Different racial and ethnic groups in the U.S. look at health concerns in different ways.
Those culturally specific responses may be beneficial, according to the results from the University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health.
While over all adults in the U.S. rank childhood obesity as the top health concern, this was true among whites and among Hispanics. But for black adults, obesity in children ranked sixth, and they listed smoking as their top health concern.
Overall, drug abuse was the top concern for 34 percent, school violence was 33 percent while sexually transmitted diseases and teen pregnancy rounded out the top five.
The top three health concerns for whites matched the averages, but they made up the majority of the respondents. Hispanics rated childhood obesity highest, at 47 percent, but bullying was second with 43 percent and drug abuse third was at 39 percent.
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http://www.science20.com/news_articles/white_hispanic_parents_worry_about_child_obesity_black_parents_worry_about_smoking-118703
