Blog
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Researchers Study Connections Between Depression, Anxiety, and Asthma-Related Emergency Department Visits
In the October 2019 edition of Pediatrics, researchers examine the relation between anxiety and depression and asthma-related emergency department use. The study utilized the information of 65,342 “patients aged 6 to 21 years with asthma.” They found that 24.7% of the patients also “had a diagnosis of anxiety, depression, or both.” After controlling for age,…
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National Center for Healthy Housing Releases “Why Partner with Energy Stakeholders and Programs?
In late 2019 the National Center for Healthy Housing (NCHH) released a new resource to help asthma programs partner with energy stakeholders, Why Partner with Energy Stakeholders and Programs? This resource includes a video presentation, slides and key readings to highlight why energy programs can be of value to those working to advance and sustain in-home asthma…
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The Impacts of Interactions of Neighborhood Social Conditions and Family Relationships on Childhood Asthma
The August 2019 edition of Pediatrics contains an article examining how neighborhood social conditions and family relationships can affect childhood asthma. Youth diagnosed with asthma had the neighborhood conditions around their homes coded to see if they were dangerous and/or disorderly. They also interviewed the children to assess family relationship quality. Researchers found “significant interactions”…
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Feasibility of Incentives to Increase Adherence in High-Risk Children with Asthma
In the August 2019 edition of The Journal of Asthma, researchers sought to find if adherence incentives could be used for high-risk children to increase adherence to medication use. In a two-month study, researchers provided reminders, feedback, and cash incentives to the family and children to help with daily adherence in the first month. In…
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American Lung Association Releases Asthma Trends Brief
The American Lung Association has released its 2019 brief examining asthma morbidity and mortality trends. The report includes descriptions, figures, and tables detailing current patterns of the burden of asthma on both children and adults. The report also includes current demographics of asthma, including information on sex, age, race/ethnicity, family income, and more. To view…
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E4TheFuture Releases Energy-Plus-Health Playbook
In late 2019, E4TheFuture released the Energy-Plus-Health Playbook. Created primarily to support program administrators designing or developing energy efficiency programs, the 84-page Playbook outlines three program tiers with increasing levels of health and energy integration. Written and developed by VEIC, with input from energy and health experts, funding for the Playbook was provided by E4TheFuture. For…
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Clearing the Air: An Asthma Toolkit for Healthy Schools Released
In late 2019, the Massachusetts Asthma Action Partnership and Health Resources in Action have created “Clearing the Air: An Asthma Toolkit for Healthy Schools.” The toolkit is available online and has policy and practices that will help schools create an asthma-friendly environment. To view the toolkit click here.
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Researchers Investigate Impacts of Infant Gut Microbial Compounds on Allergy and Asthma Risk
Nature Microbiology released an article in its July 2019 edition that identifies a compound produced by gut bacteria that predisposes infants to allergies and asthma later in life. Researchers at UC San Francisco identified a lipid that reduced the number and activity of immune cells that suppress allergic inflammation. To test its effects, they injected…
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Union of Concerned Scientists Release “Killer Heat in the United States: Climate Choices and the Future of Dangerously Hot Days”
The Union of Concerned Scientists has released a report detailing the effects of climate change titled “Killer Heat in the United States: Climate Choices and the Future of Dangerously Hot Days.” The report is a national analysis that digs into the rapid, widespread increases in extreme heat that are projected to occur, as well as…
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RAMP Launches Project to Assess Health and Equity Implications of Freight Automation
Based on tech sector hype and awestruck media reports, automated passenger vehicles seem just one or two steps away from revolutionizing our personal transportation system. The freight transportation system is also on the cusp of an automated revolution, albeit with far less public fanfare. Just two years ago, an automated freight truck delivered goods over…
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Investigation of Ultrafine Particle Exposure Linkages to Childhood Asthma Incidence
A comment in the June 2019 edition of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine examines ultrafine particles, which are currently not addressed by air quality regulations. The researchers note these sized particles can have greater toxic effects than larger molecules due to a number of factors, including “chemical composition, deeper lung penetration,…
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Implications of Proposed Changes to Public Charge Immigration Rules on Children
In JAMA Pediatrics’ July 2019 edition, an article looks at the implications of the proposed rule changes to federal “Public Charge” guidelines utilized in the immigration process. “The proposed changes are expected to cause many immigrant parents to disenroll their families from safety-net programs, in large part because of fear and confusion about the rule,…