Media and Technology Stats and Studies – April 30, 2013

UCLA’s Children’s Digital Media Center found that among children between the ages of 9 and 15, those who use social media often are more interested in becoming famous than other kids the same age. Earlier this year, Pew found Blacks and Hispanics to be the most avid users of Twitter and Instagram. Interestingly, the Girl Scouts found girls who are interested in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) to anticipate that they will become famous at a lower rate (29%) than girls who did not report being interested in STEM (41%).

Pew released a study of civic engagement online. The report found people higher up on the socioeconomic ladder were more likely to “participate in civic life” online. Among Blacks, Whites and Hispanics, Hispanics overall were the least likely to be politically active both on and offline.

A Texas A&M University study found typed and voice-activated texting to be equally as distracting while driving.

Google reported that it has received more content removal requests from governments worldwide than ever before.

In a review of how well “covered entities” under the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act have safeguarded patient data, the Department of Health and Human Services found most problems were caused by entities not being aware of the data and privacy rules in the Act.  Sixty-percent of problems were related to data security, 30% pertained to data privacy, and 10% related to data breach notifications.

Nielsen reports that affluent homes are more likely to subscribe to streaming services such as Netflix, Amazon Plus, and Hulu. Homes making $100,000 or more were 85% more likely to subscribe to streaming services.

PriceWaterhouseCoopers found that while customers are reducing their talk time and using more data on their mobile plans, average revenue per postpaid customer with smartphones fell from $82.75 per month in 2011 to $77.79 in 2012.

Media and Technology Stats and Studies – March 18, 2013

CRA: Computing Degree Enrollments Soar, Foreign Students Dominate Among Advanced Computing Degrees Awarded in U.S., Hispanics Show Sharp Declines Among Computer Engineering Grads

The Computer Research Association has released a report showing the number of new undergraduate majors pursuing degrees in computer science at doctorate-granting institutions has grown by more than 29% over last year. The report evaluated three degrees: computer science (CS), computer engineering (CE) and information-related, computing disciplines (I). While Black or African-Americans comprised just 4.5% of students awarded CS Bachelor’s degrees, this number rose from 3.6% the year before. Among students awarded I Bachelor’s degrees, 8.4% were African-American, compared to 6.9% the year prior. African-Americans did, however, see a slight decline in representation among students awarded CE Bachelor’s degrees, as the proportion dropped from 5.9% to 5.2%.

For Hispanics, the most recent CRA report found an increase in representation among CS Bachelor’s degrees awarded, but declines in Hispanic representation among those graduating with CE and I undergraduate degrees. Hispanics comprised 6.3% of those awarded CS Bachelor’s degrees between 2011 and 2012, compared to 5.4% the year before. However, the proportion of Hispanics awarded I Bachelor’s degrees was down slightly from 8.6% to 8.4% year-to-year.  The report found a significant decline in the number of Hispanic students obtaining CE undergraduate degrees: The percentage of CE Bachelor’s degrees awarded to Hispanics was 4.9% in 2012, compared to 8.1% the previous year.

The report also evaluated Master’s and Ph.D. degrees awarded. “Nonresident Aliens” comprised 53.8% of Master’s degrees and 50.1% of doctorates awarded across all three disciplines combined, dwarfing the proportion of such degrees awarded Black or African-Americans and Hispanics. Black or African-Americans comprised just 2.7% of Master’s and 2% of Ph.D.’s awarded across the three disciplines.  Hispanics were represented among 2.5% of CS, CE and I Master’s degree graduates and 1.4% of such Ph.D.’s. Interestingly, Nonresident Aliens comprised just 6.9% of students awarded Bachelor’s degrees across all three disciplines, compared to 5.3% of degrees awarded to students who identified as Black or African American and 6.5% of Hispanics.

NCES Report: Most Algebra I and Geometry Courses Are Not Rigorous

A National Center for Education Statistics report showed 73% of students who took an “honors” Algebra I course were actually taught material ranked as intermediate, with less than 20% receiving instruction ranked as “rigorous.” Among students taking “honors” Geometry, just 33% actually received a rigorous curriculum. A larger percentage of Hispanic (19%) and Asian/Pacific Islander students (24%) took a beginner level Algebra course, compared to 12 percent of White students. The report also concluded that a larger percentage of White students (37%) enrolled in “honors” Geometry courses actually received rigorous instruction, compared to 12% of such Black and 17% of such Hispanic students.

Commentary

Only 3 Women Are Directing Blockbuster Movies in 2013, and That’s a Problem

Other Reports:

PricewaterhouseCoopers reported that 67% of healthcare industry CIOs report they are facing IT staffing shortages, up from 59% in 2010.

