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Annual Healthy Georgia Report looks at public health in the Peach State
The fourth edition of the “Healthy Georgia: Our State of Public Health” report has been released by the Institute of Public and Preventive Health in Augusta University’s School of Public Health. Within the 64 pages of the report is a snapshot of how healthy Georgians are compared to citizens across the 12 states that make up the Southeastern Region (Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia) and the entire United States. The 2025 edition addresses 31 health topics and has been expanded this year to include multimorbidity; long COVID-19; HIV, chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis infection rates; opioid and methamphetamine drug use; suicides; and vaping. Biplab Datta, PhD, assistant professor in the Department of Health Management, Economics, and Policy in SPH, heads up the team of IPPH faculty and staff who create the report each year. Datta credits Jen Jaremski, research associate, and Kit Wooten, public health analyst, with handling much of the work of bringing the report to life. Together, Jaremski and Wooten collected and organized all of the needed assets and organized the 64-page document, preparing it for print and the web. “Every year we strive to present data in a way that policymakers may find helpful in making policy choices,” Datta said. “There are several new topics that were added to this year’s report and some of those are concerning for the state of Georgia, particularly the communicable diseases like HIV, chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis. High prevalence rates of these conditions in Georgia, compared to the rest of the U.S. and the Southeastern Region, warrant attention of the public health community.” Georgia has the second-highest rate of HIV infections in the U.S., fourth-highest rates of gonorrhea, sixth-highest for chlamydia and 13th for syphilis. Something that is also new in this year’s report is a comparison of numbers from 2019, or before the COVID-19 pandemic began, compared to after the pandemic for certain conditions. Also coming out of the pandemic, the report looks at how long COVID has affected Georgians, with the state ranking 24th in the nation for rates of long COVID. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, long COVID is defined as a chronic condition that occurs after COVID-19 infection and is present for at least three months. On top of looking at comparisons between Georgia and the Southeast and the nation, Datta noted a clearer picture is starting to emerge concerning the difference in urban and rural areas within the state. “For several chronic conditions, like hypertension, diabetes and multimorbidity, we clearly see a striking difference between rural and urban residents of Georgia,” Datta said. Hypertension affects 44.1% of adults in rural Georgia compared to 35% in urban areas, while diabetes affects 17.5% of adults in rural Georgia compared to 12.3% of those in urban areas. Hypertension and diabetes are major risk factors for cardiovascular disease, which affects 12.2% of adults in rural areas compared to 8.3% of adults in urban areas of Georgia. “Hypertension and diabetes are the major risk factors for heart disease, which is the leading cause of death in the U.S. and worldwide, so these are some concerning numbers to see,” Datta said. Multimorbidity, which is when a person has multiple chronic conditions, including obesity, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, depression, kidney disease, diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, cardiovascular disease, cancer, skin cancer and arthritis, affects 57.4% of adults in rural Georgia compared to 49% of adults in urban areas of the state. These rates are significantly lower than the rest of the Southeast but on par with the rest of the country. When comparing Georgia to the U.S. national average, adults in Georgia have lower rates of cancer and methamphetamine use but higher rates of childhood asthma and adult obesity. At the same time, rates of adult asthma and adult obesity among Georgians were comparable to the averages seen in the Southeast. Interestingly, while adult health insurance coverage was significantly lower than the U.S. national and Southeast Regional averages, the child health insurance coverage in Georgia was comparable to both national and regional averages. The Healthy Georgia Report is the only report of its kind in the state Looking to know more or connect with Biplab Datta, PhD? Then let us help. Dr. Datta is available to speak with media regarding this important topic. Simply click on his icon now to arrange an interview today.
