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ALSO | GENETIC TESTING | PREMATURE BIRTHS | ENVIRONMENT | FEAR OF FAILURE | AFTER KATRINA | AWARD FOR HEALTH | FAMILY NEWS BITES ABOUT TOMORROW American Dream seen but not felt by youth A recent poll indicates that America’s young people overwhelmingly believe in the American Dream, but more than 4-in-10 express doubts that they will be able to realize it for themselves because they are stressed out, worried about their personal safety and confused about how to make smart choices regarding their health and well-being. These are some of the revealing findings by Harris Interactive on behalf of America’s Promise - The Alliance for Youth. Today’s young people demonstrate much of the same optimism about the future as previous generations of Americans, as revealed in the Voices Study: - 95% have set personal goals for themselves, agreeing, “I have goals that I want to reach in my life.” - 92% agreed with the statement, “My success depends on how hard I work.” - 88% agreed with the statement, “I’m confident that I’ll be able to find a good-paying job when I’m an adult.” But young people also have serious doubts about achieving their goals for the future. 42% expressed concern about achieving their specific dream, agreeing with the statement, “I don’t know if I’ll be able to reach my goals.” - 1-in-5 (20%) disagree that “in America, kids can grow up to become anything they want.” - 1-in-3 (34%) do not believe they have enough skills to be successful in life. Also revealed in the poll: •1-in-4 said they do not have enough caring adults (parents, coaches, teachers, etc.) in their lives and nearly one-half (45%) wished they had more adults they could turn to for help. On health-related questions, the poll’s results suggest that efforts to educate the nation’s young people about the need to take care of themselves are making progress. Nearly all youngsters in the survey recognize the importance of prioritizing health, even at a young age. Nevertheless, many young people acknowledge that they may not be leading the healthiest lifestyle and that the daily stress they feel is a major contributor. Some 1,278 young people ages 10-17 were polled with representation from urban, suburban and rural neighborhoods. The entire Voices Study is available at the America’s Promise home page at www.americaspromise.org. The poll has a margin for error of +/- 2%. GENETIC TESTING State to deepen screening for infants The state Department of Health Services has begun an expanded testing of newborns. The screening program now tests for 75 hereditary and congenital disorders. “Early diagnosis can help a child lead a full, productive life,” says Kim Belshe, secretary of the agency. Previously, California tested for 39 genetic disorders. The state is one of only 13 that screen for more than 30 disorders in newborns. By catching potential disorders early in life, officials say that diagnosis and treatment will help overcome otherwise undetected challenges. The expanded screening went into effect Aug. 1. PREMATURE BIRTHS As numbers rise, so does alarm The March of Dimes wants parents to be aware of a new, massive report that indicates the number of premature births continues to rise. The report, released in September by the National Center for Health Statistics, reports on numbers from 2003, the most current reporting period. Some of the data was included in October’s Cover Story on the work being done at UCI Medical Center in Orange (October Cover Story). Today, some 12.3% of all babies 499,008 are born prematurely in the United States, according to the 2003 data. That is up from 12.1%, or some 480,000 babies, reported in 2002, which follows 22-year trend in which nearly every year, the numbers increase. Since the government began tracking premature births in 1981, there has been an increase of more than 30%. In that year, the prematurity rate was 9.4%. According to the March of Dimes, prematurity is the No. 1 killer of babies, and those who survive have a greater chance of physical damage, such as cerebral palsy, mental retardation, learning problems, and blindness. The nonprofit began a multi-year campaign in 2003 to address the growing rate of premature birth. Part of the educational information is to help women detect signs and symptoms of premature birth and to support more research on the causes of premature labor. One goal is to help reach a goal set by the U.S. Public Health Service to reduce the rate to 7.6% by 2010. For more information, visit marchofdimes.com (type in “prematurity” in the Search area). For Spanish speakers, go to: nacersano.org. ENVIRONMENT Children to be studied; UCI involved The National Institutes of Health will begin the largest study ever to assess the effects of the environment on child and adult health. UC Irvine will be one of the locations in which to conduct the studies. Overall, the so-called National Children’s Study will follow more than 100,000 children from birth. “It would meticulously measure their environmental exposures while tracking their health and development,” says Dr. Duane Alexander, director of the National Institute of Health and Human Development. This would occur “from infancy through childhood, until age 21, seeking the root causes of many childhood and adult diseases.” How much disease is caused by the environment and how much from genetics has long been a key medical question. By studying the food children eat and the air that they breathe, and the schools and neighborhoods in which they learn and play, researchers hope to unlock some answers. Even the composition of house dust will be studied. Other locations besides UCI are: University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill; Mount Sinai School of Medicine, N.Y.; Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia; University of Utah, Salt Lake City; and University of Wisconsin-Madison. “We’re looking to find the root causes of many common diseases and disorders,” says Dr. Richard Carmona, United States surgeon general. “When we do, we’ll be in a position to prevent them from ever occurring.” The study may help with indoor environmental exposure such as secondhand smoke, lead, radon and asbestos. FEAR OF FAILURE It’s the F grade, not the school, that worries More than half of the children in the United States believe education is “very important.” However, they feel that the fear of failure is somewhat of an obstacle that may be holding them back from success. The Start Something free character education program from Target and the Tiger Woods Foundation released a recent survey conducted by Harris Interactive indicating what today’s children ages 8-17 feel about goals and success. According to the survey, 55% of the children stated that “having a goal(s)” is “very important” to