Intel awarded $630,000 to 10 high school student scientists. The winners of the Intel Science Talent Search bested 1,700 entrants.

Pew: One in Four Teenagers Accesses the Internet Primarily Via a Mobile Device

WSJ: The Surprising Numbers Behind Apps. Among the report’s findings, apps are expected to yield $25 billion in revenue in 2012 from users who spend an average of 2 hours per day using them, most of the time (43%) playing games. Also, 94% of app developers are men making less than $15,000 per year developing apps.

Rootmetrics: AT&T Beats Verizon on Speed; Verizon Beats AT&T in LTE Coverage. The study showed average speeds of 18.6 Mbps down and 9 Mbps on the uplink for AT&T, compared to 14.3 Mbps down and 8.5 Mbps up for Verizon. However, LTE testers connected to a Verizon LTE signal 93.2% of the time, compared to 81.7% for AT&T.

AT&T researchers have reportedly sent a 100Gbit/second signal across 12,000 km on a 100GHz-spaced grid. This is an improvement over its previous record sending a 100Gbit/second signal 3,000 km using a 50GHz grid.

Study: TV Tops Movies and Music Among Millennials. A Magid Generational Strategies study showed Millennials favor TV programming over movies and music and many (45%) are willing to watch advertising if doing so will allow them to access full-length TV content without having to pay a subscription fee.

University of Cambridge and Microsoft: Facebook “Likes” Predict Intelligence, Age, Voting History and Sexuality. Among other examples, the study of 58,000 Facebook users showed a positive correlation between likes for “thunderstorms” and high intelligence, likes for “being confused after waking up from naps” and being a straight male, and likes for the band Slayer and being a smoker.

Nielsen: “Zero TV” Households Hit 5 Million in U.S. The number of viewers who have chosen to forgo “traditional TV” offered via cable and satellite in favor of relying exclusively on computers, smartphones and tablets for content is up by 2 million since 2007.

SUNY reported it will invest $300,000 to expose more of its undergraduates to resume-building STEM research opportunities.

Global outplacement and executive coaching firm Challenger, Gray and Christmas reported 97% of businesses will make no change to their benefit allowing employees to telecommute. A Stanford University study also found a 13% increase in productivity among call center workers randomly assigned to telecommute.

 

Media and Technology Stats and Studies – March 1, 2013

Women’s Media Center Report: Representation of Women in Media Has Stagnated

In a report entitled ”The Status of Women in the U.S. Media, 2013“, the Women’s Media Center reported that the percentage of women working in newspaper newsrooms was 36.9 in 2012–exactly the same proportion reported in 1999.  The report also found that if current hiring trends continue at their current pace, women will not reach parity with men in leadership roles until 2085.  Male bylines outnumber those of their female counterparts by a 3 to 1 margin.

Columbia University: Online Courses May Harm Minority Students

Columbia released a large-scale report based on a survey of 40,000 community and technical college students suggesting students of color actually fare worse when they take courses online in lieu of a traditional classroom setting. Among the report’s findings, taking a course online correlated with a 0.15-0.4 grade reduction based on a 4.0 scale. However, the study did not control for the quality of on-line programs and contradicts another large-scale study conducted by the U.S. Department of Education showing a favorable impact of on-line learning on student outcomes.

Georgetown University: Associates STEM Degree-holders Earn More than Some Bachelor’s Degree Holders

Community college graduates with STEM degrees out earn non-STEM bachelor’s degree holders, according to the Georgetown University report. However, a 2009 Education Trust Baseline Report showed a community college completion gap of 9 percentage points between minority students (24%) and all students (33%).

Equity and Excellence Commission Submits Report to Department of Education

The report advises the Secretary of Education on strategies for reducing barriers to meaningful educational opportunities. The report outlines a five-part framework focusing on equitable school finance; effective teachers, principals and curricula; early childhood education; mitigating poverty’s effects, and; accountability and governance.

Robin Roberts’ Return to ABC’s Good Morning America Yielded 6.1 Million Viewers

The anchor, who recently underwent a bone marrow transplant, returned to GMA on February 20. Nielsen reported Ms. Roberts’ return to the network resulted in GMA‘s largest audience since November 7, the day after the Presidential election.

Commentary:

The Success of Bounce TV Reflects Changing U.S. Demographics

Other Reports:

The Federal Communications Commission released a white paper reviewing how the United States compares to other nations as it frees spectrum to accomodate what Cisco has estimated to be an expected eighteen-fold increase in spectrum demand between 2011 and 2016. Much of the report focuses on licensed spectrum frequency bands below 2.7 GHz as they comprise the predominant frequencies used to provide mobile broadband services around the world. The U.S. ranks first among the nations it studied in current and pipeline (including pipeline unlicensed) spectrum, with 958 MHz. Australia ranks second with 708 MHz of current and pipeline spectrum. Brazil, China, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain and the U.K. were also studied.

