Students, staff, alumni, and faculty at the UW School of Public Health (SPH) worked closely with their community partners this year to advance health equity. While you can read many of their stories on the SPH blog, below are the five most popular ones from 2023.
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- The benefits of gender-affirming care
As state governments pose challenges to gender-affirming care, researchers, practitioners and students at the UW have been working to document the importance of holistic and inclusive health care services for transgender and nonbinary people. Research findings showed that access to puberty blockers and gender-affirming hormone therapy mitigates negative mental health outcomes. Various medical, legal, psychological or social affirmation of one’s gender identity can be protective factors for adverse health outcomes for trans communities. - Here’s how social and economic inequalities are impacting everyone’s life expectancy in America
Americans will live an average of 7.5 years less than people in countries with the highest life expectancy, despite being one of the wealthiest nations in the world and spending more than other countries on health care. This shorter life expectancy is true across age brackets, racial demographics and income levels in the United States. UW School of Public Health researchers Stephen Bezruchka and Youssef Azami point to upstream factors like income inequality, racism or social isolation as detrimental components to our health. - How a series of questions helped Kenneth Mugwanya fight the HIV epidemic
Kenneth Mugwanya's first job as a physician was during the height of the HIV epidemic in Uganda, taking care of HIV-infected children. In search for a meaningful way to help communities impacted by the virus, Mugwanya pursued graduate school, and then became a physician-epidemiologist at the University of Washington School of Public Health, where he’s made great contributions to fighting the global HIV epidemic. - Access to culturally relevant and healthy foods is critical to improving health equity in Seattle
In Seattle and King County, food insecurity is increasing, as indicated by the number of people qualifying for federal food emergency assistance programs. In south King County and south Seattle, residents are twice as likely to experience food insecurity. Understanding food accessibility, affordability, diet and cultural practices is important for supporting the health of communities. MPH graduate students Priyasha Maharjan and Felicidad Smith worked with communities to address this health equity issue through their practicum experiences. - Epidemiology doctoral student Anne Massey builds community trust in public health as 2022’s Miss Seafair
Anne Massey is an epidemiology doctoral student who has spent the past few years researching disease outbreaks, firearm injuries and suicide prevention. After being named 2022's Miss Seafair, she also found herself riding in the Seafair Torchlight parade, doing media interviews, and having valuable conversations with community members which will inspire her future public health work.