Alcohol misuse is a serious, worldwide public health issue that can result in a wide range of physical, psychological, and social problems affecting the individual, the family, and the community. Drinking alcohol during pregnancy increases a woman's risk of having a baby with birth defects and developmental disabilities. Alcohol consumption during pregnancy is recognized as the cause of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs). FASD is a term used to define the spectrum of physical, mental, behavioral, and/ or learning disabilities that can result from prenatal alcohol exposure. Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) is one of the most severe outcomes of drinking alcohol during pregnancy and is characterized by facial malformations, growth deficits, and neurodevelopmental problems. Efforts have been underway for several decades to develop strategies to prevent alcohol-exposed pregnancies (AEPs) and reduce the risk of FASDs. In 2002, the National Task Force on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and Fetal Alcohol Effect (NTFFASFAE), a federal advisory committee, released its first recommendations. Among these recommendations were several items focused on prevention, including recommending the reissuance of the U.S. Surgeon General's advisory on drinking during pregnancy [4] and the development of a report to review the evidence for effective prevention and treatment strategies for women at risk for or engaging in prenatal alcohol use. In 2004, after deliberations on and publication of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome: Guidelines for Referral and Diagnosis [5], the NTFFASFAE decided to focus its attention on FASD prevention. The Task Force Prevention Working Group (PWG) was established to guide the development of a report describing evidence-based prevention strategies to reduce AEPs and outline recommendations to further promote the implementation of such strategies. To accomplish this, the staff of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities engaged the Community Guide Branch at CDC's National Center for Health Marketing and Research Triangle Institute International (RTI) to assist the PWG in this work. RTI conducted a systematic search of the literature to identify community-level FASD interventions and policies that can prevent alcohol-exposed pregnancies and reduce the prevalence of physical, mental, behavioral, and learning disabilities due to prenatal alcohol exposure. The review focused on community-level interventions and policies because other systematic reviews either have been completed or are currently under way to explore both clinical interventions and population-based strategies addressing alcohol misuse. For example, in 2004, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force engaged in a systematic review that resulted in clinical recommendations on screening and behavioral counseling interventions in primary care settings to reduce alcohol misuse [6]. Also, the Task Force on Community Preventive Services, coordinated by CDC, is actively engaged in systematic reviews to assess the effectiveness of population-based alcohol prevention strategies that affect people in the general population, including women of childbearing age. This report reviews the current evidence on prevention strategies to reduce AEPs, provides recommendations on promoting and improving these strategies, and offers future research directions in the field of FASD prevention. This document also serves as a guide for those in the research and practice fields interested in selecting and implementing effective, scientifically tested interventions for women at risk for an AEP. In addition, the report also highlights the importance of continued collaboration across federal, state, and local agencies; academia; medical and social service delivery systems; and families to integrate scientific findings into public health prevention strategies.
In this one-of-a-kind book, Dr. Rovenia M. Brock—known as Dr. Ro™ to fans of Black Entertainment Television’s Heart & Soul—reveals practical, satisfying ways for African American women to eat healthy, get fit, and overcome weight problems and the health risks that accompany them. From the “Big Ten” myths about miracle weight-loss diets to how eating the right foods can help you live longer and why soul food (if prepared properly) really can be good for you, Dr. Ro shows how many serious illnesses can be largely prevented—and even reversed. And you don’t need Oprah’s salary to do it. Using her own inspiring story and those of many other women as well, Dr. Ro discusses the health, fitness, and even cultural issues that are unique to black women, and outlines a diet and nutrition program to fit every lifestyle.
According to the media, the church is rapidly shrinking, both in numbers and in effectiveness. But the good news is, much of the bad news is wrong. Sociologist Bradley R. E. Wright uncovers what's really happening in the church: evangelicals are more respected by secular culture now than they were ten years ago; divorce rates of Christians are lower than those who aren't affiliated with a religion; young evangelicals are active in the faith. Wright reveals to readers why and how statistics are distorted, and shows that God is still effectively working through his people today.
This handbook provides an overview of the current scientific understanding of autism spectrum disorders, as well as a cultural and historical perspective on the controversies that plague the field. "Autism" describes a complex developmental disability that interferes with social interaction and communication. Symptoms of autism are generally recognizable when children are under the age of three. Until the 1990s, rates for autism were generally estimated at 1 in 2500. In 2010, however, the estimate is now 1 in 110 children. Is the incidence of autism increasing, or has there simply been a shift in how often this disability is diagnosed as the problem? This text provides a comprehensive explanation of autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Reference Handbook educates readers about ASD without relying on confusing medical jargon, highlighting current understanding of etiology, neuroscience, and intervention. It also discusses the historical and cultural influences of ASD and explores the controversial aspects of autism.
In 1902, Martha Berry founded the Industrial School for Boys to educate the children of the Southern Appalachian Mountains, and in 1909 the school admitted women. The institution grew from a mountain industrial school to a two-year college in its first twenty-four years, became a four-year college in 1930, and has since become one of the leading liberal arts colleges in the South. This volume portrays, in word and image, the role of sports at Berry College throughout its 100-year history. Situating athletics within the social and cultural life of the college, the book includes both intramural and intercollegiate sport, and traces the evolution of the Viking tradition as it both parallels and reflects the development of sport in the United States. The story begins with the recreational and leisure activities of the early years of the school and traces the continuation of the sporting spirit from the days of the "Silver and the Blue" through the post-war "Blue Jacket" tradition, and ends with the Viking years of the last four decades. Of notable interest in the book is the development of the women's sports program, which has brought four national titles to the college; the importance of soccer to the college; the well-rounded intercollegiate program, which currently fields teams in seven sports; and an excellent intramural program.
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