The Wireless Broadband Alliance reported that operators attribute 75 percent of their mobile traffic to users accessing personal routers, indicating a preference for using Wi-Fi at home.

Online video viewing was down slightly in December, 2012. Viewers in the UK watch the most TV shows on their tablets. Sixty-six percent of U.S. consumers stream any kind of video two to three times per week.

GSMA: The total number of mobile connections will soar to 7.4 billion this year, exceeding the world population by 300 million.

China announced plans to extend 4M broadband coverage to 70% of the country’s internet users.

The International Telecommunications Union (ITU) reported the U.S. stands in 14th place worldwide in the number of people with high speed broadband connections.

GSMA: Mobile health could save developed countries $400 billion in 2017 by improving care for sudden health incidents, remote patient monitoring, mobile access to electronic health records, and implementing SMS messaging for appointment and medication reminders.

IFPI: Spurred by Digital Downloading,  Global Recorded Music Revenues Grew for the First Time Since 1999

The University of Texas at Austin has released a data tool enabling policymakers to track emerging conflicts in Africa.

T-Mobile has continued to lose contract customers, but the losses have been offset by an increase in prepaid customers.

A petition on the White House website asking the U.S. government to permit mobile phones to be “unlocked” (i.e. registered to a different carrier than the one to which the phone was configured at the time of purchase) reached the threshold of 100,000 signatures required to receive consideration.

Sprint saved $1 billion via its phone refurbishment program.

The four mainstream television networks are recording a historic decline in ratings, down 23 percent compared to the same week last year.

Nielsen: Many advertisers fail to target women in shows, such as Walking Dead, that deliver a high number of female viewers but contain themes not traditionally considered appealing to women.

The USA Network had the highest ratings among cable networks in February, with AMC’s Walking Dead episodes occupying the top 3 shows for the month.

IAB: Even though shoppers use their smartphones while shopping, 38% actually end up purchasing their items in-store.

IAB: Microtargeting accounted for $130 million in political ad spending in 2012.

Education professionals report lack of funding as the main impediment to widespread implementation of educational technology in the classroom.

A JD Power survey found nearly one-third (29%) of customers affected by Hurricane Sandy learned about power outages by listening to the radio. Thirty-seven percent learned of power outages by calling their phone company.  Seventeen percent learned by visiting their power company’s website.

Sixty-eight percent of marketers reported they will increase spending on big data initiatives. Forty-nine percent of respondents cited website analytics data as the best source of consumer information.

Sinclair Broadcasting will acquire five Cox TV stations.

RAB: Radio’s Online Revenues Grew By 22% in 2012

Nielsen: With 40.3 million viewers, the Oscars returned its best audience in 3 years.

Consumer satisfaction with online travel companies has dropped by 2.6 percent–to 76 percent–putting the industry behind other e-commerce retailers. Amazon still leads among all e-commerce retailers irrespective of industry.

Report: STEM jobs are up 15% in Florida

A team of Stanford University researchers has developed a lithium battery that extends battery life by a factor of ten.

Media and Technology Stats and Studies – February 25, 2013

Univision Beat NBC in the February Sweeps

For the first time in history, NBC slipped to 5^th place among TV networks in the Nielsen sweeps among adults ages 18-49.  The network fell to Spanish-language TV network Univision.

CDD: Multicultural Consumers are in Marketers’ Digital Marketing “Bullseye”

The Center for Digital Democracy released a report discussing trends in digital marketing and concludes that while marketers are increasing their emphasis on targeting multicultural consumers, policymakers ought to be wary of how collecting data on consumers of color may actually be used to harm them.

Certain Television May Help Ease Aggression in Young Children

The journal Pediatrics released a study showing that some television fare may help ease aggression in young children. According to the study, children who spent more time watching educational programming that encourages empathy showed a moderate improvement in overall behavior, as compared to children who spent more time watching violent programming.  The report also noted low-income boys showed the most improvement in behavior, although the researchers were unable to determine why.

APIAHF, CPEHN, Consumers Union and NCLR Released a Report on the Role of Health IT in Reducing Health Disparities

The report examined advancements in Health IT and made policy recommendations for deploying health IT to reduce disparities.  Last year, the Joint Center released a similar set of policy recommendations focusing on the role of mobile broadband in managing chronic diseases.

