research information

While researching I found out a lot of information about Newark that I never knew before. First is the serious lead poisoning problem in the city. When I first used that as one of my health risks I did not think that I would make it my major concern, but it quickly jumped to the top after doing some research on government websites. I learned that Newark alone makes up for 18% of the lead poisoning cases in children under the age of 6 in the entire state, and when you compare them to other large cities (such as Paterson, Trenton, Jersey City) they are more than double the next closest city. A large part of this is due to the housing. Nearly half the housing units in Essex County were built before 1950, and back then the paint used on the houses had an extremely high lead percentage level. A large portion of the housing units were also built before 1978 which was the year the Nation put a ban on all lead based paints. When these old houses are lived in there is obviously a direct hazard with the eating of paint chips, inhalation of dust, playing in contaminated soil, and drinking water out of lead pipes as well. Even when these houses are demolished the dust contaminates the air and soil, which makes it a hazard even when a newer home is built in the same plot of land. Although there have been significant improvements in the amount of lead poisoning cases in Newark it is still a health issue that needs to be looked at.

When I did some observations at a local park in Newark I looked to see how many children were putting their hands, toys, or snacks in their mouth after playing on the grass or in the dirt. I only analyzed 5 different children, but all together those children had 17 mouthing habits. If the area in which these children were playing was contaminated they would all be at a high risk level of getting lead poisoning.

I also did an observation period at local fast food restaurant to get a good idea of how many children eat fast food for dinner. Over the course of 1 hour, during dinner hours, 29 different children ate at either McDonalds or White Castle. The food they ordered was typically chicken nuggets, cheeseburgers, fries, and regular cola. The nutritional value of these items is very unhealthy. This is something that parents should take into consideration with their children. African-Americans and Hispanics are at the higher levels of obesity and are at the highest risk of contracting a cardiovascular disease than any other ethnicity. If you allow young children to eat unhealthy foods you are putting htem at risk for obesity, a disease which has been rapidly increasing throughout the US each year.

The last set of information that I have is that the school which I observed has no recess, and the students usually have P.E. class twice a week. With obesity and heart disease being such a threat to the majority of the students going to this school I find it shocking that they are not given the opportunity to exercise, or even be physically active, more than twice a week. Exercise has a positve relationship with academic performance, and by not allowing the students to be physically active the schools are hurting their physical and educational development.

Introduction

The inhabitants of the city of Newark face many problems every day. The portrayal from the media leads the public to believe that issues such as violence, drugs, and murder are the main issues that Newark has to deal with day in and day out; when in reality there are issues that face every member of Newark’s community. Issues such as lead poisoning, asthma, and obesity are dangerous problems that can affect any member of the community, starting with newborn infants all the way up to senior citizens. These are issues that can damage both an individual’s physical and mental development. In the North Ward children who attend the public school which I observed have to face these issues on a daily basis.
One issue that residents of Newark have to worry about more than any other city in New Jersey is lead poisoning. The ingestion of lead is something that many children face every day, and without proper awareness and prevention any child can accidentally ingest lead. Even low lead exposure affects children’s intellectual development. What many people do not realize is how many ways lead can be ingested into the body. Lead poisoning can come from paint, dust, soil, food, dietary supplements, glass, vinyl lunchboxes, toys, synthetic turf and air. It was also found in a 2008 study that lead contamination is typically greater in urban areas, and that “children with elevated blood lead levels (EBL’s) are more common in communities with many households below the federal poverty level” (Levin, Brown, Kashtock, Jacobs, Whelan, Rodman, Schock, Padilla, & Sinks, p.1289).
Obesity is another major problem in Newark. Within the past thirty years obesity has doubled for adolescents and children ages 6-17. Also in a 2008 study it was found that obesity is more prevalent in African-American and Hispanic children. The results of this study should add warning to the city of Newark. With the majority of its population being African American and Hispanic its citizens are at a greater risk than Caucasian communities. In addition to their prevalence of obesity African Americans and Hispanics are also have the greatest chances of contracting type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular diseases, a chance that only increases with obesity (Davis, Young, Davis, & Moll, p.61). Obesity not only effects the physical development of a child, but can affect their educational development as well.
The last issue that will be looked at in this study is asthma. Asthma is a chronic health condition that can vary with its severity. The majority of asthma cases are only mild, but children with severe asthma have a very limited level of physical activity. Asthma is an issue that is faced all over the world, but is particularly worse in urban areas. In a recent study it was found that asthma “has a disproportionate effect on low-income minority children who reside in large urban areas” (Nelson, Awad, Alexander, & Clark, 2009, p.210). Children in the North Ward are surrounded by polluted air and inhale second hand smoke on a daily basis which directly affects their health.

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to take a closer look at the issues of lead poisoning, obesity, and asthma in a North Ward school community. Data were collected through the methods of observation, research, and personal interviews. Over the past few weeks it was discovered that Newark has the highest rate of child lead poisoning in New Jersey, making up for nearly twenty percent of the state’s total cases. The second major issue in the community, childhood obesity, is a concern which is rapidly growing within the school. Families are not provided with proper nutritional, recreational, and school facilities within the neighborhood to help the prevention of this disease. The issue of asthma is one that is prominent in many school age children due to a direct connection with second hand smoke within the home. This information is important because each issue threatens the overall quality of life for children living in this Newark community.