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Jhumka Gupta, ScD, MPH, associate professor in the College of Health and Human Services’ Department of Global and Community Health, says that she has always been drawn to research that seeks to “bring the ‘hidden side’ of things out in the open: such as violence against women and girls and refugee populations.” Gupta’s research on period poverty, and more broadly, stigma and menstrual health, is helping to inform a national policy discussion on health equity, reaching well beyond the public health community. U.S. Rep. Grace Meng (D-Queens) has referenced Gupta’s research in support of legislation for menstrual equity. After Gupta saw her research referenced on Rep. Meng’s social media, she reached out to Meng’s office to share additional resources. In May 2021, Meng introduced the Menstrual Equity for All Act of 2021, aimed at increasing access to menstrual products, and she met with Gupta to learn more about her work. 

In a first-of-its-kind study, Associate Professor Hong Xue and Professors Alison Cuellar and Lawrence Cheskin and colleagues at 91����'s College of Health and Human Services examined associations between the amount of time spent on specific social media sites and the use of both e-cigarettes and traditional cigarettes.  

While most of the social media platforms reviewed in the study showed no significant association with vaping, Xue and his colleagues did find that college-age e-cigarette users who spent more time on Snapchat did have a higher prevalence of lifetime e-cigarette use as well as an increased frequency of e-cigarette use in the past 30 days.

College-age e-cigarette users who are occasional or regular vapers spend an average of just over two hours a day on Snapchat, according to the study. Non-users, on the other hand, spend less than an hour each day on the app. The study also found that each extra hour on Snapchat was associated with a 4.61 percent increase in likelihood of lifetime e-cigarette use

Panelists shared insight on the role of unique partnerships in city policy and health in third Health Policy Summer Series event.

Panelists from the private, non-profit and government sectors shared their perspectives on the role of health policy in achieving housing stability.

Health Policymaking Priorities Now: the first webinar in the Health Policy Summer Series featured panelists from Capitol Hill, the Virginia Medicaid program, and the Urban Institute

When it comes sharing recipes on social media, what users post, and what they cook may be two different things according to a recent study led by Hong Xue, PhD at 91����. The study, published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research (JMIR), analyzed hundreds of recipes and found users liked and pinned posts that were healthy, but more heavily engaged off-line with recipes that were high in fat, sugar, and total calories.

Telehealth as a channel for delivering care has boomed in the past few years in response to the growing need for more flexible opioid treatment options and limitations to in-person care during the COVID-19 pandemic. But for states, payers, and providers to deliver on the long-term promise of telehealth, areas such as funding, infrastructure, policy, access points, and coverage must also evolve.

The College of Health and Human Services is proud to announce that P.J. Maddox, PhD, has received the 91���� Faculty of the Year Award and will be formally recognized at the Celebration of Distinction on Thursday, April 22, hosted by Mason’s Alumni Association.

Join the College of Health and Human Services to Celebrate National Public Health Week April 5-11

Policy changes strengthen state’s capacity to fight substance use and improve outcomes including increases in number of behavioral health and substance use providers and patients treated.