Child deaths in hot cars: Data and research
We’ve updated this research roundup with new data and studies, including a study that finds authorities have pursued criminal charges in 58.2% of cases of kids dying of vehicular heatstroke.
Health
Research roundups, tip sheets, articles and explainers related to health, health care and health equity
Expert Commentary
Loneliness among older people: A research roundup and 5 tips for covering the topic
Questions about the health effects of loneliness have motivated an explosion of new research over the past few years, particularly since social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic has raised new fears about loneliness levels worldwide.
Expert Commentary
What is the ‘boyfriend loophole’ in federal gun law and what does the research say?
With new federal legislation tightening but not closing the boyfriend loophole, we update our 2020 piece on the topic with new research on intimate partner violence perpetrated with firearms.
Expert Commentary
Google searches for abortion pills spiked after the May leak of SCOTUS draft opinion on Roe v. Wade
The surge in searches highlights the importance of providing women with information on where they can legally and safely obtain abortion medications, including telemedicine consultations with health care professionals, note the authors of a new study.
Expert Commentary
National study highlights rural-urban and racial disparities in cancer survivorship
Between 1975 and 2011, not only did survival rates for common cancers in rural areas trail behind urban areas in the US, but also the cancer survival rates for Black individuals in both rural and urban areas remained lower than for other races and ethnicities.
Expert Commentary
Vaccinated at the ball: A true story about trusted messengers
Highlighting a recent article in the American Journal of Public Health, a comics journalist tells the story of an effort to increase COVID vaccination rates in Chicago’s House Ball community.
Expert Commentary
Confirmation bias in journalism: What it is and strategies to avoid it
A behavioral scientist explains why it’s important for journalists to recognize and reduce the influence of cognitive bias in their work.
Expert Commentary
Mental health care at work: Roundup of recent research on employee assistance programs
Insurance makes seeking mental health care more affordable for those who have it, but workers often have access to an additional form of help at no cost: employee assistance programs.
Expert Commentary
Racial disparities in mental health care: An explainer and research roundup
Little has changed since the office of the U.S. Surgeon General issued a report on mental health disparities two decades ago. Persisting structural racism is one of the key drivers of disparities but experts and advocates are hopeful for change.
Expert Commentary
Economic research resurfaces debate about the link between legalized abortion and crime reduction
An influential study finds that legalized abortion following Roe v. Wade accounts for a large portion of the decline in U.S. crime rates since the 1990s. But some economists are not convinced.
Expert Commentary