Mindfulness: Psychology Of Possibilities Can Enhance Health, Happiness

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Main Category: Psychology / Psychiatry
Also Included In: Pregnancy / Obstetrics;  Depression
Article Date: 03 Aug 2012 - 2:00 PDT Current ratings for:
Mindfulness: Psychology Of Possibilities Can Enhance Health, Happiness

First-time mothers who pay attention to their emotional and physical changes during their pregnancy may feel better and have healthier newborns than new mothers who don't, according to research to be presented at American Psychological Association's 120th Annual Convention.

"These findings continue more than 40 years of research that has made clear that whether you are mindless or mindful makes a big difference in every aspect of your health and well-being -- from competence to longevity," Ellen Langer, professor of psychology at Harvard University and a pioneer in researching mindfulness, said in an interview. Langer is a past recipient of APA's Award for Distinguished Contributions to Psychology in the Public Interest.

For Langer's recent study, researchers trained women pregnant with their first child in mindfulness with instructions to notice subtle changes in their feelings and physical sensations each day, she said. When compared with two other groups of first-time pregnant mothers who did not have the mindfulness training, these women reported more well-being and positive feelings and less emotional distress. "They had higher self-esteem and life satisfaction during this period of their pregnancy and up to at least a month after birth," Langer said. "And this also had a positive impact on their deliveries and overall health of the newborns."

Teaching mindfulness through attention to variability may be helpful for many disorders, including asthma, depression and learning disabilities, to name a few, according to Langer.

"Noticing even subtle fluctuations in how you feel can counter mindlessness, or the illusion of stability. We tend to hold things still in our minds, despite the fact that all the while they are changing. If we open up our minds, a world of possibility presents itself," she said.

Author of the popular books "Mindfulness," "The Power of Mindful Learning," "On Becoming an Artist: Reinventing Yourself Through Mindful Creativity," and most recently, "Counterclockwise: Mindful Health and the Power of Possibility," Langer is known for her work on the illusion of control, aging, decision-making and mindfulness theory.

In her lecture, Langer will describe her research to test possibilities rather than find out what is typical. "Psychologists have traditionally studied the 'norm' rather than exceptions that could show that we are capable of far more than we currently realize," she said. Among other research, she will describe her work showing how a change in mindset has resulted in weight loss and improved vision and hearing, and how subtle differences in choice of words can improve health.

Langer first demonstrated the psychology of possibilities in her landmark 1981 "counterclockwise" experiment in which a group of elderly men spent time immersed in a retreat created to reflect daily life in the 1950s and where they were told to speak of the past in the present tense. Men in a comparison group reminisced for the week and were given no instructions regarding verb tense. The experimental group showed greater improvement in vision, strength, joint flexibility, finger length (their arthritis diminished and they could straighten their fingers more) and manual dexterity. On intelligence tests, 63 percent of the experimental group improved their scores, compared to 44 percent of the control group, Langer said.

BBC television recently replicated the study with British celebrities in a program that has been viewed in Great Britain, Australia, India and Hong Kong. It's currently being replicated with local celebrities in Germany and the Netherlands, Langer said.

"It is important for people to realize there can be enhanced possibilities for people of all ages and all walks of life," Langer emphasized. "My research has shown how using a different word, offering a small choice or making a subtle change in the physical environment can improve our health and well-being. Small changes can make large differences, so we should open ourselves to the impossible and embrace a psychology of possibility."

Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release. Click 'references' tab above for source.
Visit our psychology / psychiatry section for the latest news on this subject. Presentation: "The Psychology of Possibility," Ellen J. Langer, PhD, Session 2254, American Psychological Foundation Arthur W. Staats Lecture on Unifying Psychology, Friday, Aug. 3, 2 p.m. to 2:50 p.m., Room W304E, Level III, Orange County Convention Center.
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Awareness, Detection And Treatment Programs Required To Improve Breast Health Care In Pakistan

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Main Category: Breast Cancer
Article Date: 03 Aug 2012 - 1:00 PDT
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Awareness, Detection And Treatment Programs Required To Improve Breast Health Care In Pakistan

Among most women in Pakistan, there is limited awareness of breast cancer occurrence, detection, and screening practices, or the importance of self-breast exams and clinical breast exams, according to a study in the August issue of the Journal of the American College of Radiology. In Pakistan, breast cancer is the most common cancer affecting women and the incidence is rising. It is usually diagnosed in later stages and often at a younger age compared with populations in the West.

