I recently helped my mom sort through boxes she inherited when my grandparents passed away. One box was labeled – either ironically or genuinely – “toothpick holders and other treasures.”…
Category: Anthropology
How opioid deaths tripled in Philly over a decade − and what may be behind a recent downturn
After nearly a decade of almost year-over-year increases in overdose deaths, the tide may finally be turning in Philadelphia. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced in May 2024…
Rural Americans don’t live as long as those in cities − new research
Rural Americans – particularly men – are expected to live significantly shorter, less healthy lives than their urban counterparts, according to our research, recently published in the Journal of Rural…
Poor sleep and addiction go hand in hand − understanding how could lead to new treatments for opioid use disorder
A good night’s sleep often sets the stage for a positive day. But for the nearly quarter of American adults struggling with mental illness, a good night’s rest is often…
Seed oils are toxic, says Robert F. Kennedy Jr. – but it’s not so simple
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who is expected to clear the final hurdles in his confirmation as President Donald Trump’s health secretary, and a host of health influencers have proclaimed that…
US dodged a bird flu pandemic in 1957 thanks to eggs and dumb luck – with a new strain spreading fast, will Americans get lucky again?
In recent months, Americans looking for eggs have faced empty shelves in their grocery stores. The escalating threat of avian flu has forced farmers to kill millions of chickens to…
What the ‘moral distress’ of doctors tells us about eroding trust in health care
I sit on an ethics review committee at the Albany Med Health System in New York state, where doctors and nurses frequently bring us fraught questions. Consider a typical case:…
3 ways the Trump administration could reinvest in rural America’s future
Rural America faces many challenges that Congress and the federal government could help alleviate under the new Trump administration. Rural hospitals and their obstetrics wards have been closing at a…
3 ways the Trump administration could reinvest in rural America’s future, starting with health care
Rural America faces many challenges that Congress and the federal government could help alleviate under the new Trump administration. Rural hospitals and their obstetrics wards have been closing at a…
