Public Health News and Research

RSS

Understanding the multifactorial causes of spina bifida

Spina bifida is among the most common and debilitating neural tube defects, affecting approximately 1 in every 2,875 newborns in the United States.

11 Aug 2025

Stalking and restraining orders linked to higher risk of heart disease in women

Women who reported having been stalked or obtained a restraining order were each more likely to experience a heart attack and/or stroke in later years compared to those who did not, according to new research published today in the American Heart Association's flagship journal Circulation.

11 Aug 2025

Childhood and adolescent immunizations decline in Michigan, study shows

Routine childhood and adolescent immunizations declined in Michigan between 2017 and 2023, particularly among counties with lower household income and higher uninsurance rates, a new study suggests.

11 Aug 2025

New web-based tool helps fight lung cancer mortality and advance treatment

Experts have created a customizable, web-based tool that provides state and local leaders with tailored resources to reduce lung cancer mortality rates and advance treatment.

11 Aug 2025

Kindness in childhood predicts healthy eating habits in teens

A new analysis using data from a longitudinal study that followed children between the ages of 5 and 17 has revealed a surprising association; kids who engaged in kind, caring, and helpful behaviors (being prosocial), were more likely to sustain healthy eating habits as teenagers.

11 Aug 2025

Inside the CDC, shooting adds to trauma as workers describe projects, careers in limbo

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention workers whose jobs have been reinstated after dizzying Trump administration disruptions say they remain stuck in a budgetary, political, and professional limbo.

11 Aug 2025

Outdated antibiotic advice fuels resistance in low-income settings

The review analyzes antibiotic prescribing guidelines, revealing challenges in LMICs and the importance of WHO-backed strategies for effective AMR management.

11 Aug 2025

UK food policy misses big slice of ultra-processed problem, study finds

A decade-long UK dietary analysis shows HFSS regulations overlook many ultra-processed staples like white bread and diet drinks, revealing a major gap in tackling unhealthy food consumption.

11 Aug 2025

WHO validation marks Kenya’s success in eliminating sleeping sickness

The World Health Organization (WHO) has validated Kenya as having eliminated human African trypanosomiasis (HAT) or sleeping sickness as a public health problem, making it the tenth country to reach this important milestone.

10 Aug 2025

Parents’ workplace chemical exposure may be linked to behavioral challenges in children with autism

A new study in the International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health finds parents' workplace chemical exposure may be linked to a range of behavioral challenges and developmental delays in their children with autism.

8 Aug 2025

Balancing copper antimicrobials to combat antibiotic resistance

Copper has emerged as an ally in the battle against antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Copper sulfate liquids, for example, have been used since the 1700s to control fungal infections in vineyards, orchards and many other kinds of agricultural settings.

8 Aug 2025

New wearable device offers real-time blood pressure monitoring

Seoul National University College of Engineering announced that a research team led by Professor Seung Hwan Ko of the Wearable Soft Electronics Lab, Department of Mechanical Engineering, has developed a wearable electronic device that attaches to the skin like a bandage and enables real-time, continuous monitoring of blood pressure over extended periods.

8 Aug 2025

WHO expands global network of trusted medical product regulators

The World Health Organization (WHO) has officially designated Health Canada, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare/Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency (MHLW/PMDA) of Japan, and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) of the United Kingdom as WHO-Listed Authorities (WLAs), a status granted to national authorities that meet the highest international regulatory standards for medical products.

8 Aug 2025

International commission calls for action against hepatocellular carcinoma

Liver cancer is the sixth most common cancer as well as the third highest cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide.

8 Aug 2025

Understanding the complex relationship between ultraprocessed foods and health

Ultraprocessed foods or UPFs are a growing concern due to their widespread consumption and impact on potential health risks.

8 Aug 2025

Gender gaps in Mediterranean eating and living

Gender differences in Mediterranean diet adherence impact health outcomes, emphasizing the need for targeted interventions to promote healthier lifestyles.

8 Aug 2025

How too much screen time affects kids’ heart health and what can reduce the risk

A large Danish cohort study found that higher screen time in childhood and adolescence is linked to worse cardiometabolic health, with shorter sleep amplifying the risk. Blood metabolomics revealed a signature of high screen time, and in teens, it was tied to higher predicted cardiovascular disease risk.

7 Aug 2025

Drug turns human blood into a mosquito killer

A drug that makes human blood lethal to mosquitoes also acts as a potent contact insecticide absorbed through the feet, providing a promising new approach to combating insecticide resistance.

7 Aug 2025

Personalizing endometrial cancer prevention through diet and lifestyle

This review synthesizes emerging evidence on modifiable risk factors for endometrial cancer (EC)-the sixth most common female malignancy globally-with rising incidence despite diagnostic advances.

7 Aug 2025

KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': Kennedy cancels vaccine funding

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s announcement that the federal government will cancel nearly $500 million in mRNA research funding is unnerving not only for those who develop vaccines, but also for public health experts who see the technology behind the first covid-19 shots as the nation's best hope to combat a future pandemic.

7 Aug 2025