"Breast cancer care in limited-resource countries generally suffers because of multiple obstacles, including a lack of recognition of breast health as a public health priority, a shortage of trained health care workers and social or cultural barriers. An improved understanding of existing obstacles in breast cancer care is critical to identify those factors that may be correctable and thereby devise effective interventions for improving early breast cancer detection and treatment in disadvantaged countries," said Sughra Raza, MD, co-author of the study.

Questionnaires were developed to address demographics, financial and educational levels, knowledge regarding breast cancer occurrence and treatment, and religious and cultural beliefs that may affect seeking care for breast disease. Using the questionnaires, one-on-one surveys were administered by community health workers in Karachi to 200 women and 100 general practitioners.

Survey results showed that women's knowledge of breast cancer incidence, diagnosis and treatment was proportionate to educational level, while willingness to address breast health issues and interest in early detection were high regardless of education level. Very few women had ever undergone clinical breast examinations or mammography. Among general practitioners, most understood major risk factors and importance of early detection. However, 20 percent did not believe breast cancer occurs in Pakistan, and 30 percent believed that it is a fatal disease. Female general practitioners were more likely to perform clinical breast examinations than male general practitioners.

"Although there is limited awareness regarding breast cancer occurrence, detection, and screening practices, as well as the importance of self-breast exams and clinical breast exams, the majority of women are very keen to learn more, to participate in their own care and to lower their risk," said Raza.

"Awareness and educational activities, including training female clinical health workers to perform clinical breast exams, will be beneficial, as we begin instituting awareness, detection and treatment programs in the face of a rapidly rising incidence and late-stage detection of breast cancer in Pakistan," said Raza.

Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release. Click 'references' tab above for source.
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Sleep Apnea - CPAP Face Mask Improves Overall Cardiovascular Health

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Academic Journal
Main Category: Sleep / Sleep Disorders / Insomnia
Article Date: 15 Dec 2011 - 8:00 PST

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Patients with obstructive sleep apnea who use a face mask during their slumber hours were found to have significantly improved blood pressure, levels of stomach fat (visceral fat), and cholesterol and blood sugar levels - all factors closely related to metabolic syndrome and heart health, researchers reported in NEJM (New England Journal of Medicine).

As background information, the authors explain that approximately 18 million people in the USA live with obstructive sleep apnea. Many sufferers are unaware of their condition, because they are asleep when the breathing is halted - whoever sleeps with them is generally the first to notice.

Obstructive sleep apnea (British spelling: apnoea), also known as OSA is a disorder of sleep in which the sufferer stops breathing for at least ten seconds while asleep. The throat muscles (soft tissue in the back of the throat) collapse and close, resulting in blocked airways. Each episode of halted breathing is called an apnea. Apnea means without breath.

Patients with sleep apnea may wake up during an apnea, but are rarely aware of their problem - they do not know why they woke up.

During an "apnea" the airway becomes blocked

Standard treatment involves a CPAP machine - this includes a mask that is attached to continuous airway pressure. A significant proportion of CPAP machine users stop using them within a year because they are cumbersome devices.

Lead author, Surendra Sharma, from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi, said:

"These patients need to be properly counseled for regular use of CPAP machines. In a real- life situation, the machine will be used for a longer period and more benefits will be observed."

Pharmaceutical giant, Pfizer Inc. funded the trial. Clinical trials government number NCT00694616. The company does not make or sell sleep apnea devices.

A CPAP mask (Source: Philips)

Obstructive sleep apnea patients were randomly selected to have therapeutic CPAP followed by placebo CPAP (sham CPAP). This was followed by a 1-month washout period, after which the groups swapped (the placebo ones used the mask for three months, while the other group used the placebo).

At the beginning and end of each three-month intervention, the researchers took measurements of the participants' blood pressure, insulin resistance, fasting blood sugar (glucose) levels, fasting blood lipid profile, visceral fat, carotid intima-media thickness, and glycated hemoglobin levels.

