Question
A group of children's doctors warned at the end of July that racism can have long-term effects on children's health.
A new statement from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is the first it has issued to its members on the dangers of racism. Doctors involved in the report said the current atmosphere makes the work urgent.
"If you look at what's in the news today, in social media, on Twitter, there's so much kids are exposed to," said Jackie Douge. She is a doctor for Maryland's Howard County Health Department, who co-wrote the statement. It's having health effects on kids, she said.
The report comes at a time when racism is making news. This includes statements made by President Donald Trump that some people view as racist. It also involves the rise of white supremacists, who believe that white people are superior to others.
The report drew on 180 studies and includes recommendations.
"There was a time not too long ago under another president when I think we as a society were talking about living in a post-racial age. That's changed pretty dramatically," said Nia Heard-Garris, a doctor at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. "It's a new age of racism."
Racism Plays A Role In Health Issues
For a study published in 2018 in JAMA Pediatrics, researchers surveyed high school students in Los Angeles, California, during the 2016 presidential campaign. They did the survey again during the first few months of Trump's presidency. The study found an increase in teenagers' stress about discrimination between 2016 and 2017.
Scientists have documented health differences between races in the United States for decades. African-Americans are more likely than white people to die of diabetes and have heart disease and high blood pressure more often. Black children are four times more likely to be admitted to the hospital for asthma.
Factors such as income levels, education, exposure to pollution and access to high-quality health care explain some of the differences. However, researchers have become more certain that racism plays a role as well.
Exposure to racism in adults has been linked to an increased risk of heart disease, depression and other problems.
Mental illness refers to a range of mental health conditions, which are disorders that can affect mood, thoughts and behavior. Examples include depression, anxiety and eating disorders. Many people have mental health concerns at some point. What distinguishes a mental illness, such as depression, from normal feelings such as sadness, is that mental illnesses cause ongoing stress and severely interfere with a person's ability to function. Most mental illnesses can be treated with medication and therapy.
Researchers have identified dangers from racism in developing babies and children. Studies have found lower birth weights in babies born to African-American mothers who experience discrimination. A recent study found an increased risk of early birth among Latina women following Trump's election. It is part of a pattern of poorer health among Latinos during his administration.
Studying The Effects Of Harassment And Stress
Other recent studies have found that children who are exposed to racism have a higher risk of depression, sickness and being overweight. Researchers have linked racism with worse sleep and more doctor visits.
Ongoing stress wears away at people's bodies, researchers say. Experiences of discrimination can bring a stress response in the body. Over time, stress responses can make the body more vulnerable to diseases.
There are other ways discrimination can affect children's health. The new AAP report points out problems such as poverty, lack of food and differences in access to health care.
A few studies have used real-life situations to measure racism's effects. One study looked at the harassment of Arab-Americans following the September 11, 2001, attacks. It was linked to higher rates of early birth and low birth weights among Arab-American women in the six months following the attacks.
Another study was done after a 2008 immigration raid in Iowa. Immigration is moving to another country. The raid involved hundreds of Latinos. Using birth certificate data from the nine months after the raid, researchers found a greater risk of early birth and low birth weight for babies born to Latina mothers.
In recent years, Heard-Garris has studied how racism experienced by parents can have health consequences for their children. Two years ago, she published a review of more than 1,300 studies on racism and children's health. Some of the health impacts, she found, were more immediate and measurable, such as being overweight.
Doctors Should Be Ready To Counsel Families
Other effects of racism were less direct, she said. Even those, she found, can threaten a child's sense of fairness and safety and grow feelings of helplessness and despair, which have long-term concerns for mental and physical health.
The primary job of children's doctors is to protect their health, said Kyle Yasuda, president of the AAP. "Science has shown us racism plays a part in that equation."
The AAP report includes a list of recommendations. It advises doctors to be prepared to counsel families on their exposure to racism and to make their clinics as welcoming to all groups as possible. It also calls for them to examine their own biases and address them.
The AAP recommends training office staff to be better able to communicate with families from all backgrounds. The report also recommends more funding and research into the health effects of racism.
Researchers will keep monitoring the effects of racism on kids' health, Heard-Garris said. "I think they're trying to figure out ways of coping that previous generations didn't have to. And I don't think we'll know what the consequences are going to be for a while."
Chunking Activity
Stop 5 times during your read today and write down something you think is important.
Title of Reading:
Write an objective summary of the text.
A new statement from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is the first it has issued to its members on the dangers of racism. Doctors involved in the report said the current atmosphere makes the work urgent.
"If you look at what's in the news today, in social media, on Twitter, there's so much kids are exposed to," said Jackie Douge. She is a doctor for Maryland's Howard County Health Department, who co-wrote the statement. It's having health effects on kids, she said.
The report comes at a time when racism is making news. This includes statements made by President Donald Trump that some people view as racist. It also involves the rise of white supremacists, who believe that white people are superior to others.
The report drew on 180 studies and includes recommendations.
"There was a time not too long ago under another president when I think we as a society were talking about living in a post-racial age. That's changed pretty dramatically," said Nia Heard-Garris, a doctor at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. "It's a new age of racism."
