People exposed to adverse childhood experiences are at risk for negative physical and/or mental health outcomes, substance use disorders, and unfavorable social outcomes in adulthood. One known risk factor for ACEs is caregiver stress, ...
Creating community gathering spaces, or placemaking, has garnered considerable attention in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Youth sports is an important outgrowth of placemaking as they can be a protective factor in preventing ACEs and ...
There are significant disparities in pregnancy-related outcomes in the United States. Many of these deaths considered preventable, so state and federal policy makers are taking steps to improve health outcomes for pregnant people.
In December 2021, HRSA approved new and updated Women’s Preventive Services Guidelines, which will go into effect in 2023. The recent changes include a new guideline on obesity prevention for midlife women and updates to five existing ...
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a particularly negative impact on the mental health of adolescent girls. Fortunately, state legislators have been addressing school-based mental health through legislation enacted since the beginning of the ...
Families who wish to breastfeed in the United States often face barriers in workplace and school settings. To address these disparities, federal, state, and territorial governments are adopting policies to improve lactation accommodations ...
As leaders of their state agency, state and territorial health officials can be named parties in lawsuits alleging that an action taken by a public health agency was unlawful. These officials are typically sued in their “official ...
Food insecurity is a pervasive barrier to the health and well-being of many differing vulnerable populations in the United States, including minority populations and rural communities.
The National School Lunch Program, a federally-assisted meal program run by USDA, has provided millions of children with nutritionally balanced, low-cost or no-cost lunches each school day.
This post highlights the successes and challenges of "children's cabinets" in Minnesota and Iowa as well as their efforts to address early childhood health and development.
ASTHO interview with Elizabeth Harvey, PhD, MPH, a CDC Senior Maternal and Child Health Epidemiology Program assignee to the Tennessee Department of Health. Harvey shares her thoughts on the progress Tennessee has made on opioid use ...
States have identified different strategies to implement healthy eating approaches and reduce obesity at the school and community levels, as well as through food labeling at grocery stores and food markets.
The Maternal, Infant, Early Childhood Home Visiting program, which provides visiting services to parents with young children, is up for Congressional reauthorization. This post explores the importance of the program and why it should be ...
ASTHO interviewed two state health agencies (SHAs), two nonprofit partners, and one university partner that were heavily invested in state early childhood development policy about how their programs fared during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Midterm Elections: Predictions on Congressional Priorities for Upcoming Session astho, association of state and territorial health officials, public health, opioid crisis, congressional priorities, sequestration cuts, healthy future task ...