Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health Research Briefs

2007

Health System Reconstruction and Nation-Building — 2007

This research brief examines past attempts to rebuild public health and health care delivery systems during nation-building efforts after U.S. military deployments intended to underpin the transition to peace, democracy, and economic stability.

How Schools Responded to Student Mental Health Needs Following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita — 2007

This fact sheet summarizes a study that examined how schools in the U.S. Gulf Coast region perceived the mental health needs of students after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and how schools responded.

New Perspectives on Marijuana and Youth: Abstainers Are Not Maladjusted, but Lone Users Face Difficulties — 2007

This research brief describes evidence RAND researchers use to challenge findings from 1990 report on marijuana use and emotional and social adjustment in teens.

Should ART be part of a population policy mix? Assessing the demographic impact of Assisted Reproductive Technologies — 2007

Details the results of a preliminary investigation into whether Assisted Reproductive Technologies can play a part in preventing European countries from falling into the low-fertility trap.

Using Outcomes to Assess Teen Substance-Use Treatment Programs -- How Feasible? — 2007

This study explored using outcome data to assess adolescent substance abuse treatment program performance. However, this approach may be problematic. A more promising approach may be to identify quality-of-care indicators for assessing performance.

Using the ''Getting to Outcomes™'' Approach to Help Communities Prevent Underage Drinking — 2007

This research brief is a summary of a longer guide that provides key accountability questions, worksheets, tools, and examples to help communities plan, implement, and evaluate their efforts to reduce and prevent underage drinking.

2006

Forging the Link Between Alcohol Advertising and Underage Drinking — 2006

This research brief shows that alcohol advertising appears to promote adolescent drinking and suggests that school drug prevention programs can blunt the impact of alcohol ads on youth.

Getting To Outcomes™: Improving Community-Based Substance-Use Prevention — 2006

This research brief summarizes research to create Getting To Outcomes (GTO), a science-based model and support tools to help local groups develop or improve substance-use-prevention programs.

How Schools Can Help Children Recover from Traumatic Experiences — 2006

This fact sheet summarizes a program guide, or tool kit, that describes a variety of school-based mental health programs for students exposed to trauma, such as Hurricane Katrina and other natural disasters, and community or personal violence.

Improving Access to Needed Health Care Improves Low-Income Children’s Quality of Life — 2006

This research brief describes an examination of the effect of the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) on children's access to needed health services and on their quality of life.

Project ALERT Plus May Leverage the Effect of the National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign — 2006

This fact sheet reports lowered use of marijuana among ninth graders exposed to anti-drug messages from the National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign along with Project ALERT Plus, a drug prevention curriculum for middle school students.

Quality Primary Care Requires More Than Insurance — 2006

This Research Brief summarizes research analyzing and comparing key components of children's primary care: having insurance, having a regular medical care provider, and actually receiving care when it is needed.

Triple Jeopardy for Vulnerable Children: Greater Health Needs, Less Access, Poorer Primary Care — 2006

This research brief summarizes an analysis of data from a nationwide survey to determine why children eligible to be in the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) are not enrolled.

2005

Children at Risk: Consequences for School Readiness and Beyond — 2005

This research brief describes work documented in Early Childhood Interventions: Proven Results, Future Promise (MG-341-PNC).

Proven Benefits of Early Childhood Interventions — 2005

This research brief describes work documented in Early Childhood Interventions: Proven Results, Future Promise (MG-341-PNC).

Stopping Violence Before It Starts: Identifying Early Predictors of Adolescent Violence — 2005

This research brief describes work documented in “Early Predictors of Adolescent Violence,” American Journal of Public Health.

2004

Classroom Drug Prevention Works — 2004

Alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs are in the nation's schools, sidetracking kids from getting a good education and from building a solid foundation for a productive, healthy life.

Does Watching Sex on Television Influence Teens’ Sexual Activity? — 2004

Two recent studies led by RAND Health behavioral scientist Rebecca Collins examined the impact of TV sex on teenagers' sexual beliefs and activities.

Evaluating Substance Abuse Treatment Programs for Adolescent Probationers — 2004

In this study, RAND researchers found that one substance abuse treatment program helped young probationers reduce substance abuse and improve their psychological functioning.

Is Patient Volume a Useful Quality Measure for Very Low Birthweight Infants? — 2004

The goal of the study was to assess how accurately patient volume predicts quality of care for VLBW infants and to compare volume with direct indicators, such as patient mortality.