The source of what the philosopher Immanuel Kant called “the moral law within” may be mysterious, but its role in the social order is not. In any nation short of dictatorship some form of moral compact, implicit or explicit, should be the basis of a just society. Without a common sense of what is “right,” groups fracture and the fragments wander. Science and knowledge can guide action; they do not cause action. No scientific doubt exists that, mostly, circumstances outside health care...

Risk factors for Alzheimer’s dementia may be apparent as early as our teens and 20s, according to new research reported at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference® (AAIC®) 2020. These risk factors, many of which are disproportionately apparent in African Americans, include heart health factors — such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes — and social factors like education quality. According to the Alzheimer’s Association Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures...

Communication is a topic that is on our minds a lot more than usual these days. Whether you’re struggling to communicate effectively with the family members you’ve been stuck inside with for months, trying to find ways to connect with far away loved ones , or just finding yourself more stressed out and not as good at getting along as you usually are , we’ve got some ideas on how you can use fun to create more effective communication. Harness the Power of Play Use Family Game Night to Improve...

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...

I taught a course titled Integrating Public Health and Clinical Systems. There is of course no standard text book for such a topic, but I found a great compendium of essays from the deBeaumont Foundation called the Practical Playbook for Integrating Public Health and Primary Care. The social determinants of health are at the heart of connecting the two sectors. The second edition of this book talks about developing multisector partnerships. https://www.debeaumont.org/pro.../practical-playbook/

Authors: Dana DeSilva, PhD, RD, ORISE Health Policy Fellow, and LT Dennis Anderson-Villaluz, MBA, RD, LDN, FAND, Nutrition Advisor, U.S. Department of Health and Human Service's Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion Adults’ dietary patterns often reflect habits that they established during childhood and adolescence. Sometimes, this means carrying unhealthy habits into adulthood — but it’s never too late to make changes. Health educators can use the Dietary Guidelines for...

Life expectancy in the United States continued its downward trend in 2020 to just over 77 years of age. This marks a 1.5 year decline from 2019 when US life expectancy stood at 78.8 years. Deaths from COVID -19 accounted for the majority of the decline. The decline would have been far worse had it not been for a reduction in deaths from cancer. Declines in life expectancy among various groups showed disturbing inequities with people of Hispanic origin showing the greatest decline of three...

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…

A healthy body can protect you from major illnesses and help you maintain a good quality of life. In fact, maintaining good health can help prevent some of the most common causes of death, such as heart disease, stroke, and cancer. There are many ways to achieve and maintain good health, and everyone's individual lifestyle needs will vary. However, following a healthy lifestyle can help you maintain a healthy weight, get enough exercise, and drink enough fluids. https://borderfreesupply.com/

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...

On December 15, six land-grant universities shared information about current work happening at their respective institutions to advance health equity and well-being. Summaries of these presentations are found below. University of Missouri - Chiquita Chanay and Lisa Washburn shared information about how University of Missouri Extension is engaging various units across campus to address the health challenges of Missourians. Their Project ECHO replication is a peer-learning, knowledge network...

I wanted to let you know that the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) just shared its 2023 RWJF Culture of Health Prize call for applications. I’m sharing this with you in hopes that you will encourage community applications from your network. In the 10 years since it launched, the RWJF Culture of Health Prize has celebrated more than 50 communities across the country that are at the forefront of advancing health, opportunity, and equity for all. This year, RWJF is relaunching the Prize...

Wow! You really got to the heart of Cooperative Extension in this thought-provoking essay. Our traditions can enrich our experiences but can present barriers to participation for others who are not part of our traditional audiences. I hope that we as leaders in this organization can develop a habit of reflection and self-knowledge that will allow us to adapt to a changing society and remain relevant. I am confident that we will do so.

Getting to the Heart and Mind of the Matter: A Toolkit and Workshops for Building Confidence in Being a Trusted Messenger of Health Information REGISTER HERE Attention all Extension professionals and community partners involved in health-related work! Enhance your communication skills and gain new tools that will help you be a trusted messenger of health information in your community! Join the Washington State team for a three-part workshop series: Getting to the Heart and Mind of the...

Check out the new video training modules, titled, " Getting to the Heart and Mind of the Matter ," Washington State University EXCITE Team. This team has designed a toolkit and training program specifically aimed at helping become more confident in being a trusted messenger of accurate health information. These new video modules effectively convey the toolkit's concepts and include engaging educational activities. Access the playlist for each section of the training (Motivational...

Utah State University is searching for an Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist in Mental Health and Physical Activity. The posting can be viewed below or by visiting https://careers-usu.icims.com/jobs/6996/job . Review of applicants will begin October 15 and continue until the position is filled.

Reprinted from HOP Highlights, Winter 2024 CDC published seven added-sugar related papers in the last twelve months on topics such as the prevalence of and characteristics associated with being a high consumer of added sugars, sweet foods, or sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs), and associations between knowledge of health risk and SSBs intake. Here are key findings from these studies: Decreasing added sugars intake among the general population by just 14 calories per day, or 57 calories per...

A recently released report in CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) shows the gap in preventable premature mortality (or early death) between rural and urban America is growing wider. People living in rural areas are at a higher risk of dying early from one of the five leading causes of death when the death could have been prevented compared to people living in urban areas. This report is an extension of the 2019 CDC study, which showed the percentage of preventable early deaths...