In an article appearing in the May 5 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), addiction researchers at the National Institutes of Health compared marijuana use in the U.S. adult population in 1991-92 and 2001-02. They found that the number of people reporting use of the drug remained substantially the same in both time periods, but the prevalence of marijuana abuse or dependence increased markedly. This new study showed that increases in the prevalence of abuse or dependence were most notable among young African-American men and women and young Hispanic men.
Health
Minorities @ Greatest Risk Of Dying From Cancer.
With mounting evidence that minorities and the poor are experiencing higher rates of cancer and are dying more frequently and more quickly from this disease, the Intercultural Cancer Council Caucus (ICCC) issued a 12-step action plan outlining how the Administration and the U.S. Congress can begin to eliminate the many disparities in cancer care now experienced by the medically underserved.
Disparities In Health Care A Costly Problem For Nation.
An increasing prevalence of obesity in adolescent Latinos is leading to an alarming rise in Type 2 diabetes, a problem more often seen in middle-age adults than children, according to leading doctors.
Mexican-Americans Less Aware Of High Blood Pressure & High Cholesterol.
Differences between Mexican-Americans and non-Hispanic white Americans persist when it comes to cardiovascular health, according to a new Pfizer Inc/National Hispanic Medical Association study released at the National Hispanic Medical Association annual conference in Washington, D.C.
American Youth More Physically Active.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released results from a survey that indicate physical activity among the nation’s youth is increasing as a result of a national youth media campaign launched by the agency in 2002. The award winning multicultural campaign known as VERB had one of the largest effects, a 34 percent increase, in weekly free-time physical activity sessions among 8.6 million children ages 9-10 in the United States.
Kids, Older Boomers Growing The $3 Billion First Aid & Sports Medicine Product Markets.
Manufacturers of first aid products are finding a major growth opportunity among opposite ends of the population spectrum, namely, kids and aging baby boomers. The U.S. Market for First Aid and Sports Medicine Products, a new report by market research publisher Packaged Facts, notes that product innovations like colorful bandages featuring cartoon characters for kids and waterproof pain relief ointments for sports-injured middle-agers are fueling this $3.03 billion market.