Public Policy Engagement Posts
Cuban innovations could save American lives. So why can’t we use them?
Our decades-long isolation from Cuba means Americans are missing out on Cuban innovations that could improve health and save lives in our own country, and vice versa.
Bipartisan Science
There is so much research that has the potential to influence our lives for the better, and there is plenty of evidence that the journey between academic publication and actual policy change can take place independent of political ideology. This is important and good news in our polarized nation today.
School Meals Are Healthier―and Kids’ Reactions Might Surprise You
This fall will mark the start of the fourth school year in which schools are using updated nutrition standards for school meals. Because the standards have been in place for a few years now, we’re starting to get research results about its progress. The verdict? Lots of good news.
Can Your Zip Code Determine How Long You Live?
When it comes to health, it’s not just about getting to the doctor and taking medications. Research increasingly shows us that where you live impacts your health.
Social Competence: Setting Kids Up to Succeed
This month, new research was published in the American Journal of Public Health with an important message: that a simple assessment of a child’s social competence can help to predict his or her health and social outcomes, well into adulthood.
What Will Stop the Rising Trend of Obesity in America?
Imagine the challenge for the millions of parents who live without access to healthy, affordable foods or in neighborhoods where it’s not safe for their kids to play outside. Consider that U.S. food and beverage companies spend nearly $2 billion each year targeting kids with ads, apps and websites promoting junk foods, sugary drinks and other unhealthy fare. How do we turn the tide?
Short Distances to Large Gaps in Health
The Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) Center on Society and Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) released four new maps illustrating how large gaps in health can exist in very short distances.
Investments in Education Pay Health Dividends
Health care accounts for a vast proportion of the nation’s budget. As Medicaid and Medicare approach their 50th anniversary, such programs comprise over a fifth of all federal outlays. Amid these spiraling costs, policymakers are often pressured to limit spending on other areas, including education. But education and health are intrinsically linked – meaning investments in education are investments in health, and can potentially lower spending.
A Blueprint for Using Data to Improve Health
An explosion of self-monitoring devices and apps that passively track every move and breath we take has brought about an unparalleled opportunity to harness data to improve health. But according to a new report, the public’s concerns about privacy and other barriers to data sharing could halt progress.
Where You Live Matters to Your Health
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin’s Population Health Institute released the 2015 County Health Rankings, which shows that where you live influences how well and how long you live. It compares 30 factors that communities have the ability to do something about – including education, jobs, violent crime, housing, diet and exercise.
