Public Health | Penn Today

‘They’re chipping away.’ Inside the grassroots effort to fight mandatory vaccines

In an article about anti-vax organizing, Paul Offit of the Perelman School of Medicine said, “Vaccines are a victim of their own success.” Offit continued, “people have forgotten how sick measles can make you and how dead measles can make you.”

Back of a person's head overlooking a city horizon.

Predicting post-injury depression and PTSD risk

Up to half of all acute injury patients experience post-traumatic stress disorder in the months after injury. For urban black men, some of whom have experienced prior trauma, childhood adversity, and neighborhood disadvantage, acute post-injury stress responses are exacerbated.

Nearly half of men hospitalized with physical injuries develop depression or PTSD, study suggests

A new study from the School of Nursing has found that while nearly half of black men treated for injuries in Philadelphia hospitals develop depression or PTSD after being discharged, only 7% of trauma centers screen patients for mental illness. Co-author Therese Richmond said, “we must integrate psychological care into the very essence of trauma care if we are to improve outcomes from serious injuries.”

three toddlers on a mat on the floor of a playroom looking at a tablet

How much time should kids really be spending on screens?

Screens, tablets, and mobile devices are everywhere, and parents have to navigate exposure for their children in a digital world, balanced with physical activities and sleep.

cans of soda on a cooler shelf with condensation on the glass of the door.

Can we tax our way into healthier behavior?

Wharton’s Benjamin Lockwood’s research works to determine the optimal rate for so-called sin taxes, like Philadelphia’s tax on soda, and asks at what point does a tax lead to healthier choices?

newborn baby in bassinet beside hospital bed with birth mother in background

Why are so many women still dying from childbirth?

Experts from Penn discuss the role that social determinants, socioeconomics, and racism play, and how the University is addressing the maternal mortality crisis head on.

Jar of pills on its side with handful of pills spilling out.

New pain management protocol sends 92% of cancer surgery patients home without opioids

A Penn study of robotic urologic surgery patients points to a key step in overcoming opioid crisis—start patients with over the counter medications, and only use opioids if they are really needed.

Child in a white shirt sleep on a paper-covered desk in a classroom, with three students in the background.

Children who nap midday are happier, excel academically, and have fewer behavioral problems

A Penn study of nearly 3,000 fourth, fifth, and sixth graders in China revealed strong connections between 30 to 60 minutes of shuteye at least three days a week and positive outcomes in a handful of areas.

Digital screen of 1s and 0s with computerized image of a nurse on the screen.

Penn Medicine releases free, ‘self-service’ AI tool for data analytics

The Penn Medicine Institute for Biomedical Informatics has launched a free, open-source automated machine learning system for data analysis that is designed for anyone to use.

small child scratches bare shoulder that looks irritated.

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.

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