Lower diet quality is associated with higher rates of chronic disease in the United States, including type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease. For many Americans, accessing healthy, safe, and affordable foods consistently is a challenge due to structural and health inequities that make accessing healthier foods and beverages difficult.

This past fall, the Biden-Harris Administration reconvened the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health and released a national strategy for ending hunger and reducing diet-related diseases. Embedded in this work is a call to address disparities preventing equitable access to healthy and affordable foods using a “Whole-of-Society Response” that urges involvement from various sectors, including state and local government, healthcare, and community-based organizations.

There is a clear role for health communication professionals in this response as the strategy’s third pillar, “Empower all consumers to make and have access to healthy choices,” calls for building and promoting environments that enable all Americans to make healthy food choices. This pillar calls for investment in culturally appropriate public education campaigns and support for tailored nutrition education programs grounded in cultural understanding.

Inclusive communication is the practice of creating information products that address all people–across the full spectrum of diversity, including age, gender, gender identity, ability, race and ethnicity, language, socioeconomic status–in a manner that makes them feel included, represented, and respected. Creating inclusive content extends beyond language translation and showing images of diverse groups of people and often involves adapting content to meet the unique information needs and values of a population or community. The select principles offered below are some of the many we can use in our work.

Adapt interventions, materials, and messages for different cultures and communities. In the context of communications, cultural adaptation is the tailoring of messages and interventions to reflect an audience’s culture, language, and values. Adaptations are largely done to ensure success among a particular culture or group and often involves designing core strategies and messages with input from the affected community to create an initiative that builds from and addresses their beliefs, cultural norms, and barriers to acceptance.

Many of the nation’s leading health initiatives for reducing diet-related diseases over the past 25 years–such as the National Diabetes Prevention Program, Million Hearts®, National Diabetes Education Program, and National Kidney Disease Education Program–have followed cultural adaptation principles. Program planners recognized that “one-size-fits-all” approaches that do not account for differences between audiences would not drive message acceptance or behavior change. Instead, they relied on gathering and applying input from people with lived experiences, addressed social determinants impacting the groups at greatest risk, and introduced educational resources that incorporated culturally appropriate elements, such as language, faith, and storytelling to create impactful messages.  

Candice Watkins Robinson, MA
Vice President, Health

Changes to policy, scientific discovery, and expert recommendations and opinions all have the power to rapidly influence the landscape of a sector. Whether you’re a leader at a non-profit, a member of a university’s marketing department, or a stakeholder for a public health agency, being informed about the latest industry happenings can be the difference between exceeding and falling short of organizational goals. At Hager Sharp, our experts vigorously scan media coverage to identify areas of opportunity. And now, with the introduction of the Sharp Round-Up, you too can review what we consider some of the top news of the week.

Below you will find a compilation of news spanning the health and education, labor, and economy sectors. This list includes mainstream, DC-focused, and trade publication coverage from Saturday, February 18, to Friday, February 24. Let these clips serve as a resource when developing thoughtful strategies and use them to further foster organizational innovation and adaptability.

Here’s what you need to know.

Mainstream News:

• A 53-year-old man in Germany is officially the 5^th person to be cured of HIV. Results of his treatment were announced in 2019 but could not be confirmed until earlier this week.
• A new study found that humans may need more sleep in the winter months. Participants in the study experienced REM sleep that was 30 minutes longer in the winter season compared to summer, which suggested that the body’s circadian rhythm changed to support more sleep based on the amount of light in the winter.
• 61 British businesses participated in a largely successful four-day workweek trial, with results showing sharp decreases in worker turnover and absenteeism.

Politics and Policy:

• The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) fined four businesses this week for continuing to sell unapproved vapes. According to the article, this is the first time the FDA has issued fines to businesses that have ignored federal orders to stop selling certain tobacco products.