Racism Plays A Role In Health Issues
For a study published in 2018 in JAMA Pediatrics, researchers surveyed high school students in Los Angeles, California, during the 2016 presidential campaign. They did the survey again during the first few months of Trump's presidency. The study found an increase in teenagers' stress about discrimination between 2016 and 2017.
Scientists have documented health differences between races in the United States for decades. African-Americans are more likely than white people to die of diabetes and have heart disease and high blood pressure more often. Black children are four times more likely to be admitted to the hospital for asthma.
Factors such as income levels, education, exposure to pollution and access to high-quality health care explain some of the differences. However, researchers have become more certain that racism plays a role as well.
Exposure to racism in adults has been linked to an increased risk of heart disease, depression and other problems.
Mental illness refers to a range of mental health conditions, which are disorders that can affect mood, thoughts and behavior. Examples include depression, anxiety and eating disorders. Many people have mental health concerns at some point. What distinguishes a mental illness, such as depression, from normal feelings such as sadness, is that mental illnesses cause ongoing stress and severely interfere with a person's ability to function. Most mental illnesses can be treated with medication and therapy.
Researchers have identified dangers from racism in developing babies and children. Studies have found lower birth weights in babies born to African-American mothers who experience discrimination. A recent study found an increased risk of early birth among Latina women following Trump's election. It is part of a pattern of poorer health among Latinos during his administration.
Studying The Effects Of Harassment And Stress
Other recent studies have found that children who are exposed to racism have a higher risk of depression, sickness and being overweight. Researchers have linked racism with worse sleep and more doctor visits.
Ongoing stress wears away at people's bodies, researchers say. Experiences of discrimination can bring a stress response in the body. Over time, stress responses can make the body more vulnerable to diseases.
There are other ways discrimination can affect children's health. The new AAP report points out problems such as poverty, lack of food and differences in access to health care.
A few studies have used real-life situations to measure racism's effects. One study looked at the harassment of Arab-Americans following the September 11, 2001, attacks. It was linked to higher rates of early birth and low birth weights among Arab-American women in the six months following the attacks.
Another study was done after a 2008 immigration raid in Iowa. Immigration is moving to another country. The raid involved hundreds of Latinos. Using birth certificate data from the nine months after the raid, researchers found a greater risk of early birth and low birth weight for babies born to Latina mothers.
In recent years, Heard-Garris has studied how racism experienced by parents can have health consequences for their children. Two years ago, she published a review of more than 1,300 studies on racism and children's health. Some of the health impacts, she found, were more immediate and measurable, such as being overweight.
Doctors Should Be Ready To Counsel Families
Other effects of racism were less direct, she said. Even those, she found, can threaten a child's sense of fairness and safety and grow feelings of helplessness and despair, which have long-term concerns for mental and physical health.
The primary job of children's doctors is to protect their health, said Kyle Yasuda, president of the AAP. "Science has shown us racism plays a part in that equation."
The AAP report includes a list of recommendations. It advises doctors to be prepared to counsel families on their exposure to racism and to make their clinics as welcoming to all groups as possible. It also calls for them to examine their own biases and address them.
The AAP recommends training office staff to be better able to communicate with families from all backgrounds. The report also recommends more funding and research into the health effects of racism.
Researchers will keep monitoring the effects of racism on kids' health, Heard-Garris said. "I think they're trying to figure out ways of coping that previous generations didn't have to. And I don't think we'll know what the consequences are going to be for a while."
Chunking Activity
Stop 5 times during your read today and write down something you think is important.
Title of Reading:
Write an objective summary of the text.
Answers
GPT-4o mini
**Title of Reading: The Impact of Racism on Children's Health**
**Objective Summary:**
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has released its first statement addressing the dangers of racism and its detrimental effects on children's health, based on a review of 180 studies. The current social climate has heightened the urgency of the issue, as children are increasingly exposed to racial discrimination through media and societal events. Research has demonstrated that racism contributes significantly to health disparities among different races, affecting both physical conditions, such as asthma and heart disease, and mental health outcomes, including depression and anxiety. Studies indicate that children who experience racism are at higher risk for various health problems, including low birth weights and higher prevalence of obesity. The AAP report emphasizes the need for pediatricians to address racism in their practices, recommend training for staff to better engage with diverse families, and encourage further research into the health implications of racism. The overarching message is that racism has profound and lasting impacts on the well-being of children, necessitating proactive measures from healthcare providers.
**Objective Summary:**
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has released its first statement addressing the dangers of racism and its detrimental effects on children's health, based on a review of 180 studies. The current social climate has heightened the urgency of the issue, as children are increasingly exposed to racial discrimination through media and societal events. Research has demonstrated that racism contributes significantly to health disparities among different races, affecting both physical conditions, such as asthma and heart disease, and mental health outcomes, including depression and anxiety. Studies indicate that children who experience racism are at higher risk for various health problems, including low birth weights and higher prevalence of obesity. The AAP report emphasizes the need for pediatricians to address racism in their practices, recommend training for staff to better engage with diverse families, and encourage further research into the health implications of racism. The overarching message is that racism has profound and lasting impacts on the well-being of children, necessitating proactive measures from healthcare providers.