Intellect PlusPublic health
34 cards. Each one is a 40-second story with a five-minute read behind it.
Personal hygiene and social distancing are linked to lower COVID-19 infection ratesA systematic review and meta-analysis of 72 studies examined how various public health strategies influenced the spread of COVID-19. The researchers found that specific personal b…
Ubiquitous phthalates are common chemicals humans encounter through multiple daily exposure routesA review of environmental data found that phthalates, or phthalic acid esters, are nearly universal in the environment due to their widespread use in plastics and consumer goods. …
Most regular smokers begin their tobacco use before reaching the age of 20Researchers who modeled global data from hundreds of national surveys found that a significant majority of current tobacco users began smoking regularly during their youth. The st…- Public perception of e-cigarettes often overlooks their potential to help adults quit smokingA review by health researchers found that while public concern regarding e-cigarettes is largely driven by risks to young people, these concerns may overshadow the device's abilit…
Childhood obesity is a strong but incomplete predictor of adult weight statusA systematic review and meta-analysis of 200,777 participants found that children with a high body mass index are significantly more likely to remain obese as adults. Specifically…
The hidden physiological toll of our constant, modern cacophonyWe have become so accustomed to the hum of traffic, construction, and digital noise that we have tuned it out. Yet, this pervasive environmental threat is doing more than just ann…
Can healthcare be both socially just and profitable?Modern medicine is often crippled by high overhead and costs that leave low-income patients behind. Physician P.J. Parmar explores a different model: a clinic designed to serve re…
Does the US healthcare system assume too much about its patients?Mitchell Katz, leading America's biggest public health network, explores the underlying premises causing the nation's medical framework to neglect vulnerable populations.
Knowing what is healthy is not enough to be healthyWe often make choices we know are detrimental to our well-being. This isn't a failure of willpower; it is a predictable byproduct of human psychology. To improve public health, we…
COVID-19 is far more than just a respiratory diseaseWhile shortness of breath is the hallmark of COVID-19, the virus is far from a simple pneumonia. It is a complex disease that can trigger a catastrophic immune response and damage…
The structural blueprint required to survive future global health crisesPhysician and policy leader Georges C. Benjamin argues that surviving a pandemic requires more than just medicine; it demands a fundamental overhaul of how governments organize pu…
The next pandemic is a matter of when, not ifAs SARS-CoV-2 evolves into a routine threat alongside influenza, scientists warn that the emergence of new pathogens is the norm rather than the exception. To prepare for what com…
Why a vaccine is only the first step in ending a pandemicSecuring a vaccine is a monumental achievement, but it does not solve the crisis alone. Johanna Benesty explores the systemic barriers to global health and proposes a new framewor…- How global lockdowns created a hidden crisis of domestic abusePublic health measures designed to stop a virus inadvertently trapped victims of abuse inside their homes. This 'shadow pandemic' saw domestic violence reach record levels globall…
Why body shaming campaigns may actually be harming public healthAs global obesity rates continue to rise, medical anthropologist Nancy N. Chen argues that cultural body ideals are failing us. This video explores how shifting cultural histories…
Why human health is inseparable from the health of our planetClimate and health campaigner Shweta Narayan argues that medical ethics must expand beyond the clinic. This talk explores why we cannot achieve individual wellness while the envir…
The tools to end pandemics exist; we just lack the funding.We have already developed the strategies necessary to prevent future global health catastrophes. The barrier isn't a lack of scientific capability, but a failure of international …
Why unplanned pregnancies remain a major challenge in the United StatesNearly half of all pregnancies in the US are unplanned. This video explores why millions of people struggle to access the specific birth control methods they need to manage their …
Researchers synthesize diverse definitions to create a unified model of health literacyResearchers who reviewed existing literature on health literacy found that the lack of a single, agreed-upon definition makes it difficult to measure and compare the concept acros…- Limited health literacy is linked to frequent hospitalizations and lower vaccination ratesA systematic review of 111 articles found that individuals with limited health literacy often face significant barriers to effective healthcare. The researchers identified consist…
Global fracture numbers rose significantly even as age-standardised rates declinedA systematic analysis of 204 countries and territories found that while the age-standardised rates of bone fractures, prevalence, and years lived with disability decreased between…
Breastfeeding offers diverse health protections for both infants and nursing mothersA comprehensive meta-analysis examined the lifelong effects of breastfeeding on children and women, finding that it provides significant protection against various diseases. The r…- Physical measurements provide a portable way to assess human health and nutritionA report from a World Health Organization Expert Committee highlights anthropometry—the measurement of body size and proportions—as a highly accessible and inexpensive tool. The c…
- Healthcare service use dropped by a third during the COVID-19 pandemicA systematic review of 81 studies across 20 countries found that healthcare utilization decreased significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Researchers observed a median 37% red…
Global excess deaths from the COVID-19 pandemic were three times higher than reportedResearchers who analyzed global mortality data from 2020 to 2021 found that the COVID-19 pandemic caused approximately 18.2 million excess deaths worldwide. This figure is signifi…
Climate change risks aggravating over half of all known human pathogenic diseasesResearchers conducted a systematic search for empirical evidence regarding how ten different climatic hazards—driven by greenhouse gas emissions—impact every known human pathogeni…
Obesity arises from a mix of genetic, environmental and energy-balance factors, review findsA review of obesity research describes it as a multifactorial disease driven largely by a long-run mismatch between the energy people take in through food and the energy their bod…
US overdose deaths involving synthetic opioids rose over tenfold in six yearsA CDC analysis of US overdose deaths from 2013 to 2019 found that the age-adjusted death rate involving synthetic opioids like illicitly made fentanyl rose 1,040%, from 1.0 to 11.…- Global rates of insufficient physical activity have risen steadily since 2000A pooled analysis of 507 population-based surveys involving 163 countries and territories found that the global prevalence of insufficient physical activity rose from 23.4% in 200…
Moving from personal conviction to systemic, large-scale impactLearn how a doctor and a public health expert bridge the gap between individual hope and collective action. This conversation explores the transition from personal missions to bui…- Why scientific breakthroughs mean little without public trustDeveloping a vaccine is only half the battle. Immunologist Kizzmekia Corbett explains why the true challenge of pandemic preparedness lies in bridging the communication gap betwee…
London's deadliest cholera outbreak was traced to a single street pump.In 1854 cholera killed hundreds in Soho within days. Most experts blamed foul air. The physician John Snow asked a simpler question, where did the dead get their water, and the an…
A cheap drink of salt, sugar and water transformed the fight against cholera.Cholera and other diarrhoeal diseases kill largely by draining the body of water and salt. For decades the answer was an intravenous drip. Then researchers found that the gut keep…
Typhoid Mary never felt ill, and spent decades in quarantine.Mary Mallon was a cook for wealthy New York families, and typhoid seemed to follow her from house to house. She felt perfectly healthy, which is exactly what made her dangerous: s…