Back to the Beginning: Obesity Prevention in Early Childhood

May 14, 2010

Recent efforts in the field of child obesity prevention have placed emphasis on the school-age population, and with good reason. Schools present a unique opportunity to reach large groups of children on a regular basis with healthy foods and physical activity. However, about 10 percent of children come to kindergarten already obese, indicating that more attention needs to focus on the period of life before school.

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Racism: Combating the Root Causes of Health Disparities

April 16, 2010

Reducing health disparities in communities of color has been a public health priority in the United States for the past decade. To date, however, substantial improvements have not been achieved. Even more troubling is the evidence that disparities persist even when overall health trends improve.

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Intervening Early to Address Children’s Health Disparities

April 16, 2010

In the United States, children of color and those in low-income families continue to lag behind white and affluent children on nearly every health indicator. In addition, many of these indicators and conditions, such as preterm birth, low birth weight, and asthma, can have long-term influences on children’s healthy development and functioning.

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Rethinking Substance Use Disorders

April 16, 2010

Almost 1 in 10 individuals over age 12 has a problem with alcohol or drugs, making substance use disorders one of the most damaging and expensive health problems facing the United States today. Yet many of the specific issues surrounding substance use remain under the radar because of their controversial nature and the highly marginalized and vulnerable populations they often affect.

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What’s in a Name? Untangling Health Disparities, the Social Determinants of Health, and Health Equity

March 22, 2010

Health disparities…social determinants of health… health equity. These phrases are used to talk about differences in health, but what do they mean?

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Tackling the Tough Work of Community Change

March 22, 2010

While somewhat new to health foundations, place-based community change work is not new to philanthropy. Grantmakers who are considering such ventures have to judge how comfortable they are with the roles they might be called upon to play in a community change effort.

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Oral Health Disparities: A Shift Toward Policy Work

February 12, 2010

Oral diseases and disorders occur frequently among all populations, but large disparities exist by region, age, socioeconomic status, and race and ethnicity. In response, many oral health grantmakers have become more focused on policy solutions to improve oral health.

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State and Local Health Departments: Doing More with Support from Foundations

February 12, 2010

The nation’s public health system is under increasing pressure as state and local health departments are asked to take on more responsibilities with fewer resources. Despite these challenges, there are many opportunities for foundations to work with and strengthen state and local health departments.

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Schools as Entry Points for Children’s Mental Health Services

January 15, 2010

Health grantmakers are in a strong position to support efforts to increase children’s access to mental health services by funding school-based services, building relationships between schools and service providers, disseminating information, and promoting policy change.

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Filling a Gap in Care: The Need for Behavioral Health Integration

November 12, 2009

Primary care is often provided in isolation of behavioral health care, and vice versa. An integrated approach addresses this challenge by systematically coordinating physical and behavioral health services to more fully meet individual needs.

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