Social Factors Studied For Impact On Kids’ Physical, Mental Health

Axios: Making Sense Of How Social Factors Shape Children's Health
Children who grow up in different environments tend to have distinct physical health, mental health and cognitive outcomes, according to a new study in JAMA Pediatrics. The study offers a comprehensive view of how dozens of social determinants of health interact with one another and affect a child's development — and also could serve as a guide for policymakers to better target policies to address glaring health disparities. (Owens, 10/17)

MedPage Today: Behavioral Health Concerns Common For Low-Income Kids 
A substantial proportion of young kids from low-income families had elevated levels of emotional and behavioral health problems seen in pediatric primary care, researchers found. In a retrospective cohort study of 15,218 children ages 2 to 6 years, fully one-third of children had screening tool scores reflecting clinically elevated levels of emotional and behavioral problems over time, Robert Ammerman, PhD, of Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, and colleagues reported in JAMA Pediatrics. (Henderson, 10/16)

In other news about children's health —

NPR: Soaring Myopia Among Kids—Too Little Time Outdoors, Too Much Time On Screens
The World Health Organization warns that by 2030, 40% of the world's population will be nearsighted. In the U.S. alone, myopia rates have soared over the past 50 years, from 25% in 1971 to nearly 42% in 2017. Many of these myopia cases are in children—who are going nearsighted at increasingly younger ages. In China, where they specifically track early onset myopia, over 80% of teens and young adults are now nearsighted. (Zomorodi, Monteleone, Meshkinpour, and Faulkner White, 10/17)

HealthDay: Non-White Kids With Recurrent Ear Infections Less Likely To Get Specialist Care 
Which U.S. kids see specialists for ear infections and have tubes placed to drain fluid and improve air flow differs significantly by race. Asian, Hispanic and Black children are much less likely than white kids to see ear, nose and throat (ENT) doctors, new research shows. "For the first time, our study found there are significant differences in the rate of ENT office visits for children with ear infections, based on race and ethnicity," said lead author Dr. Yu Shi, an assistant professor of anesthesiology at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. (Murez, 10/17)

NPR: Red Dye 3 Appears In Many Foods Kids Eat. Consumer Advocates Want FDA To Ban It
There's new pressure on the Food and Drug Administration to take action on the synthetic food coloring, red No. 3, after California passed a law to ban it last week. California became the first state to ban four food additives, including red No. 3, and public health advocates are pushing to remove the dye from the food supply nationwide. "I think the passage of the bill in California creates undeniable pressure on the FDA," says Dr. Peter Lurie, president and executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest. (Aubrey, 10/16)

Military.com: Whiteman Air Force Base Is Scrambling To Find Out Why High Radon Levels At A Day Care Center Were Ignored 
Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri said it is conducting a new round of radon testing at a base day care more than a year after high levels of the radioactive gas -- which can cause lung cancer -- were found in rooms of the facility and nothing was done. In an Oct. 10 memo sent to all personnel at the base, officials said that testing was done at the child development center in early 2022 and two rooms were found to have the gas in levels that required "mitigation to reduce the radon levels below the acceptable federal level." (Novelly, 10/16)

On gun violence and children —

The New York Times: Murders in U.S. Fell 6 Percent in 2022 as Violent Crime Declined
But young people make up a growing share of those dying by gun violence, which is now the leading cause of death for children in the United States. (Dewan, 10/16)