Research ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz Environment Maternal & Child Health Worker Health
The San Luis Valley sits between two major mountain ranges—the San Juans and the Sangre de Cristos—in south-central Colorado. As the upper headwater region for the Rio Grande River, the San Luis Valley is a fertile and important agricultural part of the state, supporting the majority of Colorado’s potato and buckwheat crop.
Research Community Students Mental Health Epidemiology Firearm Injury Prevention Infectious disease Community and Practice Student and Alumni Cannabis Environment Gun Violence Prevention Injury & Violence Prevention Maternal & Child Health Worker Health
In 2023, some of the nation’s top public health researchers at the Colorado School of Public Health tackled a variety of the largest public health questions facing us today.
Research Public Health Epidemiology Giving Awards Maternal & Child Health
The Colorado School of Public Health (ColoradoSPH) has been awarded $1.2 million this year to contribute to an National Institutes of Health-funded initiative Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO). The award is part of a planned seven-year grant with an estimated total value of $15 million for the Colorado participation.
Research Epidemiology ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz Maternal & Child Health
Across Colorado, thousands of students filing into classrooms this school year are sharing their space with new companions. These nearly silent classmates don’t occupy desks or pore over textbooks. But they are as focused on gathering information and contributing to a positive class environment as the most dedicated student.
Research Epidemiology ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz pregnancy Maternal & Child Health
Pregnant women who were exposed to multiple phthalates during pregnancy had an increased risk of preterm birth, according to new research by the National Institutes of Health. Phthalates are chemicals used in personal care products, such as cosmetics, as well as in solvents, detergents, and food packaging.
Students Mental Health Student and Alumni ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz Suicide Prevention Community Health Maternal & Child Health
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services estimates that half of the nation’s adolescents have experienced a mental health disorder, such as depression, anxiety, or attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) at some time in their lives. Many young people receive treatment to prevent these and other issues from worsening and becoming chronic, but many others do not, leading to problems that persist into adulthood and have serious consequences, both for the individuals and for society.
Press Coverage Climate Health Maternal & Child Health
“Climate change is already upon us and we can already detect its influence on the Front Range’s ozone problem” said James Crooks, clinical associate professor of epidemiology. Children with asthma are particularly at risk from ozone, and data shows that asthma rates are higher among those living in poverty.
Press Coverage Maternal & Child Health
Jason Glanz, CoSPH professor, and senior investigator at Kaiser Permanente took part in this multi-institutional study, which looked at the safety of vaccine schedules in relation to diabetes. Studying a large cohort of children, researchers found no relationship between vaccinations and diabetes.
Students Student and Alumni Equity Diversity and Inclusion ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz Maternal & Child Health
At a very early age, Syd Staggs felt isolated in their conservative Colorado community in a family that they describe as “traditional Catholic Italian-Americans.” Now 27, Syd recalls not having the words as a young kid to describe their gender identity, but it was clear they were different from other peers.
Press Coverage Global Health Maternal & Child Health
Hopes are soaring that children under age 12 soon will be able to get vaccines to prevent COVID-19.
Mental Health AI/AN health Maternal & Child Health
Dr. Nancy Whitesell is one of the affiliated faculty members for PMHW. She sat down with us to share more about her work and the communities that she works with. Here's what she had to say.
Press Coverage ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz Maternal & Child Health
ColoradoSPH Dana Dabelea, professor of epidemiology and pediatrics, talking about new results show that fat mass can be associated with childhood obesity later in life.
Research Women's Health Epidemiology ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz Maternal & Child Health
According to a new study, high school girls’ lacrosse players who may, but are not required to, wear flexible headgear are at a higher risk of getting a concussion from a stick or ball impact than boys’ lacrosse players, who are required to wear a hard shell helmet with a full face mask.