The authors reported the following results on 86 patients who completed the trial; 87% of whom had metabolic syndrome: Those on the CPAP treatment had considerable improvements in the following readings, compared to those on sham CPAP in the following:

- Systolic blood pressure
- Diastolic blood pressure
- Serum total cholesterol
- Non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol
- Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol
- Triglycerides

Metabolic syndrome reversal was found in 11 of 86 patients on CPAP therapy, compared to 1 of 86 on sham CPAP therapyThe authors concluded in an Abstract in the journal:

"In patients with moderate-to-severe obstructive sleep apnea syndrome, 3 months of CPAP therapy lowers blood pressure and partially reverses metabolic abnormalities."

Written by Christian Nordqvist
Copyright: Medical News Today
Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today

Visit our sleep / sleep disorders / insomnia section for the latest news on this subject. "CPAP for the Metabolic Syndrome in Patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea"
Surendra K. Sharma, M.D., Ph.D., Swastik Agrawal, M.D., Deepak Damodaran, M.D., Vishnubhatla Sreenivas, Ph.D., Tamilarasu Kadhiravan, M.D., Ramakrishnan Lakshmy, Ph.D., Priya Jagia, M.D., and Atin Kumar, M.D.
N Engl J Med 2011; 365:2277-2286December 15, 2011 Please use one of the following formats to cite this article in your essay, paper or report:

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Similar Blood Pressure Drugs Could Have Different Impacts On Dialysis Patients' Heart Health

Main Category: Blood / Hematology
Also Included In: Cardiovascular / Cardiology;  Hypertension;  Urology / Nephrology
Article Date: 11 Dec 2011 - 0:00 PST

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Two seemingly similar blood pressure - lowering drugs have different effects on the heart health of dialysis patients, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society Nephrology (JASN). The results indicate that certain dialysis patients may benefit more from one drug while some should opt for the other.

About 20% of kidney disease patients die within one year after they start dialysis and more than half die after five years - mostly from heart disease. Two classes of drugs, called angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ACE inhibitors) and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs), act in a similar way to prevent and treat heart disease in the general population. Studies of the drugs in dialysis patients are scarce.

ACE inhibitors and ARBs primarily lower blood pressure, but they also decrease inflammation and can produce other beneficial effects for patients. T. Alp Ikizler, MD (Vanderbilt University Medical Center) and his colleagues looked to see if there is a difference between ACE inhibitor and ARB treatments on dialysis patients' heart health.

The researchers randomized 15 dialysis patients to receive an ACE inhibitor, an ARB, or a placebo for one week. Then patients received no treatment for three weeks, after which they were again randomized to receive an ACE inhibitor, an ARB, or a placebo for one week. This wash-out/treatment cycle was then conducted once more. Tests were conducted after each treatment cycle.

The investigators found that ARBs were more effective at fighting inflammation while ACE inhibitors were better at preventing blood vessel damage. Both of these properties could help prevent heart disease. The results suggest that ACE inhibitors and ARBs have different effects on dialysis patients' heart health that go beyond their similar blood pressure - lowering capabilities.

"The implication is that the choice of each of the drugs in dialysis patients could depend on the profile of each individual considered for treatment, which would be a more personalized approach to therapy," said Dr. Ikizler. This implies that different dialysis patients might respond to each drug differently and that some would get the most benefit from ACE inhibitors while others would benefit more from ARBs. The findings emphasize the need for a long-term randomized clinical trial to compare the effects of ARBs and ACE inhibitors on different aspects of heart health in dialysis patients.

Study co-authors include Jorge Gamboa MD, Mias Pretorius MD, Deanna Todd-Tzanetos MD, James M. Luther MD, Chang Yu, PhD, and Nancy J. Brown MD (Vanderbilt University Medical Center).

Disclosures: Dr. Ikizler is a consultant to Abbott Renal, Abbott Nutrition, Renal Advantage, Inc., AMGEN, Novartis, Bristol Myers Squibb, and Baxter Renal. Dr. Brown is a consultant for Novartis, Merck, and Boehringer-Ingelheim.

Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release. Click 'references' tab above for source.
Visit our blood / hematology section for the latest news on this subject. "Comparative Effects of Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibition and Angiotensin-Receptor Blockade on Inflammation during Hemodialysis" online at http://jasn.asnjournals.org/ December 8, 2011, doi: 10.1681/ASN.2011030287.

