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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.

individual holding pride progress flag on pride-colored sidewalk
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

Indica News

Glyphosate is a chemical found in herbicides to regulate the growth of weeds and grasses. It is among the most widely used pesticides in the world with applications in agriculture, forestry, and lawn and garden care. Glyphosate (in products such as RoundUpTM) use in the United States has increased rapidly since the introduction of glyphosate-tolerant crops in 1996 and continues to grow.

Endocrinology Advisor

As the US population ages, geriatric providers face a critical challenge: ensuring that the health needs of LGBTQIA+ older adults — an often overlooked but growing demographic — are not just fulfilled, but prioritized. The National Resource Center on LGBTQIA+ Aging projects that 7 million adults aged 65 and older will identify as LGBTQIA+ by 2030.

Indica News

Hoarding Disorder is a condition marked by continuing difficulty in discarding possessions regardless of their monetary value due to a perceived need to save the objects. As a result, numerous items accumulate in the household leading to substantial distress and deleterious effects on health, safety, and social and occupational functioning. Since 2013, this disorder has been listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V) as a stand-alone disorder while previously it was clubbed with obsessive-compulsive disorder.

India Currents

Hedonic eating refers to consuming food primarily for pleasure and not to maintain energy balance; eating constantly adds to body weight.

Indica News

A total of 15 cases of Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) or Sleeping Sickness reported in 2024 thus far in the United States is causing alarm because this disease is very rare in the US. Prior to 2024 the previous cases were in 2015 and were very few. It is a viral disease caused by mosquito bite and can have very serious sequelae. Typical mosquitoes that are infected with EEE include Aedes, Culex, and Coquillettidia. EEE virus is sustained in nature through a cycle between the Culiseta melanura mosquitoes and birds.

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.

Social and Behavioral Health Experts

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

Recent Social and Behavioral Health Accomplishments

Asma Awan (Social and Behavioral Health) presented a webinar on Dec. 10, 2024, along with colleagues from Purdue University titled, "From Classroom to Workplace: Equipping Professionals with Informatics Expertise," which was organized by HIMSS (Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society). The webinar covered topics ranging from course…
Manoj Sharma (Social and Behavioral Health; Internal Medicine) coauthored an article titled, “Determinants of Visual Impairment Among Chinese Middle-Aged and Older Adults: Risk Prediction Model Using Machine Learning Algorithms” in the journal, JMIR Aging (Impact factor 5.0) with coauthors from Monash University, University of New Mexico, Alfred…
Sharmistha Roy, Asma Awan, and Manoj Sharma (all Social and Behavioral Health) presented a virtual paper titled, “Evaluating the Impact of Experiential Learning in a Master of Public Health Program at a Southwestern University” at the 1st International Transylvania Scientific Research and Innovation Congress held in Romania.  The paper…
Md. Sohail Akther and Manoj Sharma (Social and Behavioral Health) presented a virtual paper titled, “Yoga as a complementary therapy for enhancing the quality of life in breast cancer survivors: A systematic review” at the 5th Bilsel International Gordion Scientific Research Congress held in Ankara, Turkiye. The presentation was received well.…
Kavita Batra (Medicine), Ravi Batra, and Manoj Sharma (both Public Health) co-authored the study, "The Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors by State in the USA, 1990–2021: A Systematic Analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021," published in the Lancet journal. This study examines the burden of diseases, injuries, and risk…
Richard Rosenkranz, Chris Acosta (both Kinesiology and Nutrition Sciences) and Ana Gonzalez-Alvarez (Social and Behavioral Health), along with Andrew Hooyman, Jose Hidalgo, Romina Ballesteros-Paniagua, and Sara Rosenkranz (all Kinesiology and Nutrition Sciences) recently published "Accuracy in Measurement of Infant Formula Powder and Water by…