Help & Advice for New Parents at Home
Guest blog by Mary Ellen Cunningham, Bureau of Women's and Children's Health All new parents have experienced a version of this thought when they bring home their helpless, tiny newborn: “I have no idea what I am doing.” We also know now how terribly important those first years are for baby. The brain development in the first years lays the [...]
Leveraging Medicaid to Help Arizonans “Kick the Habit”
Many of the health disparities in the US are linked to income. In general… the lower a family’s income the greater the prevalence of health disparities. Health impacts from smoking cigarettes are no exception. Arizonans below the poverty line (100% of FPL) are 40% more likely to smoke than those with more money... and about 34% of Arizona folks who receive their health [...]
Dengue Fever: An Emerging Sonoran Desert Threat?
In the summer of 1994 a U of A entomologist was sampling insects in the backyard of his Tucson home when he netted some dark colored mosquitoes with silver bands on their legs. He suspected that they were a tropical breed that shouldn’t be in the Sonoran Desert and sent them to us for identification. His suspicions were confirmed when we identified [...]
The School Day Just Got Healthier
Nearly 32 million U.S. kids get meals at school every day- and the meals are based on new nutrition standards from the USDA. Kids attending the schools that participate in the program will have more vegetables and fruits, less fat and salt, and more whole grains. Portion sizes will better meet the needs of growing children. The changes to make for [...]
AZ Life Expectancy Pretty Good
A new report from the CDC shows some good news for older adults in Arizona. According to the report, people in Arizona have a life expectancy of more than 20 years after the age of 65, with 15 of those years healthy. This places Arizona as one of the top states in the nation for life expectancy, with a good [...]
Youth Smoking Cessation Campaign Launches
Our focus groups with young tobacco users across Arizona has found that teen and young adult smokers are different from adult smokers. Young smokers may not smoke daily and don't see themselves as smokers. They also aren’t receptive to the idea of needing help to quit. Many teen and young adult smokers believe that they can quit at any time without help and [...]