A new nutrition program that combines science with public outreach could help poor families in the lower Mississippi Delta region live healthier lives. But their papers may also focus on innovative programs to help Delta families overcome poor nutrition and other problems associated with poverty.
Mothers lack prenatal care, which also contributes to the problem.
Cardiovascular disease and diabetes cases are above national averages. And though the poverty rate for the United States is at 13 percent, in the Delta, it's 27 percent. The Delta areas of Mississippi, Louisiana, and Arkansas are home to more than 5.3 million people. They're areas of low crime, with Catholic, Baptist, and Methodist churches serving as key sources of services and information. About 34 percent of the population is African American, with those citizens shouldering the biggest burden of the area's poverty.