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February 2009 |
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Recent ResearchReport Quantifies Level of Disadvantage Faced by Boys and Men of Color in CaliforniaThe first multi-dimensional effort to quantify the disparities faced by African-American and Latino boys and men in California across a broad spectrum of health and social factors provides a disquieting outlook for their lives.
Methamphetamine Use Estimated to Cost the U.S. About $23 Billion in 2005The economic cost of meth– amphetamine use in the United States reached $23.4 billion in 2005, including the burden of addiction, premature death, drug treatment and many other aspects of the drug. What kind of drinking is most likely to cause problems?Individuals who binge drink or drink mostly in the morning and mostly outdoors are the most likely to suffer adverse consequences. Malt liquor drinkers drink more and more often and seem to be motivated by price and the desire to get drunk quickly.
Symptoms of depression can generate conflict just when the depressed person needs supportWomen who report higher levels of depression are more likely to report greater interpersonal conflict and fewer supportive interactions. In part, their depressive symptoms may cause others to reject them.
Nurses' professional collaboration involves complex political dynamicsThis study of interprofessional work relations within a Canadian mental health team revealed the complex political dynamics underlying nurses' efforts to establish and maintain their professional autonomy.
Information is worth a lotMore than 70 percent of all Medigap purchasers buy their policies through agents because the plan choices are very complex. But agent-sold policies cost an average of $140 more than policies sold directly to individuals.
Lack of health care for immigrants can have serious consequences for everyoneDespite current controversies over immigration policy, health care for immigrants cannot be ignored in U.S. health care reform debates. Doing so could consign a future generation to inadequate access and poor quality care and, ultimately, ill health, with implications for us all.
Low-income parents choose higher quality SCHIP plans for their childrenA study of low-income families in New York state found that parents were more likely to choose State Children' Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) plans with higher quality of care for their newly enrolled children, suggesting that the program could over time improve quality of care for children.
Economically disadvantaged neighborhoods pose disproportionate risk for African-AmericansA study of the cumulative biological effect of neighborhood socioeconomic status in the United States found that all residents of disadvantaged neighborhoods have elevated biological risk profiles, but that such neighborhoods are most strongly associated with risks among the African-American population.
Childhood obesity can harm children's social and psychological quality of lifeA study of fifth grade African-American, Hispanic, and white children found no significant effects of obesity on physical quality of life but did observe negative effects on psychosocial quality of life. News Releases'COMPARE' Provides Global Positioning System for Health Care PolicyRAND Health has launched COMPARE (Comprehensive Assessment of Reform Efforts) to help provide policymakers and interested parties with a unique way of understanding and evaluating the effects and unintended consequences of health care reform proposals certain to be introduced in the new 111th Congress and beyond. AnnouncementsInvisible Wounds of War wins 2008 PROSE AwardRAND's Invisible Wounds of War won the PROSE award for the best book published in 2008 in the field of Clinical Medicine. The PROSE winners are named annually by the Association of American Publishers. Invisible Wounds of War was among 35 winners selected from 439 entries.
Joan Tucker is named fellow of Association for Psychological ScienceJoan Tucker has been named a fellow of the Association for Psychological Science (APS). This honor is awarded to APS members who have made sustained outstanding contributions to the science of psychology in the areas of research, teaching, service, and application.
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RAND Health Marks 40 Years of Research and Analysis