SDoH in the news: Surgeon General says 13-year-olds are too young for social media; Number of children in US with diabetes to significantly jump by 2060; and more

RISE looks at recent headlines concerning social determinants of health (SDoH).

Surgeon General: 13-year-olds too young for social media

Thirteen years of age, the minimum age requirement for most social media platforms, is too young, according to Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, who cautioned against the use of social media platforms for young teens during an interview Saturday on CNN Newsroom.

“I, personally, based on the data I’ve seen, believe that 13 is too early … It’s a time where it’s really important for us to be thoughtful about what’s going into how they think about their own self-worth and their relationships and the skewed and often distorted environment of social media often does a disservice to many of those children,” said Murthy.

While social media popularity makes it difficult to keep young teens off the platforms, Murthy urged parents to present a "united front” in not allowing their children to participate in social media until 16, 17, or even 18 years of age.

The Surgeon General’s concerns come amid a growing mental health crisis, particularly among children and young adults.

Study projects diabetes in children to significantly increase by 2060

A new study published by the American Diabetes Association estimates a staggering increase in the number of children with diabetes in the U.S. in future decades. Using data from the SEARCH for Diabetes in Youth study from 2002 to 2017, researchers projected the prevalence of type 1 and type 2 diabetes in children and young people under the age of 20 years.

Researchers projected two possible scenarios for the prevalence of children with diabetes in coming years. The two scenarios include:

The incidence of diabetes in children observed between 2002 and 2017 remains constant. If this is the case, researchers estimate the number of children with diabetes to increase from 213,000 in 2017 to 239,000 by 2060, which would be a three percent increase in type 1 diabetes and a 69 percent increase in type 2 diabetes.
The incidence of diabetes in children observed between 2002 and 2017 continues to increase. If this is the case, the number of children with diabetes will total 526,000, a 65 percent increase in children with type 1 diabetes and a 673 percent increase for type 2 diabetes.

The researchers also said they expect racial and ethnic disparities in type 2 diabetes to be considerably exacerbated in both scenarios, particularly among Black children.

HHS announces summit series to further Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander economic equity

The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) announced last week the White House Initiative on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders (WHIAANHPI) is launching a series of in-person summits to connect Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AA and NHPI) community members and small businesses with federal leaders to improve access to critical resources and opportunities.

“These summits are a part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s resolve to deliver real results for our AA and NHPI communities and businesses – by investing in our competitiveness and by fostering collaboration,” said U.S. Trade Representative Ambassador Katherine Tai, who also serves as WHIAANHPI Co-Chair, in a statement. “Our strength and resilience will not give way to fear and fright. We will continue to push and pull for one another, to fight for justice and economic equity, and to build a society that is freer and fairer–for all Americans.”

The summit series aims to provide equitable opportunities for AA and NHPI business ownership. Summits will be held in collaboration with the U.S. Small Business Administration, U.S. Department of the Treasury, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization, the National Asian/Pacific Islander American Chamber of Commerce & Entrepreneurship, and local officials.

HHS awards $139M to address diabetes among American Indian and Alaska Native communities

HHS, through the Indian Health Service, has awarded $139 million to the Special Diabetes Program for Indians (SDPI), an initiative to provide diabetes prevention and treatment for American Indians and Alaska Native communities.

The funding, provided through a five-year grant cycle for FY 2023, has been given to 302 tribal, urban and Indian health service sites in 35 states.

“HHS is committed to eliminating health disparities in communities across the country,” said HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra in a statement. “American Indian and Alaska Native communities have historically had disproportionately higher rates of diabetes than other populations. Through education and outreach programs like the Special Diabetes Program for Indians, we are successfully implementing evidence-based and community-driven strategies to prevent and treat diabetes in tribal and urban Indian communities.”

Since the implementation of initiatives such as SDPI, there has been a decrease in diabetes-related kidney failure as well as diabetic eye disease among American Indian and Alaska Native adults.