The content of this article does not reflect the views or opinions of The American Society of Nephrology (ASN). Responsibility for the information and views expressed therein lies entirely with the author(s). ASN does not offer medical advice. All content in ASN publications is for informational purposes only, and is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, drug interactions, or adverse effects. This content should not be used during a medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. Please consult your doctor or other qualified health care provider if you have any questions about a medical condition, or before taking any drug, changing your diet or commencing or discontinuing any course of treatment. Do not ignore or delay obtaining professional medical advice because of information accessed through ASN. Call 911 or your doctor for all medical emergencies.

American Society of Nephrology

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Similar Blood Pressure Drugs Could Have Different Impacts On Dialysis Patients' Heart Health

Main Category: Heart Disease
Also Included In: Urology / Nephrology
Article Date: 09 Dec 2011 - 2:00 PST

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Two seemingly similar blood pressure lowering drugs have different effects on the heart health of dialysis patients, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society Nephrology (JASN). The results indicate that certain dialysis patients may benefit more from one drug while some should opt for the other.

About 20% of kidney disease patients die within one year after they start dialysis and more than half die after five years mostly from heart disease. Two classes of drugs, called angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ACE inhibitors) and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs), act in a similar way to prevent and treat heart disease in the general population. Studies of the drugs in dialysis patients are scarce.

ACE inhibitors and ARBs primarily lower blood pressure, but they also decrease inflammation and can produce other beneficial effects for patients. T. Alp Ikizler, MD (Vanderbilt University Medical Center) and his colleagues looked to see if there is a difference between ACE inhibitor and ARB treatments on dialysis patients' heart health.

The researchers randomized 15 dialysis patients to receive an ACE inhibitor, an ARB, or a placebo for one week. Then patients received no treatment for three weeks, after which they were again randomized to receive an ACE inhibitor, an ARB, or a placebo for one week. This wash-out/treatment cycle was then conducted once more. Tests were conducted after each treatment cycle.

The investigators found that ARBs were more effective at fighting inflammation while ACE inhibitors were better at preventing blood vessel damage. Both of these properties could help prevent heart disease. The results suggest that ACE inhibitors and ARBs have different effects on dialysis patients' heart health that go beyond their similar blood pressure lowering capabilities.

"The implication is that the choice of each of the drugs in dialysis patients could depend on the profile of each individual considered for treatment, which would be a more personalized approach to therapy," said Dr. Ikizler. This implies that different dialysis patients might respond to each drug differently and that some would get the most benefit from ACE inhibitors while others would benefit more from ARBs. The findings emphasize the need for a long-term randomized clinical trial to compare the effects of ARBs and ACE inhibitors on different aspects of heart health in dialysis patients.

Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release. Source: American Society of Nephrology
Visit our heart disease section for the latest news on this subject. American Society of Nephrology Please use one of the following formats to cite this article in your essay, paper or report:

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9 Dec. 2011. APA

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Kidney Injury, A Serious Risk To The Health And Survival Of Today's Soldiers

Main Category: Urology / Nephrology
Article Date: 09 Dec 2011 - 2:00 PST

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Acute kidney injury (AKI), an abrupt or rapid decline in kidney function, is a serious and increasingly prevalent condition. Little information has been available about how common or how severe AKI is in military personnel who are injured during combat in Iraq and Afghanistan. A new study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society Nephrology (CJASN) investigates this question in those burned during combat.

Captain Ian Stewart, MD, USAF (San Antonio Military Medical Center, Fort Sam Houston) and his colleagues examined military casualties who were evacuated from Iraq and Afghanistan to burn units. When they used two different classification systems for AKI, the researchers found that AKI prevalence rates were 23.8% (according to one system) and 29.9% (according to the other) among 692 evacuated casualties. Patients with AKI were much more likely to die than patients without AKI: the death rates among patients with moderate and severe AKI were 21.4% to 33.3% and 62.5%to 65.1%, respectively, compared with 0.2% among patients without AKI.

The majority of patients (57.6%) were diagnosed with AKI when they were admitted to the hospital, implying that factors related to combat may be responsible. Conversely, for patients who developed AKI after the first week (17.6%), complications from their hospitalization were likely the cause. Patients in the intermediate time range (24.8%) probably had some combination of factors.

