Health & Society

Life expectancy in the United States plunged by nearly two years in 2020, the largest decline since World War II, new CU Boulder research shows. Among some racial minorities, the decline was twice that of whites; and compared to 16 wealthy peer countries, the U.S. decline was 8.5 times worse.

Hannah Brenkert-Smith has studied the role of residents' choices in wildfire risk for two decades, with one goal being to improve mitigation programs. Her most recent work near Bailey, Colorado, concludes residents often overestimate their preparation and underestimate their risk.

New research shows pregnant women exposed to higher levels of air pollution have babies who grow unusually fast in the first months after birth, putting on excess fat that puts them at risk of obesity and related diseases later in life.

A study including data from more than 840,000 people found that going to bed and waking up an hour earlier was associated with 23% lower risk of depression.

CU Boulder researchers share their expertise, examining four areas in which the U.S. has––and hasn’t––changed this past year, and what it could mean for the future of social and political movements, education, policing and justice in America.

Ensuring people have access to information and understand its implications is more important than ever. However, research led by Keke Wu finds that for those with intellectual or developmental disabilities, some kinds of data visualizations are harder to interpret than others.

Whether it’s plankton exposed to parasites or people exposed to pathogens, a host’s initial immune response plays an integral role in determining whether infection occurs and to what degree it spreads within a population, new CU Boulder research suggests.

A group of 39 researchers from 14 countries say we need to change how we regulate the air we breathe inside buildings, like we do the food we eat and the water we drink, in order to reduce disease transmission and prevent the next pandemic.

Some worry the science was rushed. Others question whether the benefits outweigh the risks. Here's what Teresa Foley, a teaching professor of distinction in integrative physiology, tells students, acquaintances and family who are hesitant.

In 2009, Colorado launched an ambitious initiative that enabled federally-funded Title X clinics to provide a broad array of birth control options for free or at a low cost. A new study shows the program significantly boosted graduation rates in the state, enabling 3,800 more women to get a diploma.