Water, resources and infrastructure
Across America we're seeing flooding, drought, epic storms and reservoirs running dry. Water, how it is controlled and regulated is an emerging topic. And for the next four years, with the unknown impacts of climate change - water will be on a lot of people's minds. And as the Republican National Convention 2024 begins, journalists from across the nation and the world will converge on Milwaukee, not only to cover the political spectacle but also to dig deeper on the key issues that may decide the election. To help visiting journalists navigate and understand the depth of Milwaukee's heritage and modern vibrancy, our MSOE experts are available to offer insights. Professor William Gonwa has worked in the fields of wastewater collection, storm water management, and flood protection since 1984. His research focuses on the water resources area of civil engineering including collection systems and stormwater management. He received his doctorate from Marquette University, his masters from the University of Kentucky, and his bachelors from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, all in civil and environmental engineering. . . . Dr. William Gonwa Professor, Civil Engineering Expertise: Water Resources, Sewers, Storm Water, Civil Engineering education View Profile One may hear of news reports of large events and notice that they appear to occur more frequently than they might expect (i.e. a 100-year storm is reported in the news in the Detroit region more often than once every 100 years). A casual observer not well versed in what these rainfall statistics mean might be tempted to blame this on climate change, but the dynamic described here is not the result of just climate change. It is the result of the large size of the city of Detroit and the fact that rainfall frequencies are published for a point rainfall, not regions. This regional rainfall effect will occur in any metropolitan area with a large geographic extent. Why properly characterizing large storms is critical for stormwater professionals Stormwater Solutions June 07, 2024 . . . For further information and to arrange interviews with our experts, please contact: JoEllen Burdue Senior Director of Communications and Media Relations Phone: (414) 839-0906 Email: burdue@msoe.edu . . . About Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE) Milwaukee School of Engineering is the university of choice for those seeking an inclusive community of experiential learners driven to solve the complex challenges of today and tomorrow. The independent, non-profit university has about 2,800 students and was founded in 1903. MSOE offers bachelor's and master's degrees in engineering, business and nursing. Faculty are student-focused experts who bring real-world experience into the classroom. This approach to learning makes students ready now as well as prepared for the future. Longstanding partnerships with business and industry leaders enable students to learn alongside professional mentors, and challenge them to go beyond what's possible. MSOE graduates are leaders of character, responsible professionals, passionate learners and value creators.
Bridget Melton, Ed.D., professor in the Department of Health Sciences and Kinesiology at Georgia Southern University, is part of a team awarded $1.1 million from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to assist with a study aimed to promote wellness in firefighters and first responders. Melton is collaborating with researchers at the University of Kentucky as part of a three-year study that builds on a decade of foundational work by Melton and the Tactical Athlete Initiative team in the Waters College of Health Professions, College of Education and the Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health. The grant will help the researchers assist firefighters with injury mitigation, better work outcomes and reduction in financial burdens. “Our tactical research team has collaborated with our local fire department, Statesboro Fire Department, to create an industry-leading integrated health approach to firefighter wellness,” stated Melton. “In this model, the firefighter’s health and wellness is prioritized in a cost-effective approach.” The integrative approach brings the best human performance practices to first responders, infusing strength and conditioning coaches, athletic trainers, nutrition specialists and mental skill experts. A handful of agencies nationwide are beginning to embrace this integrated approach. Even with the model’s success, there is still limited research on benefits to the firefighter, health care costs and the organization with this new model, Melton noted. “The goal of the FEMA study is to provide agencies and government officials with evidence supporting the model,” she said. “We want to be able to demonstrate to these individuals that their return on investment will be worth it, as firefighters using the model will sustain fewer injuries; therefore, the agency’s financial burden will be reduced.” Looking to know more - we can help. To connect with Bridget Melton from Department of Health Sciences and Kinesiology at Georgia Southern - simply contact Georgia Southern's Director of Communications Jennifer Wise at jwise@georgiasouthern.edu to arrange an interview today.
Is there a link between CTE and mass shootings? Let our expert explain
This spring news of mass shootings has dominated the headlines almost weekly with stories of tragedy in Michigan, Tennessee, Kentucky and Alabama. To date, there have been an estimated 160 mass-shootings in America this year. In the wake of each tragedy, Americans are left asking 'How this could happen?' and 'Why did this happen?' In the case of the April 10 shooting in Louisville, the parents of the gunman are also seeking answers as they claim prior trauma and CTE may have played some part in the shooter's actions and motivation. It's a theory that's getting a lot of attention from doctors and journalists. The family of Connor Sturgeon – who was killed after he fatally shot five people Monday morning at the Old National Bank in Louisville, Kentucky – plans to have his brain tested for chronic traumatic encephalopathy, commonly known as CTE, his father and a spokesperson for the family told CNN on Thursday. “Yes, Connor is being tested for CTE. Probably will take a while to get results,” Todd Sturgeon, Connor Sturgeon’s father, texted to CNN. Pete Palmer, a family friend who is speaking for the Sturgeons, said the family and the state medical examiner are looking to have Connor Sturgeon’s brain tested. April 14 - CNN There's a lot to know when reporting on CTE, especially when it involves the potential links to tragedy and a mass shooting. And that's where clinical experts can help and make sure reporters have the details, terminology and facts correct when covering such important topics. With over 40 years of clinical practice, Wayne Hulon is an American Board Certified Psychotherapist, and is also recognized by the State of Georgia as a Licensed Professional Counselor. In addition to his private practice, Wayne serves as a member of the American College of Psychotherapy and is currently serving as its Executive Director. Wayne is available to speak with media regarding this subject - simply click on his icon now to arrange an interview today.
