Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
US Rural Populations Are Skewing Older: 1 In 5 Is Over 65
Rural America is continuing to get older, and a new report shows the extent has hit a new high. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's annual Rural America at a Glance report shows more than 20% of rural residents are over age 65 compared to 16% in urban areas. 鈥淭he aging of the baby-boom generation will continue to contribute to the loss of working-age adults through the end of this decade,鈥 the report from the USDA鈥檚 Economic Research Service stated. (Ahl, 12/2)
Family members of three tourists who died while staying at an Airbnb in Mexico City, apparently of carbon monoxide poisoning, urged the short-term rental company Thursday to require detectors in properties it lists to prevent future tragedies. (Rodrigue, 12/1)
Young children living in neighborhoods with high rates of poverty are more likely to be exposed to many different air pollutants, and that can harm their development during early childhood, according to a study published Wednesday. The children鈥檚 increased exposure to air toxins during infancy can reduce reading and math abilities and cause them to fall behind 鈥 for some, the effect is equivalent to losing an entire month of elementary school. (Ajasa, 11/30)
There is no dearth of evidence, in other words, that air pollution poses a significant threat to human health and cognition. Now a new study reveals that pollution is not merely a public health scourge but also a key driver of economic and racial inequality. (Lalwani and Winter-Levy, 12/1)
An analysis of two decades of data on Americans鈥 diets revealed that people are increasingly choosing whole grain foods, but we're still not eating enough in our daily diets, Tufts University researchers reported in a study published Wednesday in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. (Carroll, 12/1)
Many of us are surrounded by light at night 鈥 from streetlights streaming through our windows to televisions and smartphones by our beds. And now research shows that exposure to light at night in the hours before bedtime and even during sleep can be detrimental to our health. (Sima, 12/1)