August 2023

There are over 9 million people in the United States who regularly vape (Drew, 2023). This is equivalent to saying that every single person that lives in New York City vapes regularly. Vaping is an increasingly popular health behavior, particularly among young adolescents (Drew, 2023). In fact, teenagers between the ages of 15-17 have a 1600% higher likelihood of vaping than adults between 25-34 do (Drew, 2023). Within the last month alone, over 2 million high school students reported using...

Maternal health is a significant public health issue in the United States. “Women in the U.S. are more likely to die from childbirth than women living in other developed countries” (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, n.d.). Unfortunately, mortality is just a small part of the issue. For every maternal death, there are up to 100 occurrences of Severe Maternal Morbidity. Severe Maternal Morbidity or SMM refers to complications and health conditions attributed to pregnancy, such as...

Over 352,000 students have experienced a school shooting since Columbine in 1999 (Cox et al., 2023). School shootings have also been on the rise in the U.S. in recent years, with 46 just in 2022 alone. This is the highest number in the history of the U.S., however, shootings in the first three months of 2023 significantly outpaced those in 2022 within the same time frame (Modan, 2023). While school shootings are mainly carried out by white male gunmen, students of color are most affected by...

Gun violence threatens public health and is the leading cause of premature deaths in the United States (Gramlich, 2023). According to the American Public Health Association (APHA), guns kill more than 38,000, and 85,000 are injured annually (APHA, n.d.). Homicides account for the largest part (60%) of gun deaths for teens younger than 18, with boys being more likely to die by gunfire (83%) compared to girls (17%)( Gramlich, 2023). There are noted racial and ethnic differences in gun deaths,...

The negative effect that Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE's) have on individuals is well described. Ample evidence also suggests that ACEs are associated with socioeconomic status. Additionally, socioeconomic status has been linked to poorer access and utilization of health care. Furthermore, specific adversities lead people to avoid seeking health care services, which can be compounded by lack of access or perceived barriers to access of healthcare.(Alcalá et al., 2017) As evidenced by...

Food insecurity is a public health issue our nation faces. Decline in food quality and production, coupled with increased costs related to the production and food distribution systems continue to contribute to the food insecurity crisis (CDC, n.d.). Food security challenges requires public health professionals to intervene to help reduce the associated health-related risks (CDC, n.d.). This public health issue can present multiple adverse health outcomes for individuals experiencing food...

Rates of both diabetes and low health literacy are higher in populations from low socioeconomic backgrounds (1). There is a direct correlation between low health literacy in adults and higher rates of overweight and obesity classifications of children in the United States. A study done by the STRONG Kids Study, a Midwest panel survey among parents of preschool aged children showed that only 24% of parents with low health literacy would approve using multiple strategies for healthy weight...

The Asian American (AA) population has doubled in size from 2000 to 2019 and is estimated to reach more than 46 million by 2060 in the U.S. (Budiman & Ruiz, 2021). Despite this growth, little is understood about their experiences with trauma and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) due to the lack of data disaggregation (Yang & Dinh, n.d.). The model minority myth, a stereotype about Asian Americans’ achievements that erases the large disparities within this non-monolithic group...

Heather Vecsey and Tran Tran - Summer 2023 Domestic violence (DV) is a prevalent public health issue in Oklahoma, affecting individuals of all ages, races, genders, and socioeconomic statuses (Oklahoma State Department of Health, n.d.). Approximately 49.1% of Oklahoma women and 40.7% of men experience a form of intimate partner violence (IPV) or stalking in their life; and Oklahoma consistently exhibited one of the highest rates of DV and femicide (Humphrey, 2023). Violence can leave...

(This is a review of what I believe is an important new resource for the PACEs [for positive and adverse childhood experiences] science movement. Opinions expressed are my own, and are shared as a parent, advocate, author, and longtime student of trauma, healing, and prevention. Thoughts are also shared through my lens as someone who believes, deeply, in the incredible importance of and value in building healthier, more compassionate communities to support and nurture pregnant and new...