The U.S. Surgeon General recently declared loneliness an epidemic and a threat to public health, and estimates note about half of the U.S. population is experiencing loneliness. Associate Professor Carrie Henning-Smith from the University of Minnesota School of Public Health answers questions about loneliness and steps people can take if they’re experiencing it.
People with mental health and substance use disorders often delay or avoid seeking health care treatment for a variety of reasons, including stigma, lack of access and the cost of visiting a clinician.
Community health workers are the frontline members of our public health workforce. They’re also among the most diverse part of that workforce — today, about 40% are non-white, and that number is increasing.
While overall smoking rates among U.S. adults are declining, many communities remain disproportionately burdened by commercial tobacco use and the associated negative health consequences. Smoking prevalence among rural adults stood at 19.2% in 2020, compared to 14.4% for their urban counterparts. Previous research also shows rural people start smoking at younger ages and smoke more heavily than non-rural residents.
Though women perform 77% of health care jobs nationally, gender wage gaps persist, potentially contributing to lower lifetime earnings for millions of women and deterring professional advancement.