Radio One’s Revenue was Up in 4Q12

Radio One’s revenue was up by $5.2 million in 4Q12 to $62.2 million.  The growth is attributable to increased political advertising across Radio One’s 55 stations nationwide.  However, even without political advertising, Radio One’s revenue was up by 2.9% year-over-year.

Other Reports:

A Javelin Strategy and Research study revealed that identity fraud is on the rise in the U.S., with 12.5 million victims in 2012 alone.

A Tenable Networked Security survey of 1,021 adults shows the majority of Americans support a comprehensive cybersecurity policy.

NTCA: 69% of rural carriers have canceled plans to upgrade their networks due to Intercarrier compensation/USF uncertainty.

Social media trends reveal that Netflix’s original program ‘House of Cards’ was popular among viewers but, according to estimates made by The Atlantic, Netflix would need to attract more than 520,000 subscribers paying $7.99 for two years  in order for the show to break even.  Cowen & Co. reported that as many as a quarter of Netflix subscribers end up cancelling their pay TV subscriptions, underscoring demand for Netflix to produce more original programming. The industry is responding to these trends as Nielsen announced it will adjust its methodology and count households without cable, but with Internet connected to TV, as “television households” for ratings purposes.

A Lazard Capital Markets analyst said the major broadcast and cable TV networks are gaining leverage over carriers. According to a “TV Network Loyalty Index”, 41-48 percent of people would cancel or switch to a different cable provider if top networks were dropped.

LivingSocial raised $110 million from a group of current investors.  The investment follows a $650 million net loss in 2012.

The New York Times has put the Boston Globe up for sale. Estimates value the Boston Globe at $150 million, even though the Times paid $1.1 billion for the newspaper in 1993.

The Integer Group reported baby Boomers have increased their online spending by 4.5% since 2011, while online spending by Millenials has declined by 7% during the same period.

U.S. shoppers spent $225 billion online last year, up 16% over 2011.

Nielsen/RAB: The number of Super Bowl viewers who recalled seeing ads was low.

More than 25 percent of TVs, or 66 million units, shipped last year were “smart TVs”, according to HIS. The research suggests as much as 50% of TVs sold may be smart TVs by 2015.

Apple has dropped to number three on the list of the most popular hedge fund stocks, behind Google and AIG.

Nielsen: Smartphone Owners are More Engaged Moviegoers

A Reuters poll found that Microsoft is more popular among 18-29 year-old consumers than it was two years ago, beating Facebook and Twitter.

France has launched a €20 billion broadband rollout.

IDC: Sales of iOS and Android Games Eclipsed Sales of Games on Dedicated Consoles in 4Q12.

HP’s profit was down 16% in 4Q12.

An Indiana University professor has patented a method for using Twitter data to predict future behavior. The method was 90 percent accurate in predicting short term stock market fluctuations.

Twitter released a report showing 60% of its users access Twitter via a mobile device.

Pinterest has completed a $250 million funding, putting its valuation at $2.5 billion.

An Inavero report concludes that advertisers are rapidly shifting their focus away from traditional media toward mobile and social media with print media being the most drastically affected.

A&E trailblazes in reaching affluent men who are not necessarily sports enthusiasts with ‘H2’.

The Wall Street Journal reported that more than one-third of its traffic comes via mobile devices.

University of Amsterdam: Braess’ Paradox Applies to Social Media as Well—Fewer Product Choices on Social Media Sites Leads to Better Outcomes for All

Media and Technology Stats and Studies – January 25, 2013

Akamai: The U.S. Ranks 9^th in Average Internet Speed, 12^th in High Speed Internet Adoption

According to Akamai, the average internet speed in the United States was 7.2 average Mbps.  While this was substantially higher than the global average of 2.8 Mbps, the U.S. trailed South Korea (14.7), Japan (10.5), Hong Kong (9.0), Switzerland (8.7), LaTVia (8.7), Netherlands (8.5), Czech Republic (7.6), and Denmark (7.2) in the third quarter of 2012. Earlier this month, FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski challenged American cities to build 1 gigabit of high speed internet service to at least one city in all fifty states by 2015.

Venture Capitalists Invested $907 Million in the mHealth Sector in 2012

Mobile Health Market News reports $907 Million in growth of VC investments made in mobile health technologies in 2012.  African-Americans and Latinos suffer disproportionately from chronic disease and their high usage of smart phones and other mobile devices is an opportunity to help patients monitor their health and fitness and communicate with health care professionals. The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (NCHIT) is expected to announce the winner of a mobile health contest it is sponsoring in which the winning designer of an app for managing cardiovascular disease will receive $100,000. NCHIT is also sponsoring an app development contest to develop a tool to engage and empower women in underserved and minority communities to improve the prevention and treatment of cancer.

