November 25, 2024 / Health, Housing

Low-income Latinos in Georgia face deplorable and unstable living conditions.Image

The Latino Community Fund Georgia (LCF) and Ser Familia have released the State of the Latino Community Report, a digital publication that combines data from various sources with insights from experts and community members on key issues.

The report’s housing chapter identifies two major challenges for low-income Latinos in Georgia:

  • Deplorable and unstable living conditions, often exacerbated by abusive landlords.
  • The persistent threat of eviction.

Michael Lucas, Executive Director of the Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation (AVLF), shares that about 60% of cases at AVLF involve housing repairs tied to health issues, mainly caused by mold and insects that can worsen respiratory problems like asthma.

Read the full report here.

September 27, 2024 / Health, Mental Health

Addressing Parental Stress: A Call for ActionImage

In a recent New York Times opinion piece, the Surgeon General highlights the growing stress faced by parents in today’s society. Here are some key insights:

  • High Stress Levels: A study found that 48% of parents say most days their stress is completely overwhelming, compared with 26% of other adults who reported the same.
  • Mental Health Risks: There is a correlation between parenting stress and increased rates of anxiety and depression among parents, emphasizing the importance of mental health resources.
  • Impact on Children: Stress in parents can adversely affect child development, with studies indicating that children of stressed parents are more likely to experience emotional and behavioral issues.
  • Support Networks: The piece suggests that fostering strong community networks can significantly alleviate stress, as parents who engage with others report feeling less isolated and more empowered.
  • Policy Implications: Advocating for family-friendly policies, such as paid parental leave and accessible mental health services, can create a healthier environment for both parents and children.

For a deeper dive into this pressing issue, read the full article here.

June 26, 2024 / Health, Safety

Firearm violence was declared as a public health crisis – US Surgeon General ReportImage

This week, the US Surgeon General declared Firearm Violence a Public Health Crisis. The 40-page report outlines the scope of firearm violence and provides recommendations on firearm Risk reduction, as well as violence prevention strategies.

Here are some of the takeaways:

  • Firearm-related injuries have been the leading cause of death for children and adolescents since 2020.
  • The rate of firearm-related suicide increased by 20% across the population between 2012 and 2022, with the highest increase among younger people.
  • In 2015, the overall firearm-related death rate was 11.4 times higher in the U.S. compared to 28 other high-income nations.
  • More than three-quarters of adults (79%) in the U.S. report experiencing stress from the possibility of a mass shooting, and one in three adults (33%) say fear prevents them from going to certain places or events.
  • Local exposure to fatal school shootings is associated with a 21.4% increase in youth antidepressant use in the following 2 years.
  • About 56% of unintentional firearm deaths among children and adolescents between 2003 and 2021 happened in their own homes.

Click here to read the full report with more insights and information about firearm violence in the U.S.

January 12, 2024 / Health, Hispanic

Breaking access barriers is key to address health concerns of Latinos in GeorgiaImage

The Latino Community Fund of Georgia (LCF) published a thorough report on the health conditions of the Latino community in the state. The publication uses data to provide a detailed view into the health status of the community in different areas, including chronic disease, mental health, and maternal and child health.

Key findings:

  • Immigration status and lack of health insurance are primary factors limiting access to preventive and early intervention services for Hispanics/Latinos.
  • Diabetes and Hypertension among Hispanics/Latinos in Georgia exceeds the state average.
  • Special attention is needed for farmworkers and Mayan communities in Georgia, as the lack of baseline health information.
  • Anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues are a serious concern for Hispanics/Latinos.
  • The Hispanic/Latino community in Georgia faces high rates of maternal mortality and morbidity and lower rates of prenatal care.
  • Recent years have seen a decline in the life expectancy of the Hispanic/Latino community, particularly due to the impact of COVID-19.
  • Strong community networks offer valuable opportunities for health workers and community workers to expand education and vetted, credible health information for Hispanics/Latinos.
  • Hispanics/Latinos have a very high rate of workforce participation and entrepreneurship. However, 1 in 6 Latinos lives in poverty.

