Healio (4/14, Bortz) reported, “Inadequate access to food in early childhood was correlated with negative social-emotional and cognitive outcomes among children in kindergarten,” researchers found after examining “data on a recent birth group that were nationally representative to examine the connection between food insecurity and kindergarten skills, including reading, math and social-emotional outcomes.” The findings were published online in Child Development.

Related Links:

— “Unreliable food access linked to poor behavior, learning in kindergarten,” Johnson AD, et al., , April 14, 2017.

U.S. News & World Report (4/14, Reynolds) reports, “According to the American Psychiatric Association, “attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder [AD/HD] “affects approximately five percent of children.” The APA also “says” AD/HD “is often first identified in school-aged children when it leads to disruption in the classroom or problems with schoolwork.” In such cases, however, “the young age of a child may raise an important question: What role does immaturity play when it comes to” AD/HD diagnoses in young children? Some experts believe in “not rushing a child into school.” Some little ones are just not mature enough yet to handle a classroom environment and their behavior in the classroom may stem from immaturity, not AD/HD.

Related Links:

— “Does Immaturity Play a Role in ADHD?,” Jennifer Lea Reynolds, U.S. News & World Report, April 14, 2017.

MedPage Today (4/16) reported, “Low-extremity osteoarthritis (OA) patients who use opioids or antidepressants have a greater risk of repeated falls,” researchers found after studying “4,231 patients from the Osteoarthritis Initiative (OAI).” The findings were published online in the journal Osteoarthritis and Cartilage.

Related Links:

— “Meds Contribute to Falls in OA,” Judy George, MedPage Today, April 16, 2017.

Reuters (4/13, Kennedy) reports that as people grow older, “common risk factors for depression change,” researchers found after analyzing “data on more than 2,000 adults participating in two long-term studies of depression and anxiety.” The study also revealed that “when a risk factor is uncommon among peers – like widowhood or poor health in youth – it can have an outsized effect on depression risk.” The findings were published online April 7 in the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry.

Related Links:

— “As people age, the factors that drive depression may shift,” Madeline Kennedy, Reuters, April 13, 2017.

Psychiatry resident Colin Buzza, MD, MPH, MSC, an American Psychiatric Association Public Psychiatry Fellow, writes in STAT (4/12) “First Opinion” that “inflammatory rhetoric toward immigrants” leads many to “avoid doctor visits” and delay necessary medical care. Dr. Buzza contends that he tries to reassure his immigrant patients, but “no amount of reassurance could offset…news of hate crimes and immigration raids.”

Related Links:

— “Harsh immigration rhetoric and policies are a threat to our nation’s health,” COLIN BUZZA, STAT, April 12, 2017.