The pandemic is impacting continuity of care for cancer survivors — especially women
November 20, 2020 By early June 2020, 34% of cancer survivors surveyed had canceled at least one doctor's appointment due to COVID-19. These cancellations are concerning, says Dr. Jessica Islam, who points out that female cancer survivors have been impacted the most, likely due to school and daycare closures.
Structural and systemic racism in health care system affects HIV care for Black women
November 19, 2020 For Black women in the southern United States, mistrust of the health care system that is grounded in structural and systemic racism is a key factor affecting participation in HIV prevention and treatment services, according to a recent study that includes research from Dr. Carol Golin.
Does air pollution increase women’s risk of dementia?
November 18, 2020 New study finds high levels of fine particle pollution in the air are associated with brain shrinkage patterns that are common in Alzheimer’s.
New CDC tool aims to help communities promote more physical activity
November 18, 2020 The new Active Communities Tool, developed by a team at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that included Dr. Kelly Evenson, is now available for use by communities seeking to improve the built environment to promote access to safe and convenient places for physical activity for people of all ages and abilities.
Housing stress linked with higher rates of child maltreatment
November 17, 2020 When families are dealing with stress over housing insecurity, there is a greater risk of child maltreatment and Child Protective Services becoming involved. These findings come from three researchers at the UNC Gillings School.
PCORI funds UNC research to assess representativeness of COVID-19 treatment trials
November 16, 2020 The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute is funding research at the Gillings School to compare how participants in COVID-19 clinical trials differ from real-world patients infected with the virus.
AJPH editorial: Populism threatens the public health response to COVID-19
November 13, 2020 In an editorial published in the American Journal of Public Health, doctoral candidate Caitlin Williams and Dr. Benjamin Mason Meier write that populist policies have hindered public health responses to COVID-19 and could have lasting consequences on health and human rights.
Common SARS-CoV-2 mutation may be more susceptible to vaccine
November 12, 2020 A new study published in Science confirms that the D614G spike mutation allows the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 to replicate faster, outcompete and transmit more easily between hosts compared to the original virus. However, the mutation that enabled this strain to spread so quickly around the globe may also make it more susceptible to a vaccine.
UNC partners with NCCU to enhance diversity in nutrition and obesity research
November 5, 2020 The UNC Nutrition Obesity Research Center's Pilot & Feasibility (P&F) Program has received funding to establish a process to increase the number of new investigators from underrepresented minority groups who become established investigators in nutrition and obesity research.
Planey pinpoints health disparities in COVID-19 testing and workers with disabilities
November 5, 2020 Geographic analysis can help identify those that are at higher risk of specific disparities due to social and geographic factors. Dr. Arrianna Planey is a co-author on two recent studies that used such analysis to identify potential health disparities in North Carolina and New York.