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.
When Chinese parents have to migrate for work, what happens to the children left behind?
March 13, 2020 Over the last several decades in China, millions of rural residents have migrated to urban areas for work. As parents migrate, they’ve left their young children behind with other family members in the countryside. A new study co-led by Dr. Sean Sylvia evaluates the effects of maternal migration on early childhood development outcomes.
New research could help caregivers identify exclusive breastfeeding challenges in the first week of life
March 11, 2020 While breastfeeding is recommended as the sole source of nutrition in the first six months of a baby's life, for some new moms, that is not always possible. Dr. Alison Stuebe and her research team have identified a set of clues that can help clinicians recognize in as early as the first week when feeding interventions and supplemental nutrition may be necessary.
Governments need rigorous and consistent standards to address environmental health for people who are displaced
March 6, 2020 Forcibly displaced people face a number of environmental health challenges that can vastly differ depending on the response by the countries that host them. New research from the Gillings School calls for a consistent and thorough set of standards that can address these challenges holistically.
5-year survival rates have improved — for some cancers — in adolescents and young adults
March 5, 2020 The 5-year survival rate for adolescents and young adults with cancer significantly improved from 1975 to 2005 in the United States overall, but this was not the case for all cancers.
Alcohol problems cost Baltimore more than $2 per drink
March 2, 2020 A new study models how cities can estimate the true cost of alcohol.
New research identifies low-cost options for reducing health impacts of air pollution
February 20, 2020 “The limitation with [the] traditional approach is that there are many possible control actions and technologies affecting emissions from many different sources, and it is impractical to sort through all the choices,” says Dr. Jason West. “Using a simpler model, we turned that approach around to essentially ask which emission reductions are most cost-effective for improving public health.”
