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Research roundup: Workers' insurance costs vary depending on employers' size; Seniors mental health needs often unmet

Survey -- The authors of this analysis provide a detailed look at the availability of health coverage at small and large employers, as well as the variations in plan costs and cost-sharing requirements.

15 Dec 2012

FDA approves GSK’s raxibacumab to treat inhalational anthrax

GlaxoSmithKline plc announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved raxibacumab for the treatment of adult and pediatric patients with inhalational anthrax due to Bacillus anthracis in combination with appropriate antibacterial drugs and for prophylaxis of inhalational anthrax when alternative therapies are not available or are not appropriate.

14 Dec 2012

Roundup: Abortion bill heads to Mich. Gov's desk; Calif. health care special session priorities; Nurse practitioner role debated in Minn.

An omnibus abortion bill, approved by the Senate on Wednesday, passed the House early this morning by a 72-35 vote, after a controversial requirement that an aborted fetus be buried, cremated or interred was removed earlier this week. Democrats offered a handful of amendments, some referred to as "what's good for the goose is good for the gander," to require men to undergo physical exams before being prescribed Viagra or to get a vasectomy. But all the amendments were shot down. Gov. Rick Snyder is expected to sign the bill into law.

14 Dec 2012

Low-wage workers vulnerable to financial hits that can result from on-the-job injuries and illnesses

Low-wage workers, who make up a large and growing share of the U.S. workforce, are especially vulnerable to financial hits that can result from on-the-job injuries and illnesses, according to a policy brief released today by researchers at the George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services (SPHHS).

14 Dec 2012

Time restrictions on television do not reduce underage exposure to alcohol advertising

Efforts to reduce underage exposure to alcohol advertising by implementing time restrictions have not worked, according to new research from the Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth (CAMY) at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and the Dutch Institute for Alcohol Policy.

14 Dec 2012

HPV in women at or after menopause may represent an infection acquired years ago

A new study suggests that human papillomavirus (HPV) infection in women at or after menopause may represent an infection acquired years ago, and that HPV infections may exist below limits of detection after one to two years, similar to other viruses, such as varicella zoster, which can cause shingles.

14 Dec 2012

Some diplomats, U.N. observers express 'concerns' over U.N. appeal for Haitian cholera aid, Al Jazeera reports

Following U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's announcement on Tuesday of a new initiative appealing for $2.2 billion over 10 years to fight cholera in Haiti and the Dominican Republic, Al Jazeera reports "there are concerns by some diplomats and U.N. observers that the funds necessary for the program would not be forthcoming from donors."

14 Dec 2012

New evidence about benefits of marriage

There's new evidence about the benefits of marriage. Women who are married suffer less partner abuse, substance abuse or post-partum depression around the time of pregnancy than women who are cohabitating or do not have a partner, a new study has found.

14 Dec 2012

Analyzing the Medicaid expansion balance sheet

As states contemplate the financial implications of pursuing the health law's Medicaid expansion, the recent Health and Human Services' decision not to fund partial expansions continues to draw reactions.

13 Dec 2012

Ceramic cookstoves may not reduce risk of pneumonia in young rural Kenyan children

Inexpensive, locally-produced ceramic cookstoves may produce less smoke than traditional indoor 3-stone firepits, but they don't significantly reduce indoor air pollution or the risk of pneumonia in young children, according to results from a small, year-long observational study by researchers working in rural Kenya.

13 Dec 2012

ACS announces creation of Georgia Surgical Quality Collaborative

Today, the American College of Surgeons (ACS), in association with the American Cancer Society, hosted the ACS Surgical Health Care Quality Forum Georgia, the 11th program in a series of events to drive national discussions on effective quality improvement methods that surgeons, physicians and hospitals are using to improve patient safety and reduce costs.

13 Dec 2012

International health, development groups meet to discuss London Summit on Family Planning

In the Management Sciences for Health's (MSH) "Global Health Impact" blog, Barbara Ayotte, director of strategic communications at MSH, reports on a luncheon discussion on the London Summit on Family Planning, held in Boston in November.

