Feature Channels: Public Health

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A new study of Medicare beneficiaries finds that cost concerns are more likely keep Hispanics away from the pharmacy counter than non-Hispanics.

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Researchers at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California (USC) have developed a new measure that identifies “bridging individuals” in social networks. These individuals act as critical connectors, facilitating the flow of information or spread of diseases between social networks and communities.

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When analyzing obesity disparities among women, socioeconomic status and social context may be more important than race.

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Academic institutions and other organizations are banding together to meet Maryland's growing need for health professionals in medically under-served communities. The new alliance will focus on recruiting and training a diverse workforce, and includes the University of Maryland School of Public Health.

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1) Despite public health warnings, drinking is still high among pregnant women; 2) AML risk increased 56 percent among children of those who drank alcohol.

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Despite the virtual elimination of syphilis in China in the 1950s, the sexually transmitted infection is currently at epidemic proportions in the country, and rates of infection will continue to grow unless a more comprehensive, coordinated effort of control is implemented, according to a perspective published in the May 6 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

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The North Shore-LIJ Health System today announced the launch of a new online service to help consumers find out the cost of medical services in advance, learn whether they are eligible for financial assistance and how to get help with paying their hospital bills.

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Of all the things that might control the onset of disease epidemics in Michigan lakes, the shape of the lakes' bottoms might seem unlikely. But that is precisely the case, and a new BioScience report by scientists from Indiana University Bloomington and four other institutions explains why.

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Washington, D.C. and New York—Each year, between 50 and 85 percent of health center patients - or between ten and seventeen million people - experience unmet legal needs, many of which negatively impact their health, according to a new study from the Geiger Gibson/RCHN Community Health Foundation Research Collaborative at The George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services. This number is likely to increase given the profound changes in eligibility, plan enrollment, provider selection, and service delivery embodied in the newly enacted health reform law.

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Byron Brehm-Stecher, an Iowa State University assistant professor of food science and human nutrition, wants to replace the current system of salmonella detection with a new approach that can provide DNA sequencing-like results in hours rather than days. He is using technology available through an Ames, Iowa, company, Advanced Analytical Technologies, Inc., that is providing advanced biomedical instruments and reagents for the research.

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This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Bayh-Dole Act, legislation that fostered the commercialization of many new technological advances that impact the lives of millions. AUTM announced a new Web site, www.B-D30.org, providing articles, history, and more.

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The Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) today offered its support to help the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) meet the challenges of reducing the amount of sodium in foods.

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Researchers in British Columbia, Canada, have used a technique known as ecological niche modeling to identify likely areas where a potentially lethal fungus could spread next. Cryptococcus gattii, which can cause life-threatening infections of the lungs and central nervous system when inhaled, infects humans as well as a broad range of wild and domestic animals.

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University of Adelaide research is showing that the sex of the baby determines the way it responds to stressors during pregnancy and its ability to survive pregnancy complications.

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Helen Sandkuhl, RN, MSN, CEN, FAEN, nursing director of Emergency Services at Saint Louis University Hospital shares her story about providing emergency medical care after the earthquake that left Haiti in ruins.

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In a University of Michigan Health System study, 1 out of 3 patients with chronic pain reported using complementary and alternative medicine therapies such as acupuncture and chiropractic visits for pain relief.

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Health educators nationwide who run youth smoking cessation programs now have access to a free toolkit to evaluate their programs at www.HYSQ.org.

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Tamiflu and two other drugs used to treat influenza appear safe for pregnant women and their babies, researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have found in a retrospective study of 239 cases of women who received the medications during pregnancy.

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Four unhealthy behaviors—smoking, lack of physical activity, poor diet and alcohol consumption—appear to be associated with a substantially increased risk of death when combined, according to a report in the April 26 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

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Victims of domestic violence endure significantly higher health costs than other women for three years after the abuse ends, a new study finds.

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The passage of the new health care reform bill has spurred renewed interest in patient-centered medical homes (PCMH), a new model of care that facilitates partnerships between patients and their physicians to ensure patients get their immediate needs taken care of and uses the tools of technology to keep them healthy.

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The H1N1 flu epidemic has lessons to offer health care providers. The limited amount of vaccine available initially left pregnant women, small children with medical conditions, and other high-risk populations waiting in long lines. The problems encountered in reaching certain segments of the population apply to the provision of dental care as well as other disciplines.

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Women and men experience different outcomes at U.S. hospitals for the same procedures and treatments, according to a new study released today by HealthGrades, the leading independent healthcare ratings organization. The HealthGrades Seventh Annual Women’s Health in American Hospitals study also identified hospitals in the top 5% in women’s care through an analysis of nearly 7 million hospitalization records from all of the nation’s nearly 5,000 nonfederal hospitals.

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Pregnant women had a disproportionately higher risk of death due to 2009 influenza A(H1N1) in the U.S., and early antiviral treatment appeared to be associated with fewer admissions to an ICU and fewer deaths, according to a study in the April 21 issue of JAMA.

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The University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey-School of Public Health has received a $2.1 million, four-year grant from the National Cancer Institute. The grant will be used to develop and implement an innovative sampling approach designed to improve knowledge about tobacco use by young adults and associated use risk factors. By devising a new sampling method that accesses cell phones, UMDNJ researchers hope to expand and improve the quality of data.

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A recent study led by researchers in the Department of Preventive Medicine and Biometrics (PMB) at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU) seems to show that the improvements in motor vehicle safety may not benefit all segments of the population equally.

