New York only state to reduce income-based disparities in smoking, study finds
April 10, 2020 Lower-income Americans are more likely to smoke cigarettes than those who are more affluent. While the federal government and most states have set goals to reduce income-based disparities in tobacco use, only one state has lessened the gap.
The Gillings Community Responds to COVID-19: Mental Health, Environmental Guidance and Health Education
April 9, 2020 Health behavior alumnae participated in a hackathon to design a web platform to help people cope with the stress of managing COVID-19 information streams. Environmental scientists Dr. Mark Sobsey and Dr. Lisa Casanova have contributed to WHO guidelines on water and sanitation. Alumna Dr. Jennifer Platt is leading a health education initiative for people with alpha-gal syndrome who have COVID-19 questions.
A new antiviral drug heading into clinical trials offers hope for COVID-19 treatment — in part because it can be taken as a pill
April 6, 2020 Scientists are hopeful that a new drug — called EIDD-2801 — could change the way doctors treat COVID-19. The antiviral shows promise in reducing lung damage, has finished testing in mice and will soon move to human clinical trials.
Who gets admitted to medical education in low- and middle-income countries — and why does it matter?
March 31, 2020 Recent studies have found that doctors and nurses in low- and middle-income countries are often absent from work, sometimes seek unauthorized payments for services, and may treat patients in disrespectful or abusive ways. UNC researchers suggest a solution: reforming medical education practices to focus on admitting students who are motivated by a strong desire to serve the needs of their community, rather than by receiving external rewards.
These basic public health measures can slow the spread of COVID-19
March 30, 2020 Since the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 was identified in December 2019, it has been transmitted around the globe. Currently, the World Health Organization reports 634,835 confirmed cases and 29,891 deaths worldwide.
Can social media help track the spread of disease?
March 30, 2020 Disease surveillance means monitoring the spread of disease through populations in order to establish patterns and minimize harm caused by outbreaks. In a recent article, UNC researchers explored how to effectively and ethically include social media and broader Internet tracking as part of public health surveillance.
UNC researchers propose new method for identifying core functions of evidence-based interventions
March 24, 2020 Putting evidence-based interventions into practice can be difficult when health care settings and populations differ from the original context of the intervention. A new study that includes research from the Department of Health Policy and Management tackles that challenge by proposing a theoretical framework that could enable effective adaptation into healthcare policy, practice and research.
‘100% Vitamin C’ marketing claims increase appeal of sugary fruit drinks
March 24, 2020 Sugar-sweetened beverages are a major factor in the obesity epidemic among both children and adults, and fruit-flavored drinks with added sugar are by far the most popular variety of these among children. In a new study, UNC researchers examine how adding vitamin claims, fruit images and health warnings to the labels of fruit drinks affected consumers’ perceptions.
Food for All Partnership addresses COVID-19 impact on food systems
March 23, 2020 UNC-Chapel Hill’s Food for All Partnership convened an urgent virtual meeting to discuss the impact of COVID-19 on food systems in North Carolina — and to brainstorm potential responses.
Maternal and child health faculty receive joint innovative teaching award
March 20, 2020 Four faculty members in the Department of Maternal and Child Health have received an Innovative Teaching Award from the Association of Teachers of Maternal and Child Health to develop a new course on implementation research and practice for the Master of Public Health concentration in Maternal, Child and Family Health.