Will voters 'hit' or 'hold' on allowing legal gambling in Georgia?
Could we see horse racing and other forms of gambling come to Georgia in the near future? The Georgia state legislature is looking at the possibility of legalizing gambling on horse racing and the decision could land in the hands of the voters. Proponents say there is potential for a billion dollars in economic benefits, from job creation to a boost in revenues. Marsha Loda is an associate professor at Augusta University’s Hull College of Business. She said if approved, it will likely take more than horse racing for a track to survive. Loda cites Kentucky as an example of what tracks are doing there. “A lot of people think of Kentucky as the mecca of horse racing, but they don’t realize it might not exist without historical horse racing machines," said Loda. "HHRs are slot-like machines that let players wager on past horse races by a random number generator.” Many tracks nationwide have also expanded into casino and sports betting. While this isn’t what Georgia is looking to do initially, it’s not far off to think it could be on the horizon, with horse racing being the first step. Loda, who previously served as marketing director at Harrah’s Cherokee Resort in North Carolina, knows if casino gambling is approved in the future, most of those people who visit need to come from out of town. “You need to be able to import your people who are going to bet. That means you’re importing revenue. Otherwise you’re taking what’s already spent in your community and just slicing it up and giving it to different places. You’re not growing the pie at all,” said Loda. She has also seen the benefits of legalized betting, citing the added jobs a casino would offer. One aspect of gambling that has exploded is sports betting. More than two dozen states have legalized sports betting. Loda thinks if sports betting was on a ballot and went in front of the public for a vote, it would stand a better chance of passing. “I wouldn’t be surprised to see Georgia pass sports betting. I think sports betting has been very well accepted. I think they would come much closer to getting more voters to approve it if it were sports betting than if it’s horse racing or casino gambling.” This is an important topic with many angles to cover, and if you are a reporter looking to know more, then let our experts help. Loda is a leading marketing expert helping businesses in the hospitality industry bounce back from crises, including the COVID-19 pandemic, and also has had extensive experience in the gambling industry. She is available to speak with media regarding the idea of gambling coming to Georgia. Simply click on her icon now to arrange an interview today.
What Can A Forgotten Piece of Our Opioid Addiction and Treatment History Teach Us?
As the nation struggles with the third wave of a continuing opioid epidemic, a newly republished book co-authored by Nancy Campbell, the head of the Department of Science and Technology Studies at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, offers insight into present-day drug addiction and treatment by exploring a complex chapter from the nation’s past. Written with JP Olsen and Luke Walden, The Narcotic Farm: The Rise and Fall of America’s First Prison for Drug Addicts details the history of the United States Narcotic Farm, a federal institution that opened in 1935 outside of Lexington, Kentucky. Jointly operated from 1935 to 1975 by the U.S. Public Health Service and the Federal Bureau of Prisons, the Narcotic Farm was a combination prison, hospital, working farm, rehabilitation center, and research laboratory. “All of our scientific knowledge about human opioid addiction comes from that time, comes from that place,” said Campbell, a leading figure in the social history of drugs, drug policy, and harm reduction, on an episode of the Landmark Recovery Radio podcast. The facility, which was also the subject of a 2009 documentary featuring Campbell, has a complicated legacy. It revolutionized treatment methods commonly accepted today, such as using methadone to medically manage heroin detox and the development of drugs like naloxone and buprenorphine. But it fell under a cloud of suspicion in 1975, when Congress learned that researchers had recruited patients as test subjects for CIA-funded LSD experiments as part of the notorious MK-Ultra project. “With the ongoing opioid epidemic worsening this past year in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the lessons learned in this book continue to be relevant today,” Campbell said. Campbell is also the author of Using Women: Gender, Drug Policy, and Social Justice and Discovering Addiction: The Science and Politics of Substance Abuse Research, as well as the co-author of Gendering Addiction: The Politics of Drug Treatment in a Neurochemical World. Her most recent book, OD: Naloxone and the Politics of Overdose, was published in 2020. “Nobody should die of overdose. A high overdose death rate signals that we have not cared for the people who have been hurt most by the war on drugs, first pursued by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1954,” Campbell said in a recent “Academic Minute” segment. Campbell is available to discuss a wide range of topics relating to drug policy and history, including the Narcotic Farm.
