Parents' Pediatric Health Concerns Inconsistent Among Races, Poll Reveals

The University of Michigan in Ann Arbor has released the results of a new national poll from the school's Mott Children's Hospital that shows adults' rankings of health concerns for children vary markedly among races.

While white adults ranked obesity first (39 percent), drug abuse second (33 percent) and tobacco use third (30 percent) as top concerns for children, Hispanic adults rated obesity first (47 percent), bullying second (43 percent) and drug abuse third (39 percent). Black adults ranked tobacco use first (40 percent), drug abuse second (34 percent) and school violence third (33 percent).

The varied rankings may indicate differential health perceptions based on race and ethnicity, according to Matthew M. Davis, MD, director of the poll, associate professor of pediatrics and internal medicine at UM's medical school and associate professor of public policy at the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy. Further knowledge of such perceptions could be useful for developing effective solutions to public health issues, according to the news release. 

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