Public Health Scene

$8.2 million grant allows U of M to establish emergency preparedness research center

2008-10-10T19:08:55Z

The University of Minnesota School of Public Health was one of seven schools nationwide to be awarded a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention grant, which will provide $8.2 million to the school over five years for a new preparedness and emergency response research center.

“The University of Minnesota has always been recognized for its technology-enhanced simulation. This is an opportunity to bring these resources and the expertise of our public health preparedness systems, educational effectiveness, and exercises in simulation to a national level,” said Debra Olson, associate dean for public health practice education and principal investigator of the project.

The University of Minnesota project will focus its research on how to enhance the usefulness and facilitation of emergency response training. The project, “University of Minnesota: Simulations and Exercises for Educational Effectiveness” (U-SEEE), will identify best practices for the design and delivery of preparedness training and facilitate the translation of research results into improvements in public health preparedness systems.

“The CDC’s funding of these types of research centers is really a move in a very unique and important direction,” Olson told the Minnesota Daily. “We’ll know what makes education more effective to improve performance in response conditions.”

More about the $8.2 million grant from the Minnesota Daily
Read the news release

Breast Cancer Awareness

2008-10-08T18:34:20Z

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women in the United States. This year, nearly 180,000 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer. And about 40,000 women will die from the disease.

Who is at risk and what are the risk factors?

According to Kristin Anderson, a cancer epidemiologist at the University of Minnesota, family history, obesity, lack of physical activity, and alcohol are all risk factors.

She said that women 40 and older without a family history should have annual or biannual screenings. Women with a family history should consult their physician. Mammograms, Anderson adds, have been shown to reduce mortality.

• Listen to Anderson on our Public Health Moment podcast

Out-of-pocket costs slow medical demand

2008-10-02T16:17:35Z

A state health department report states that Minnesotans are paying significantly more out-of-pocket for their health care, which has resulted in a lower demand for medical care.

The report also said that such efforts as disease prevention and management may also have contributed to a decreased demand.

Roger Feldman (pictured), a health economist at the University of Minnesota, told the Star Tribune that previous research has shown that high deductibles cause people to spend significantly less.

"Employees are paying more out-of-pocket, and that is cost-shifting but it is also cost-reducing," said Feldman, who was not involved in preparing the Health Department report.

Fewer lumpectomy patients follow through with radiation

2008-09-30T19:27:21Z

Lumpectomy is as effective as mastectomy only if it includes lymph node testing and a course of radiation treatments. But according to a 2003 study, only 71 percent of lumpectomy patients followed through with radiation — down from 79 percent in 1992.

That's according to University of Minnesota epidemiologist Beth Virnig.

“A lot of women with serious breast cancer are not getting comprehensive treatment,” she told Good Housekeeping magazine.

Social Oppression, Homosexuality, and Health

2008-09-30T18:50:14Z

For more than 150 years, scholars and educators have debated whether homosexuality is an objective disorder or whether social oppression, not homosexuality, leads to the higher rates of depression, drug use, and HIV in gay men.

In a study of 422 Midwestern gay and bisexual men, Simon Rosser, a University of Minnesota epidemiologist, found that in all cases, internalized negative attitudes about homosexuality predicted poorer mental health.

Rosser says that his findings show that the old advice, which encouraged gay men to deny their homosexuality, is harmful.

• Listen to Rosser on our Public Health Moment podcast

The Health Benefit of Whole Grains

2008-09-23T20:01:00Z

Each year the Whole Grains Council promotes September as Whole Grains Month.

Why are whole grains important for our diet? We asked Lyn Steffen, a University of Minnesota expert on nutrition.

She says that research at the University of Minnesota indicates that greater consumption of whole grain food is associated with a lower mortality rate and a decreased risk of diabetes, cancer, and heart disease.

Steffen adds that the best sources for whole grain include whole grain breads and cereals, including oatmeal.

• Listen to Steffen on our Public Health Moment podcast

BPA associated with heart disease, diabetes

2008-09-19T16:24:13Z

Higher levels of Bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical compound used in some plastic packaging for food and beverages, is associated with cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and liver-enzyme abnormalities, according to a study in the Sept. 17 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).

Bill Toscano, an environmental health professor at the University of Minnesota, says that the study is unique because it's the first time that risks from BPA have been identified to affect humans.

He recommends minimizing exposure for kids and parents. But that's easier said than done.

In an interview with KARE 11, Toscano said: "It's everywhere. We make about 7 million pounds of it a year. It's in plastic, hard plastic bottles, Nalgene bottles, a lot of baby bottles, inside liners of tin cans; it's used in dentistry now to replace mercury."

Diet, exercise key to healthy aging

2008-09-18T14:39:44Z

September is Healthy Aging Month, a campaign intended to focus attention on the positive aspects of growing older.

Lyn Steffen, a University of Minnesota epidemiologist, says that it’s important for seniors to adopt healthy dietary practices in order to better manage chronic conditions. She says that 80 percent of elderly Americans have at least one chronic condition and 50 percent have two or more.

Steffan adds that an active lifestyle is also a key to healthy aging.

• Listen to Steffen on Public Health Moment

Lowering the Drinking Age

2008-09-11T18:56:35Z

Underage drinking has long alarmed college administrators and health professionals. But now a deep schism is forming among those same people on how to address the problem.