"Our research shows that if a wounded warrior develops kidney damage, he or she is at an increased risk of dying," said Dr. Stewart. "By preventing or modifying kidney injury, we may be able to improve survival in military personnel with burns and/or other traumatic injury," he added. Additional studies are needed to test whether intervening to reduce AKI will save lives.

Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release. Source: American Society of Nephrology
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Obesity And Diabetes Undermining America's Overall Health

Editor's Choice
Main Category: Public Health
Also Included In: Obesity / Weight Loss / Fitness;  Diabetes
Article Date: 08 Dec 2011 - 6:00 PST

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America's overall health is being undermined by obesity and diabetes, other chronic diseases, and child poverty; these detriments have been deemed greater than the benefits from improvements in cardiovascular deaths, preventable hospitalizations and smoking cessation, says a new report titled 2011 America's Health Rankings.

The Rankings is a collaboration between United Health Foundation, the America Public Health Association, and Partnership for Prevention.

No improvement in overall health - while the country's overall health improved by an average of 0.5% from 2000 to 2010 and 1.6% since the 1990s, the rate was unchanged from 2010 to 2011, the authors wrote.

Vermont is still the healthiest state in the USA, and has been so for the last five years. New York and New Jersey moved up six places and are the most improved states - mainly due to the impressive numbers of people who gave up smoking. Idaho has slipped from ninth to nineteenth place, while Alaska went down five places.

Below are the five healthiest and five unhealthiest states, according to the report:

United Health Foundation board member and executive vice president and chief of medical affairs, UnitedHealth Group, Reed Tuckson, M.D., said:

"Where people live matters. Every state can make improvements to ensure healthier quality of lives for their residents. In the history of the Rankings, we have seen many examples of stakeholders coming together to improve their standing.

States such as Tennessee and Maine - which made explicit efforts to improve their rankings - have shown us that improved public health is achievable but must be tackled in a concerted and aggressive way."

Jud Richland, M.P.H., president and CEO of Partnership for Prevention, said:

"The Rankings provides comprehensive data states can use to develop prevention solutions and health-improvement plans - empowering their residents to live long, healthy and productive lives."

The authors explain that their latest Rankings give a snapshot of each state, and is based on 23 measures that include several promising trends: Smoking - there are 25.4% fewer smokers in the USA today than in 2001. In 2011, 17.3% of US adults smoked, compared to 17.9% a year before.Preventable hospitalizations - there were 68.2 preventable hospitalizations per 1,000 Medicare beneficiaries in 2011, compared to 70.6 a year before - 17.3% less than in 2001.Cardiovascular deaths - in 2011, there were 270.4 cardiovascular deaths per 100,000 people, compared to 278.2 a year before - a 22.2% drop since 2001.The following undesirable trends more than offset improvements: Childhood poverty - 21.5% of US children lived in poverty in 2011, compared to 20.7% a year before - 33.5% more than in 2001.Diabetes - 8.7% of US adults were diagnosed with diabetes in 2011, compared to 8.3% a year before - 42.6% higher than in 2001.Obesity - the national adult obesity rate reached 27.5% in 2011, compared to 26.9% a year before - up 37.5% compared to 2001. This year is the first in which not one US state has an obesity rate below 20%.The authors remarked on how good and bad trends erased each other out - for every person who gave up smoking in 2011, another became obese.

Dr. Tuckson said:

"While this year's Rankings shows some important improvements, we also see some very alarming trends - particularly diabetes and obesity - that, left unchecked, will put further strain on our country's already strained health care resources.

At a time when the nation, states and individual families are grappling with tightening budgets and growing health care expenses, this year's Rankings sends a loud wakeup call that the burden of preventable chronic disease will continue to get worse unless we take urgent action.

Broad collaboration is the only path to health and financial progress. Government, the private sector, philanthropy and community-based organizations all need to join in a data-driven process to determine and address priorities."

Georges C. Benjamin, M.D., executive director of the American Public Health Association, said:

"Addressing the leading causes of these largely preventable diseases is essential if we are going to improve the nation's health. America's Health Rankings gives us a tool to gauge where we are and where we need to go, and the numbers should drive us to action."

