in children and a heart defect called patent foramen ovale, which affects 25% of people in the U.S. Dr. Rachel McCandless and colleagues from the Primary Children's ...

Axacore Reports More LOS Vendors Seeking Out Loan Document Management Solutions

2011-03-31

Axacore Inc., a provider of document imaging, fax server technology and messaging solutions that are supported by high-performance web servers and browser interfaces, reports that the company has witnessed an increase in information requests from loan origination technology providers for easy-to-integrate document management capabilities. The requests are being driven by compliance concerns on the part of lenders and have resulted in a number of LOS providers integrating the Axacore solution into their technologies over the past few months. "Lenders are demanding functionality ...

FMA Congresses and Badger Meter; Controlling the Flow of Industrial Plants & Manufacturers

2011-03-31

Equal to turning off the water while you brush your teeth, flow measurement meters help industrial companies control water and other fluid flows on a much grander scale. If you can cut the amount of water you use in your home by as much as 35% by simply shutting off the water flowing out of your tap when not in use, then imagine how much accurate flow measurement for a huge plant or industrial manufacturer can save on energy costs. As the leading manufacturer of flow measurement and control products, Badger Meter Inc. serves water utility companies, municipalities and ...

FMA Congresses and Schneider Electric; Making the Most of Energy One Building at a Time

2011-03-31

Today, the world is changing at a much faster rate than it has in previous decades. With an added focus on energy usage reduction and turning to the use of more renewable energy resources, businesses are looking for a way to cut the amount of energy they consume as well as their utility costs. With 72% of the world's energy consumption directed towards infrastructure, industry, buildings and residential markets, each sector must focus on the ways they, as individuals, can play a part in reducing energy usage. A 30% energy savings is possible with the implementation of ...

Luhrsen Law Group - Jury Verdict Against Hit and Run Driver

2011-03-31

On March 16, 2011, a Polk County jury awarded Sarasota Attorney Jeffrey A. Luhrsen's 13 year old client $471,708.77 for injuries in a December, 2006 Fort Meade car crash. The defendant, Luis Guiterrez, broadsided the vehicle in which the then nine year old girl was riding while he was attempting an illegal pass in a residential area. The crash flipped the girl's vehicle over, crushing her hand between the roof and the pavement. Guiterrez stopped briefly but then fled without calling for help. Her hand crushed, the girl was unable to unlatch her own seatbelt, so she ...

CM Group - Redmond, Washington: Leading Companies Autoglass, JD Williams, Virgin Trains and 3 Mobile Choose CM Group's Luminosity eLearning Authoring Software

2011-03-31

CM Group have announced another diverse set of customers for Luminosity, its rapid eLearning authoring software. The companies join a growing list of leading innovative organizations using Luminosity to develop and deliver online training courses to their staff. An increasing number of organizations are recognising the cost and educational benefits of delivering eLearning as part of their blended learning strategies. The Luminosity range of products enables organizations to develop their own eLearning courses in a managed, collaborative environment. Luminosity is the ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

AI finds undiagnosed liver disease in early stages

The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation announce new research fellowship in malaria genomics in honor of professor Dominic Kwiatkowski