Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
'Make America's Schools Safer': 2 Years After Marjorie Stoneman Shootings, Secret Service Holds Trainings On Potential Attackers
The Associated Press: Secret Service Goes On The Road To Help Curb School Violence
The U.S. Secret Service is taking its effort to curb school violence on the road to help thousands of educators, law enforcement personnel, mental health professionals and others learn how to identify people who may be threats. The latest stop in the Secret Service tour is this week in Miami, where officials say about 700 people will attend a session Wednesday by the agency's National Threat Assessment Center. Similar events have been held in Los Angeles and Chicago since the November 2019 release of the latest analysis of school violence. (Anderson, 2/18)
Reuters: Sexual And Gender Identity May Be Risk Factors For Skin Cancer
Skin cancer risk may vary according to sexual orientation and gender identity, two new studies suggest. An analysis of survey data from more than 800,000 U.S. adults found skin cancer may be more common among gay and bisexual men and people who are gender non-conforming, researchers report in JAMA Dermatology. (Carroll, 2/18)
Reuters: Rates Of Melanoma Tied To UV Exposure Vary Widely State To State
Rates of melanoma caused by exposure to the sun's ultraviolet (UV) rays vary widely from state to state, a new U.S. study suggests. Researchers found the highest rates in Hawaii and on the East and West coasts, but also in a few landlocked states, such as Vermont and Minnesota, according to the results published in the International Journal of Cancer. (Carroll, 2/18)
Reuters: Home Cleaning Products May Up Risk Of Childhood Asthma
New parents who obsessively clean their homes to protect babies from germs might want to relax a bit, suggests a new study linking high exposure to cleaning products with an increased risk of childhood asthma. Researchers surveyed parents about how often they used 26 common household cleaners over babies' first three to four months of life. By the time the kids were 3 years old, children with the highest exposure to cleaning products were 37% more likely to have been diagnosed with asthma than those with the least exposure. (2/18)
CNN: Medieval 'Black Death' Mass Grave Uncovered In The English Countryside
The sweeping scourge of the Black Death in 14th century England was so great it forced city-dwelling victims out to countryside hospitals, based on the tragic findings in a mass grave in Lincolnshire, England. The remains of 48 people, including 21 children, were found at a previously unknown Black Death mass grave site at Thornton Abbey, according to a new study. (Strickland, 2/18)
The New York Times: How To Build Healthy Habits
We’re all creatures of habit. We tend to wake up at the same time each day, brush our teeth, have morning coffee and commute to work, following the same patterns every day. So why is it so hard to form new healthy habits? (Parker-Pope, 2/18)
Reuters: Inactive Teens May Be More Prone To Depression
Sedentary teens may be more likely than their active peers to be depressed, and a new study suggests even light exercise like walking might help reduce this risk. Following more than 4,000 young people from age 12 to age 18, researchers found physical activity levels declined as kids got older. But those who were the most sedentary at ages 12 through 16 were the most likely to have symptoms of depression at 18. (2/18)
The New York Times: Super Cushioned Running Shoes Are All The Rage, But Aren’t Foolproof
Anyone who runs or spectates at races has probably noticed that stacked, generously cushioned running shoes have become almost ubiquitous. But running in those thickly cushioned shoes could affect a runner’s form in sometimes surprising ways, according to a series of new studies of maximalist running shoes and recreational athletes. The studies, among the first to examine the biomechanics of ordinary runners wearing super-cushy shoes, find that some of them pound harder and pronate more than in standard shoes. (Reynolds, 2/19)