Last month, more than 100 college presidents signed a petition calling for a debate on whether the minimum legal drinking age should be lowered from 21 to 18.

That's a bad idea, says Traci Toomey (pictured), a University of Minnesota researcher. She says in a 2002 analysis of high-quality studies on the age-21 drinking law's effects, the majority of studies found that the higher drinking age resulted in lower rates of traffic crashes, none found the opposite.

”It is the most well-studied alcohol control policy we have in this country,” says Toomey, an associate professor in the School of Public Health.

Listen to Toomey discuss this issue

More about lowering the drinkin age from theday.com

Prostate Cancer Screening

2008-09-04T14:54:15Z

A national task force of has recommended that doctors stop screening men ages 75 and older for prostate cancer because the search for the disease in this group was causing more harm than good.

The PSA or Prostate Specific Antigen test is the screening method that doctors use, says Tim Church, a University of Minnesota expert on cancer screenings.

Church adds that two large clinical research trials are looking at whether or not screening is beneficial for men under age 75. While awaiting those results, Church says men who have concerns should talk to their doctor.

• Listen to Church on Public Health Moment

Alcohol Standards Lax at Pro Stadiums

2008-08-22T15:12:25Z

If you're underage or intoxicated and want a beer, go to the ballgame.

A new University of Minnesota study found that three out of four people posing as intoxicated fans and one out of five trying to pass as underage drinkers without ID succeeded in buying alcohol at sports stadiums around the country.

"We know that we have problems with fans drinking too much and contributing to problems in and around stadiums," Traci Toomey, the lead researcher, told U.S. News and World Report. "We need to make sure we prevent these illegal sales from occurring."

Her advice to vendors? Check IDs for anyone who appears under 30, and take the time to talk with anyone who looks like they may have already had enough.

PFCs and Lake Johanna

2008-08-19T18:26:07Z

In the first study of its kind locally, University of Minnesota researchers are analyzing perfluorochemical levels—or PFCs—of Lake Johanna, a suburban Minnesota lake that contains high PFC levels but is not connected to any known source of PFCs.

Matt Simcik, a University of Minnesota professor of environmental health sciences, says what he learns in Lake Johanna will be beneficial for other lakes in Minnesota and the United States.

• Listen to Simcik

Who are the uninsured in Minnesota?

2008-08-13T22:26:51Z

About 14 percent of Minnesota's artists are uninsured, according to Artists Count, a 2007 survey of about 20,000 artists conducted by Minnesota Citizens for the Arts.

That's nearly double the 7.2 percent rate of the state's overall uninsured population, according to the latest Fact Sheet (PDF) prepared by the Minnesota Department of Health and the University of Minnesota's School of Public Health.

While low-income people certainly dominate the ranks of the uninsured, increasing numbers of the so-called middle class are joining them, says Kathleen Call (pictured), an associate professor in the University of Minnesota's School of Public Health/Division of Public Policy and Management who has worked on the state surveys since the mid-1990s.

"The middle class is having a lot of difficulty affording health care coverage, and it's getting harder for employers to offer it," Call stated in an article today on MinnPost.

More about Minnesota's uninsured from MinnPost

When Adding Fish to Diets, Choose Wisely

2008-08-11T19:32:07Z

Regular consumption of some types of fish can significantly reduce the risk of silent strokes according to a recently released study co-authored by University of Washington professor, David Siscovick.

The risks associated with silent strokes, or subclinical brain infarcts, are that they are known to increase cognitive impairment, dementia and full-blown strokes, according to the research.

That’s why eating fish, which is also known to be heart-healthy, can be a good dietary choice for many people.

Still, SPH professor, Deborah Swackhamer cautions that just adding fish to diets may not be the safest thing to do.

Some fish, such as tuna and mackerel, that are rich in the healthful omega-3 fatty acids tend to be filled with methylmercury, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) and other industrial chemicals. Because the pollutants can accumulate in the body they can be toxic to the brain, particularly to the developing brains of fetuses and young children.

“Eat smaller fish and fish that are lower on the food chain — fish that are more vegetarian," said Swackhamer. "The contaminants are carried up the food web and are retained at each level of that web. So the top predators have a lot more contaminants than those lower on the food chain."

The High Cost of Health Care

2008-08-06T19:25:31Z

As the cost of living skyrockets, so does the price consumers pay for insurance and health care and that that’s a big problem, says SPH professor Roger Feldman.

Today’s rates are not only far greater than there were during the lean financial times of the 70’s and early 80’s, they’ve increased at a rate that is greater than general inflation.

Feldman makes his point by referring to the average cost of a health care plan for a single U of M employee in 1980. Then, a person paid less than $40 a month, he says.

“Now the cheapest plan available to me costs $470 a month. That’s more than a 10-fold increase in more than 28 years," he said.

He adds that the cost of medial care, including doctor’s visits and hospitalizations that uninsured people might pay for out of pocket, has increased more than inflation has since 1980.

"If we think of the prices of all goods and services going up three times since 1980, the price of medical care services going up five times, and the price of insurance premiums up 10 times, I think now we have some really good comparisons," Feldman says.