13 Dec 2012

Roundup: Health centers moving into contaminated tracts; Mass. budget cuts worry health advocates

The community health center rising on a derelict corner here in West Philadelphia never would have broken ground if not for the asbestos inside the building that was demolished to make way for it. Because of the contamination, Spectrum Health Services received a $2 million federal cleanup grant, the first piece of a $14 million construction financing puzzle.

13 Dec 2012

Delayed childbearing may protect against triple-negative breast cancer

Younger women who wait at least 15 years after their first menstrual period to give birth to their first child may reduce their risk of an aggressive form of breast cancer by up to 60 percent, according to a Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center study.

12 Dec 2012

Physical activity associated with longevity gains

Adults who include at least 150 minutes of physical activity in their routines each week live longer than those who don't, finds a new study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

12 Dec 2012

Decreased air pollution continues to increase life expectancy in USA

Significant reductions in air pollution over the past decade have improved life expectancy across various US counties, report researchers, although they stress that optimum air quality levels have not yet been reached.

12 Dec 2012

Prematurity marks the adult heart

People born preterm have compromised cardiac structure and function as young adults, a study shows.

12 Dec 2012

$Study finds increase in prevalence of nonrefractive visual impairment in the U.S.$

Study finds increase in prevalence of nonrefractive visual impairment in the U.S.

The prevalence of nonrefractive visual impairment (not due to need for glasses) in the U.S. has increased significantly in recent years, which may be partly related to a higher prevalence of diabetes, an associated risk factor, according to a study in the December 12 issue of JAMA.

12 Dec 2012

Adversity in childhood can shape long-term health outcomes

Noting the "16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence," Neil Boothby, U.S. government special adviser and senior coordinator to the USAID administrator on children in adversity, writes in USAID's "IMPACTblog," "The science is clear -- childhood experiences shape adult outcomes, including long-term health, cognitive development, academic achievement, and one's ability to be gainfully and safely employed."

12 Dec 2012

Report analyzes risk factors and infection control strategies taken to prevent spread of NDM1-Kp

As the prevalence of antibiotic-resistant infections continue to rise around the world, a hospital in Canada detected the presence of New Delhi Metallo---lactamase-1-Producing Klebsiella pneumoniae (NDM1-Kp), a multidrug resistant bacteria that is resistant to carbapenems, one of the last lines of antibiotics.

12 Dec 2012

Public Health News and Research

Research roundup: Workers' insurance costs vary depending on employers' size; Seniors mental health needs often unmet

FDA approves GSK’s raxibacumab to treat inhalational anthrax

Roundup: Abortion bill heads to Mich. Gov's desk; Calif. health care special session priorities; Nurse practitioner role debated in Minn.

Low-wage workers vulnerable to financial hits that can result from on-the-job injuries and illnesses

Time restrictions on television do not reduce underage exposure to alcohol advertising

HPV in women at or after menopause may represent an infection acquired years ago

Some diplomats, U.N. observers express 'concerns' over U.N. appeal for Haitian cholera aid, Al Jazeera reports

New evidence about benefits of marriage

Analyzing the Medicaid expansion balance sheet

Ceramic cookstoves may not reduce risk of pneumonia in young rural Kenyan children

ACS announces creation of Georgia Surgical Quality Collaborative

International health, development groups meet to discuss London Summit on Family Planning

Roundup: Health centers moving into contaminated tracts; Mass. budget cuts worry health advocates

Delayed childbearing may protect against triple-negative breast cancer

Physical activity associated with longevity gains

Decreased air pollution continues to increase life expectancy in USA

Prematurity marks the adult heart

Study finds increase in prevalence of nonrefractive visual impairment in the U.S.

Adversity in childhood can shape long-term health outcomes

Report analyzes risk factors and infection control strategies taken to prevent spread of NDM1-Kp

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

Examining how pain could play a direct protective role in the gut

From Puberty to Menopause: Clue’s CEO, Audrey Tsang on the Power of Femtech

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