Read the full report here.

July 21, 2023 / Environment, Health

Environmental risk in Atlanta neighborhoodsImage

As we experience record heat, a new analysis by Georgia Tech professors scores neighborhoods’ heat and flood risks.

“Those most at-risk of complications include children, the elderly, pregnant women and those with certain medical conditions, like heart and lung issues, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.” So, prepare appropriately when serving these geographic and demographic communities.

June 26, 2023 / Basic Needs, Health, Housing, Mental Health

Homelessness in the U.S. has been on the rise since 2017, experiencing an overall increase of 6 percent.Image

The 2023 edition of the State of Homelessness report shows that, according to the January 2022 Point-in-Time (PIT) count, 582,462 people were experiencing homelessness across America. Using data from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the National Alliance to End Homelessness provides an overview of the scope of the issue in the U.S., illustrating emerging trends. Some key facts:

  • Homelessness has been on the rise since 2017, experiencing an overall increase of 6 percent.
  • In 2022, counts of individuals (421,392 people) and chronically homeless individuals (127,768) reached record highs in the history of data collection.
  • Unsheltered rates are also trending upward, impacting most racial, ethnic, and gender subgroups.
  • Homeless services systems continued to expand the availability of both temporary and permanent beds in 2022, but these resources still fall short of reaching everyone in need.
  • Homelessness rose by a modest 0.3% from 2020 to 2022, a period marked by both pandemic-related economic disruptions and robust investments of federal resources into human services.

Explore Georgia’s COC dashboards here.

A note on the data: Point-in-time data are one of two common ways to quantify the homeless population. The other is through school districts as mandated by the Federal McKinney-Vento Act. Keep both sources and their definitions of homelessness in mind when analyzing this kind of data.

April 26, 2023 / Early Childhood, Education, Health, Mental Health

Estimating ACEs risk and protective factors statewideImage

Emory University’s recently launched Georgia Preventing Adverse Childhood Experiences: Data to Action (PACE: D2A) webpage allows for exploring data related to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), student achievement, risk and protective behaviors, and much more.

Users can explore dozens of indicators in multiple layers using the friendly mapping interface and displaying relevant demographic and socioeconomic variables.

One of the key elements of this tool is the use of GaDOE’s student health survey to estimate ACEs risk and protective factors statewide.

Learn more about the project and explore the map here.

March 1, 2023 / Health, Mental Health, Victims

Youth mental health trendsImage

The CDC released its latest Youth Risk Behavior Survey Data Summary and Trends Report. This is a comprehensive view of health indicators for school-age children.

Moving in the right direction:

  • risky sexual behavior
  • substance use
  • bullying at school

Moving in the wrong direction:

  • protective sexual behaviors
  • violence
  • mental health
  • suicidal thoughts and behaviors

 

The greatest disparities seem to be between males and females, where female youth are experiencing significantly worse mental health outcomes. This year’s report also breaks down racial disparities more comprehensivel thn ever before.

March 1, 2023 / Criminal Justice, Economics, Education, Equity, General, Health, Housing, Policy, Workforce

The State of Black GeorgiaImage

“The State of Black Georgia is an educational tool and call to action for Black Georgians, public and private sector stakeholders and the general public that can inform civic engagement, non-profit organizations, elected officials, businesses, policy makers, grass roots organizations, philanthropists, faith-based organizations, researchers, advocates, and other key stakeholders. Together, we can promote inclusive economic development, influential partnerships, and implementation of best practice models that foster overall improvement in conditions for Georgia’s Black residents and the state as a whole.”

From the report:

  • The median wealth of Blacks will fall to zero by 2053 if no action is taken.
  • The percentage of Georgia Black students failing to read at third-grade level was 36%, a 25%
  • increase over the pandemic.
  • Approximately 50% of the inmates admitted in the Georgia Department of Corrections in 2021
  • were Black, yet Black Georgians make up 32% of the State’s population.
  • Fifty-four percent of infant deaths were Black children.
January 25, 2023 / Economics, Equity, Health

Economic inequality is a life or death issueImage

Looking at the factors that contribute to (and/or result from) Atlanta’s ranking as #1 in economic inequality, a clear pattern emerges. The experiences and outcomes of Atlanta neighborhoods are divided along northeast and southwest lines in nearly every way.