Research ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz S4A Health Systems Maternal & Child Health
The Colorado School of Public Health’s (ColoradoSPH) Department of Health Systems, Management & Policy and the University of Colorado (CU) School of Medicine’s Prevention Research Center for Family & Child Health (PRC), has been awarded a three-year, $500,000 grant under Systems for Action, a national program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, to study the alignment of health care and social services with evidence-based nurse-home visiting to enhance maternal and child health.
The three-year study will examine cross-sector collaboration between health care and social services with Nurse-Family Partnership ® (NFP) – a national evidence-based home-visiting program designed to improve the health and development of first-time, low-income mothers and their babies. The study will measure changes in collaboration over time, explore associations between NFP nurse collaboration with other healthcare and social service providers and program and health measures, and assess the variation in NFP financing mechanisms.
This project will be led by Venice Ng Williams, PhD, MPH (Post-doctoral Researcher at the PRC and ColoradoSPH alumna) and Greg Tung, PhD, MPH (Associate Professor at ColoradoSPH), in collaboration with the Nurse-Family Partnership National Service Office and Jade Woodard, child maltreatment expert and Executive Director of a state-wide nonprofit - Illuminate Colorado. Mandy Allison, MD, MSPH, a practicing Pediatrician at Children’s Hospital Colorado, Co-Director of the PRC, and Associate Professor with CU School of Medicine’s Adult & Child Consortium for Health Outcomes Research and Delivery Science will contribute as co-investigator. David Olds, PhD, Founder of Nurse-Family Partnership, Professor of Pediatrics at CU School of Medicine, and Co-Director of the PRC will serve as an advisor on the study.
An earlier study, soon to be published, led by Dr. Williams shows that the degree to which NFP agencies are structurally integrated with other health care and social service providers and NFP nurse coordination with different provider types is associated with improved program outcomes. According to Dr. Williams, “Care coordination with substance use treatment providers can positively affect client retention and the health of low-income, first-time mothers in NFP, but this coordination is driven by physical integration of space, technology, finances, and other resources.”
“We hope the outcomes of this study will help facilitate better-aligned policies and practices in evidence-based nurse home-visiting that will address social barriers to health, facilitate care coordination, and advance health equity across the United States especially under the current state of events.”
Systems for Action is a national program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation that aims to build a “culture of health” by testing new ways of connecting the nation’s fragmented medical, social, and public health systems.
NOTE: Support for this research is provided by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The views expressed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the Foundation.
COVID-19 Mental Health Epidemiology Infectious disease ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz ColoradoSPH at CSU ColoradoSPH at UNC Data and Health AI/AN health Biostatistics Health Advocacy Maternal & Child Health Latino Health
Wearing a mask or face covering in the US has become about more than just slowing the spread of COVID-19 — some experts say it's a political statement, signalling another layer in the deep divisions within America.
Research Diabetes Epidemiology ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz Maternal & Child Health
Despite the increased availability of diabetes technology, new therapies and more aggressive glycemic targets, today’s youth and young adults with diabetes in the United States are not demonstrating improved glycemic control compared to their counterparts from years past. Most notably, many age groups have worse glycemic control compared to youth and young adults from 2002-2007. Researchers revealed these data today at the American Diabetes Association’s® (ADA’s) 80th Virtual Scientific Sessions in a study entitled “Trends in Glycemic Control among Youth with Diabetes:
The SEARCH for Diabetes in Youth Study.” The SEARCH for Diabetes in Youth (SEARCH) study began in 2000 with funding from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). It represents the largest, most diverse study of diabetes in youth in the U.S. Currently, SEARCH has more than 27,000 participants across racial and ethnic backgrounds from 10 different states visiting one of five study centers in the country (California, Colorado, Ohio, South Carolina, Washington).
“This large, active registry and cohort study of youth diagnosed with diabetes before the age of 20 enables researchers to make assessments of prevalence, annual incidence, and trends by age, race/ethnicity, sex, and diabetes type,” said SEARCH principal investigator and study co-author Dana Dabelea, MD, PhD, director of the Lifecourse Epidemiology of Adiposity and Diabetes (LEAD) Center and the Conrad M. Riley Endowed Professor at the Colorado School of Public Health. “The SEARCH findings have contributed to a better understanding of the complex and heterogeneous nature of diabetes in youth.”