Better Sleep - Not 'All-Nighters' - Helps Students on Final Exams
Students given extra points if they met “The 8-hour Challenge” — averaging eight hours of sleep for five nights during final exams week — did better than those who snubbed (or flubbed) the incentive, according to Baylor University research. “Better sleep helped rather than harmed final exam performance, which is contrary to most college students’ perceptions that they have to sacrifice either studying or sleeping. And you don’t have to be an ‘A’ student or have detailed education on sleep for this to work,” said Michael Scullin, Ph.D., , director of Baylor’s Sleep Neuroscience and Cognition Laboratory and assistant professor of psychology and neuroscience in Baylor’s College of Arts & Sciences. While students who successfully met the sleep challenge received extra points for the “mini-incentive,” the additional credit was not included in the analysis of how well they performed on the finals, emphasized Elise King, assistant professor of interior design in Baylor’s Robbins College of Health and Human Sciences. “They didn’t just perform well because they received extra points,” she said. “Students know that sacrificing sleep to complete school work is not a healthy choice, but they assume they don't have a choice, often remarking that there aren't enough hours in the day for coursework, extracurriculars, jobs, etc. “This removes that excuse.” Research participants included undergraduate interior design students and students in upper-level psychology and neuroscience classes. While the psychology classes emphasized education about sleep, the interior design students did not receive any formal training in sleep. Those who opted to take the challenge wore wristband sleep-monitoring devices for five days to ensure accurate study results. “The students didn’t need the extra credit to perform better, and they weren’t really better students from the get-go,” Scullin said. “If you statistically correct for whether a student was an A, B, C, or D student before their final exam, sleeping 8 hours was associated with a four-point grade boost — even prior to applying extra credit.” The collaborative interior design study — “The 8-Hour Challenge: Incentivizing Sleep During End-of-Term Assessments” — was published in the Journal of Interior Design. Scullin’s study of psychology students — “The 8-Hour Sleep Challenge During Final Exams Week” — was published in Teaching of Psychology. Poor sleep is common during finals as students cut back on sleep, deal with more stress, use more caffeine and are exposed to more bright light, all of which may disrupt sleep. Fewer than 10 percent of undergraduates maintain the recommended average of 8 hours a night or even the recommended minimum of 7 hours, previous research shows. But with incentives, “we can potentially completely reverse the proportion of students meeting minimum sleep recommendations — 7 hours a night — from fewer than 15 percent up to 90 percent,” Scullin said. “Half of students can even meet optimal sleep recommendations of 8 to 9 hours.” Here are the findings of the two studies: PSYCHOLOGY STUDENTS In the study of psychology students, 34 students in two undergraduate courses could earn extra credit if they averaged 8 hours of sleep during final exams week or at least improved upon their sleep from earlier in the semester. The 24 who opted to take the challenge averaged 8.5 hours of sleep, with 17 meeting the goal. On the final exam, students who slept more than 8 hours nightly performed better than those who opted out or slept less than 7.9 hours. The incentive was 8 points — the equivalent of 1 percent on a student’s overall class grade. “It’s worth noting that one student who had a D-plus grade before the final but slept more than 8 hours a week during finals week, remarked that it was the ‘first time my brain worked while taking an exam,’” Scullin said. INTERIOR DESIGN STUDENTS In the interior design study challenge, students earned credit if they averaged 8 or more hours a night but received no grade change if they averaged 7 to 7.9 hours a night. Of the 27 students enrolled in the program, 22 attempted the challenge. Compared with a group of 22 students who did not try for the extra points, very few (9 percent) averaged 8 hours or even 7 hours (14 percent). The 8‐hour challenge increased the percentage of 8‐ and 7‐hour sleepers to 59 percent and 86 percent respectively. Students who took part in the challenge slept an average of 98 minutes more per night compared to students who were not offered the incentive but were monitored. “Critically, the additional sleep did not come at a cost to project performance,” King said. “Students who showed more consistent sleep performed better than those who had less consistent sleep. And students who achieved the challenge performed as well as or better than those who did not take the challenge." In a study of sleep and creativity done in 2017, King and Scullin found that interior design students with highly variable sleep habits — cycling between “all-nighters” and “catch-up” nights — had decreased cognition in attention and creativity, especially with major projects. Design students customarily complete finals projects rather than final exams. “Whether or not they ‘pull an all-nighter,’ when students cut their sleep, the effects are obvious,” King said. “They have trouble paying attention during class, and they aren't as productive during studio time.” She noted that there is a cultural acceptability — at least in design professions — related to sleep deprivation, in part because of the notion of the "tortured artist" who finds inspiration in the wee hours. “Some fields might find it unprofessional, but for many years, in design, sacrificing sleep was viewed as a rite of passage. That's something we're trying to change,” King said. “Even during stressful deadline weeks, students can maintain healthy sleep habits.” “To be successful at the challenge, students need to manage their time better during the day. Getting more sleep at night then allows them to be more efficient the next day,” Scullin said. “By training students in their first year of college, if not earlier, that they can sleep well during finals week without sacrificing performance, we may help to resolve the ‘global sleep epidemic’ that plagues students in America and abroad.” *Co-researcher on the interior design sleep study was Christine Mobley, Ph.D., lecturer at the University of Kentucky.
