Division News

Summer 2007

Epidemiology and Community Health

Why Groups Matter: Social Epidemiology
In the past decade, a growing number of epidemiologists have called for a return to considering how social interactions--norms, laws, institutions, conventions, and conditions--affect the health of populations. With a new book, Methods in Social Epidemiology, SPH associate professor J. Michael Oakes offers a resource for those interested in this emerging field.

Young Men More Likely to Buy Alcohol for Underage Drinkers
An SPH study finds that nearly 20 percent of young men are willing to buy alcohol for underage drinkers when approached outside a store. In contrast, only 8 percent of the general population agreed to purchase alcohol when "shoulder-tapped" outside of a convenience or liquor store.

Environmental Health Sciences

SPH Takes Over Iron Range Cancer Study
The School of Public Health will take over management of cancer studies among taconite workers in Minnesota's Iron Range.

Taking a Closer Look at Cancer
Cancer often isn't detected until it has progressed to late stages, making it difficult to treat. With the goal of improving cancer prevention, SPH associate professor Betsy Wattenberg is working to understand the very earliest stages of the disease--namely what happens to cells when cancer strikes.

Public Health Education and Outreach

Genomics and Public Health
The population-based approach of public health genomics provides the best strategy to translate scientific discovery to improvements in health, according to Muin Khoury, director of the CDC's National Office of Public Health Genomics.

'Disastrous' Learning
An F4 tornado and flash floods have hit. The massive storm has left in its wake blocked roads, power failures, an overturned tanker carrying toxic chemicals, and unconfirmed deaths. Will you make the right decisions to protect the community's health in this time of emergency?

Biostatistics

U Embarks on National Study of Bone Cancer in Children
University of Minnesota researchers have received a $1.7 million grant from the National Cancer Institute to lead the largest study to date on the causes of pediatric osteosarcoma.

New Findings on Smoking Reduction and Smoking Compensation
Heavy smokers who cut down on cigarettes take in more toxins than light smokers, even when the number of cigarettes smoked per day is identical. The finding comes from the University of Minnesota Transdisciplinary Tobacco Use Research Center (TTURC).

Health Policy and Management

Rural EDs Face Staffing Challenges
As the gap between supply and demand continues to grow for emergency department (ED) physicians, rural hospitals must focus on continuing education to ensure quality of ED care.

Computerized Doctor’s Orders Reduce Medication Errors
U.S. hospitals that switched to a computerized physician order entry system (CPOE) saw a 66 percent drop in prescription errors, according to a new review of studies.