Overweight and Obesity in the South: Prevalence and Related Health Care Costs Among Population Groups

Overweight and obesity are leading public health concerns in the United States. Although overweight and obesity are preventable conditions in the majority of cases, their prevalence has increased significantly over the past two decades. Recent estimates indicate that 34.1 percent of Americans are classified as overweight, while 32.2 percent are classified as obese [17]. National estimates of obesity-related health care costs are alarming, yet, to date, no such estimates have been published for the Southern region overall or for population groups in the South. The Southern states have some of the highest rates of adult obesity in the nation

Public Opinion on Childhood Obesity as a Driving Force for Policy and Intervention Development

Childhood obesity is a complex issue in which evidence describing strategies and methods for prevention are needed. It is important that the public’s perception of childhood obesity is understood. This includes determining attitudes about childhood obesity and assessing support for an array of policies and prevention initiatives. A multidisciplinary research team at The University of Southern Mississippi conducted the Mississippi Public Perception of Childhood Obesity telephone survey. Childhood obesity information was elicited from 1,352 Mississippi adults. Telephone interviewing was conducted using WinCATI on a sample selected using random-digit dialing. Data were weighted to reflect race, sex, and age distribution of the population. All analysis was performed using SPSS 14.0. There is widespread knowledge and understanding of the existence and problems resulting from or associated with childhood obesity. Mississippians have varying levels of concern, interest, and suggestions on how to address this problem. Data shows variation in their opinions by ethnicity, gender, age, and family composition; therefore, sensitivity to these disparities is warranted.Although more research is needed, obesity initiatives do exist and can be further used in Mississippi. To be successful, these initiatives require policy development, long-term strategies, and interventions based on solid evidence and best practices

Obesity and Overweight Prevalence among a Mississippi Low-Income Preschool Population: A Five-Year Comparison

Purpose. This study determined 2010 rates of overweight/obesity in a representative sample of low-income preschoolers in Mississippi, USA and compared rates between 2005 (N = 1250) and 2010 (N = 1765). Significance. Obesity is a significant global health issue because of its well-established negative health consequences. Child obesity is a concern due to risk of early-onset obesity-related illnesses and the longevity of lifetime exposure to those illnesses. Methods. Identical measures were used in 2005 and 2010 with complex-stratified sampling designs. Results. Chi-square tests revealed that overall obesity/overweight rates between 2005 (20.6%/17.9%) and 2010 (20.8%/17.0%) had not changed significantly for the samples as a whole, nor by gender or race. Age group comparisons indicated a significant decline in obesity rates of 3 year olds (20.3% in 2005, reduced to 13.1% in 2010, P = 0.035). These findings mimic the trend toward stabilization of obesity rates noted in national low-income preschool populations

Factors Associated with History of Unintended Pregnancy Among Mothers in Mississippi

Background: Mississippi has the highest rate of unintended pregnancy in the nation. Accessibility, availability, and affordability of women’s health services and effective contraceptive methods are key in preventing unintended pregnancies. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify factors associated with history of unintended pregnancy among parous women of childbearing age in Mississippi in order to improve understanding of these relationships and to fill a gap in literature about the state. Methods: Through a multi-stage, probability sample, mothers of students in childcare facilities were selected to participate in a survey about health care and contraceptive use. Chi-square tests of independence were used to detect associations between history of unintended pregnancy and other factors. Results: Significant associations were found between history of unintended pregnancy and race, employment status, household income, current receipt of public assistance, age at first birth, payer for women’s health services/birth control, impact of insurance/expenses on birth control, one locus of control item, and length of gestation of firstborn. Conclusion: The women most at risk of an unintended pregnancy in our sample were those who were currently experiencing socioeconomic inequities. Policymakers should strive to address such inequities in order to reduce the unintended pregnancy rate in Mississippi

Maternal, Child, and Parenting Factors Associated with Obesity Among Pre-Kindergarten Children in Mississippi

Background: Obesity among children and youth has been consistently assessed among public school students in Mississippi since 2005. Significant declines in the prevalence of obesity among elementary students over the past decade suggest that changes may be occurring prior to entry into public school. Purpose: The purpose was to collect anthropometric data on a weighted, representative sample of children ages 3 to 5 years in licensed childcare facilities across Mississippi, and to correlate maternal, child, and parenting characteristics to obesity. Methods: The Body Mass Index was calculated using measured height and weight data. Results: A total of 14.12% of the 1,728 children were obese. Differences were not noted by age or gender but were significant by race, with 16.73% of Black children and 9.22% of White children categorized as obese (p \u3c 0.0001). Obesity was significantly correlated with breastfeeding, hours of sleep, hours of child’s screen time, parent’s perception of the child’s weight gain, child’s birth weight, mother’s diabetes, and type of delivery. Conclusion: These findings provide a more complete picture of children’s health and factors impacting children’s health at an early age, and they can be of great value in future policy-making efforts to address unhealthy weights among children in Mississippi

Application of a Cumulative Strategies Model for Drug Abuse Prevention: Exploring Choices for High Risk Children

The current state of knowledge, as indicated by existing literature, is extremely limited in terms of published descriptions of drug abuse prevention programs targeting high risk children, such as children from drug abusing families. A Cumulative Strategies Model posits four basic principals for effective prevention for high risk children and guides prevention program design. Representing a Cumulative Strategies Model, described herein is a multicomponent prevention program that is theory-driven, risk-based, and targets children affected by familial alcohol abuse. Three components of this program and specific methods of implementing each component are discussed, and field reactions are reviewed