A team of MSU researchers seeks answers to understand the barriers to COVID-19 antibody testing and vaccinations in Flint. A research team collects data to understand which public health communication strategies are most effective. Volunteers from the Flint Registry drive up to a “Root beer stand-style” testing station; MSU will compare antibody status to COVID-19 exposure and vaccination rates among Flint residents using a salivary testing tool.

Lead exposure from contaminated water has gotten much justifiable attention lately, but another major source lurks in the dust of countless older homes.

That is why Masako Morishita, PhD, an associate professor of family medicine in the MSU College of Human Medicine, is heading a study of whether portable air filters can mitigate lead exposure and reduce lead levels in the blood of children who live in older houses. Robert Wahl, DVM, MS, an assistant professor in the MSU Division of Public Health, Master of Public Health Program, is co-leading the study.

Closing the racial gap in health outcomes and COVID-19 vaccination rates in Michigan as well as other states is the aim of Michigan State University researchers funded through a $6 million, one-year grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The CDC grant is for the National Network to Innovate for COVID-19 and Adult Vaccine Equity, or NNICE project.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer type diagnosed in the United States in both men and women. The American Cancer Society estimates there will be nearly 150,000 new cases in 2021 and over 50,000 deaths. But CRC is preventable and very treatable if caught early. “Disparities in CRC screening have persisted in the African American community, but we have the tools to do something about it. If Black Lives Matter, then Black health should matter too,” Todd Lucas.

Flint native, community advocate, and Michigan State University researcher, Kent Key, PhD, MPH, has been awarded a five-year, $622,835 grant from the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities to co-develop culturally appropriate family health history tools with African American community members.

The second annual State of Flint Kids report, along with a special video and updated website, was released this week by the MSU-Hurley Pediatric Public Health Initiative and the Greater Flint Health Coalition. The report highlights data trends over time and opportunities for improvement. The State of Flint Kids website at stateofflintkids.com has been updated to include in-depth dashboards and new assessment measures.

After Flint residents were exposed to lead in their drinking water, a Michigan State University College of Human Medicine professor helped launch a series of cooking classes for kids, hoping it would teach them the importance of proper nutrition.

It did that and more.

As the kids gained confidence in the kitchen, they began trying foods they previously would have shunned, a recent study found.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 700 women die each year in the United States from pregnancy-related complications, and more than 25,000 women experience severe maternal morbidity. And severe maternal morbidity and mortality disproportionately affect African American (AA) women.

A team of Michigan State University researchers has been awarded a three-year, $1,635,815 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 (FVPPs) through the MSU–Hurley Children’s Hospital Pediatric Public Health Initiative (PPHI), based in Flint, Mich.

What makes a mid-sized city like Flint less strong economically and less healthy from a public health perspective?

A recent study led by a Michigan State University researcher, Dr. Richard Sadler, found that five geographic characteristics can explain why some cities are more economically vulnerable and their residents less healthy than others.

A team of Michigan State University researchers and their partners are leading a study with a pair of formidable goals: communicating effectively about the value of COVID-19 antibody testing and better understanding why COVID-19 causes a disproportionate number of African Americans to suffer severe cases and deaths.

Debra Furr-Holden and colleagues are leading a study that looks at the racial differences in rates of opioid‐involved overdose deaths. Findings from this work call for a need to apply a health equity lens to opioid prevention, interventions, treatment resources, as well as targeted efforts in states with demonstrated and emerging disparities.