Study applies ‘weathering’ concept to tease out America’s persistent public health threat ANN ARBOR—The racial gap in maternal mortality is narrowing, driven largely by climbing death rates of white women with no more than a high school education and declining rates for college-educated Black women, new research shows. For Black women with less education and… Continue reading Deaths of white women with no higher education largely driving rising maternal mortality
News Tag: Health
Study pairs key air pollutants with home addresses to track progression of lost mobility through disability
Research traces 10 years of exposure to deteriorating mobility in older Americans A University of Michigan study has taken a fine-grained, long-term look at residential-area air pollution and how it relates to deteriorating mobility—and hindered recovery—for older Americans. By pairing and comparing the mobility and disability experiences of 29,790 participants in the national Health and… Continue reading Study pairs key air pollutants with home addresses to track progression of lost mobility through disability
Not all gigs are equal: Informal self-employment linked to lower pay, poorer health and instability
ANN ARBOR—Not all self-employment guarantees financial security, with informal arrangements posing the greatest risks to well-being for many workers. Using machine learning to classify self-employment, a new University of Michigan study analyzed narrative job descriptions from the 2003-2019 Panel Study of Income Dynamics, a longitudinal dataset with approximately 10,000 U.S. families. They divided self-employment into… Continue reading Not all gigs are equal: Informal self-employment linked to lower pay, poorer health and instability
Poor vision plus unsafe homes drive higher fall risk in seniors
ANN ARBOR—Older adults with severe vision loss are three to four times more likely to fall when they live in homes with hazards such as missing grab bars, tripping risks or broken flooring. A new University of Michigan study, supported by the National Eye Institute, finds that it’s not just that poor vision increases fall risk or… Continue reading Poor vision plus unsafe homes drive higher fall risk in seniors
Real world impact of ISR research: John Kubale
In this video, John Kubale, Research Assistant Professor in ISR’s Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR), explores the ways that researchers can leverage new sources of data to understand disease transmission, and the importance of preserving essential data. I’m an infectious disease epidemiologist and as faculty in ICPSR, I am really focused on… Continue reading Real world impact of ISR research: John Kubale
High pollen count: The last straw effect on suicide risk
ANN ARBOR—Beyond the sneezing and itchy eyes, high pollen seasons are now linked to a significant increase in suicide risk. A new University of Michigan study found a 7.4% jump in deaths, suggesting the physical discomfort of allergies may trigger a deeper, more dangerous despair, an overlooked factor in suicide prevention. The study indicates that… Continue reading High pollen count: The last straw effect on suicide risk
Real world impact of ISR research: Grace Noppert
In this video, Grace Noppert, Research Assistant Professor in ISR’s Survey Research Center, explores the ways that neighborhood factors may impact your risk of respiratory illnesses. “I think a lot about neighborhoods and what makes a neighborhood a neighborhood. With my work, I think about how neighborhoods may affect your risk of different respiratory illnesses.… Continue reading Real world impact of ISR research: Grace Noppert
Seeing better, living longer: Eye care and fall prevention may extend lifespan in older adults
ANN ARBOR—Older adults with vision problems face a heightened risk of falls and premature death, according to a new University of Michigan study. The findings highlight a dangerous link between untreated vision impairment, repeated falls and increased mortality—and point to practical ways to intervene. The study, published in Innovation in Aging, uses longitudinal data from the National… Continue reading Seeing better, living longer: Eye care and fall prevention may extend lifespan in older adults
U-M study of COVID-19 deaths challenges claims, understanding of pandemic-era suicides
Narratives behind numbers point to need for better coordination, support by employers, communities, public health leaders in future crises, especially mental health ANN ARBOR—In what is believed to be the first study of its kind, University of Michigan researchers dug deeper into the numbers-only data of COVID-19-era suicides and evaluated the narratives contained in reports… Continue reading U-M study of COVID-19 deaths challenges claims, understanding of pandemic-era suicides
Vision loss now recognized as modifiable risk factor for dementia
Contact: Jon Meerdink ([email protected]) ANN ARBOR — An influential medical research report now recognizes vision impairment as a modifiable risk factor for dementia, a significant development in the ongoing work of both vision health and cognitive health professionals. The 2024 Lancet Commission report included vision impairment among its modifiable life course risk factors for dementia,… Continue reading Vision loss now recognized as modifiable risk factor for dementia