Kids learn about nutrition and how the body works through Extension's interactive Food Power exhibit.

Human Environmental Sciences

Human Environmental Sciences touches the heart of humanity; to develop and nurture human potential and to apply knowledge for the betterment of all.

Beginning with the basics—food, clothing, shelter, finances, family and community—we concentrate on providing scientific solutions for contemporary challenges in human lives.

Extending from deep land-grant roots, the College of Human Environmental Sciences is unique in Missouri because we offer a complete array of teaching, research, and Extension program in the human sciences.

Human Environmental Sciences has a national reputation for strong, relevant programs that address the human infrastructure. Central to our mission is a focus on identifying and understanding the problems associated with an increasingly complex and diverse society.

All of our programs strive to maximize the quality of human and family life, with special attention to the needs of the socially and economically vulnerable populations. Our realm of expertise is far reaching. It includes family financial education, design of living and working environments, family and human development, community support systems, nutritional wellness, and textile and apparel studies.

Current program efforts

Our current program efforts may be grouped into the following broad, general categories

Adolescence
Affordable Housing
Building Strong Families
Child Care
Family Financial Management
Food Safety
Environmentally Friendly, Sustainable Building Practices
Nutrition, Health, and Physical Activity
Parent Education
Successful Aging
Textiles Recycling

Emerging trends

Financial support and wellbeing

637, 891 Missourians (11.7 percent of population) were living in poverty in 2000. A 3.8 percent decrease from 1990.
The percent of Missouri children receiving Medicaid and MC+ has increased from 19 percent in 1992 to 35.4 percent in 2002
1,003,864 Missourians participated in either Medicaid or MC+ as of February 2005
299,834 Missouri families were enrolled in the Food Stamp Program in February 2005
26 percent of Missouri's children received food stamps in 2002. This number continues to increase.
Missouri ranked #1 in 2004 for the most personal bankruptcy cases in the United States.

Housing

242,888 housing units were added to the total inventory from 1990 to 2000, an increase of 11 percent
Single family structures made up 71.5 percent of the total housing inventory in 2000.
66,053 season and recreational housing units were available in Missouri in 2000. This was an increase of 19 percent (10,561 units) since 1990.
The median value of a Missouri home in 2000 was $89,900, a 16 percent increase in value from 1990.
The median rent paid in 2000 for a Missouri home was $484. Median rent has remained steady since 1990 ($480).

Education

The high school drop out rate has declined steadily since 1995 from 7 percent in 1995 to 3.7 percent in 2004
21.6 percent of Missourians over the age of 25 held a college or professional degree in 2000. Missouri ranked 37th among all states.

Marriage and divorce

Marriage rates, per 1,000 Missourians, have declined steadily. In 2003, the rate of 7.2 marriages per 1000 Missourians was the lowest since 1952 (7.1 per 1,000)
Divorce rates, per 1,000 Missourians, have declined since its peak in the early 1980s (5.7 per 1,000). In 2003, the divorce rate was 3.9 per 1,000.
The highest rate of marriage dissolution or annulment occurs between 1 and 8 years of marriage.
Dissolutions and annulments decrease as the number of children in the marriage increases.
In 2003, 13,976 divorced Missourians chose to remarry. Sixty six percent (66 percent) married persons who had also been divorced.

Child abuse and neglect

The rate of child abuse and family assessments has increased from 17 (per 1,000) in 1995 to 45 (per 1,000) in 2004
Although the rate of out of home placements has increased from 3.85 (per 1,000) in 1990 to 4.8 (per 1,000) in 2003, the rate has declined from its peak of 5.45 (per 1,000) in 2001.
11,265 children were in foster care in February 2005

Child care

One of every 18 youth in Missouri is being raised by a grandparent
Over 45,000 children in Missouri receive subsidized child care
In 2003, the capacity for licensed child care was 136,647—an increase of over 8,000 children since 1998

Nutrition, health and physical activity

Missouri ranks as the 7th most sedentary state in the nation
Missouri ranks as the 10th most obese state in the nation
As of 2000, it was estimated that over 39 percent of Missouri school children, were overweight or obese. The trend continues to increase both in Missouri as well as across the United States.
Four of the six leading causes of death in Missouri (2003) have been linked to overweight and obesity
According to the Chronic Disease Report 2000, published by the Missouri Department of Health, Missouri exceeded the national rates for the following disease states: All Cancers, Lung Cancer, Breast Cancer, Colorectal Cancer, Ischemic Heart Disease, Cerebrovascular Disease, and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
According to the Chronic Disease Report 2000, published by the Missouri Department of Health, Missouri, when compared to the national averages, in the following disease risk factors saw: increased smoking, lack of physical activity, decreased fruit and vegetable consumption, and increased hypertension.
The childhood immunization rate has declined from approximately 88 percent in 1997 to 79 percent in 2003. This was following a dramatic increase between 1994 and 1997 (61 percent to 88 percent)
The number of births to mothers, ages 15-19, has decreased steadily from 62.5 (per 1,000) in 1990 to 43 (per 1,000) in 2004

Updated 8/21/06