Just 43% of Cable Subscribers Have Reported Using ‘TV Everywhere’

“TV Everywhere” is the term referring to the distribution of television beyond the fixed television set to wireless devices and apps.  GfK media research reported lackluster use of TV Everywhere apps among cable subscribers. However, highlighting the market for TV Everywhere among African-Americans, Nielsen reported last year a 54% penetration rate of smartphones among African Americans and that African Americans download and view video via their mobile devices at a rate 30% higher than the general population. In December, Univision announced efforts to expand its TV Everywhere initiatives citing a 70% smartphone penetration rate among Hispanics, compared to 54% of non-Hispanics, with 41% using their phones to stream video, compared to 28% of subscribers overall.

IHS: Consumers Spent $62.4 Billion Watching Movies in 2012

According to IHS Screen Digest, consumer spending on movies rose by $1.3 billion in 2012 to $62.4 billion compared to $61.1 billion in 2011 and $60.1 billion in 2010. According to BET Networks in a study released in 2011, African-Americans go to the movies an average of 13.4 times per year compared to 11 times per year overall. Also according to the BET report, 62% of African-Americans watch the same movie multiple times across all platforms.

‘Gangnam Style’ Star Psy Earned $8 Million from You Tube in Strong Google Fourth Quarter

Google reported a strong fourth quarter with 36% growth over the same quarter in 2011 and 8% growth over the previous quarter—the third quarter—in 2012.  K-pop star Psy earned $8 million in You Tube ad revenue for his “Gangnam Style” video. The Washington Post reported last year that a disproportionate share of popular You Tube personalities are people of color.

 

Other Reports:

Google released new data for its Transparency Report showing a 10% uptick in the number of government requests for the company’s user data.  Sixty-eight percent of such requests were made via subpoenas.  Another 22% were made via Electronic Communications Privacy Act (“ECPA”) search warrants. Ten percent were ECPA court orders and other requests that were difficult to classify.

Nielsen released a report showing global ad spending was strong in the first nine months of 2012, with TV advertising continuing to dominate the share of advertising dollars, with a 61.8% share. Ad spending on TV grew by 4.3%, compared to 3.3% overall between January and September of last year.  The Olympics and political advertising drove double-digit TV ad spending growth of 13.6% in North America.  

Despite hefty returns in 4Q12, Apple’s stock price dropped 11% last week.

Nielsen estimates show Oprah’s Lance Armstrong interview was seen by 28 million worldwide.

According to Pandora, the internet radio service users customize, it streamed 13 billion hours of content, in 2012. The company also reported it paid $182.1 million in royalties, or 60 percent of its revenue, through October of 2012.

Most marketers are mystified when it comes to how to implement big data as part of their marketing strategies, according to the Direct Marketing Association.   Some 81% of marketers reported they do not know enough about relevant policies and regulations to implement effective big data strategies.

Akamai reported one third of cyber attacks originate in China.

The NPD Group reports 40% of televisions connected to the internet stream video using Netflix.

Aggregate Knowledge reported advertising campaigns including Facebook advertising boosted sales by 24%.

Media and Technology Stats and Studies – January 11, 2013

The Joint Center blog is starting a weekly feature called Media and Technology Stats & Studies. In this feature, the Media and Technology Institute team will assemble short summaries of research studies that we think our readers will find interesting. For the most part, we’ll view these studies through the lens of how they impact people of color. Sometimes, we may share something in the media, technology, or telecom fields that we think is just too interesting not to pass on. We hope readers find this useful.

Stats & Studies – 01/11/13

Investments in Digital Health Technologies Rose 45 Percent in 2012

In its year-end funding report, San Francisco-based Rock Health showed health IT investments of $1.4 billion in 2012, up 11 percent over 2011.  Health technologies like mobile health tools for doctors and patients, personal health tracking applications, and technology to improve hospital administration are of particular relevance for people of color who continue to suffer disproportionately from chronic illnesses such as heart disease, diabetes, kidney disease, and lower respiratory illnesses. The Joint Center’s 2012 report on mobile health technology is available here.

Weill Cornell Medical College: Technical Support in the Use of Electronic Health Records May Improve Underserved Patient Care

A Weill Cornell Medical College study reported that primary care physicians in underserved areas in New York City who received technical assistance with electronic health records were more likely to improve their quality of care than physicians who did not receive such assistance.

