ABSTRACT
Disability is complex and multifaceted, complicating governments' efforts to collect the high-quality, comprehensive data necessary for developing, implementing, and monitoring policies. Yet data are needed to obtain information on functioning in the population, to identify the population with disabilities, and to disaggregate indicators of well-being by disability to determine whether people with disabilities are participating in society to the same extent as those without disabilities. In this article we discuss the need for data harmonization to improve disability research and policy. We describe standard question sets on disability developed for inclusion in surveys and administrative systems, as well as the need for coordination of both statistical and administrative data systems. Until disability data become more harmonized, it will not be possible to support the development of comprehensive, evidence-based policies and programs to address the needs of the population with disabilities.
Subject(s)
Disabled Persons , Humans , Policy , Surveys and QuestionnairesABSTRACT
Food insecurity, which affects an estimated 15 million Americans (1), is the limited or uncertain availability of safe and nutritionally adequate foods, or the limited or uncertain ability to acquire acceptable foods in socially acceptable ways (2). Food insecurity has been consistently associated with poor health outcomes in children, including poorer overall health status, acute and chronic health problems, and limited healthcare access (3). This report describes the percentage of children aged 0-17 years living in food-insecure households during the past 30 days by selected sociodemographic and family characteristics using 2019-2020 National Health Interview Survey data.
Subject(s)
Family Characteristics , Food Supply , Adolescent , Child , Child, Preschool , Cross-Sectional Studies , Food Insecurity , Humans , Infant , Infant, Newborn , Surveys and Questionnaires , United StatesABSTRACT
Children with disabilities are at increased risk of experiencing stressful life events (1,2). These events include various forms of abuse, neglect, and household instability, such as exposure to violence, parental or guardian incarceration, and living with someone with mental illness or alcohol or drug problems (3). Stressful life events experienced in childhood may have lifelong effects on physical and mental health outcomes (4-11), as well as socioeconomic outcomes, including educational attainment and employment (12). This report presents disparities in four stressful life events among children aged 5-17 years by disability status using 2019 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) data.
Subject(s)
Child Abuse , Mental Disorders , Child , Educational Status , Family Characteristics , Humans , Parents , United States/epidemiologyABSTRACT
Stressful life events in childhood include various forms of abuse, neglect, and household instability, such as violence exposure, parental incarceration, or living with someone with mental health, alcohol, or drug problems (1). These events are key social determinants of a child's well-being and can have lifelong impacts on physical and mental health (2-9). This report presents sociodemographic disparities in stressful life events as reported by a knowledgeable adult, usually a parent, among children aged 5-17 years using the 2019 National Health Interview Survey data.
Subject(s)
Child Abuse , Adult , Child , Family Characteristics , Humans , Parents , United States/epidemiologyABSTRACT
After more than a decade of progress in various areas of social development, since 2015 poverty has increased, labor market indicators have deteriorated, and the reduction of income inequality has stagnated in Latin America. These trends are of concern as they can affect health indicators and exacerbate profound health inequalities. This situation demands integrated policy responses that can create synergies between different sectors. There is growing recognition of the role of social protection in the eradication of poverty and the reduction of inequality. Various social protection mechanisms buffer against the costs of accessing health services directly and indirectly. By expanding coverage and universal access, promotion and prevention actions in health and nutrition, and fundamentally, the fight against poverty, inequality, and exclusion, social protection plays a fundamental role in guaranteeing the right to health and overcoming inequalities in this area. The reduction of inequalities in health should be a priority for all countries, and a way forward in that direction is to promote the construction and strengthening of universal social protection systems.
Subject(s)
Health Status Disparities , Poverty , Humans , Income , Latin America , Public Policy , Socioeconomic FactorsABSTRACT
Resumen Después de más de una década de avances en diversos ámbitos del desarrollo social, desde 2015 en América Latina se registran aumentos en la pobreza, deterioros en indicadores del mercado laboral y un estancamiento en la reducción de la desigualdad del ingreso. Estas tendencias son preocupantes ya que pueden perjudicar los indicadores de salud y exacerbar las profundas desigualdades en salud. Esta situación demanda respuestas integradas de políticas, capaces de crear sinergias entre diferentes sectores. Existe un creciente reconocimiento sobre el rol de la protección social en la erradicación de la pobreza y la reducción de la desigualdad. Los diversos mecanismos de protección social aminoran los costos de acudir a servicios de salud de manera directa e indirecta. Mediante la expansión de la cobertura y el acceso universal, las acciones de promoción y prevención en salud y nutrición, y de manera fundamental, la lucha contra la pobreza, la desigualdad y la exclusión, la protección social juega un papel ineludible para la garantía del derecho a la salud y la superación de desigualdades en esta área. La reducción de las desigualdades en salud debe ser una prioridad para todos los países y un camino para avanzar en esa dirección es promover la construcción y el fortalecimiento de sistemas de protección social universales.
Abstract After more than a decade of progress in various areas of social development, since 2015 poverty has increased, labor market indicators have deteriorated, and the reduction of income inequality has stagnated in Latin America. These trends are of concern as they can affect health indicators and exacerbate profound health inequalities. This situation demands integrated policy responses that can create synergies between different sectors. There is growing recognition of the role of social protection in the eradication of poverty and the reduction of inequality. Various social protection mechanisms buffer against the costs of accessing health services directly and indirectly. By expanding coverage and universal access, promotion and prevention actions in health and nutrition, and fundamentally, the fight against poverty, inequality, and exclusion, social protection plays a fundamental role in guaranteeing the right to health and overcoming inequalities in this area. The reduction of inequalities in health should be a priority for all countries, and a way forward in that direction is to promote the construction and strengthening of universal social protection systems.