One in 10 babies in the U.S. – nearly 374,000 infants – were born preterm in 2023, meaning before 37 weeks of pregnancy. More than 15% were very preterm, meaning…
Tag: local
Exposure to neighborhood violence leads some Denver teens to use tobacco and alcohol earlier, new study shows
High levels of neighborhood violence increase the risk of Latino and African American teens in Denver starting to use alcohol and tobacco, according to our recent study. In the U.S.,…
Why are 4.7 million Floridians insured through ACA marketplace plans, and what happens if they lose their subsidies?
Significant Figures is a series from The Conversation in which scholars explain an important number in the news. The Conversation, CC BY-ND When the Affordable Care Act, also known as…
A Denver MD has spent 2 decades working with hospitalized patients experiencing homelessness − here’s what she fears and what gives her hope
On a recent early fall morning, hope was in short supply. My first patient was a regular. Mr. D was a man in his 50s with diabetes. He had been…
Supreme Court to decide if Colorado’s law banning conversion therapy violates free speech
The constitutionality of a Colorado law that bans so-called “conversion therapy” is scheduled to go before the Supreme Court on Oct. 7, 2025. The question at the center of the…
2 experts explain the true role of slavery and racism in the history of public health policy – and the growing threat ignorance poses today
On Sept. 3, 2025, Florida announced its plans to be the first state to eliminate vaccine mandates for its citizens, including those for children to attend school. Current Florida law…
New website tracks how Pennsylvania’s $2.2B in opioid settlement funds is being spent
Pennsylvania is due to receive US$2.2 billion dollars from the national opioid settlements, and a new database shows the public where that money is going. Starting in 2021, a national,…
Harm-reduction vending machines offer free naloxone, pregnancy tests and hygiene kits
In the lobby of the YMCA in Reading, Pennsylvania, stands a row of vending machines – but one machine is different from the rest. Instead of stocking chips or soda,…
Detroit is the most challenging place in the country for people with asthma − here’s how to help kids in the Motor City breathe easier
Detroit kids 17 and under were nearly three times more likely to be hospitalized for asthma than other kids in Michigan, according to data from the Michigan Department of Health…