achieving success and 70% of respondents said that education was the most important factor. Although these children know that goals and education are key to a successful life, 52% feel that “fear of trying to achieve my goals and failing” is an obstacle and 49% believe that “not believing I can achieve my goals” is a setback as well. Of the children surveyed, 33% of the children also stated that they were “not sure if they felt adequately prepared to develop a plan to achieve their goals.” Through the Start Something program, Target is helping children identify a specific personal goal and begin taking the steps and action towards that goal. By Colleen Corkery AFTER KATRINA OC schoolchildren come to victims’ aid In an effort to contribute to the aid of those victimized by Hurricane Katrina, schools across Orange County are lending a helping hand in typical and atypical ways. While most schools in every district are holding collection cups or money drives for the American Red Cross, others such as Rancho Capistrano Christian school are creatively raising money through jog-a-thons for “Wheel Chairs for the World” to help replace the wheelchairs of the sick and elderly that were lost in the disaster. Several schools such as Mission Viejo High School, St. Margaret’s, Tustin Memorial Academy and Hewes Middle School in North Tustin and many more have held entertaining talent shows, dances, bake sales or have sold lemonade and Mardi Gras beads to raise money. Collection drives such as on the campuses of Fairmont Private Schools have been successful in raising funds and awareness. Laguna Nigel Elementary School has decided to raise money to buy school supplies for 600 children at Midway Elementary School in Caddo Parish, Shreveport, La., which was affected by the disaster. Oak Grove Elementary School in Aliso Viejo has also adopted a school to raise money for school located in Gulf Port, Miss. Sage Hill School in Newport Beach, which has a Red Cross Club, will be holding a blood drive and a dodge ball tournament. Barcelona Hills Elementary School in Mission Viejo has collected 370 teddy bears, which will be given to children who have not yet been reunited with their parents. Students have also written letters of hope and encouragement to be sent along with the teddy bears. Some schools have produced large amounts of money on their own, including Chaparral Elementary School in Ladera Ranch, which has raised $21,500. The Capistrano Unified School District as a whole has raised more than $158,000. Community Day School not only challenged students at all 22 schools in the Santa Ana Unified School District to bring one dollar to school for a hopeful $58,000, but the campus also challenged students to come up with their own disaster preparedness plans at home with their families to assure safety and awareness. By Colleen Corkery AWARD FOR HEALTH OC Family Magazine contributor is applauded The American Heart Association awarded a Certificate of Merit from its C. Everett Koop Media Awards to former OC Family Magazine Contributor Dr. Leila Zafaranchi. The article appeared in Health: Women in February, entitled “Heart Smart: Facts every woman should know.” She is with the Orange Coast Women’s Medical Group in Laguna Hills. The category was for cardiovascular disease-related news stories. FAMILY NEWS BITES COUGH CENTER OPENS IN MISSION VIEJO The Cough Center, a new practice specializing in the diagnosis, management and treatment of acute and chronic cough, has opened in Mission Viejo directly across from the Mission Hospital campus. The center, modeled after university-affiliated cough clinics across the nation, offers an array of comprehensive services for pediatric and adult patients. For information, visit thecoughcenter.com or call 949.388.5800. FREE TEEN FINANCIAL LITERACY CLASSES Orange County’s Credit Union is offering free financial literacy courses to schools, public libraries, small businesses and community organizations. The classes are offered in English and Spanish and contains a series of four educational workshops for teens. For more information call 888.354.6228 or visit www.orangecountyscu.org CBI RECEIVES NATIONAL AWARD Congregation B’nai Israel’s Hebrew School of Tustin has been recognized as a “Framework for Excellence” school by the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism. This award recognizes the schools ability to use both formal and informal educational programming to enhance its students’ Jewish education as well as the schools success in creating a partnership between the professional staff. LIBRARY RECEIVES RECORD GIFT-GIVING The Newport Beach Public Library Foundation recently announced that the foundation’s contributions to the Newport Beach Public Library has totaled a record-setting $405,609 for the year. The library relies on contributions to provide for the demand for current fiction and non-fiction books, audio books, DVDs, newspapers, magazine subscriptions, and computer database technologies. MENTORING PROGRAM SEEKS VOLUNTEERS The YMCA of Orange County has announced a new mentoring program and is looking for volunteers. The program, entitled United for Success, will focus on assisting foster youth in grades 4-8 with tutoring in basic academic subjects as well as providing support and encouragement. For more information or to request a volunteer mentor application, call 714.838.0181, Ext.116. TWO ARTS ORGANIZATIONS MERGE Arts Orange County and the Imagination Celebration of Orange County have joined forces to further the opportunities Orange County’s youth and families will have to experience the arts. The new organization, which will operate as Arts Orange County, will present the annual spring youth and family arts festival called Imagination Celebration and will develop other year-round arts education programs under that banner. LEARNING CENTER OPENS IN MISSION VIEJO LearningRx Training Center, a training program and center geared towards helping learning disabled, attention deficit and emotionally disturbed students, has opened in Mission Viejo. The center is owned by Dr. Russell Griffiths, an award-winning psychologist who previously served 12 in the public school system. For more information call 949.464.9900 or visit www.LearningRx.com OUTSTANDING EDUCATORS HONORED The MIND Institute recently recognized outstanding students, principals and teachers participating in the institute’s revolutionary Math+Music program. The Orange County honorees are Maria Garica of Lincoln Elementary in Santa Ana (outstanding teacher), Faith Morris of Del Obispo Elementary in San Juan Capistrano (outstanding principal); and Victoria Garcia of Madison Elementary in Santa Ana (outstanding student). Reported and compiled by OC Family Magazine staff |
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