health

The Institute of Social and Economic Research’s (ISER) Dr. Kevin Berry recently co-wrote an article with Dr. Katherine Lee (University of Idaho) published in The Hill. The piece, Why a go-it-alone approach to combatting the coronavirus won't work, addresses the current coronavirus outbreak (COVID-19) and why we need coordinated international efforts in order to minimize the overall effects.

The Institute of Social and Economic Research’s Professor Kevin Berry recently discussed the coronavirus with both Alaska Public Media and KTUU. He says the oil, fishing, tourism and cargo industries may be especially susceptible to the effects of the outbreak. 

“These things will probably slow down the economy because, within China, people are being told to stay inside, not move around,” Berry commented. “So we can expect the economy as a whole to slow down because of this. There’s going to be an impact on things like oil.” 

Drs. Katie Cueva and Jen Schmidt of the Institute of Social and Economic Research (ISER) traveled to Northwest Arctic Alaska to discuss cancer education for high school students. Cancer is the leading cause of death in the state, and Alaska Native people bear a disproportionate burden of mortality and cancer risk factors. Working with communities to understand and prevent cancer can help lower the unnecessary loss of life from this disease. 

A new paper by CBHRS researchers Dr. Bridget Hanson and Becky Porter describes experiences of Alaskans using naloxone to prevent opioid overdose in their peers. Participants described naloxone as easy to use and effective in reversing overdose. They emphasized the need to have naloxone widely available in order to prevent overdose death.

On a recent Talk of Alaska episode, ISER's Dr. Kevin Berry was one of the guests that discussed pandemic preparedness and what has been learned from the 1918 outbreak of the Spanish flu which killed millions worldwide and devastated rural communities in Alaska. 

The Institute of Social and Economic Research’s (ISER) Dr. Mouhcine Guettabi, Associate Professor of Economics, was recently published in Scientific American where he discussed his recent research and results on the impact of universal basic income (UBI) on childhood obesity. The article drew from a longer report which Dr. Guettabi co-authored with Drs. Brett Watson and Matthew Reimer. 

Diane King, Director of the Center for Behavioral Health Research and Services (CBHRS) within ISER, along with Bridget Hanson, Research Associate Professor and Alexandra Edwards, Research Professional, recently attended the Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASDs) Grantee Meeting in Atlanta, Georgia. The meeting, hosted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, focused on sharing innovative practices and disseminating findings from across the country related to preventing and addressing FASDs. 

A new study of the Alaska Permanent Fund Dividend (PFD) program shows that an additional $1,000 PFD decreases the probability of an Alaskan child being obese by as much as 4.5 percentage points, translating to about a 22% reduction in obesity.