Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
A Century Of Walking Tightrope Between Public Health And Rugged Individualism
The Washington Post: American Cheese, Sidewalks And Chairs Have A Connection That May Surprise You
The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health turns 100 this year. The school came to life during a time when women frequently died during childbirth and infant mortality was a grave concern. Inadequate nutrition, sanitation and often-fatal diseases were common. Since then, public-health agencies in the United States and abroad have had numerous victories, such as the eradication of smallpox. In 1916, the average life expectancy at birth in the United States was around 52. Today, it’s nearly 79. But public health remains a complex and challenging field — figuring out how to control gun violence and addiction, exploring the science of aging, keeping refugees healthy, closing the gap on health-care disparities in minority populations. (Kvatum, 9/12)
In other public health news —
Denver Post: A Gamble On Deep-Brain Stimulation — Plus A Lot Of Hard Work — Gradually Pays Off For Colorado High Schooler
Last summer, Djimon Hill and his family made a risky but potentially life-altering decision: The teen would undergo deep brain stimulation surgery to implant electrodes that might alleviate the movement disorder, dystonia, that accompanies his cerebral palsy. ... With tiny, reflective balls taped to his limbs and torso, Djimon is directed through a sequence of commands. On a nearby computer screen, he appears as a constellation — dots connected by colored lines — moving in a calibrated, three-dimensional environment. (Simpson, 9/12)
Bloomberg: How Schools Can Help Children Struggling To See
When vision problems are diagnosed and corrected at an early age, children can avoid lifelong problems. Amblyopia, or "lazy eye," for example, can often be reversed before age 7 with a temporary eye patch. Untreated, it can lead to permanent loss of sight. This poses lasting challenges. Among the visually impaired, median household earnings are about 60 percent of the national average. Nearly a third live in poverty. (9/12)
Orlando Sentinel: To Boost Your Well-Being Via Facebook, You Need More Than 'Likes'
Like it or not, Facebook has the potential to lift your well-being, a new study suggests. Researchers found that when people who care about you send personal messages to you through the social media site, the benefits can be significant. Actions such as simply hitting "like" and passively reading wide-ranging posts are unlikely to have an impact, however. (Doheny, 9/12)
