Impact Profiles

Food insecurity affects approximately 1 in 7 U.S. households, reflecting persistent inequities in access to affordable, nutritious food. Beyond income constraints, structural factors – including retail food environments, pricing strategies, and nutrition policy implementation – shape what foods are available and promoted in communities, often reinforcing disparities in diet quality and health.

Approximately 90% of children obtain less sleep than recommended, and poor sleep health is linked to impaired cognitive, emotional, and physical development and increased risk of long-term disease. Many families, particularly those experiencing socioeconomic or environmental challenges, face barriers to establishing safe and consistent sleep routines. Understanding these barriers is essential to inform strategies that support early childhood healthy sleep habits.

Sickle cell retinopathy develops due to blockages in blood vessels in the retina, leading to abnormal blood vessel growth and retinal thinning. It is the most common cause of vision impairment in individuals with sickle cell disease. Sickle cell disease has a global incidence rate of 515,000 neonates, with approximately 100,000 individuals affected in the United States.

Congenital heart defects (CHD) are widely recognized as the most common birth defect in the United States. Up to 30–50% of individuals with CHD experience some form of neurodevelopmental or psychological difficulty, such as learning challenges, attention deficits, or anxiety.

Movement delays stem from a variety of causes, including brain injuries occurring before, during, or soon after birth. In the U.S., 7 infants per 1,000 births experience such brain injuries, placing them at high risk for lifelong motor and cognitive impairments. Most children with motor delays, such as children with cerebral palsy, are not diagnosed in the first two years of life, thus missing a critical window to implement early, effective interventions.

Over 2 million new cancer cases are diagnosed each year in the United States. In Delaware, the incidence and mortality rates due to cancer surpass those of the U.S., with over 457 per 100,000 individuals diagnosed and 156 per 100,000 succumbing to cancer each year. Black and Hispanic populations having lower screening rates, decreased access to care, and more advanced cancer at diagnosis as compared to the White population.

Firearm violence is a major public health problem in the United States, injuring more than 68,000 individuals and killing over 20,000 individuals annually. Firearm homicides are the leading cause of death for persons 1-19 years of age. In addition, males are more likely to be victims of firearm homicides than females. In 2022, the firearm homicide rate was 24 times higher among Black males ages 15-34 compared to same age white males.