Health News:

• New data shows that this year’s Flu shot provided effectiveness of between 45-50%, which is considered decent in comparison to previous years’ protection.
• A recent report by the World Health Organization (WHO) showed that in 2020, a woman died every two minutes due to pregnancy or childbirth. The report also showed that the maternal mortality rate increased in 17 countries from 2016 to 2020 and stayed the same in most others.

Education News:

• Arkansas, Virginia, North Dakota, and Mississippi join Florida in review of the new Advanced Placement (AP) African American studies course before officially allowing students to take the class in their state. The states claim that the course may conflict with state policies concerning the teaching of race in schools.
• Vox’s newest segment of The Highlight delves into lessons that America’s education system has learned in the past few years: from the legacy of a 1973 Supreme Court case to the point of homework.
• A Michigan high school is already seeing students try to cheat by using ChatGPT to write their assignments for them, spurring “don’t let the robot do your homework” conversations between students and teachers. The principal of the school provided six tips for teachers across the country to use in addressing the new landscape of cheating.

Changes to policy, scientific discovery, and expert recommendations and opinions all have the power to rapidly influence the landscape of a sector. Whether you’re a leader at a non-profit, a member of a university’s marketing department, or a stakeholder for a public health agency, being informed about the latest industry happenings can be the difference between exceeding and falling short of organizational goals. At Hager Sharp, our experts vigorously scan media coverage to identify areas of opportunity. And now, with the introduction of the Sharp Round-Up, you too can review what we consider some of the top news of the week.

Below you will find a compilation of news spanning the health and education, labor, and economy sectors. This list includes mainstream, DC-focused, and trade publication coverage from Saturday, February 10, to Friday, February 17. Let these clips serve as a resource when developing thoughtful strategies and use them to further foster organizational innovation and adaptability.

Here’s what you need to know.

Mainstream News:

• Schools lack the resources to address the mounting mental health problems among students. 92% of superintendents believe the mental health crisis is worse than it was in 2019, and 79% say they do not have the necessary staff to mend the problem.
• Researchers have linked the likelihood of new-onset diabetes with COVID-19 infection. Scientists believe that COVID-19 infection may accelerate the development of diabetes in those with preexisting risk.
• Officials investigating the recent derailment of a train carrying toxic chemicals in Ohio are increasingly concerned about the effect on human health and the environment. Among the potential health issues that can arise from being exposed to vinyl chloride, scientists say that particles from the chemicals can seep into wells and other drinking water sources and migrate through soil into basements and homes.

Education News:

• During the pandemic, the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) test scores in data literacy dropped significantly compared to other math subjects. Large racial gaps in data literacy scores also widened during the pandemic. A study suggests that teachers should incorporate data literacy lessons into other subjects to improve their students’ skills in interpreting and understanding data.

Advancements in Health:

• A new device has revolutionized heart transplants by increasing the distance donor hearts can travel, expanding the number of hearts available for transplant. While previously donor hearts were simply placed on ice, the new method utilizes a machine that pumps blood through the organ, allowing the heart to be viable for double the original 4-hour period.
• A new form of male birth control renders lab mice “temporarily infertile” via a single injectable dose. The new drug can temporarily pause fertility in male mice by inhibiting the movement of an enzyme that is vital for sperm movement and maturation.
• Revolutionized epilepsy treatments rely on improvements in monitoring the brain’s electrical activity. Doctors are able to remove a piece of the patient’s skull, place electrodes into the brain to find the primary source of seizures, and then use a laser to remove that piece of the brain.

Changes to policy, scientific discovery, and expert recommendations and opinions all have the power to rapidly influence the landscape of a sector. Whether you’re a leader at a non-profit, a member of a university’s marketing department, or a stakeholder for a public health agency, being informed about the latest industry happenings can be the difference between exceeding and falling short of organizational goals. At Hager Sharp, our experts vigorously scan media coverage to identify areas of opportunity. And now, with the introduction of the Sharp Round-Up, you too can review what we consider some of the top news of the week.

