News
These basic public health measures can slow the spread of COVID-19
April 7, 2020This piece was https://sph.unc.edu/sph-news/these-basic-public-health-measures-can-slow-the-spread-of-covid-19/originally published by the Gillings School of Global Public Health. Since the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 was identified in December 2019, it has been transmitted around the globe. Currently, the World Health Organization reports 634,835 confirmed cases and 29,891 deaths worldwide. The epidemiology of COVID-19 — the disease caused by SARS-CoV-2 — has…
‘100% Vitamin C’ marketing claims increase appeal of sugary fruit drinks
March 24, 2020This piece was originally published by the Gillings School of Global Public Health Sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) are a major factor in the obesity epidemic among both children and adults. Fruit-flavored drinks with added sugar (“fruit drinks”) are by far the most popular SSB among children. Dr. Anna Grummon Dr. Lindsey Smith Taillie Dr. Marissa Hall…
Parental Migration and Early Childhood Development in Rural China
March 13, 2020[caption id="attachment_35644" align="alignright" width="225"] Sean Sylvia[/caption] Over the last several decades in China, millions of rural residents have migrated to urban areas for work. As parents migrate, they’ve left their young children behind with other family members in the countryside. A new study co-led by Sean Sylvia, an Assistant Professor of Health Policy and Management…
Chilean policies reduce purchases of unhealthy beverages by 24%: the first national evaluation of the impact of a front-of-the-package food label law
February 12, 2020This piece was originally published by the Gillings School of Public Health. Both Dr. Lindsey Smith Taillie and Dr. Barry Popkin are faculty fellows at the Carolina Population Center. Chile’s Law of Food Labeling and Advertising, implemented in 2016, was the first national regulation to jointly mandate front-of-package warning labels, restrict child-directed marketing, and ban…
Kathleen Mullan Harris elected lifetime AAAS fellow
November 26, 2019Faculty Fellow Kathleen Mullan Harris is among the 443 scientists selected this year as fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science because of their scientifically or socially distinguished efforts to advance science or its applications. She was cited for "for distinguished contributions to the field of social demography, particularly for research and…
Recent changes in California vaccine exemption laws projected to have limited effect on increasing childhood vaccination rates
November 5, 2019In 2015, California passed Senate Bill 277 (SB277), which banned nonmedical exemptions from school-entry vaccine mandates. However, in the first 3 years after SB277 was passed, rates of both medical exemptions and students who were exempt from requirements and not up to date on vaccination increased. In response, California passed Senate Bill 276 (SB276) in…
Kathleen Mullan Harris Inducted into American Academy of Arts and Sciences
October 16, 2019Kathleen Mullan Harris, a Faculty Fellow at the Carolina Population Center and the James E. Haar Distinguished Professor of Sociology, was inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences on Oct. 12 in Cambridge, Massachusetts, as part of the new class of more than 200 members. The honor recognizes the outstanding achievements of individuals in…
Meet the Carolina Population Center Faculty Fellows elected in 2019
October 15, 2019From left to right: Song, Lauen, Su, Moulton, Sylvia, Rubalcaba. The Carolina Population Center's Faculty Fellows elected six UNC faculty members to join the CPC Fellows program in 2019. There are now 67 faculty fellows who sit across 16 academic departments. Douglas Lee Lauen is an Associate Professor in the Department of Public Policy. In…
Strong family ties during teen years can help ward off depression in later life
October 7, 2019Teens who suffer from depression tend to fare better in years to come if they have supportive families. fizkes/Shutterstock.com Ping Chen, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Kathleen Mullan Harris, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Depression is a leading cause of disability and disease for people around the world. It often…
Fellow Spotlight: Douglas Lee Lauen
October 7, 2019[caption id="attachment_15236" align="alignright" width="225"] Douglas Lee Lauen[/caption] Douglas Lee Lauen joined the Carolina Population Center as a Faculty Fellow in 2019. Department: Public Policy (and Sociology, adjunct) Hometown: Denver, CO Tell us what projects you’re currently working on. I am finishing up work on a project evaluating early colleges in North Carolina. This project involves…