A new survey commissioned by National 4‑H Council, and conducted by the Harris Poll, finds that 7 in 10 teens are struggling with their mental health in the wake of COVID-19. More than half of those surveyed shared that the pandemic has increased their feelings of loneliness, with 64 percent believing it will have a lasting impact on their mental health. The survey, conducted in May 2020, is among the first to examine the impact this unprecedented public health crisis has had on U.S. teens.

"Now, more than ever, broadband Internet access (BIA) must be recognized as a social determinant of health. Disparities in access should be treated as a public health issue because they affect the health of people and communities where they live, learn, work and play. The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrates that lack of BIA influences each of the six social determinant of health domains defined by the American Medical Association. It also affects an additional domain, which is particularly...

Together with the Harris Poll, National 4-H Council examined the impact of the public health crisis on the mental health of teens - from the perspective of teens themselves. If you missed the recent webinar to share the findings of the study, you can view the recording of the webinar here . As a result of COVID-19, millions of young people are facing unprecedented implications for their growth and development. These survey findings underscore the importance of our work as Extension...

This is a well cited article (author Yong has been on national news shows) detailing what has gone wrong: ""almost everything that went wrong with America’s response to the pandemic was predictable and preventable. A sluggish response by a government denuded of expertise allowed the coronavirus to gain a foothold. Chronic underfunding of public health neutered the nation’s ability to prevent the pathogen’s spread. A bloated, inefficient health-care system left hospitals ill-prepared for the...

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) COVID-19 Tracker is a tool for sharing maps, charts, and data about COVID-19. COVID-19 Tracker now reports trends in COVID-19 incidence and mortality rates by 2013 National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) Urban-Rural Classification Scheme for Counties. This scheme classifies all counties in the U.S. into one of six metropolitan categories (4 metropolitan, 1 micropolitan, 1 non-core). Users can focus on one or more of the urban-rural...

As a trusted community resource, Cooperative Extension can play an important role in educating the public about the importance of immunizations, particular in the months immediately preceding flu season. Our friends that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have made it easy for us to do just that through their digital media tool kit focused on vaccinations. CDC’s seasonal flu vaccination campaign materials are available to partners like Cooperative Extension to assist them...

By: Chapel Taylor-Olsen, BA, Health & Wellness Coordinator & Dr. Ashley Yaugher, Health & Wellness Faculty, HEART Initiative; Utah State University Extension The opioid crisis has been claiming thousands of American lives per year for decades. Now, this healthcare crisis is colliding with a new threat sweeping the world: the novel coronavirus, COVID-19. This article reviews the mental health impacts of COVID-19 on Americans; unique impacts on people with opioid use disorder...

As a trusted community resource, Cooperative Extension can play an important role in educating the public about the importance of immunizations, particular in the months immediately preceding flu season. Our friends that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have made it easy for us to do just that through their digital media tool kit focused on vaccinations. CDC’s seasonal flu vaccination campaign materials are available to partners like Cooperative Extension to assist them...

Mark your calendars for the 2021 National Health Outreach Conference! The conference will be held virtually May 3-7, 2021. With the theme of “The Grand Challenge: Building a Healthy Future for All,” there will be sessions related to health equity, effective behavior change messaging, policy system and environmental change, health behavior, and pandemic response programming. Keynote speakers, concurrent and posters sessions will be relevant for professionals who address health, nutrition,...

By Olugbenga Ajilore and Katrina Badger November 19, 2020, 3:51 pm This article was originally posted on The Center for American Progress website and is reposted here with permission. To read the full article visit https://ampr.gs/3pJaNQ6 . Regardless of where people in the United States live—rural, urban, or somewhere in between—the COVID-19 pandemic has affected their lives and livelihoods . Certain groups are suffering disproportionately, including people of color, workers with low...

Do you or a loved one take Singulair (the generic name is Montelukast) for asthma or allergies? Earlier this year, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) acknowledged serious mental health side effects related to this popular medicine, prescribed to over 35 million people.

As you may be aware, HHS has announced a special enrollment period for individuals wishing to sign up for health insurance plans offered through healthcare.gov . A wealth of educational materials and a communication toolkit are available at https://marketplace.cms.gov/outreach-and-education/healthcaregov-special-enrollment-period-2021 . The communication toolkit includes social media posts and fillable flyers, many of which are published in several languages. Individuals can visit...

Today marks the beginning of the American Public Health Association's 26th annual National Public Health Week . This year's theme is Building Bridges to Better Health. APHA has fact sheets for each of the daily themes (in English and Spanish) and social media shareables you can easily post throughout the week. Check out the calendar of NPHW events and add your activities. Also, don’t miss out on any APHA-sponsored events throughout the week from webinars to physical activities. Highlights...

As Extension professionals working with a variety of audiences it is crucial that we take a good, hard look at our broccoli. That's not a typo; read on to see what I'm talking about!

I am happy to share the Request for Applications (RFA) for seven additional land grant institutions to become a part of the Well Connected Communities Initiative. National 4-H Council through the generous support of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation seeks to showcase land grant universities that are modeling how Cooperative Extension is already working in new ways to implement the five high-level recommendations included in Cooperative Extension’s National Framework for Health Equity and...

Has your land grant institution implemented an innovation that has accelerated Cooperative Extension’s work to advance health and well being? If so, we want to help you tell that story of innovation and the difference it is making in your state. The Well Connected Communities Initiative, administered through National 4-H Council with the generous support of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, will provide seven land grant universities with $25,000 each to perform a case study of a successful...

The focus of the November EXCITE Spotlight session was utilizing Social Media in our Vaccine Education project. Teams shared resources, success stories, and difficulties of using social media to share their project messages and reach their audiences. As part of the presentation, The College of Menominee Nation was highlighted for the significant progress made in their projects goals after launching social media campaigns to reach their target audience. The College of Menominee Nation is a...

Bonnie Braun of the University of Maryland Extension and Maria Pippidis of the University of Delaware Cooperative Extension will be presenting a webinar on Engaging Communities through Issues Forums on June 9, 2022 at 2:00 PM EDT as part of the Skill Building for Extension Professionals series offered by the Extension Foundation. Registration is required at: https://pages.extension.org/extension-skills What questions will be answered? • Have you ever thought that something beyond your...

Walk Across Arkansas is an 8-week online group exercise program that has been changing the lives of rural and urban participants, one step at a time. Read more to learn how this program is being implemented by the University of Arkansas System, Division of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service…

Possible indicators for including in planning and producing narrative "stories" and outcome/impact "reports" of social and community change across vital conditions, including belonging and civic muscle, align nicely with a social justice lens. Indicators of change include access (equity & inclusion-who does/doesn't have access & why), agency (intentions and choices), advocacy (voice and skills), and solidarity actions (participates and work toward) for change. The processes of...

"For society to function, people must believe in the institutions meant to serve them. They need to know that the government is acting in their best interests, that businesses are operating ethically and efficiently, that nonprofits are improving their communities, and that the media is delivering timely, accurate information. Trust creates the conditions for these organizations to carry out their missions (Aspen Institute). A recent article by Aspen Institute's Executive Director Maureen...

Healthy for Life® Community Nutrition Grant Opportunity The American Heart Association and Aramark launched Healthy for Life® , an innovative health impact initiative, in 2015. The commitment: work together to leverage our combined reach and resources to help millions lead healthier lives. Through our collaboration, we developed a community nutrition program that empowers people to make healthy food, nutrition and lifestyle choices. As a critical partner providing nutrition education in...