11/15
Public Health
Eczema’s effect on children differs by race
A Penn study finds racial disparities in school attendance due to common skin condition, with Hispanic and black children more likely to miss school due to eczema than white children.
Philadelphia’s sweetened drink sales drop 38 percent after beverage tax
Findings from a Penn study support beverage taxes as a promising policy tool to help improve public health.
New intervention increases healthy behavior among South African adolescents
A new study from the Annenberg School for Communication led by John B. Jemmott found that a specially designed health intervention given to South African youth improved healthy eating and amount of exercise, with effects lasting at least 4.5 years.
Is climate change making the allergy season worse?
The timeline for seasonal hay fever has expanded in recent years. With the warmer temperatures, and a longer frost-free season, we may be exposed to more allergenic plants, leading to longer and more severe allergy seasons.
For Kennett Square’s mushroom farmworkers, healthy interventions come directly to the workplace
With the President’s Engagement Prize, seniors José Maciel and Antonio Renteria plan to bring subjects like nutrition and sleep to the workers, reinforcing preventive screenings already provided by a local, federally qualified health center.
An epidemic that affects us all
Public officials and medical experts meshed on stage for this year’s Silfen Forum, discussing the complex issues surrounding the nation’s opioid crisis.
Taking wellness up a notch
The University has spent the past three years working with the Healthier Campus Initiative of the Partnership for a Healthier America, implementing 23 new policies that improve nutrition, physical activity, sustainability, and overall wellness.
An implant to blunt opioid effects
A study by Penn Medicine researchers finds a slow-release naltrexone implant helps HIV patients with opioid dependence adhere to medications and prevent relapse.
Barriers and facilitators in treating opioid addiction in the ER
Despite effective medications for opioid use disorder, such as buprenorphine and methadone, few people receive treatment. The ongoing challenge is to expand access to these lifesaving treatments to people who need them the most.
Patients discharged to home care have higher rates of hospital readmissions
A Penn study highlights important tradeoffs between home versus nursing facilities as the cost for post-acute care rises and payment models shift.
In the News
Got canker sores? Try switching your toothpaste
Richard Wender of the Perelman School of Medicine says that canker sores often start with a minor trauma to the mucosal lining, like a sharp edge on a tooth or a pair of prickly braces.
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FDA Study finds infectious H5N1 bird flu virus in 14% of raw milk samples
Patrick E. Jamieson of the Annenberg Public Policy Center says it is important that anyone planning to consume raw milk be aware that doing so can make you sick and that pasteurization reduces the risk of milk-borne illnesses.
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Colorado has the most cases of bird flu among dairy cows in the U.S.
The School of Veterinary Medicine has developed a bird flu vaccine that is to be tested by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
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This Juneteenth, we must invest in our future as well as remember our past
Victor Roy, an incoming assistant professor at the Perelman School of Medicine, writes that “baby bonds” could help mitigate the worsening racial wealth gap.
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Column: How a blunder by a respected medical journal is fueling an anti-vaccine lie
Jeffrey S. Morris of the Perelman School of Medicine says that even with a 100% effective vaccine, there would have been high levels of morbidity and mortality from COVID-19 in 2021.
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RFK Jr.’s vaccine misinformation campaign started after he ignored a Philly doctor
Paul Offit of the Perelman School of Medicine and Melanie Kornides of the School of Nursing comment on Robert F. Kennedy’s misinformation campaign against vaccines.
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