In the current analysis, researchers examined trends in glycemic control in 6,492 SEARCH participants who had diabetes for more than one year. Participants’ visit data was categorized into three time periods: 2002-2007, 2008-2013, and 2014-2019. In addition, participants were categorized into three groups based upon their duration of diabetes (1-4 years, 5-9 years, and more than 10 years), as well as by age group (10-14 years old, 15-19 years old, 20-24 years old, and 25 and older). Stratified multivariable regression models were used to test differences in hemoglobin A1c (A1c) over time. Adjustments were made for site, age, sex, race/ethnicity, health insurance status, and disease duration.
Results of the study indicated:
Press Coverage Maternal & Child Health
If President Trump cuts ties with the World Health Organization (WHO), our country will effectively walk away from long-standing commitments to the world’s most vulnerable mothers and children.
Public Health Obesity Awards Maternal & Child Health
Dr. Charlotte Farewell, Senior Research Instructor in the Department of Community and Behavioral Health, received the Lorna Grindlay Moore, PhD Faculty Launch Award. The title of her abstract is, "Fostering Resilience Among Mothers Early (FRAME): Protective Impacts on Obesity in Early and Middle Childhood."
Learn more about the Lorna Grindlay Moore, PhD Faculty Launch Fund on the OB-GYN funding opportunities page.
Texting programs aimed at parents of young children have proliferated over the last several years as smart phones have become ubiquitous and health and education groups look for new ways to get kids on track early.
Jini Puma, associate director of the Rocky Mountain Prevention Research Center, said the six-week parenting class represents the “Cadillac” version of the program, but that it was a big ask for parents with multiple jobs or other conflicts.
Texting, she said, is “super effective to use in this way, where it’s part of a multilevel intervention.”
Read the full story on Chalkbeat Colorado.
Research ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz ColoradoSPH at CSU Environment Maternal & Child Health
Malnutrition is prevalent on a global scale and has numerous negative consequences for children during the first five years of life. For some children, it can mean struggling with health issues for life or a higher risk of death among those under five years of age.
Press Coverage Maternal & Child Health
An app is being designed to help make mental health care accessible for children.
Community Community and Practice ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz Community Health Maternal & Child Health
It takes four hours and 20 minutes for Jenn Leiferman, PhD, and Jini Puma, PhD, to drive to the San Luis Valley from central Denver. When faculty and staff from the Colorado School of Public Health get to this rural community in Southern Colorado, they’re often greeted by their first name and a hug. They know the school well here.
Community Community and Practice Maternal & Child Health
The Integrated Nutrition Education Program (INEP) is a creative and fun way for kids to learn about healthy eating in their classroom and to share what they learn with their families. Each lesson includes a hands-on cooking activity that teaches students how to prepare and taste new fruits and vegetables. INEP is funded by SNAP-Ed and conducted through partnerships with the University of Colorado and various school districts and schools from around the state. INEP’s goal is to instill life-long nutrition behaviors to prevent obesity, type 2 diabetes, cancer, and heart disease. To accomplish this goal, INEP targets increased fruit and vegetable consumption, overall healthy eating, children’s willingness to try new foods and increased physical activity.
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Community Community and Practice Maternal & Child Health
Building on our long history of partnerships in the rural San Luis Valley, state partnerships and the need for expansion to other states in HHS Region 8, the Center's public health practice-based core research project is designed to reduce the intergenerational transmission of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) in the San Luis Valley (SLV) of Colorado. ACEs are modifiable risk factors that have a profound and lasting effect on a person’s health. To accomplish this, a community-engaged, stakeholder-driven, multi-level intervention, called STANCE (Linking Systems To address ACEs iN Childhood Early on) has been funded by the CDC.