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1) Drop in Gun-Related New York City Homicides Related to Declines in Cocaine, Alcohol Use and Other Social Determinants; 2) Women Prefer Low-Cost Convenience When Purchasing Oral Contraceptives; 3) Restaurant Patrons Order Healthier When Nutritional Info Is Displayed.

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Research conducted in the El Paso-Juarez area suggests there is demand in the United States for over-the-counter birth control pills and that many U.S. women would buy such contraception without a doctor’s prescription if given the option.

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Researchers researchers found that patients who received phone assistance in making doctors appointments had twice the improvement in systolic blood pressure of those assisted by a faith community nurse.

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The American Association for Cancer Research issued an urgent call for immediate action to stem the global tide of tobacco-related death and suffering and to improve public health in a comprehensive policy statement on tobacco and cancer published today in Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

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New research finds any beneficial effect of drinking moderate amounts of alcohol on stroke may be counteracted by cigarette smoking, according to research that will be presented as part of the late-breaking science program at the American Academy of Neurology’s 62nd Annual Meeting in Toronto, April 10 – 17, 2010.

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The proportion of Americans with diabetes ages 18 to 64 who reported getting flu shots the previous year rose from 40 percent to 50.5 percent between 2000 and 2007.

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Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is associated with an increased risk of stroke in middle-aged and older adults, especially men, according to new results from new research supported by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) of the National Institutes of Health. Overall, sleep apnea more than doubles the risk of stroke in men.

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A new study shows that smoking may increase the risk of multiple sclerosis (MS) in people who also have specific established risk factors for MS. The research is found in the April 7, 2010, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

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The millions of dollars invested by the province of Ontario in its universal flu vaccine campaign saves lives and is a sensible investment, according to an economic analysis by a researcher at the University of Toronto and the University Health Network.

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An approach designed to reduce HIV/STDs previously used exclusively by academic researchers has successfully been implemented by community-based organizations (CBOs), an important component in national strategies to curtail the spread of HIV, meaning far more “at risk” youths can be reached.

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A Saint Louis University researcher tackles the problem that occurs when the influenza vaccine doesn’t match the strain of the virus circulating in the community. He finds adding a second influenza B virus strain likely would improve the vaccine’s ability to prevent the flu.

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AHRQ has announced the start of "Healthcare 411 en Español," a new audio news series to provide Spanish speakers with consumer information about their health and health care. Spanish version of this article included.

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The risk of dying from injuries is increasing for Americans ages 65 and older according to a new report from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health’s Center for Injury Research and Policy. The report found significant increases in death rates from falls (42 percent increase), machinery (46 percent increase), motorcycle crashes (145 percent increase) and unintentional poisoning (34 percent increase).

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The International Journal of Epidemiology published a special issue today chronicling the development and recent use of the Lives Saved Tool (LiST)—a user-friendly computer program that helps donor agencies and governments make investments in child survival programs for maximum impact. The special issue was edited by Neff Walker, PhD, a senior scientist with the Department of International Health at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

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Research Finding - Income & Education Likely to Affect Everyday Health. People with lower education and income levels are more likely to experience symptoms of colds and flu, headaches, and pain.

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From the first tip-off during March Madness to the championship’s final buzzer, and with start of the 2010 Major League Baseball season, on Sunday, April 4, thousands of people will relentlessly scream and shout, placing tremendous strain on their voices. While no one is recommending complete silence, the constant pressure on the vocal cords can cause great damage.

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Indoor tanning is dangerous. There is compelling, irrefutable scientific evidence which shows that indoor tanning beds can increase your risk for skin cancer. A tax on indoor tanning services serves as a signal from the federal government to young people that indoor tanning is dangerous and should be avoided. In addition, the indoor tanning tax furthers the goal of promoting wellness and prevention as part of health reform.

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American Academy of Dermatology Association (AADA) President and dermatologist William D. James, MD, FAAD, along with other dermatologists and leading researchers today testified before a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) panel considering changes to the current classification of indoor tanning devices. Currently, the FDA classifies indoor tanning devices as Class 1, the category for items that have minimal potential to cause harm to individuals. Items in Class 1 include adhesive bandages and tongue depressors.

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Increasing interest in health care has lead reporters to seek more sources for health news than ever before. And, as more and more consumers use the web to research health information, the growing demand for health news has an increasing influence on the health industry. In response to these trends, Newswise has developed a new category for medical news called Health Marketplace.

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For women smokers worried about their weight, combining cognitive behavioral therapy addressing weight concerns with the medication bupropion appears more effective than counseling alone to help them quit smoking, according to a report in the March 22 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

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Clostridium difficile infection nears zero

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Researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, led by Shu-Hong Zhu, PhD, professor of family and preventative medicine, examined more than 15 years of data from the California Smokers’ Helpline and compared the use of Asian-language services by Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese callers to the use of English-language services by Caucasian callers. Their findings will appear in the March 18 online issue of The American Journal of Public Health.

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Nurses participating in shift work, especially those working rotating shifts, face a significantly increased risk of developing Irritable Bowel Syndrome and abdominal pain compared to those working a standard day-time schedule, according to research published in the American Journal of Gastroenterology.

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Vitamin D is quickly becoming the "go-to" remedy for treating a wide range of illnesses, from osteoporosis to atherosclerosis. However, new evidence from a Wake Forest University School of Medicine study suggests that supplementing vitamin D in those with low levels may have different effects based on patient race and, in black individuals, the supplement could actually do harm.