Blogs - This Week In Public Health

Commentary

Destined to Suffer. How Prosperity Theology Is Shaping U.S. Health Policy

What if your health wasn’t just a matter of biology or economics, but of divine judgment? For centuries, American culture has been shaped by an unspoken theology: that the healthy are favored, and the sick are suspect. Today, as proposed cuts to Medicaid target the most vulnerable, it is worth asking. Are we still living […]

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Mental health

Managing the Vagus Nerve: A Key to Improved Mental Health in Public Health

Stress appears to be an ever-present factor that influences our lives, affecting both our mental and physical well-being. Recent insights into the vagus nerve present promising opportunities for managing stress and improving mental health, aligning with sentiments expressed in public health narratives. BBC News highlights that training this vital nerve might provide individuals with a […]

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Funding

Why Relationships, Not RFPs, Still Decide Who Gets Funded

Every year, thousands of nonprofits pour their hearts into crafting proposals, often investing hundreds of hours per application, in the hope of securing the lifeline of a major grant. Yet behind the polished language of Request for Proposals (RFPs) and the rhetoric of equity, the playing field is far from level. Our large-scale analysis of […]

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Mental health

How Trauma-Informed Care Can Transform Homeless Services

On a cold Ottawa morning, a peer support worker named Jen sits across from a man at a drop-in center. He’s wary—one eye on the door, one hand on his coffee. She doesn’t start with a checklist or clipboard. She starts with a question: “How are you sleeping?” It’s not small talk. It’s a lifeline. […]

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Policy

Why “Evidence-Based” Policy Needs Politics Too

Public health professionals are trained to see evidence as the gold standard. The logic seems simple: if research shows what works, governments should act accordingly. Yet, as the authors note, policy isn’t medicine. In clinical settings, evidence guides treatment for an individual patient. But health policy affects entire populations, and every policy choice reflects competing […]

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Analytics

Most COVID-19 Tweets Linked to Low-Quality Info

March 2020: the world was locking down, and millions of people opened Twitter for answers. What they found was a storm—data dashboards, rumors, home remedies, and official updates jumbled together. Amid that digital noise, how many sources were actually credible? A new study from Concordia University’s Rozita Haghighi and Mohsen Farhadloo answers that question with […]

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Health tips

Hormone Replacement Therapy: Overview and Recent Policy Changes

Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) is a treatment used to relieve symptoms associated with hormonal imbalances, particularly during menopause. It involves the administration of hormones: most commonly estrogen and progesterone, to help alleviate issues such as hot flashes, mood swings, and increased risk of osteoporosis. What is Hormone Replacement Therapy? HRT is primarily prescribed to: By […]

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Health tips

Melatonin May Not Be as Harmless as We Thought

For years, melatonin has been marketed as a gentle, natural aid in helping people fall asleep faster. However, new research presented at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions is raising concerns about the long-term effects of taking it. A large-scale analysis of more than 130,000 adults with insomnia found that those prescribed melatonin for over a year […]

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Uncategorized

New Evidence: Pollution’s Surprising Role in High Blood Pressure

Imagine a nurse in Beijing finishing a long commute on a smog-filled day. Her smartwatch pings: blood pressure 145/92 mm Hg. She eats well, exercises, doesn’t smoke—so why the sudden spike? According to a major 2025 review in Frontiers in Public Health by Li Che and Zilong Wang, her exposure to polluted air may be […]

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AI

From Data Overload to Usable Insight: How Public Health Teams Can Bridge the Gap

After a week of incredible conversations at the APHA Annual Meeting, one thing stood out: Public health teams don’t need more data. They need usable data. Everywhere we turned, leaders, practitioners, and students echoed the same frustration. They’re inundated with dashboards, reports, and PDFs, but what they really need are insights that help them make […]

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