Prevention Matters

An interesting article published in yesterday's issue of the Daily Women's Health Policy Report discusses the shift in birth patterns happening quickly in the U.S.

Births to minority women in the U.S. soon could surpass births to white women, according to a study published recently in the journal Population and Development Review, the New York Times reports.

In the 12 months leading up to July 2008, minorities accounted for 48% of all U.S. births. According to demographers, the 50% benchmark possibly could be reached this year and almost certainly will be reached within two years. This represents a sizeable demographic shift since 1990, when non-Hispanic whites accounted for almost two-thirds of births.

The Census Bureau estimates that minorities will make up the majority of the U.S. population within 30 years and a majority of all U.S. residents under age 18 within 10 years.

The study found that although immigration has declined, other variables are contributing to the racial and ethnic shift. The Times reports that these factors include a decline in the number of non-Hispanic white and black children; white and Asian birth rates that are below replacement levels, which magnifies the impact of higher Hispanic birth rates and immigration; and a declining number of non-Hispanic white women who are of child-bearing age (Roberts, New York Times, 3/11).

From: National Partnership for Women and Families, Daily Women's Health Policy Report, March 15, 2010