children

Alcohol-related disorders in the United States cut across gender, race and other demographic lines, according to the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. In the United States, 17.6 million people (about one in every 12 adults) abuse alcohol or are alcohol dependent.

Policymakers pay a lot of attention to the meals served in public schools. In the midst of a nationwide childhood obesity epidemic, lawmakers are working to improve the nutritional value of foods and beverages served on campus. Some research suggests healthier lunches lead to higher test scores and that many kids rely on school meals as their main source of food.

The problem of homelessness is a particularly difficult one for researchers to understand and journalists to cover. As a 2013 study in the American Journal of Public Health indicates, even those who have deep knowledge in this area and work directly with the homeless often have difficulty assessing patterns and needs.

The 2007-2009 recession hit state and local governments in the United States hard, and nearly every municipality had its own series of fiscal, political and societal constraints to navigate because of rising joblessness and falling revenues.