Study Illustrates Trends in Health Disparities
A study published in Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine offers new insights into race/ethnic disparities in leading health
indicators. Longitudinal data from Add Health indicate
increasing health risk and reduced access to health care from the teen
years to the adult years for most US race/ethnic groups, with serious health
implications for this generation. Relative rankings on 20 diverse health indicators (and patterns of change over time) vary by
sex and race/ethnicity, caus ...
(Posted: 12/21/2005 3:47 pm · Read More)
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Study Reveals Link Between Allele and Smoking Behavior
Work by J.K. Hewitt et al. helps illuminate the
heritability of smoking. On this graph submitted by Andrew Smolen, the y-axis is a measure of the
frequency of transmission of 9-repeat alleles in families. It
is positive in never-smokers and experimenters, meaning there is excess
transmission than would be expected if it had no effect. It is negative in smokers (former and current) meaning there is less transmission than would be expected if it had no effect. The 9-repeat allele appears to pr ...
(Posted: 12/21/2005 3:39 pm · Read More)
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Education Data Show High School Math Achievements
Newly released Education
Data show that about one-third of high school students have taken
pre-calculus or calculus. Approximately two-thirds of students stop
taking math at or below the algebra 2 level.
The
work of Catherine Riegle-Crumb examines race/ethnic and gender
inequalities in high school math patterns. For more information see the following working paper.
"The Path through Math: Course Sequences and Academic
Performance at the Interse ...
(Posted: 12/21/2005 3:27 pm · Read More)
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Education Data Show High School Science Achievements
Just over 25% of US high
school students have taken physics, while approximately another 25%
have taken biology as their highest science course. More than 90% of
high school students have taken a class at or above the biology level.
Catherine
Riegle-Crumb and colleagues are examining high-school course-taking,
related values and behaviors, and their implications for young
adults. For an example of her work, see the following working paper.
"The Path Through Math: ...
(Posted: 12/21/2005 3:23 pm · Read More)
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Data Show Ethnic Variation in Nonmarital Births
Add Health documents substantial ethnic variation in the probability of nonmarital childbearing. Black women display a
pattern of high and increasing rates of nonmarital childbearing, where almost 50% have had a first nonmarital birth 10 years after first sex. Mexican women have the
highest risks of nonmarital fertility among the Hispanic-origin groups, and Filipino women the highest among Asians. Chinese women have extremely low risks that remain
stable over time, a pattern that is rarely
c ...
(Posted: 12/21/2005 3:18 pm · Read More)
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Genetics Influence Alcohol Consumption
In this graph submitted by Andrew Smolen, the dopamine 2 receptor
(DRD2 TaqI) and dopamine transporter (DAT1) polymorphisms appear to be
associated with average number of drinks per drinking episode. The dopamine 4 receptor (DRD4) and serotonin transporter (SERT) had no association. J.K. Hewitt and colleagues
describe genetic influences on drinking behaviors from adolescence into
adulthood. To learn more, see the following article in Drug and Alcohol Dependence.
...
(Posted: 12/21/2005 3:09 pm · Read More)
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Study Challenges Thinking on Teen Behaviors and Depression
A recent study concludes that engaging in sex and drug behaviors
places adolescents, and especially girls, at risk for future
depression.
The article, "Which Comes First in Adolescence–Sex and Drugs or
Depression?" by Denise D. Hallfors, Martha W. Waller, Daniel Bauer,
Carol A. Ford, and Carolyn T. Halpern, was published in the October
2005 issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine (Am J Prev
Med 2005;29(3):163-170).
Overall, sex and drug behavior pred ...
(Posted: 10/11/2005 4:47 pm · Read More)
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2004 Add Health Users Conference Abstracts Online
Abstracts from the 2004 Add Health Users Conference are now
available online. Use the online
author contact list to request copies of the presentations
from the researchers. ...
(Posted: 8/31/2005 4:35 pm · Read More)
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DNA Presentation Available
The DNA presentation given by Brett Haberstick at the 2004 Add Health Users Conference is available below. Click to download.
...
(Posted: 8/31/2005 4:30 pm · Read More)
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