Below you will find a compilation of news spanning the health and education, labor, and economy sectors. This list includes mainstream, DC-focused, and trade publication coverage from Saturday, February 4, to Friday, February 10. Let these clips serve as a resource when developing thoughtful strategies and use them to further foster organizational innovation and adaptability.

Here’s what you need to know.

Politics and Policy:

• The Biden administration announced more stringent standards for school meals to be rolled out over the next few years, including limiting added sugars. This is the first federal limit on how much such sugars can be included in school meals. This is part of a broader campaign by the U.S. Agriculture Department to address childhood obesity; the department is responsible for feeding 30 million students in schools across the country.

Health News:

• The CDC reported last week that the spike in children’s strep infections in 2022 was a return to the number of infections pre-COVID-19. In 2018, CDC’s Active Bacterial Core surveillance labs reported 25,160 severe strep cases; figures are not yet available for 2022.
• In D.C., HIV cases continue to be low, despite an uptick in 2021, which public health experts attribute to lack of testing in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. There were 230 new diagnoses in 2021, an increase from 2019, but a decline from 2007.
• A new study from the CDC found that a majority of adults in the U.S. favor policies that would ban the sales of tobacco products, especially menthol cigarettes. Over 57% of adults favored banning the sale of all products and 62% favored banning the sale of menthol cigarettes in particular. This support varied by demographic group and current tobacco use.

Education News:

• Data released by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) revealed that almost 50 percent of American students started the school year below grade level. An increase in access and opportunity for high-level tutoring may help bring student success back to pre-pandemic levels.
• A recent report by the Lumina Foundation found that Black students have lower college completion rates than other racial and ethnic groups, a statistic which is attributed to the “implicit and overt forms of racial discrimination” that Black students face across the country.

Changes to policy, scientific discovery, and expert recommendations and opinions all have the power to rapidly influence the landscape of a sector. Whether you’re a leader at a non-profit, a member of a university’s marketing department, or a stakeholder for a public health agency, being informed about the latest industry happenings can be the difference between exceeding and falling short of organizational goals. At Hager Sharp, our experts vigorously scan media coverage to identify areas of opportunity. And now, with the introduction of the Sharp Round-Up, you too can review what we consider some of the top news of the week.

Below you will find a compilation of news spanning the health, education, labor, and economy sectors. This list includes mainstream, DC-focused, and trade publication coverage from Saturday, January 28 to Friday, February 3. Let these clips serve as a resource when developing thoughtful strategies and use them to further foster organizational innovation and adaptability.

Here’s what you need to know.

Mainstream News:

• After multiple extensions, the White House plans to end the COVID-19 national emergency this May. This change could have far-reaching impacts, especially regarding the cost of COVID-19 tests and vaccines.

Education News:

• College Board has officially announced course guidelines for an AP African American Studies course, which students can start taking in the 2024-2025 school year. The course was piloted this school year and covers ancient African history through Kamala Harris’ election in 2020.
• The Lumina Foundation recently revealed that almost 54% of adults ages 25 to 64 have obtained a postsecondary degree or credential. This not only marks the biggest increase  since Lumina began tracking degree data but also brings the U.S. closer to Lumina’s goal of reaching 60% of the working age population by 2025.
• A recent report by National Student Clearinghouse Research Center showed that declining rates of college enrollment have finally flattened after a period of decline due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• An analysis by the Nature Human Behavior journal equates educational loss from the COVID-19 pandemic to losing one-third of a school years’ worth of learning. According to the analysis, these losses were greater for students in low-income backgrounds or developing countries.

Health News:

• New MRI scan research shows that Black children were disproportionately affected by early childhood stress, which acted as a “toxic stressor” that affected the brain’s processing of trauma.
• A study published Monday listed COVID-19 as the 8^th most common cause of death for children in the United States.

Advancements in Health:

• More obesity training for medical school students – including implicit bias training – is essential for today’s doctors, said a George Washington University medical student.