April 7 is World Health Day. The 2005 theme was Healthy Mothers and Children and the slogan was Make every mother and child count. Lauderdale and Colbert County Extension offices joined in the celebration by collaborating with local community-based organizations such as the University of North Alabama's School of Nursing, the University of North Alabama's Social Work Department, the Lauderdale County Public Health Department, the American Red Cross, the American Cancer Society, Times Daily News, the Florence Housing Authority, and the Retired Senior Volunteer Program. Topics covered were domestic violence and childhood obesity, two of America's greatest social ills.
Domestic Violence The Statistical Analysis Center of the Alabama Criminal Justice Information Center reported that of the 19,101 violent offenses that occurred in Alabama in 2004, 13 percent were incidents of domestic violence. Seventy-five percent of the victims were females and 25 percent were males. Victims are wives, common-law wives, husbands, common-law husbands, ex-husbands/wives, girlfriends/ ex-girlfriends, and boyfriends/ex-boyfriends. Domestic violence involves verbal and physical abuse such as threats or other degrading insults, pushing, hitting, choking, and homicide (CJIC, 2004).
World Health Day speaker Polly Whitten from Safeplace, Inc. reported that 3.3 to 10 million children witness domestic violence in his or her home each year. Ninety percent of the children from violent homes usually witness a father battering a mother, and older children may be a victim of domestic violence when they step in to protect the mother. She also stated that 80 percent of violent juveniles and adult prisoners experienced domestic violence as children. Young boys that witness the abuse of his mother are ten times more likely to abuse his female partner as an adult. In addition, children who witness domestic violence growing up come to believe that violence is a normal part of a relationship.
Domestic violence victims may experience a variety of emotions, so let them know that nothing he/she did warrants such behavior and it is not his/her fault. Encourage victims to seek help outside his/her social networks by attending support groups, contacting a domestic violence shelter, or calling the Alabama Coalition Against Domestic Violence's hotline at 1-800-650-6522 or the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233.
Childhood Obesity It is difficult to turn on the television or radio today without hearing about obesity, particularly childhood obesity. Another World Health Day speaker, Dr. Karen Landers from the Alabama Department of Public Health, reported that approximately 30.3 percent of children age 6-11 are overweight while another 15.3 percent are obese. For adolescents age 12 to 19, 30.4 percent are overweight and 15.5 percent are obese. Excess weight in childhood and adolescence are often predictors of adult obesity.
Teaching children to eat healthy at an early age is important since this task may become more difficult as he or she gets older. Parents should also encourage their children to become more active and prepare or offer more nutritional foods or snacks.
So, as the year progresses and in the spirit of World Health Day, let's remember to live healthier lives and be sensitive to the health issues regarding mothers and children.
References Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2005). National health and nutritional survey. Survey Results and Products. Retrieved July 18, 2005.
Statistical Analysis Center. (2004). 2004 domestic violence in Alabama. State of Alabama Criminal Justice Information Center. Retrieved July 18, 2005.
World Health Organization. (2005). Facts and figures from the world health report 2005. World Health Report 2005 Press Kit. Retrieved July 18, 2005.