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Community Obesity Community and Practice Maternal & Child Health
The Culture of Wellness in Preschools (COWP) is a comprehensive and collaborative early childhood obesity program, which aims to promote a “culture of wellness” in preschool settings by increasing fruit and vegetable consumption and physical activity levels. This is accomplished by bringing the following to preschool sites throughout Colorado:
Community Community and Practice pregnancy Maternal & Child Health
Prenatal depression is associated with numerous, deleterious maternal and child health outcomes. Pregnant women have expressed a need for help in identifying and treating their depressive symptoms. Healthcare providers play a significant role in managing (i.e. identifying and treating/referring to care) prenatal depression as they are often the sole exposure to mental health resources for women. However, many providers may not be meeting these recommendations. Identifying women who are exhibiting depressive symptomatology and providing guidance based on evidence-based practices and/or utilizing linkages to mental health specialists are all integral to providing optimal patient-centered care. This study will conduct a pilot, randomized-controlled trial to test the preliminary effects of an online training with a diverse group of providers on the management of prenatal depression.
The present study intends to test an evidence-based, online training for a diverse group of providers on how to manage prenatal depression. Providers will be recruited from two states, Colorado and Virginia.
Our online training provides an overview of the harmful effects of prenatal depression on numerous maternal and child outcomes, as well as provides a framework that uses the 5As model (i.e. Assess, Advise, Agree, Assist and Arrange) to teach providers how to 1) assess for depression, 2) advise the patient on treatment options, 3) agree on a treatment plan, 4) assist patient in any problem solving related to obtaining treatment, and 5) arrange for supports for the patient (e.g. link patients to mental health resources in the community).
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Community Community and Practice Equity Diversity and Inclusion ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz Workforce Development Community Health Maternal & Child Health
It’s a heartbreaking statistic: African-American/black infants in Colorado are two-and-a-half times more likely to die before their first birthday than white infants. The number frames two complicated questions: why the disparity and how to eliminate it?
Research Diabetes Epidemiology ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz Maternal & Child Health
When Dana Dabelea, MD, PhD, was considering a move from Romania to work in diabetes research in the United States, she was drawn to the work of Richard Hamman, MD, DrPH, saying she was “inspired by his vision and the opportunities he created for diabetes research.”
Community Diabetes Community and Practice smoking Data and Health Maternal & Child Health
Organized by LEAD Assistant Directors Kate Sauder (Translation), Anne Starling (Environment), and Wei Perng (‘Omics), fifteen ‘lightning’ talks of three minutes each were presented. The topics ranged from molecular to community level exposures and outcomes. Small groups were formed at the end of the session to identify areas for collaboration and strategize on future directions.
Research Epidemiology Obesity ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz Community Health Maternal & Child Health
A new study including two ColoradoSPH researchers is among the first to show that children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) had the highest frequency of rapid weight gain during the first six months of life, which may put them at increased risk for childhood obesity.
Research Diabetes Maternal & Child Health
Dana Dabelea, MD, PhD, professor of epidemiology and director of the Lifecourse Epidemiology of Adiposity and Diabetes (LEAD) center at Colorado School of Public Health gave a video response about what was discovered in children during trials for diabetes medication.
Community Community and Practice ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz pregnancy Global Health Maternal & Child Health
I live in Guatemala, where almost 50% of all children under five suffer from malnutrition, and poverty, but I was fortunate to attend a private school in the capital city. Even at my school they only taught us four classes on sexual health from grades 6-8 and the rest was left to our parents and imagination. These lessons were not only short, but they lacked depth and were imparted by conservative volunteers that distanced themselves from the reality of modern teen messages and sexuality. Their teachings scared students away from sex, and did little to foster healthy relationships, values or skills.
Research Epidemiology Infectious disease ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz Global Health Maternal & Child Health One Health
Researchers at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus and the Baylor College of Medicine will join with Guatemalan investigators in a major study examining the clinical outcomes of children infected with the Zika virus after being born, focusing on long-term brain development.