When the highest income neighborhoods are living one and a half times longer than those with the lowest income, these inequities are a matter of life or death.

November 29, 2022 / Health, Workforce

Long covid leading to more workers with disabilitiesImage

From Liberty Street Economics

  • Approximately 19% of individuals infected with COVID now have long COVID, possibly leading to the 1.7 million increase in working-age people reporting a disability since 2020.
  • Symptoms of long COVID include fatigue, brain fog, and muscle/joint pain. However, explicit tests for long COVID do not exist, making it difficult to confirm a diagnosis.
  • With the increase of disable workers employed, work place accommodations such as avoiding physical exertion or taking rest breaks have become necessary.
  • It is likely that disabled workers suffering from long COVID and the necessary accommodations will be a constant element in the future of the workplace.
January 3, 2022 / Health

The current wave of COVID-19 cases is the biggest to hit Georgia yet, and metro Atlanta is leading the surge.Gallery

In the last few weeks, the number of COVID cases rose by 153%, hospital admissions rose 62%, and deaths from COVID rose 27% according to Amber Schmidtke’s latest COVID Digest. Additionally, the number of positive PCR tests rose from 5.7% to 32.6%. Cases and hospitalizations are rising for all age groups, but individuals aged 18-29 have had the sharpest increase in cases and hospitalizations. Metro Atlanta leads the current surge in cases whereas previous surges, such as the Delta wave in August-September 2021, had a greater proportional effect on rural areas. The current surge has been exacerbated by individuals gathering to celebrate the holidays, and cases are expected to continue increasing throughout January. This will likely strain hospitals which are already struggling due to lack of staffing.

Takeaway: Stronger public health measures, including improved vaccination and booster rates, will be necessary to curb the current rise in COVID-19 cases.

November 17, 2021 / Health, Mental Health

Over 2,000 Georgians died of drug overdose during the COVID-19 pandemic.Insight

Recently, the US government announced that deaths due to drug overdose surpassed 100,000 during the COVID-19 pandemic. This is the largest number of overdose deaths ever recorded in a 12 month period. It is estimated that 19 in 100,000 people in Georgia died from an overdose, ranking the state 39th in overdose death rate. The Appalachian region suffered from the highest rate of overdose deaths (Washington Post).

Takeaway: It is necessary to increase access to overdose antidotes as well as improve substance abuse prevention and treatment programs.

March 5, 2021 / Aging, Health, Policy

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Based on the covid-19’s impact and national demographic and demand trends, the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (N4A) urges leaders to consider the following principles in policymaking:

  • People want to age safely in their homes and communities.
  • Health happens in the home and community.
  • We are only as strong as our caregivers.
  • Community infrastructure is a critical component of healthy aging.
  • We are all stakeholders in an aging nation.
December 22, 2020 / Health, Mental Health

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According to a regional tracker, the percent of telehealth diagnoses for mental health conditions is more than three times higher than the same time last year, likely due to both increased demand for MH services and increased supply/accessibility of telehealth options. (FAIR Health)

October 28, 2020 / Health, Policy

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Tennessee hospitals are seeing significantly fewer covid patients from counties with mask mandates [study] (Vanderbilt School of Medicine)

October 2, 2020 / Health, Hispanic, Mental Health

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The Hispanic community has particular physical health, mental health, and economic risks due to low access to healthcare, increased exposure, and stigma. Affordable and quality programs designed with this community are needed. [PDF] (American Psychiatric Association)

August 21, 2020 / Education, Health, Mental Health, Workforce

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Access to computers and internet supports (1) virtual learning, (2) job seeking and workforce development, and (3) access to telemedicine and mental health services (Mental Health America of Georgia)

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