Measles, mumps, rubella and chickenpox—childhood diseases against which many of us have been immunized.
But the new worry is that since there is no natural "booster" shot for these diseases, older adults may find themselves unexpectedly vulnerable to them. It seems no one knows for sure how long immunity from such diseases will last. That's according to a story at The Daily Gleaner.
University of Minnesota epidemiologist Michael T. Osterholm (pictured) says scientists should be doing long-term immunity studies—following groups of people for decades—in the way cancer researchers track groups of people to try to discern what causes cancer.
"That would help us understand at what point does the level of protection drop for a population. Not any one individual," he says.
After hearing about potential developmental and reproductive problems associated with Bisphenol A (BPA)—a chemical that can leach out of hard, clear plastic containers such as a sippy cup—many parents are switching to alternatives.
Although no study has yet revealed direct BPA impact on humans, lab tests on rodents have shown adverse reproductive and developmental effects, such as onset of Type 2 diabetes or obesity.
That's according to William Toscano (pictured), head of environmental health sciences at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health.
Adolescent smokers who reduce their cigarette smoking are still inhaling considerable amounts of cancer-causing chemicals, according to researchers at the University of Minnesota's Masonic Cancer Center.
Researchers say the goal should be to quit completely.
“These results suggest that reduction of smoking may be a way to engage adolescents who are unable or unwilling to quit, but quitting, not reduction, should be the end goal,” said Karen Hanson, Ph.D., lead researcher on the study. “It further shows that smoking even a relatively few cigarettes a day is potentially harmful.”
At least 60 percent of Americans are deficient in vitamin D. That’s according to a survey of blood tests by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The percentage could be higher in Minnesota and other northern climates because exposure to the sun is one way that our body generates vitamin D. But, obviously, sun exposure in northern climates such as Minnesota is in limited supply.
But given that this is National Skin Cancer Detection and Prevention Month, University of Minnesota nutritionist Kim Robien recommends against sun exposure and instead offers advice on how to boost your vitamin D level through diet and/or supplements. She also explains the importance of vitamin D to our health.
Minnesota lawmakers may mandate sex education in schools
An increase in the number of Minnesota teens having sex has prompted state legislators to push for a statewide mandate for sex education in public schools.
The latest survey of school kids by the education department found that for the first time in more than a decade, more kids say they're having sex. And more of them are engaging in sex without birth control.
"Teachers are getting more afraid, or at least unsure, of what they can and cannot teach, and some of the most contentious topics, like homosexuality, how to use a condom, are not being taught much at all," Lynn Bretl, a University of Minnesota epidemiologist, told Minnesota Public Radio. "Because a lot of the abstinence-only rhetoric at the federal level, it's really making people unsure of what they can teach," she says.
Police officers with the University of Minnesota are competing to see who can lose the most weight or body fat as part of a "Biggest Loser" contest co-organized by officer Katie Seitz. Seitz is also enrolled in the School of Public Health.
Seitz said she started thinking about the idea after writing papers on obesity among police officers.
"Our entire community in the United States is overweight," she said. "I don't think police are exempt from it."
Americans who get health insurance for their families through their jobs have seen their premiums increase 10 times faster than their income in recent years, according to a new analysis of government data by the University of Minnesota.
Nationwide, the amount employees pay for family coverage increased 30 percent from 2001 to 2005, while family policyholders’ income increased just three percent over the same period.
The study shows that the proportion of insurance premiums that workers pay for family coverage has remained constant over the years, but the dollar amount that workers contribute has substantially increased.
This week's Public Health Moment from the University of Minnesota highlights a website that is designed to share best practices in preparing for a pandemic. The practices highlighted on the Web include planning efforts at state and local health departments around the United States.
On Public Health Moment, Jill DeBoer, director of the University’s Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy, explained more about the site, called Promising Practices: Pandemic Preparedness Tools. Visit the Promising Practices website
The website, Promising Practices: Pandemic Preparedness Tools, was created by CIDRAP, in collaboration with the Pew Center on the States. Led by Michael Osterholm, CIDRAP aims to prevent illness and death from infectious diseases through epidemiologic research and the rapid translation of scientific information into real-world practical applications and solutions. Its award-winning website is updated daily with information ranging from bioterrorism to food safety to pandemic influenza.
Daheia J. Barr-Anderson, an epidemiologist at the University of Minnesota, has found that two-thirds of youths who had a television in their bedroom watched more TV, engaged in less physical activitiy, had poorer diets, and earned lower grades than those without one.
The Minnesota Legislature has overwhelmingly approved $4.9 million for a School of Public Health study on a rare and deadly form of cancer called mesothelioma that has been diagnosed in 58 Iron Range miners.
As reported in the Minnesota Daily, the House of Representatives passed the bill 121-1 after the Senate unanimously passed the bill Monday. The bill now goes to Gov. Tim Pawlenty.
The University's research would begin as soon as Pawlenty signs the bill, said Jeffrey Mandel (pictured above), an occupational physician in the School of Public Health.
Teens who regularly eat breakfast tend to weigh less, exercise more, and eat a more healthful diet than teens who skip breakfast.
That's according to a study led by University of Minnesota epidemiologist Mark Pereira.
"What we found in the study was that kids who eat breakfast frequently, and especially every day, they're more healthy overall in terms of their lifestyle," Pereira said in an article distributed by Reuter’s.
That was the featured topic on WCCO-TV's "Good Question" segment, which featured our very own Traci Toomey (pictured), an associate professor of epidemiology.
Here's why:
In states like Minnesota and Wisconsin, Toomey told 'CCO, there is evidence of higher rates of alcohol consumption. And the working theory is that there's a cultural acceptance of alcohol in those states.
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Measles, mumps, rubella and chickenpox—childhood diseases against which many of us have been immunized. 
After hearing about potential developmental and reproductive problems associated with Bisphenol A (BPA)—a chemical that can leach out of hard, clear plastic containers such as a sippy cup—many parents are switching to alternatives.
At least 60 percent of Americans are deficient in vitamin D. That’s according to a survey of blood tests by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 
Daheia J. Barr-Anderson, an epidemiologist at the University of Minnesota, has found that two-thirds of youths who had a television in their bedroom watched more TV, engaged in less physical activitiy, had poorer diets, and earned lower grades than those without one.
The Minnesota Legislature has overwhelmingly approved $4.9 million for a School of Public Health study on a rare and deadly form of cancer called mesothelioma that has been diagnosed in 58 Iron Range miners. 
Teens who regularly eat breakfast tend to weigh less, exercise more, and eat a more healthful diet than teens who skip breakfast. 
That was the featured topic on WCCO-TV's "Good Question" segment, which featured our very own Traci Toomey (pictured), an associate professor of epidemiology.
Last modified on