Month: June 2014

Biodynamic Farming Grows in California

Described as a “spiritual-ethical-ecological” approach to agriculture by the Biodynamic Association, biodynamics goes much further than organic farming. Under the rules of the biodynamic-certifying agency the Demeter Association, the farms must not only eliminate synthetic chemicals, but they must be as self-sustaining as possible, grow a variety of crops and incorporate animals.

Despite Need, Indigenous Farmworkers Have Little Access to Mental Health Services in California

When Irene Gomez emigrated from Mexico at 14, she immediately began working in the strawberry fields in the Oxnard Plain. The work was exhausting, poorly paid and unreliable — but that was the least of her problems. She was also helping a friend escape from a violent relationship and was worried about living in the U.S. without legal papers. She was overwhelmed, but felt she had nowhere to turn.

CDC: Diabetes Rates Increase and are Highest Among Minority Groups

More than 29 million people in the United States have diabetes, up from the previous estimate of 26 million in 2010, according to a report released recently by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  The new report also found that Non-Hispanic black, Hispanic, and American Indian/Alaska Native adults are about twice as likely to be diagnosed with diabetes as non-Hispanic white adults.

How the ACA is Changing Lives

The federal health law known as the Affordable Care Act has become a partisan punching bag in Washington D.C., but for singer Georgia Bennett*, the new law could not sound any sweeter. The law gave her peace of mind when she lost her job, and now she sees it as part of the foundation for a new business she is trying to get off the ground.

Concierge Medicine Expected to Grow Under Health Reform

Paying extra for better access to a doctor, often called concierge medicine, is drawing new attention, at least in part in response to the Affordable Care Act. Although adherents are still few in number, concierge medicine is growing in popularity, particularly in California.

E-Cigarette Advertising to Youth Has Increased More than 300 Percent in the Past Two Years

The Food and Drug Administration recently proposed rules that would govern e-cigarette advertising but currently can only enforce advertising of the devices when they are marketed as smoking cessation devices. A new study, published in Pediatrics, has found that in the absence of regulations for advertising e-cigarettes for recreational smoking, e-cigarette advertising has increased two-fold for youth and three-fold for young adults in the U.S. in the past two years.

Medicaid Enrollment Policies Help Pregnant Women Quit Smoking

Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health have found that a Medicaid policy that fast-tracks applications of pregnant women contributed to a nearly 8 percent reduction in smoking during pregnancy. However, the smoking reduction did not significantly improve preterm birth rates or low birth weights.

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