Even though smoking prevalence has dropped from 29.5% in 1990 to 17.3% this year, it is still the cause of 1 in every 5 premature deaths per year (443,000). In 1990, only 11.6% of US adults were obese, compared to 27.5% this year, an increase of 137%. More than 1 in every 4 adults are obese today; approximately 65 million people. Obesity prevalence continues to increase and is costing the nation $147 billion just in direct health care expenditure. Experts say the main reason for the obesity explosion is bad eating habits and lack of physical activity. There are over 20 million adults in the USA today who have been diagnosed with diabetes, i.e. 8.7% of all adults. In 1996, the figure was 4.4%. Studies have indicated that within the next four decades between 1 in every 3 to 5 adults will have been diagnosed with diabetes. The authors say this means there are millions of people today who are either at risk of developing diabetes, or already have it but do not know (have not yet been diagnosed).

By the end of this decade, about 10% of all health care spending will be channeled towards treating diabetes and prediabetes - an annual total of nearly $500 billion (compared to $208 billion today).

Written by Christian Nordqvist
Copyright: Medical News Today
Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today

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Children With Special Health Care Needs

Main Category: Pediatrics / Children's Health
Also Included In: Health Insurance / Medical Insurance;  Primary Care / General Practice
Article Date: 08 Dec 2011 - 1:00 PST

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The first federally funded report to compare children with special health care needs to children without reveals 14 percent to 19 percent of children in the United States have a special health care need and their insurance is inadequate to cover the greater scope of care they require for optimal health.

The report, Children with Special Health Care Needs in Context: A Portrait of States and the Nation 2007, provides an enhanced view of children by illustrating their health, health care, home and family environments, and school and neighborhood environments compared with their peers without special health care needs. It is based on findings from the 2007 National Survey of Children's Health (NSCH) sponsored by the Health Resources and Services Administration's Maternal and Child Health Bureau.

In the survey, children with special health care needs are defined as those who have one or more chronic physical, developmental, behavioral, or emotional conditions for which they require a type or amount of health and related services that is above routine-level care.

The key findings in the report demonstrate critical differences between these groups. While more than 88 percent of children ages 0 to 17 with special health care needs have consistent health insurance coverage, it is less likely to meet their greater health care needs compared with children without special health care needs. The percentage of children with special health care needs who have inadequate health insurance ranges from 20 percent to 38 percent across states.

"The NSCH is a valuable information source that can be used to inform efforts to advance the health of our nation's children. It allows us to measure children's health, well-being and health care system performance in the context of their family, home, community and school environments - and to compare across many subgroups of children within and across states," said Christina Bethell, Ph.D., M.B.A., M.P.H., director of the Child and Adolescent Health Measurement Initiative (CAHMI) and a professor of pediatrics in the Oregon Health & Science University School of Medicine, OHSU Doernbecher Children's Hospital.

"This information is important to identify priorities and opportunities for improving children's health and health care in the United States. The CAHMI Data Resource Center for Child and Adolescent Health is committed to making this information readily available to the public on our user-friendly website," said Bethell.

Additional key survey findings include: Children with special health care needs are more likely to be overweight or obese compared to children without special health care needs. Children with special health care needs are less likely to be engaged in school and are more likely to have repeated one or more grades compared to their peers without special health care needs. Just over one-third (36 percent) of children with special health care needs meet criteria minimum threshold for receiving quality care, which is characterized by having a medical home, adequate health insurance and having at least one preventive visit in the past year. Only 23 percent of children with special health care needs live in protective home environments compared to 30 percent of children without special health care needs. A protective home environment includes factors such as eating meals together, limited television watching and whether or not a child is exposed to secondhand tobacco smoke in the home. Children with and without special health care needs are similarly likely to live in safe and supportive neighborhoods. Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release. Click 'references' tab above for source.
Visit our pediatrics / children's health section for the latest news on this subject. Interactive data from this report can be easily accessed through the Data Resource Center for Child and Adolescent Health website at http://www.childhealthdata.org/. The Data Resource Center is a project of the Child and Adolescent Health Measurement Initiative (CAHMI) housed at OHSU.
More information about the report is available online at http://mchb.hrsa.gov/nsch/07cshcn/. The 2007 National Survey of Children's Health involved a total of 91,642 interviews, about 1800 interviews in each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia, with parents of children less than 18 years old.
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