It's easy for the headlines on health stories to go way beyond what the study itself actually supports. That happened this week in coverage of new research on how physically active preschoolers are. It serves as a good reminder to acknowledge any given study's limitations.
Laura Starecheski's recent NPR series on childhood adversity and trauma is an essential listen for those interested in how childhood events can shape long-term health. Starecheski recently spoke to Reporting on Health about how she reported the stories and what she learned along the way.
The strategy of using cell phones and texts to nudge people toward healthier decisions makes a lot of sense. But as L.A. Times' Eryn Brown discovered in reporting her series on "m-health," the promise of these programs is still far ahead of the reality.
The rate of childhood obesity has tripled over the past 30 years. While there are no easy solutions, programs that focus on the whole family have shown positive results in changing both behaviors and health measures.
There's little data available on in-home caregiving, which makes reporting on the issue challenging. Unlike nursing homes, in-home care suffers from little oversight. But that's why it's such an important topic to cover. Here are some essential resources and tips to get started.
How does someone argue against the seemingly seemingly rational argument that people should go on drinking as much soda as they want as long as they get exercise, too? With facts.
The sweetened-beverage industry frequently pushes the idea that you should be free to consume whatever you want as long as you exercise afterward. Maybe beverage warning labels should point out how long you'd need to exercise to burn off the calories.
The Bay Area News Group published an op-ed on beverage warning labels in March, but the outlet failed to point out the author's ties to the beverage industry. It's part of larger pattern of industry allies pushing back in the press.
Reporter Frank Gluck recently spent five months reporting on how Alzheimer’s disease has affected Southwest Florida, where the population of seniors is twice the national average. Here he shares some essential reporting lessons and tips for others tackling the topic in their region.
High blood pressure kills more people every year than smoking, obesity, and alcohol. And, according to a new study by CDC researchers, it’s getting worse. The study relied on an essential source of public health information all reporters should know about.
