News by Subject Social & Behavior

Women in provincial prisons require health care to address trauma, addiction and chronic diseases in order to lower reincarceration rates, according to a new study that of women leaving a B.C. correctional centre.

African-American men who have sex with men (MSM) remain at heightened risk for HIV infection and account for the largest number of African-Americans living with HIV/AIDS. It has long been understood that there is a clear and persistent association between poverty, transactional sex behavior, and HIV risk. A new University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing (Penn Nursing) study has investigated how educational status relates to HIV risk in this population.

Some people are quick to purchase the latest technology or sign up for a new service. Others adopt a wait-and-see strategy. A recent study by University of Illinois economist Hope Michelson, finds this is true for farmers in Nicaragua who enter into contracts with Walmart.

The educated members of a population are the trailblazers of risky behavior, but they are quicker to change their habits once the consequences of that behavior become better understood, according to new research from Penn State, which could also have implications on how public health education is approached.

Only seven states in the US have mandatory paid sick leave laws; yet, 15 states have passed preemptive legislation prohibiting localities from passing sick leave. Paid sick leave is gaining momentum as a social justice issue with important implications for health and wellness. But what are the implications for the mental well-being of Americans without paid sick leave? A new study is the first to show the link between mental distress and paid sick leave among US workers.

Roughly 300,000 Texans living in impoverished border communities known as 'colonias' are facing substandard housing, lack of resources and exposure to toxic stress. New research finds these communities are also ill-equipped to face a natural disaster.

The pending termination of DACA may reverse these mental health benefits for the 800,000 DACA beneficiaries, and trigger a public health crisis, according to an essay in the New England Journal of Medicine, co-authored by Atheendar. S. Venkataramani, MD, PhD, an assistant professor of medical ethics and health policy at Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

Low-level radiation exposure poses less of a health risk than other lifestyle threats, such as smoking, obesity and air pollution, according to Oxford University research. Human populations have always been exposed to ionizing radiation, and more so in modern life. Whilst the risks to human health from medium and high-level radiation are relatively well-understood, the risks at lower levels are less clear.