Aspects of built environments do not play expected role in weight gain

Posted on July 29, 2021

According to a University of Washington-led study on obesity, certain features of the built environment, such as proximity to fast food restaurants and supermarkets, do not impact weight. The study is part of a 12-year collaboration between the UW and Kaiser Permanente Washington for the research project, Moving to Health. After examining more than 100,000 Kaiser Permanente Washington patients’ anonymized data, researchers were able to refute previously held beliefs that built environment amenities contribute to weight changes. The study found…

PestiSeguro™ paves the way for improving the health and safety of agricultural workers

Posted on July 28, 2021

According to data from the Pesticide Illness Surveillance Program from the Washington State Department of Health, of the 630 cases of pesticide-related illness reported in 2010-2017, 90% of cases involved farmworkers whose preferred language was Spanish. Although most agricultural workers in Washington State are Spanish speakers, required pesticide safety information is primarily available in English. This language barrier poses a potential health and safety risk for workers. Recognizing the severity of this issue, Kit Galvin, University of Washington research scientist,…

Increasing vaccination rates in underserved King County communities

Posted on July 22, 2021

A new project from the University of Washington Health Promotion Research Center (UW HPRC) aims to increase vaccination rates for underserved communities within King County. The project is made possible by $500,000 in funding from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The data yielded through this project will contribute to the Connecting Behavioral Science to COVID-19 Vaccine Demand (CBS-CVD) Network, a national network of which the UW HPRC is one of 26 member centers included. Researchers from…

Researchers have established a link between drug rebates and higher costs to patients

Posted on July 20, 2021

Healthcare spending in America has remained a prominent topic of debate, with much concern over the rising list prices and out-of-pocket costs for patients seeking prescription drugs. Associated with these increasing costs is the industry practice of using rebates to lower drug costs for insurers. A University of Washington-led study examined cost and price data on more than 400 branded drugs. The researchers uncovered a positive association between rebates and increases in out-of-pocket costs for patients. Prices increased by an…

Co-designing a technology intervention to support the health and development of children

Posted on July 14, 2021

The King County’s 2018-2019 Community Needs Assessment revealed that infants from racially and economically marginalized groups encounter the highest rates of infant mortality and lowest birth weights compared to any other population. King County has offered developmental screening services and virtual information to help child caregivers address this issue. However, there is growing consensus among healthcare providers and child caregivers that these tools do not adequately respond to diverse cultural, social and economic experiences. Recognizing that these factors do not…

Spotlight: David Townes’ dedication to international humanitarian work

Posted on July 8, 2021January 28, 2025

Dr. David A. Townes, University of Washington professor of Emergency Medicine and adjunct professor of Global Health, has demonstrated a steadfast commitment to international humanitarian work and educating the next generation of humanitarian professionals. In addition to his academic roles, Townes is a board-certified physician in Emergency Medicine. He earned his M.D. from the University of Massachusetts, where he realized an interest in emergency medicine. “At the time, emergency medicine was just starting to explode in popularity,” Townes said. “Emergency…

UW researchers offer a roadmap for more robust modeling of pedestrian mobility

Posted on July 7, 2021

Researchers from the University of Washington Allen School’s Taskar Center for Accessible Technology have developed a framework for modeling how pedestrians with varying needs and preferences navigate the urban environment. This framework holds the potential to improve pedestrian experiences, redress mobility concerns and expand the accessibility of urban landscapes. The team created a personalized pedestrian network analysis (PPNA), which offers a roadmap for city-scale mobility that captures diverse pedestrian experiences. The PPNA also opens up new opportunities for collaboration at…

Learning from past emergencies to improve the pandemic response

Posted on July 1, 2021

By investigating government policy responses to large-scale crises, a team including a faculty member from the University of Washington’s Evans School of Public Policy & Governance found that a centralized approach can achieve goals more effectively and efficiently. In times of crisis, government approaches to procuring goods and services may be interrupted or dramatically altered. The researchers point to coordination issues around acquiring PPE and inconsistencies in COVID-19 vaccine rollout across states to support this point. Despite the unprecedented nature…

New research finds heat limits worker productivity in tropical deforested areas

Posted on June 30, 2021

According to new research from the University of Washington Departments of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences and Atmospheric Sciences, workers in deforested areas are less productive than their counterparts in forested regions. The study examined agricultural workers in rural Indonesia, examining the health of workers and their productivity levels in areas experiencing tropical deforestation. Through deforestation, the local environment lacks the cooling power and shade that trees can offer. This leaves workers in deforested areas vulnerable to increased body temperatures,…