School Violence Is Rising
Violence in schools is on the rise, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CDC is also quick to note, however, that school-associated deaths comprise less than one percent of all homicides of school-age children.
During the past three school years, from August 1995 through June 1998, there were an average of five multiple-victim homicides per year, compared with an average of one multiple-victim event per year from August 1992 through July 1995, according to CDC data.
Key statistics include:
The CDC is conducting an extensive study of all school-associated deaths and an evaluation of prevention programs. So far, the programs that are showing promise include those that teach young people how to deal with anger and how to respond appropriately to provocation, promote mentoring and encourage healthy behavior within the family.
(CDC, 404/639-3236, http://www.cdc.gov)
Diabetics At Higher Risk For Heart Disease
Although many Americans are reducing their risk of death from heart disease, diabetics are increasingly at high-risk, according to recent data from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disease (NIDDK) in Bethesda, Md. This data indicates a need for more heart disease messages to be incorporated into diabetes-focused campaigns.
For non-diabetic males, deaths from heart disease have fallen by 36.4 percent, but in their diabetic counterparts the rate has only dropped 13 percent.
Among women, discrepancies are wider. Death rates from heart disease have decreased by 27 percent for non-diabetic women and increased by 23 percent for female diabetics.
The study is published in the April 14 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
(NIDDK, 301/443-4536, http://www.niddk.nih.gov)
DTC Advertising Exceeds $1.3B
Promotional spending in the pharmaceutical industry jumped 19 percent in 1998 to more than $5.8 billion, according to IMS Health, a leading healthcare information provider. While advertising and face-to-face sales to physicians made up the lion's share of the spending, direct-to-consumer (DTC) efforts continue to escalate.
Last year, DTC spending surged 23 percent to $1.3 billion. These trends highlight the marketing priority pharmaceutical companies place on building and maintaining brand awareness among consumers. But these decisions have to be made sensitively and strategically so as not to alienate the physician audience.
(IMS, Nancy Duckwitz, 610/834-5338