Consumer Electronics Association Predicts Explosive Growth in Spending on Consumer Gadgets

The Consumer Electronics Association reports it expects spending on consumer gadgets to soar by 4% over 2012, to $1.1 trillion in 2013.  This outlook was somewhat dampened by concerns about how the recent “fiscal cliff” tax changes, specifically the end of the tax holiday and increased taxes on the wealthy, will affect consumer spending.  The report did not address how continued high unemployment among African-Americans and Latinos will affect their purchasing decisions, even though African-Americans and Latinos are among the most avid users of at least one type consumer device—smartphones.  CES concluded most of the growth would occur in emerging markets.  Apple also battled rumors earlier this week that it is developing a cheaper iPhone.

Nielsen Reports TV Still Leads as Number One Media Consumption Platform

Nielsen reported that only 16 percent of American homes have tablets and that Americans spend 6 days per month watching traditional television. Following traditional television viewing, viewing content via the Internet using computers was the distant second most popular platform with Americans spending 28 hours, 29 minutes consuming content online. Time-shifted TV came in third, with the average viewer spending 11 hours, 33 minutes using their DVRs. Previously, Nielsen reported that African-Americans spend more time watching television than any other racial group, at 7 hours, 12 minutes per day, compared to an average 5 hours, 11 minutes for TV viewers overall. Other reports have shown that African-American children spend more time with the television on in the background than other groups (5.5 hours per day, compared to 4 hours for the overall population).  However, the American Academy of Pediatrics has found background TV viewing to be harmful to children’s development.

Other Reports:

Sixty percent of qualified homes in Kansas City are interested in Google’s IPTV + broadband service.

Ninety percent of pay TV customers can get TV Everywhere.

The ad platform Kenshoo reports advertisers spend 20% of their Facebook budgets on mobile, up from 14% in October, 2012.

IDC projects 31.7% annual growth in multibillion dollar big data industry through 2016.

Verizon: Almost 50% of its data traffic now goes over LTE.

Babson Survey Research: 6.7 million students are now taking at least one course online.

Historic U.S. Supreme Court Decision Ruling the ACA Constitutional Keeps the Nation on Track to Advance Health Equity

By Brian Smedley, Ph.D.

The U.S. Supreme Court decision upholding the constitutionality of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) represents a significant advancement in the effort to repair the deeply broken U.S. healthcare system and promote equitable opportunities for good health for all.  As long as its provisions are fully funded by Congress, the law will improve access to health insurance for more than 32 million Americans, prevent insurance companies from cherry-picking enrollees and denying claims because of pre-existing conditions, and incentivize more health-care providers to work in medically underserved communities.  These are among the benefits that the law is already providing, in addition to what is expected as provisions of the ACA come into force over the next two years.

In addition to ruling that the law’s mandate requiring insurance coverage is constitutional, the Court’s decision ensures that other key provisions of the legislation remain intact, many of which hold great promise to address the needs of those who face the greatest barriers to good health—particularly people of color, who are the fastest-growing segment of the U.S. population.

Many people of color face poorer health than the general population in the form of higher rates of infant mortality, chronic disease and disability and premature death.  Not only do these health inequities carry a tremendous human toll, but they also impose an enormous economic burden on the nation at large.  A study released by the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies found that the direct medical costs associated with health inequities—in other words, additional costs of health care incurred because of the higher burden of disease and illness experienced by minorities—was nearly $300 billion in the four years between 2003 and 2006.  Adding the indirect costs associated with health inequities—such as lost wages and productivity and lost tax revenue—the total costs of health inequities to our society was $1.24 billion in the same time span.

How might the ACA change these dismal statistics?

By expanding access to private insurance through state health exchanges, improving access for more people who live in poverty through Medicaid expansions, and other reforms, more than 32 million uninsured Americans will gain coverage.  All of these provisions would improve the current state of health care for people of color, who are disproportionately un- and under-insured and who face greater barriers than whites to receiving high-quality care, even when insured.

Many other provisions of the ACA have great potential to reduce the risks that make people sick in the first place.  These provisions—particularly those that invest in prevention and improving the distribution of health care resources—can significantly improve opportunities for good health for all Americans, and particularly people of color.

A major reason why health inequalities persist is because of differences in the neighborhoods of minorities and non-minorities.  Research shows that racial and ethnic minorities are more likely than whites to live in segregated, high-poverty communities, communities that have historically suffered from a lack of health care investment, so they have fewer primary care providers, hospitals, and clinics.  To make matters worse, many of these communities face a host of health hazards—such as high levels of air, water and soil pollution, and a glut of fast food restaurants and liquor stores—and have relatively few health-enhancing resources, such as grocery stores where fresh fruits and vegetables can be purchased.

Several provisions of the ACA, such as the authorization to expand the National Health Service Corps, which provides incentives and removes barriers for health care providers who want to work in medically underserved communities, and the Prevention and Public Health Fund, the first mandatory funding stream aimed at improving the public’s health, will directly address these place-related barriers to good health.

