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Department of Social and Behavioral Health News

Housed in the UNLV School of Public Health, the Department of Social and Behavioral Health consists of faculty who engage in research and develop and evaluate community-based programs that promote health and disease prevention. Our students learn to identify high-risk behaviors or trends in specific populations, as well as propose solutions that aim to improve overall public health in communities.

Current Social and Behavioral Health News

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Campus News |

A monthly roundup of the top news stories at UNLV, featuring the presidential election, gaming partnerships, and much more.

Josh Hawkins, UNLV
Campus News |

News highlights featuring UNLV students and staff who made (refreshing) waves in the headlines.

The Las Vegas skyline (Josh Hawkins, UNLV).
Campus News |

A collection of news stories highlighting UNLV’s dedication to community and research.

man in suit sits in front of wall that reads "school of public health"
People |

The Outstanding Faculty Award winner has spent over 40 years helping us understand health behavior.

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People |

The research expert recently received a $3.5M grant to conduct a study on LGBTQIA+ caregivers of dementia patients and their experiences.

man posing in front of vegas skyline
People |

Manoj Sharma receives Community Engagement Award for his work to provide access and delivery of health care to marginalized groups.

Social and Behavioral Health In The News

IndicaNews

Every year the United States reverts its time by one hour in Fall and forward in Spring. This year daylight saving time (DST) ends on November 3, 2024. This shift hurts health in several ways. The impact is more pronounced in Spring and Fall is somewhat less troublesome. However, both time adjustments are problematic.

The World

More than a dozen researchers collaborated on a report for Lancet that deems gambling as a public health threat on the same level as alcohol and tobacco. Manoj Sharma is a professor of social and behavioral health at UNLV who worked on the Lancet’s commission and explains the findings. He speaks with host Carolyn Beeler.

Indica News

A recent report by The Lancet Public Health Commission has brought to the forefront the growing debate on the epidemic of gambling worldwide. The Report estimated that 46.2% of adults and 17.9% of adolescents had engaged in gambling of some sort in the previous year at the global level.

Indica News

Diabesity is a term used to describe the blending of obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus. The adverse health effects of these two conditions have commonalities. The term was first coined by Sims and colleagues in the 1970s, to highlight the close connection between type 2 diabetes and obesity. This condition is also referred to as obesity-dependent diabetes.

India Currents

How does one overcome a drug addiction? Dr. Manoj Sharma explains the impact of drug dependency and how to tackle it.

New India Abroad

Drowsy driving among college students and young drivers in America is a public health challenge that critically impacts road safety drives with the rising number of accidents involving the youth and new drivers, according to a new study published by the public health experts of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV).

Social and Behavioral Health Experts

An expert on drug misuse and addiction.
An expert on health disparities and LGBTQ aging adults with Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease.
An expert on health behavior and coping with stress.
An expert on lactation, breastfeeding, and maternal and child health and nutrition.

Recent Social and Behavioral Health Accomplishments

Manoj Sharma (Social and Behavioral Health; Internal Medicine) coauthored an article titled, “Multi-theory model (MTM) and change in childbearing behavior:  A perspective,” with coauthors from Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences in Iran in the Journal of Research Development in Nursing and Midwifery. The article presents a view…
Refat Srejon, Asma Awan, and Manoj Sharma, (all Social and Behavioral Health) presented a poster tilted, “Effectiveness of yoga interventions on cancer-related fatigue in patients with different types of cancer: A systematic review,” at the American Public Health Association 2024 Annual Meeting October 27-30, 2024, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, as…
Ana Gonzalez, Sidath Kapukotuwa, Asma Awan, and Manoj Sharma, (all Social and Behavioral Health) presented a poster tilted, “Effectiveness of tai chi randomized controlled trials on improving BMI among adults with obesity: A systematic review,” at the American Public Health Association 2024 Annual Meeting October 27-30, 2024, in Minneapolis,…
Sidath Kapukotuwa (Social and Behavioral Health) has been awarded the Research Mini-Grant for $3,000 from the Nevada Council on Problem Gambling and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, International Gaming Institute for the project titled, “Testing the efficacy of RESPONSIBLEPLAY©: MTM-based intervention for responsible gambling for college…
Aastha Poudel, Asma Awan, and Manoj Sharma, (all Social and Behavioral Health) presented a poster tilted “Mental health disorders among South Asian immigrants (SAIs) worldwide: A comprehensive review” at the American Public Health Association 2024 Annual Meeting October 27-30, 2024, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, as part of the APHA Student Assembly…
Kavita Batra (Medicine) and Manoj Sharma (Public Health) published a study "Global, regional, and national stillbirths at 20 weeks' gestation or longer in 204 countries and territories, 1990–2021: findings from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021" in Lancet. This study found that in 2021, the global stillbirth rate was 23·0 (95% uncertainty…