Promote Healthy People, Healthy Planet and Improve Care for All
NC youth leaders champion vaping prevention at inaugural UNC-led summit
August 24, 2023 On July 24-26, the Gillings School hosted youth leaders and adult supporters for an inaugural summit to learn about evidence-based vaping prevention strategies, develop advocacy skills and build coalitions with other youth leaders in North Carolina. The summit was supported by the state's JUUL settlement funding.
NC Child Care Health and Safety Resource Center receives support to expand training, consultation services
August 23, 2023 The new, renewable funding will help the resource center work with child care programs and early educators across North Carolina to ensure healthy and safe child care environments, particularly in counties that would otherwise not have access to these services.
Who is being screened for intimate partner violence?
August 22, 2023 Despite recommendations from health care organizations like the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, research led by Dr. Valerie Lewis has found that screenings for intimate partner violence aren’t consistently provided to all patients of childbearing age.
Community based study offers dental disease insights
August 3, 2023 Researchers at UNC and Penn Dental Medicine showed that tooth decay in childhood is characterized by an imbalance in the oral microbiome and that certain previously unrecognized bacteria interact in complex ways.
“Natural” claims on fruity drinks mislead parents
July 19, 2023 Gillings-led research has found that claims of “natural” or “100% all natural” on sugary fruit juices increase parents’ interest in buying these beverages for their children and lead parents to the mistaken belief that these drinks are healthier and contain less added sugar.
Researchers link early-life exposure to wildfire smoke with early use of upper respiratory medication
July 19, 2023 Children exposed to wildfire smoke in the first trimester of pregnancy or the first few weeks after birth are more likely to be prescribed upper respiratory medication earlier in life, according to a new UNC-EPA study.
Nearly 10% of rural counties in the South are losing hospitals
July 18, 2023 A new study led by Dr. Arrianna Planey found that approximately 10% of rural counties in the U.S. South lost one or more hospitals to a closure between 2007 and 2018. Rural areas with a higher proportion of Black and Latinx residents had longer travel times to access the second nearest acute care hospital.
Pandemic policy changes may have helped sustain access to treatment for opioid use disorder
June 16, 2023 A new study led by Dr. Anna Austin shows that overall receipt of medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) remained relatively stable early in the pandemic among Medicaid patients, possibly due to changes in policy restrictions. However, there was a decrease in the number of people newly beginning MOUD treatment through in person visits that was only partially offset by telehealth.
Marketing ban tackles TV ads for unhealthy foods in Chile
June 1, 2023 A new study finds that children in Chile saw 73% fewer television ads for unhealthy foods and drinks following trailblazing marketing restrictions.
New UNC study quantifies disparity among marginalized communities exposed to traffic-related air pollution across the US
June 1, 2023 A new study from UNC environmental sciences researchers estimates that marginalized communities within 100 meters of a major roadway are more likely to be exposed to traffic-related air pollution.