Consistent with today’s ruling, efforts to improve opportunities for good health and improve health equity can—and must—be increased.  Government at all levels can, for example, improve health opportunities by stimulating public and private investment to help make all communities healthier.  They can do so by creating incentives to improve neighborhood food options, by aggressively addressing environmental degradation, and by de-concentrating poverty from inner-cities and rural areas through smart housing and transportation policy.

Given that by the year 2042, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, half of the people living in the United States will be people of color, it is imperative that we be prepared to address the health needs of an increasingly diverse population.  Lawmakers should continue to focus on the goal of health equity – a goal that is not only consistent with the American promise of opportunity, but in our long-term economic interest, as well.

Brian Smedley, Ph.D., is Vice President and Director of the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies Health Policy Institute.

Men’s Health Affairs: Lost, Forgotten or Wasted?

by Jermane Bond, Ph.D.

In recent weeks, President Obama announced a new policy to ensure free preventive care services for women, including well women visits, domestic violence screening and contraception, as recommended by the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Science.  According to the new rule under Section 2713 of the Affordable Care Act, starting August 1, women can obtain contraception without a co-payment.

Where does this leave men?  Doesn’t the status of male health in the United States provide cause for concern about the health of the country and the social context of our society? Shouldn’t men also have access to free preventive health services?  Despite recent improvements in health and life expectancy during the 20th century, men over past decades have shown poorer health outcomes than women across all racial and ethnic groups as well as socioeconomic status.[i]  Poor health not only affects the men who suffer from it, but it can also have a devastating effect on women and families.

Despite the evidence that men are less likely than women to receive preventative health services, have a regular doctor or source of care, and have health insurance[ii] there has been no centralized national effort to coordinate fragmented men’s health services, awareness, prevention or promotion efforts at the local or national level.  Yet, teams and male players in professional sports continue to support breast cancer awareness.  Where is the support for prostate cancer prevention and awareness?  Is it lost?

The premature death and disability of men has a profound impact on wives, children, partners, and families across the nation.  Studies have shown that regular medical exams, preventive screenings, regular exercise, and healthy eating habits can save the lives of men. Appropriate use of tests, such as prostate exams, blood pressure, blood sugar, lipid panel, and colorectal screenings, in conjunction with clinical exams and/or self‐testing, results in the early detection of many health problems while increasing survival rates among men. Wouldn’t it be nice if we had national prevention support and a new preventive health policy? Let’s not forget the health of men.

—————————-

[i] Sandman D, Simantov E, An C.  Out of touch: American men and the healthcare system: Commonwealth Fund Men’s and Women’s Health Survey findings. 2000. Available at: http://www.usrf.org/breakingnews/Men_out_of_touch.pdf.

[ii]  Armstrong B, Kalmuss D, Franks M et al. Creating Teachable Moments: A Clinic-Based Intervention to Improve Young Men’s Sexual Health. Am J of Men’s Health. 2010; 4(2):135-144.

Jermane Bond, Ph.D. is Research Associate in the Health Policy Institute at the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies. More information on Dr. Bond and his work can be found on the Joint Center website.

The Good and Bad: FDA’s Fast-Track Approval for Preterm Birth Prevention

by Jermane Bond, Ph.D.

In February, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), through its accelerated approval regulations, approved and granted exclusivity to KV Pharmaceuticals to market Makena (17Alpha Hydroxyprogesterone Caproate).  The drug is also known as 17P, a synthetic hormone delivered by weekly intramuscular injection to slow the progression of pre-term birth (PTB) before 37 weeks of pregnancy, among pregnant women with at least one previous spontaneous PTB.  Although the drug is not for use for women with other risk factors for PTB or women pregnant with twins, it has been sold for years without approval.  Today, the drug just comes with a large price tag.

PTB is one of the leading causes of neonatal mortality in the United States.  Major risk factors for PTB include behavioral and demographic characteristics such as race/ethnicity, maternal age,  history of preterm delivery, stress, income, education, employment, housing, prenatal care utilization, smoking, alcohol consumption and marital status.  Already, the preterm birth rate is roughly 13 percent of live births, accounting for 500,000 infant deaths annually.

On March 14, 2011 the new 17P, Makena was officially brought to market, marking the first FDA approval of a drug for the prevention of PTB.  Subsequently, the prescription cost increased from $20 to $1500 per dose.  Recent studies support the use of progesterone supplementation for patients at risk for PTB.   The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) has promoted the use of 17P injections since 2003, following two successful randomized placebo-controlled trials.  Research has shown that approximately one-third of pregnant women receiving weekly 17P injections have had successful outcomes resulting in the prevention of PTB.  And in 2008, ACOG issued a Committee Opinion indicating that progesterone for the prevention of PTB should be offered to women with a history of spontaneous PTB.

