Research News
Prostate cancer care for older men estimated to cost Medicare $1.2 billion
September 14, 2018
Dr. Justin Trogdon led a study estimating that screening for and treatment of prostate cancer in men ages 70 years or older, which is not recommended by national guidelines, cost Medicare more than $1.2 billion over a three-year period.
New study finds FLEX intervention improves psychosocial outcomes for adolescents with Type 1 diabetes
September 13, 2018
Dr. Beth Mayer-Davis led a study to test the efficacy of Flexible Lifestyles Empowering Change (FLEX), an 18-month intervention to improve outcomes for adolescents with Type 1 diabetes. Photo courtesy of TV Brazil.
US sexual minorities poorer than straight peers, study finds
September 13, 2018
Sexual minorities in the United States are poorer than are their straight peers, and the income gap is even wider among women, according to research published by Gillings School researchers in the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health.
Law intended to increase access to behavioral health care had little impact, study finds
September 8, 2018
A 2008 law that required insurance plans to offer mental health and addiction benefits at the same level as physical health benefits did not significantly reduce out-of-pocket spending on outpatient behavioral health services or increase their use, according to new research.
Study demonstrates benefits among people living with HIV who inject drugs
September 5, 2018
Gillings School researchers are part of an international team reporting promising findings related to the prevention of HIV transmission among people who are HIV-positive and use injectable drugs and their partners. The key findings of HPTN 074, part of the HIV Prevention Trials Network (HPTN), were published Aug. 30 in The Lancet.
Researchers offer most comprehensive review to date of breastfeeding’s impact on maternal health
September 1, 2018
Dr. Alison Stuebe helped conduct an expansive review of breastfeeding research to assess breastfeeding’s connection to positive maternal health outcomes and summarize the effectiveness of policies and programs that promote breastfeeding.
Stürmer offers principles and considerations for effective academia-industry collaboration in pharmacoepidemiology
September 1, 2018
Dr. Til Stürmer has co-authored a set of guiding principles and considerations that public-private partners can use in pharmacoepidemiological research to create scientifically sound research studies that also acknowledge the different interests of academics and industry.
Providing social support to tuberculosis patients can lower rate of treatment default
August 31, 2018
A new Gillings School study has found that combining social services with tuberculosis (TB) treatments in Ukraine lowers the rate of treatment default, which improves patient outcomes and could help stymie the rates of multidrug resistance to the disease. Photo by Rogiro.
Study finds menthol cigarette marketing targets African-Americans
August 31, 2018
It may seem surprising that more than 80 percent of African-American smokers use menthol cigarettes – compared to just 29 percent of white smokers – until you learn more about how cigarette companies market their products. A new study led by UNC researchers has reported that the leading menthol brand has a unique pattern of targeting their marketing to African-Americans.
New study finds link between teenage drinking and high-grade prostate cancer later in life
August 23, 2018
A new study has found a link between early-life alcohol consumption and aggressive, high-grade prostate cancer. The study also found that heavy cumulative alcohol consumption over the course of a man’s life had a similar association with this type of prostate cancer.