Falls a leading cause of injury and death for older Missourians
Winter’s slippery conditions are only an inconvenience for most of us, but for older adults falling can have deadly consequences -- falls are the main cause of injury-related deaths among those 65 and older, according to the Missouri Senior Report 2008.

In Missouri, the fall death rate for older adults is more than 30 percent higher than the national average, At least 20 percent of seniors who fall sustain moderate to severe injuries such as hip fractures and head trauma. Many never fully recover, a major reason falls are involved in some 40 percent of nursing home admissions.

Furthermore, the odds of dying as a result of a fall increase dramatically with age. Those 85 and older are more than ten times as likely to die as a result of a fall as those 65-74, according to Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services data.

Several suggestions for reducing the chances of falling are offered in the Missouri Senior Report. These range from making sure rooms, halls and stairways are properly illuminated to participating in a physical activity program to improve strength, balance and gait. Other resources for individuals and communities are available from the Show Me Falls Free Missouri State Coalition.

The Missouri Senior Report is a collaborative effort by the University of Missouri’s Office of Social and Economic Data Analysis, the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, the Missouri Area Agencies on Aging, and University of Missouri Extension. Read more...

Offenders ages 17-25 offer opportunities, challenges for the justice system
Adults are expected to “put away childish things” but research has identified an extended transition period from teen to full adult called “emerging adulthood”. The new Step by Step newsletter reports that the finding has important implications for Missouri’s justice system when dealing with those ages 17 to 25, who account for more than 12 percent of the state’s population.

Emerging adults need proper social support from their family, or from others, to make a successful transformation. Those lacking such support are significantly more likely to have problems, including substance abuse. Drug court records show that emerging adults have higher recidivism rates than those 26 and older.

Because emerging adulthood is a crucial point in the lives of many young people, it is an opportunity for the justice system to help lead them away from a life of crime. The challenges include better identifying their risks and needs, then creating interventions to address them. Read more...

Beyond Missouri

America’s Children Becoming Worse Off, New Data Reveal
Despite living in a nation with more billionaires than any other, when it comes to reducing childhood poverty and protecting youth from gun violence, the United States ranks last among industrialized countries, says a new Children’s Defense Fund (CDF) report.

The CDF is a non-profit child advocacy organization. Its State of America’s Children 2008 report draws on national and state poverty, health, child welfare, education and similar data.

Among the CDF’s findings:

• Every day 2,583 babies are born into poverty in the United States. Almost one in 12 babies born in 2005 had a low birthweight.
• Eight American children or teenagers are killed by firearms daily, while four children die as the result of abuse or neglect.
• On average, more than 2,300 students drop out of high school each day of the school year. Students or not, the jobless rate for youth is the highest it has been in more than four decades.

In Missouri, nearly 25 percent of the state’s population consists of children under the age of 18, according to 2007 data. Almost 248,000 of Missouri’s children lived in poverty in 2007, with 114,000 of those in extreme poverty. For 2007 extreme poverty was defined as a household of four with a total income of just over $10,500.

For a full overview of the status of the state’s children, please see the 2007 Missouri KIDS COUNT report.