Addressing the upstream factors that affect an individual patient's decision to take ownership of his or her health is important, says Master of Public Health student Abhishek Sharma. He hopes to be a bridge between public health and clinical medicine, incorporating disease prevention and health promotion within the scope of his clinical medicine practice.
For Spartan in public health, Craig Reed, MPH ’12, promoting longer, better lives is what it’s all about.
As the program director for the Binge and Underage Drinking Initiative with the Institute for Public Strategies, Reed is addressing the harmful effects of underage and high-risk drinking by changing community policies, practices, and norms on the over-consumption of alcohol. His work focuses on systems change to promote health and wellness, mentoring young public health advocates, and revitalizing neighborhoods.
Based on findings from the most recent Global Burden of Disease Study, the United States ranks last in “amenable mortality” among comparable countries on the Healthcare Access Quality Index. Amenable mortality is a measure of the rates of deaths considered preventable by “timely and effective care.” Darline K. El Reda, assistant professor in MSU’s online Master of Public Health program, addresses the need for an increase in the number of public health practitioners in our broken health care system.
Research shows that many Latinos don't seek medical care and are often diagnosed with health diseases too late. Spartan in public health, Clara Barajas, MPH ’17, communications chair for the Latino Caucus for Public Health, says data can help identify issues and support health initiatives aimed to reduce health disparities.
Fruits and vegetables are an integral part of a healthy diet, especially for growing children. But many families in low-income areas across the country live in “food deserts” where it is a challenge to access affordable, fresh produce. A team of MSU researchers, led by assistant professor Amy Saxe-Custack, has been awarded a grant from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development to study the effectiveness of pediatric fruit and vegetable prescription programs through the MSU–Hurley Children’s Hospital Pediatric Public Health Initiative, based in Flint, Mich.
About two-thirds of individuals in jails have mental health problems, and an estimated three-quarters of them also have substance abuse problems. Jennifer Johnson, C.S. Mott Endowed Professor of Public Health, will use a grant from the National Institute of Mental Health to study the national Stepping Up Initiative, which is helping hundreds of counties nationwide reduce the number of people with mental illnesses in jails. The primary aim of the study is to improve treatment for these individuals and keep them out of jail.
The rates of major depressive disorder among women who have recently experienced perinatal loss—miscarriage, stillbirth, early neonatal death—are three times that of the general population of women. Jennifer Johnson, C.S. Mott Endowed Professor of Public Health, has been awarded a grant from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development of the National Institutes of Health to study treatment for this important public health concern.
According to statistics from the American Institutes for Research, 90 percent of juvenile justice-involved youth have experienced trauma—often multiple traumas—from an early age, and 75 percent of adults receiving substance abuse treatment reported histories of trauma. Robey Champine, assistant professor in MSU’s online Master of Public Health program, talks about how her experiences working for the FBI shaped her understanding of crime and disorder as public health concerns and led to her interest in trauma-informed approaches.
