This week, we were asked to look back over our childhood and think of how any major stressors have impacted our lives. I actually found this assignment quite difficult because I realized that I have had a fairly easy life. Yes, money was tight for my family, but we still had everything that we needed. I have lived in Ohio my entire life, so I have never experienced any major natural disasters, other than an ice or wind storm here or there that has knocked out power for a few days. Yes, it was an inconvenience, but it was never a life-threatening moment and I enjoyed the peace and quiet during that time.
The one stressor that I can probably relate to is violence. My parents' marriage was very rocky throughout my childhood and got worse when I was in high school. I remember sitting in the garage on winter nights just to get away from listening to them fighting. I became depressed and very dependent on my boyfriend at the time to take that hurt away from me. I learned to suppress my feeling because my parents did not take the time to realize that their arguing had hurt me so bad. My parents got a divorce in 2006 and things are still not so great. They will rarely come together in the same room without there being tension. Today, I still struggle with sharing my feelings, even with my husband. I have built this wall around me that is very hard to get through. I feel as though I should be strong for my family, even though I am weak inside.
I was saddened to read that the rate of domestic violence is so high in South Africa. According to the World Council of Churches website, "one in four men have admitted to rape and one in twenty men have admitted to rape in the past year" (para. 1). Sadly, only about seven percent of rapes against women actually lead to conviction (para. 7). The council is working to provide awareness of this global struggle to eliminate violence, but as long as the crime continues to go unpunished, the crime will continue to be present.
Tiffany Booze
Reference:
World Council of Churches, (2011). Facts about columbia. In 40 days to end violence against women. Retrieved on November 23, 2012, from http://www.overcomingviolence.org/en/resources/campaigns/women-against-violence/week-3-colombia/colombia-facts.html.
Friday, November 23, 2012
Sunday, November 4, 2012
Child Development and Public Health: Immunizations
This week, I chose to focus on the issue of child immunization. There are so many rumors floating around the media recently about how immunizations can cause autism in children. However, none of these rumors have been proven to be true. Immunizations were created to help prevent the spread of life-threatening illnesses. Unfortunately, access to these immunizations is limited to families that can afford them and are most commonly administered in modern countries.
When I was pregnant with my daughter, my doctor asked me if I was planning on immunizing my daughter. Without hesitation, I responded yes. My opinion is that if these vaccinations are available and they can prevent my daughter from getting any of these life-threatening illnesses, then it was my responsibility as a parent to make sure that she was vaccinated. My brother-in-law and his wife do not share my beliefs. They have chosen not to vaccinate their daughter. It worries me because whenever my daughter is sick with a common cold or such, I make sure that she is not around her cousin because I fear that my niece may get a harsher illness. I understand that some people choose not to vaccinate their children because of religious or cultural beliefs and that is okay. However, I believe that vaccines should be made available to any parent who wants their child vaccinated, regardless of cost.
A study was performed in India that reviewed the vaccination records of children who were hospitalized. Of the children surveyed, most of the children were considered either partially vaccinated or not vaccinated at all. The children who were not vaccinated made up the largest amount of the children who were present at the hospital. Parents in India said that they did not vaccinate their children because they were either unaware of the availability of the vaccines, claimed the vaccines had side-effects, or did not believe that the vaccines worked at all. It is our responsility to educated these individuals about the availability of vaccinations and the importance of administering them to all children.
Tiffany
Source:
Kumar, D., Aggarwal, A., & Gomber, S. (2010). Immunization status of children admitted to a tertiary-care hospital of north india: Reasons for partial immunization or non-immunization. Journal Of Health, Population, & Nutrition, 28(3), 300-304.
When I was pregnant with my daughter, my doctor asked me if I was planning on immunizing my daughter. Without hesitation, I responded yes. My opinion is that if these vaccinations are available and they can prevent my daughter from getting any of these life-threatening illnesses, then it was my responsibility as a parent to make sure that she was vaccinated. My brother-in-law and his wife do not share my beliefs. They have chosen not to vaccinate their daughter. It worries me because whenever my daughter is sick with a common cold or such, I make sure that she is not around her cousin because I fear that my niece may get a harsher illness. I understand that some people choose not to vaccinate their children because of religious or cultural beliefs and that is okay. However, I believe that vaccines should be made available to any parent who wants their child vaccinated, regardless of cost.
A study was performed in India that reviewed the vaccination records of children who were hospitalized. Of the children surveyed, most of the children were considered either partially vaccinated or not vaccinated at all. The children who were not vaccinated made up the largest amount of the children who were present at the hospital. Parents in India said that they did not vaccinate their children because they were either unaware of the availability of the vaccines, claimed the vaccines had side-effects, or did not believe that the vaccines worked at all. It is our responsility to educated these individuals about the availability of vaccinations and the importance of administering them to all children.
Tiffany
Source:
Kumar, D., Aggarwal, A., & Gomber, S. (2010). Immunization status of children admitted to a tertiary-care hospital of north india: Reasons for partial immunization or non-immunization. Journal Of Health, Population, & Nutrition, 28(3), 300-304.
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