Children living in the South are up to three times more vulnerable to poor health than other U.S. children, a University of Florida study suggests. Researchers documented several poor health outcomes, which included low birth weight, teenage pregnancy and death. It also pointed other problems such as mental illness, asthma, obesity, tooth decay and school performance as well.
“Hurricane Katrina gave the world a glimpse of the disparities in the South,” said Dr. Jeffrey Goldhagen, the study’s lead author and an associate professor of community pediatrics. “Our research documents just how profoundly these disparities impact the health of children in the regiona the study is the first to statistically relate region of residence to measures of child healtha€, he added.
Via: Physorg