Research Diabetes Maternal & Child Health
A broad-scale, five-state study published in the latest issue of the New England Journal of Medicine found that from 2002 to 2012, the yearly rate of newly diagnosed cases of both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes in youth increased significantly and steadily over the 10-year period, especially among Hispanic youth.
Community Community and Practice ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz Global Health Maternal & Child Health
The World Health Organization (WHO) reported that between 1990 and 2003, mortality of children under five years old fell from 12.7 million to 6.3 million. During the same time, the proportion of deaths that occurred in the neonatal period (the first 28 days) actually increased from 37 percent to about 44 percent. Global recognition of this gap has motivated many in the field of neonatal care to scale up effective and affordable interventions to address the primary causes of neonatal mortality: asphyxia, low birth weight, and infection. Among those leading the effort to improve newborn survival worldwide is Susan Niermeyer, MD, MPH, FAAP, professor of Pediatrics, Section of Neonatology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and professor of Epidemiology at the Colorado School of Public Health, both located on the CU Anschutz Medical Campus.
Research Diabetes Maternal & Child Health
A new report published in the Feb. 28 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association points to a significantly higher burden of diabetes-related complications in adolescents and young adults with type 2 diabetes compared to type 1 diabetes, with greater health complications in minority youth.
Community Community and Practice ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz Global Health Maternal & Child Health
The Colorado School of Public Health's Center for Global Health announced today the rollout of a revised Pediatrics in Disasters (PEDs) training program, which trains healthcare and humanitarian workers to prioritize life-saving care for children in disasters.
Community Women's Health Community and Practice Global Health Maternal & Child Health
The maternal and child health program within the Colorado School of Public Health’s Center for Global Health has been re-designated by the World Health Organization as a WHO Collaborating Center for Promoting Family and Child Health. The program, which is a partnership between Children’s Hospital Colorado (Children’s Colorado) and the Colorado School of Public Health (ColoradoSPH), is the only maternal and child health collaborating center in North America.
Research Diabetes Obesity pregnancy Maternal & Child Health
"Exercise during pregnancy can keep weight gain in check, reduce your risk of gestational diabetes, decrease discomfort, and set you up for an easier labor and delivery. Now, new research shows that breaking a sweat, especially after 29 weeks, has a big benefit for your baby, too."
UCHealth
April 19, 2024
“Timeliness of care makes a big difference in outcomes,” said Dr. Evelinn Borrayo, associate director in the Office of Community Outreach and Engagement at the University of Colorado Cancer Center and professor in the Department of Community & Behavioral Health at the Colorado School of Public Health, who leads the five-year trial. “Timely treatment improves survivorship, quality of life and mental health.”
Mirage News
April 17, 2024
The Colorado School of Public Health (ColoradoSPH) has been ranked #16 by U.S. News & World Report for graduate programs in public health. The rankings were announced publicly on April 9. Previously, ColoradoSPH had been ranked #17. As a newer school of public health, founded in 2008, ColoradoSPH, has risen steadily through the ranks from #35 to #16 in just 15 short years. The rankings of more than 200 schools and programs of public health are based on expert opinions about program excellence and other statistical indicators that measure the quality of a school's faculty, research, and students.
9 News
April 12, 2024
“People need to be aware that their risk associated with drinking PFAs in drinking water is still likely quite low, given we don’t have those high, high levels of contamination. The EPA standard is designed to really take that down to be most protective of public health,” said Ned Calonge, associate dean for public health practice, and a professor of epidemiology at the Colorado School of Public Health.
5280
April 02, 2024
Kristine Burrows has dedicated a big chunk of her young life to old age. She earned a master’s degree with a focus on leadership and healthy aging from the Colorado School of Public Health in 2018, launched a statewide day program for older adults with disabilities through the Lakewood chapter of national nonprofit Easterseals, and eventually worked as director of aging, care, and connections for the Jewish Family Service of Colorado.
Colorado School of Public Health