Some obstetricians, maternal health and public health practitioners, including family planning advocates, are outraged at the dosage price increase for 17P and have spoken out and written letters to KV.  As a result, the St. Louis drug company has been criticized for increasing the price of Makena.  In April, the company announced that it would cut the price by more than half (in fact KV reduced the dosage price to $690 two days after the FDA publicly invited competition by announcing that it would continue to allow compounding pharmacies to make and sell a generic version of the drug).  Now, instead of a pregnancy costing $30,000, a much improved price of $13,800 will make the drug more accessible.

Jermane Bond, Ph.D. is Research Associate in the Health Policy Institute at the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies. More information on Dr. Bond and his work can be found on the Joint Center website.

Health Benefits Anticipated from EPA’s Proposed “Utility Air Toxics Rule”

by Gina E. Wood and Leslie L. Simmons

Coal and oil-fired power plants release mercury, arsenic, other metals, acid gases, and particulates – all of which can harm people’s health. These pollutants are linked to cancer, IQ loss, heart disease, lung disease and premature death.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has taken steps to dramatically improve public health, the climate, and even the economy by proposing the Mercury and Utility Air Toxics Standards (Utility Air Toxics Rule). The proposed standards will reduce emissions of mercury, other toxic metals, hydrogen chloride and other acid gases, and organic air toxins like dioxin and furans – known human carcinogens. These standards are long overdue, and represent the first time that the EPA is requiring coal and oil-fired power plants to control their emissions of toxic air pollutants.

Recently, some opponents of the rule have gone so far as to claim that African Americans will be disproportionately impacted by its costs.  These claims are unsubstantiated and fly in the face of what we know:  that African Americans and other people of color are disproportionately harmed by air pollution where they live. None of the studies used to support claim of adverse economic impacts on African Americans actually evaluate the impacts of EPA’s regulations or policies, much less this specific regulation. Moreover, the statements of the groups opposing the EPA regulations fail to acknowledge the well-documented disproportionate impacts of dirty air and greenhouse gases on people of color.  EPA has conducted analyses for all of the greenhouse gas and clean air regulations it has promulgated, and its analyses demonstrate that the economic impacts are minimal.

The New Rule Will Reduce Toxic Air Pollution and Save Lives

Per the EPA’s Regulatory Impact Analysis, the proposed “Utility Air Toxics Rule” will dramatically reduce toxic air pollution from our nation’s power plants and deliver significant benefits that will:

• Reduce the risk of mercury damage to children’s developing brains, which results in IQ loss and diminished ability to learn.
• Protect Americans from cancer and other health risks caused by other toxic air pollutants.
• Save thousands of lives each year by reducing the amount of dangerous particulates across the country.  This includes neighborhoods near power plants and neighborhoods hundreds of miles away from the nearest power plant.
• Protect thousands of lakes and streams – and the fish that live there and the mammals and birds that eat them – from mercury and acid rain pollution.
• Provide employment for tens of thousands of American workers building, installing, and operating the equipment to reduce emissions of mercury, acid gases, and other toxic air pollutants.

Each year, the proposed rule would prevent serious health effects including 6,800-17,000 premature deaths, 11,000 heart attacks, 120,000 asthma attacks, and 850,000 missed work or “sick” days. Avoiding “sick days” saves companies and families money. It is particularly important for the millions of Americans whose jobs do not provide paid sick leave and who risk losing their jobs if they miss work too often. The proposed rule would also prevent 12,200 hospital admissions and emergency room visits, and 4,500 cases of chronic bronchitis each year.

While some in industry focus on the costs of this rule, any costs are far outweighed by the benefits. The value of the improvements to health alone total $59 billion to $140 billion each year.  This means that for every dollar spent to reduce this pollution, society would get $5-$13 in health benefits.

Be Heard!

The EPA will accept comments on the proposal until August 4, 2011. To learn how to submit a comment, see http://www.epa.gov/lawsregs/getinvolved.html. For more information about the Utility Air Toxics Rule, see http://www.epa.gov/ttn/atw/utility/utilitypg.html.

Source: EPA, “Reducing Toxic Pollution from Power Plants” Mar. 16, 2011.

Gina E. Wood is the Director of Policy and Planning and Deputy Director of the Health Policy Institute at the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies. She also works closely with the Joint Center’s Climate Change Initiative. More information on Ms. Wood and her work can be found at the Joint Center website.