The 1994 study appears in the Dec. 25 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
The researchers related the income of more than 1,000 adults in Alameda County, Calif., in 1965, 1974 and 1983 to physical, psychological, cognitive and social functioning in 1994.
The study defined economic hardship as having a household income below twice the poverty line. In 1965, the poverty line was $3,317, so households where the income fell below $6,634 were experiencing economic hardship. In 1974, twice the poverty line was $11,000, and in 1983, twice the poverty line was $20,356.
Test subjects who were exposed to economic hardship once during the test periods were 1.49 times as likely to have difficulties with the activities of daily living in 1994. Subjects that experienced two exposures were 1.85 times as likely, and those that experienced economic hardships three times were 3.79 times as likely.
Similar results were obtained for cognitive functioning and mental problems such as depression.
Contrary to popular theories, violent boys do not approve of hitting others more than non-violent boys, sometimes even when provoked, according to a recent University study.
The study revealed that every boy in both groups condemned the use of violence in the three unprovoked situations. Most of the boys used moral arguments, such as a concern for the physical danger of the victim, and the unreasonably aggressive actions of the offender.
In the three scenarios where violence was provoked by hitting or name-calling, most of the boys still did not approve of hitting back.
But the violent and non-violent boys offered different reasons for their reactions to provoked violence. The non-violent children gave general societal reasons why hitting someone wasn't allowed, while the violent children gave specific rules against hitting others, as well as the negative effects it may have.
The CD-ROM, created by the Interactive Lead Education Project, targets middle and high school students and is designed to help people reduce lead poisoning and lead exposure. In particular, its developers hope the CD-ROM will help reduce the number of children in Michigan's urban areas who are exposed to high levels of lead.
Children in older urban homes are in particular danger of ingesting lead dust, created by deteriorating lead-based paint. Lead poisoning at a young age can lead to permanent brain damage, impaired motor skills and behavioral problems.
In several Michigan urban areas, almost half of all children under age six have levels of lead in their blood above what the Centers for Disease Control consider a level of concern, and many were confirmed as lead-poisoned.
- Compiled by Daily Staff Reporter Sam Stavis.
01-08-98
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