Photo at right:
“The photo on this page shows a group of people performing morning calisthenics. Calisthenics is a type of exercise consisting of a variety of simple movements usually performed without weights or other equipment that are intended to increase body strength and flexibility using the weight of one’s own body for resistance.”
Building Healthy Societies
Exercise class on the beach in the Caribbean, photo by Steve Geer.
Health issues in society are complicated, and they cannot be adequately addressed without the contributions of social scientists. SBS researchers are examining the biological, psychological, behavioral, environmental and social origins of health problems in our society. From our psychologists who are trying to diagnose Alzheimer’s earlier, to our geographers who are working to predict West Nile outbreaks, to our researchers who are trying to prevent drug and alcohol addiction in adolescents and women, SBS research is making a difference in the world.
A UA anthropologist has found that the idea that morning sickness serves a beneficial function in protecting a developing fetus may not always be true. Most studies concluding that nausea is beneficial were conducted in industrial countries, where most pregnant women have access to proper nutrition. The researcher found that marginally nourished pregnant women, like those in her study populations in east Africa, experienced additional nutritional stress if they experienced nausea and vomiting - and this was linked to negative outcomes in their pregnancy.
A UA anthropologist is a Social Science advisor to the World Health Organization and is responsible for formative research related to the introduction of the micronutrient zinc in countries where its impact on child survival is being tested.
UA anthropologists are examining ways to prevent nicotine dependence in children and adolescents. The researchers also found that many young women smoke as a dieting strategy.
A UA communication professor recently served on a National Academy of Sciences panel examining the effects of junk food marketing on young people’s diet and health. The panel offered recommendations for the food and advertising industries, as well as to the U.S. Congress, to help the growing problem of childhood obesity. The researcher has previously found that 50% of all advertising in children’s programs is for unhealthy food products and that children aged eight and below are uniquely vulnerable to commercials, because they do not grasp the persuasive intent of advertising.
A UA geographer has created a model combining previous and current weather conditions (measuring precipitation and dust) which explains 80% of the variance in valley fever incidence.
UA geographers have discovered the climatic controls on valley fever, which is caused by a desert soil fungus. Using human health records and historical climate information, seasonal climate modeling of valley fever incidence has shown that a wetter-than-usual late spring and early summer leads to outbreaks of valley fever 18 months to two years later.
UA geographers are working to identify the location and timing of West Nile virus-related mosquito activity within Southwestern cities. Because places such as Tucson do not have long and continuous records of mosquito activity, researchers looked at similarly dry places around the world where the virus has been endemic for many decades. Reanalyzing past data from South Africa, they discovered a strong link between West Nile virus outbreaks and the wet and dry rainfall sequences caused by El Niño.
UA geographers have identified important factors fostering community empowerment through the use of geographic information systems (GIS). University-community partnerships, robust citizen participation practices, and collaborative use of these technologies by neighborhood residents facilitate sustainable and effective use of GIS in community-based planning and neighborhood revitalization.
UA communication researchers have shown that children exposed to parental divorce are at increased risk of getting divorced once they marry. This increased risk for divorce can be explained in part by negative attitudes toward the permanence of marriage and being more accepting of divorce as a solution to marital problems.
A UA communication researcher working with the College of Nursing has shown that the distress experienced by women undergoing treatment for breast cancer is experienced to a comparable degree by their spouses. The research revealed that the more depressed and psychologically stressed the women are by their experience, the more their spouses report symptoms of depression, stress and negative emotions. These findings show how health problems have a spillover effect on the larger interpersonal system. The researchers are currently testing an experimental interpersonal counseling technique to help women with breast cancer and their partners adjust to the illness.
A UA communication researcher has found that people with significant depressive symptoms often have problems with poor social skills. These interpersonal deficits make it difficult for them to have rewarding social experiences, and this serves to maintain and in some cases worsen their depression. These findings suggest that many people with depression need to be coached on how to pay careful attention to their interpersonal interactions and the effect that they have on others around them.
Researchers in the UA Mexican American Studies & Research Center have found an innovative way to decrease alcohol use among Mexican American and American Indian youth: increasing their knowledge of culture and history to empower them regarding their own cultural resiliencies. In fact, alcohol use was significantly decreased and use of other illegal drugs was prevented according to pre- and post-survey results from two separate studies.
UA psychology researchers have discovered an innovative way to potentially detect Alzheimer’s disease earlier. By using an imaging technique called diffusion weighted imaging, which detects changes in the movement of water molecules in the brain, researchers can detect when inflammation of the brain begins.
A UA psychologist developed the first stimulus control treatment for insomnia. This technique introduced now well-known tips for combating insomnia, including strengthening your mind’s connection of the bed as a place to sleep by not watching television in bed, and by developing a consistent sleep schedule. This intervention has become a standard against which any new treatments - behavioral or pharmacological - are compared. With funds from the National Institute on Drug Abuse, UA psychologists are conducting a five-year study to evaluate how and for whom family therapy is effective in reducing adolescent drug abuse.
A UA psychologist has worked with sexual assault victims and perpetrators, including Jeffrey Dahmer and Gary Ridgway (the “Green River Killer”), and developed assessment and intervention strategies for individuals who have sexual behavior problems.
Researchers in the School of Information Resources and Library Science have investigated the accuracy of health information on the web. They look for characteristics of web pages that might be used as indicators of the accuracy or inaccuracy of the information. Their research suggests that the most promising indicators are those involving the behind-the-scene link structure between web pages.
UA sociologists have discovered that rates of blood and organ donations are influenced more by how the donation system is organized than by people’s inherent altruism.
UA sociologists have discovered that Americans are increasingly isolated socially. In 1985, only 10% of Americans said that they talked with no one about important matters. Today, more than twice that number, 25%, say that they talk with no one about important matters.
Researchers in the Southwest Institute for Research on Women (SIROW) are working with gynecological oncologists at University Medical Center to study the quality of life of women with ovarian cancer. As a result of this study, the physicians have altered the way they interact with patients, and UA biomedical engineers are taking into consideration women’s perceptions of new and potential technologies for early detection of ovarian cancer.
SIROW researchers, in collaboration with the Pima County Health Department’s HIV/STD Program, have contributed to findings documenting the burgeoning incidence of undiagnosed hepatitis C in the state of Arizona. These findings have led the Arizona Department of Health Services to purchase a serology machine for the state lab to begin screening for hepatitis C and to pilot the state’s efforts at documenting the disease in Pima County. As of June 2006, the incidence of hepatitis C in SIROW’s “Mujer Sana~Healthy Woman” project was 19% (N=53) of 278 women tested.
SIROW researchers have found that female adolescents who express strong beliefs about gender stereotypes are more likely to engage in risky sexual behaviors. Teenage girls who believed that males possess greater aptitude in academics, leadership, and relationship dynamics were less likely to use barrier protection with their sexual partner. These findings suggest the need for gender-specific health education that includes exploring gender stereotype beliefs.
Chart from a SIROW study showing reasons youth cited for not using a condom. (Percentages total more than 100% because respondents were able to choose more than one response option. All other responses were <5%).
SIROW health educators are providing HIV and STD prevention services for youth in Maricopa and Pima counties. SIROW researchers have discovered that youth are in need of basic information about male and female anatomy and reproductive health, and those who are sexually active need access to condoms to prevent disease transmission. The primary reason youth cited for not using a condom during their last sexual encounter was, “they didn’t have one.” Data from this project prompted revision in the curriculum to include reproductive anatomy and condom accessibility.
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