Terror sways voters - just not the way terrorists want
Those hoping to use fear to sway elections are in for a shock come election day. Terrorist attacks meant to suppress voter turnout — like the ethnically and racially-motivated attacks in Pittsburgh and Louisville, Kentucky in October — often have the opposite effect according to a study published by Augusta University researcher Dr. Lance Hunter. The study, published in “Behavioral Sciences of Terrorism and Political Aggression” in 2017, examined voter turnout following terrorist attacks in seven major urban centers across the United States over the course of four decades. The study found that attacks not only increase voter turnout, but that the severity of an attack may also impact how more voters show up at the polls. “Severity was measured as the number of individuals wounded in attacks and the amount of property value damage that occurred due to attacks,” said Hunter, assistant professor of Political Science in the Katherine Reese Pamplin College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences. “We found that more severe terrorist attacks were associated with higher voter turnout.” The frequency of terror attacks also increased voter turnout, with every 10 attacks contributing to a 1.7 percent increase in turnout for gubernatorial elections and a 1.8 percent turnout for senate elections. “When the terrorist attacks variable was set at its minimum level (0 attacks) expected voter turnout was 28% for gubernatorial elections and 30% for senatorial elections,” Hunter said. “However, expected voter turnout increased to 43% for gubernatorial elections and 44% for senatorial elections as the number of terrorist attacks increased to its maximum level (80). Hunter attributed these findings to the notion that more severe terrorist attacks tend to have a greater psychological impact on citizens. That impact, he theorized, leads citizens of affected areas to pay greater attention to their political environment and encourages them to vote in greater numbers. “In other words, terrorism makes politics more salient for citizens,” he said. “As they become more attuned to the politics of the day, they are more likely to turnout to vote.” The data, which looked at elections held from 1970 to 2012, found that the type of election did not lessen or increase voter turnout following a terrorist attack. Voters in affected areas turned out in greater numbers for both midterm and presidential elections. Voter turnout is typically higher in presidential elections, regardless of attacks. Contact Nick Garrett at (706) 993-6411 or ngarret1@augusta.edu to schedule an interview with Dr. Hunter on this topic.
Investor conferences and analyst advantage
In a research paper, T. Clifton Green, associate professor of finance and doctoral area coordinator, and coauthors Russell Jame 10PhD (U of Kentucky), Stanimir Markov (Southern Methodist U), and Musa Subasi (U of Maryland) focused their investigation on broker-hosted investor conferences to determine their impact on investor research. They studied 68,194 presentations by 4,394 companies at 2,749 investor conferences led by 107 brokerages for the period January 2004 to December 2010. According to the data, Green and his coauthors concluded that brokerage research analysts were more likely to provide better research for firms that participated at their conferences. Conference-hosting brokers were more likely to provide “more informative stock recommendations and more accurate earnings forecasts” than non-hosts. They discovered that firms participating in “broker-hosted investor conferences have a closer relation with the hosting analyst than with non-hosts, resulting in more private interactions (e.g., more company visits and meetings with management) and a continual flow of value-relevant information throughout the sample period.” Source:
School shootings traumatize more than those directly affected
David Schonfeld, Director, National Center for School Crisis and Bereavement at the USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work: "Even students that have no direct connections with any of the communities where these shootings occurred may nonetheless be impacted by the media coverage. Just knowing that it could happen in another school in the country may make them feel vulnerable. The National Center for School Crisis and Bereavement has guidelines on how to talk to children about school shootings in the media at https://www.schoolcrisiscenter.org/resources/talking-kids-about-tragedies/." Marleen Wong, Stein/Goldberg Sachs Endowed Professor of Mental Health at the USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work: "There are now thousands of student and teacher survivors of school shootings across the country. Social workers should be aware that these survivors could have strong reactions, including serious distress, because the present shootings are reopening old wounds." Source:
