Public Health News and Research

RSS

Prenatal exposure to BPA linked with wheezing in children

If a pregnant woman is exposed to bisphenol A, especially during the first trimester, her child may be at higher risk of wheezing early in life, according to a study to be presented Sunday, May 1, at the Pediatric Academic Societies annual meeting in Denver.

2 May 2011

Experts discuss science and strategy behind childhood obesity epidemic

Childhood obesity has become a significant health problem worldwide, but many parents don't know where to begin or how to help their child adopt a healthy lifestyle. At the opening session of the Pediatric Academic Societies annual meeting in Denver, Colo., experts in pediatric obesity prevention will discuss the science and the strategy behind understanding this epidemic and intervening upon it.

2 May 2011

Study shows even families with insurance put off or go without care

The high cost of health care is deterring parents from taking their children to the doctor or buying prescription medication, regardless of how much money they make or whether they have health insurance, according to a study to be presented Sunday, May 2, at the Pediatric Academic Societies annual meeting in Denver.

2 May 2011

Young black MSM may face high risk of HIV infection

Young black men who have sex with men get infected with HIV nearly five times more often than MSM from other races, even though they don't have more unprotected sex.

2 May 2011

Health expert to speak at 205th Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Commencement ceremony

U.S. Surgeon General and Vice Admiral Regina M. Benjamin - one of the world's leading experts on public health and a key player in the national debate on health care reform - will deliver the main address at the 205th Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Commencement on May 28.

2 May 2011

Adverse changes in sleep duration may impair cognitive function in middle-aged adults

A study in the May 1 issue of the journal Sleep describes how changes in sleep that occur over a five-year period in late middle age affect cognitive function in later life. The findings suggest that women and men who begin sleeping more or less than 6 to 8 hours per night are subject to an accelerated cognitive decline that is equivalent to four to seven years of aging.

2 May 2011

Research highlights need for smoke-free car laws to protect children from toxins

It is absolutely unacceptable to subject children to any tobacco smoke exposure in cars, according to the authors of an abstract to be presented Sunday, May 1, at the Pediatric Academic Societies annual meeting in Denver.

2 May 2011

Secondhand smoke exposure linked to high blood pressure in boys

Exposure to secondhand smoke, even at extremely low levels, is associated with increased blood pressure in boys, according to new research being presented Sunday, May 1, at the Pediatric Academic Societies annual meeting in Denver.

2 May 2011

China smoking ban in place

Starting today all bars, restaurants, hospitals and other public places in China are slated to become smoke-free, inside and out. Efforts to ban smoking in public places here have been plagued by false starts and failed campaigns.

1 May 2011

Sleep deprivation leads to decreased cognitive abilities: Study

A new study has shown that poor sleep as a person reaches middle age could mean that the brain is prematurely ageing, equivalent to a decline of up to seven years.

1 May 2011

State news highlights: Texas Senate approves Medicaid savings bill

The Senate unanimously approved Sen. Jane Nelson's bill to find extensive cost savings in Texas' Medicaid program, the primary health care provider for children, the disabled and the very poor. ... The measure expands Medicaid managed care into South Texas, where it has long been carved out — expected to save the state $290 million over the biennium.

30 Apr 2011

Harvard Medical School and BIDMC professor delivered Solomon A. Berson Distinguished Lectureship

Christos Mantzoros, MD, DSc, Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, delivered the Solomon A. Berson Distinguished Lectureship at the annual meeting of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology held earlier this month in Washington, DC.

30 Apr 2011

New training program for nurses to prevent workplace violence

Most people think of hospitals as places for healing. But the threat of violence—which can take many forms—can be a daily reality for nurses and other health care workers, creating a compelling need to properly address the issue, says Kate McPhaul, PhD, MPH, RN, assistant professor and program director for the School of Nursing's Community/Public Health Nursing master's specialty.

30 Apr 2011

House Joint Resolution introduced to recognize Rural Health Day

Today, in an effort to acknowledge the vital services of rural healthcare practitioners across Colorado, State Representative Tom Massey (R-CO), will introduce a House Joint Resolution to recognize "Rural Health Day."

30 Apr 2011

Fetal exposure to crude oil chemical may increase risk of heart disease

While it may be years before the health effects of the 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico are known, a new study shows that fetal exposure to a chemical found in crude oil is associated with an increased risk of congenital heart disease.

30 Apr 2011

African-Americans more likely to use 'quitlines' than white smokers

African-Americans are consistently more likely than white smokers to use telephone help lines to quit smoking, and are more responsive to mass media messages promoting the "quitline," finds a long-term California study.

30 Apr 2011

Unintentional injury deaths of young children can be prevented: Study

Patricia Schnitzer, associate professor in the MU Sinclair School of Nursing, says that most unintentional child injury deaths of young children result from inadequate supervision or failure to protect children from harm. Although injuries to children may be unintentional, they can be prevented and should not be considered accidents.

30 Apr 2011

Study finds increase in obesity prevalence among adults with arthritis

People with arthritis are significantly more likely to be obese than those without the disease and the rate among them is increasing in far more states than it is decreasing, cites new CDC data released in conjunction with National Arthritis Awareness Month in May.

29 Apr 2011

Symposium to examine bidirectional relationship between oral health and diabetes

Some 65 percent of people in the US have periodontal disease, but that rate jumps to 90 percent among individuals with diabetes. While the links between oral disease and other systemic health issues are now well known, there continues to be little to no connection between medical and dental care for diabetic patients.

29 Apr 2011

More women using ‘morning after’ pill

Figures have revealed that the rate of women using emergency contraception in 2006-08 more than doubled, compared with the rate in the previous four to six years, before the pills were approved for use without a prescription. This comes from a study from the Guttmacher Institute.

29 Apr 2011