Katie Pearce

One in five young adults in the U.S. experience daily anxiety

Heather Carroll — Tue, 20 Oct 2026 20:31:01 +0000

One in five young adults in the U.S. experience daily anxiety Heather Carroll Tue, 10/20/2026 - 16:31

Key Takeaways

Anxiety diagnoses among young adults increased from 17.9% in 2020 to 23.4% in 2024, according to a new 911�� study, with higher rates among women and lesbians, gays, and bisexuals.
The study examined how overlapping identities, including race, sex and sexual orientation, relate to anxiety disparities.

In This Story

Nearly one in five young adults in the United States reported feeling anxious every day in 2024, up from 15% in 2020. Over the same period, the odds of receiving an anxiety diagnosis as well as use of prescription anxiety medication each rose by roughly a third.

Melissa Villodas Assistant Professor, Social Work. Photo provided

The overall increase in anxiety varied by race and ethnicity, sex, and sexual orientation, according to a new study by 911�� researcher Melissa Villodas. The research found higher rates of anxiety among women and lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) young adults than among their peers. Racial and ethnic differences were less clear-cut, varying by whether researchers looked at anxiety symptoms, diagnoses, or medication use and by sex and sexual orientation.

Published in the American Journal of Public Health, the study explored anxiety among nearly 11,000 U.S. adults ages 18 to 25. While most research considers demographic characteristics separately, Villodas and her colleagues studied them in combination to reveal differences that might be overlooked.

“Rather than assuming that all young adults experience anxiety in the same way, these findings underscore the importance of considering the multiple social identities and contexts that shape experiences with anxiety,” said Villodas, an assistant professor in the Department of Social Work at the College of Public Health.

Why it matters

Young adulthood is a vulnerable phase for the onset of mental health problems, and anxiety was already rising in this age group before the COVID-19 pandemic. The study can’t establish what caused the increases after 2020, but the researchers say its findings warrant attention to possible lasting impacts from the pandemic.

The research also offers a more specific picture of which young adults need support and raises questions about whether groups with fewer diagnoses are facing obstacles to get help.

Key findings

The researchers analyzed National Health Interview Survey responses between 2020 and 2024. Key findings included:

Daily anxiety, diagnoses, and medication increased. Daily anxiety rose from 15% to 19.5%, reported anxiety diagnoses increased from 17.9% to 23.4%, and prescription anxiety medication use rose from 9.8% to 13.3%. Despite the increase in daily anxiety, the intensity of anxiety respondents reported didn’t change significantly overall.
Nearly half of LGB young adults reported an anxiety diagnosis. In 2024, 44.6% reported having received a diagnosis, compared with 18.5% of straight young adults. Prescription anxiety medication use among LGB respondents doubled from 12.9% in 2020 to 26% in 2024. Among straight respondents, it increased from 9.3% to 10.4%.
Women consistently reported higher rates than men. In 2024, 32.1% of women reported having received an anxiety diagnosis, compared with 14.7% of men. About one in four women reported daily anxiety, and one in five took prescription anxiety medication.
Differences also emerged within racial and ethnic groups. Hispanic LGB young adults had about 4.7 times the odds of taking anxiety medication as their straight Hispanic peers. Black women had higher odds of an anxiety diagnosis and medication use than Black men.
Fewer diagnoses didn’t necessarily mean milder anxiety. In 2024, 31.3% of non-Hispanic White respondents reported an anxiety diagnosis, compared with 12.7% of non-Hispanic Black respondents, and 15.3% of Hispanic respondents. But across the study period, Black and White young adults did not differ significantly in reported anxiety intensity. The researchers noted that access to care, stigma, and differences in how symptoms are recognized might help explain the disparities.

Villodas’ coauthors were Alexandria B. Forte of the University of Connecticut, Hayden C. Dawes of Bryn Mawr College, Michelle R. Munson of New York University, and Mansoo Yu of the University of Missouri.

Thumbnail photo provided by BillionPhotos.com

Topics

Women's Health

Anxiety

LGBTQ+

Medication Assisted Treatment

Research

College of Public Health

An alumna's journey from 911�� nursing to NIH clinical research

Heather Carroll — Mon, 12 Oct 2026 18:34:10 +0000

An alumna's journey from 911�� nursing to NIH clinical research Heather Carroll Mon, 10/12/2026 - 14:34

Nursing wasn’t part of Nyah Collier’s original plan when she arrived at 911��.

Photo provided

She started as an international relations major before switching to nursing at the suggestion of her father, who was a nurse himself. Once there, her interests kept expanding. Microbiology introduced her to infectious disease, epidemiology drew her to public health, and clinical training showed her how much she valued caring for patients. Collier graduated from 911�� in 2015 with a bachelor’s degree in nursing and a minor in public health.

Today, those interests all merge in her work as a clinical research nurse at the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). Collier, who later earned a master of public health in epidemiology from Drexel University, helps manage research protocols, recruit and care for study participants, ensure regulatory compliance, and collect clinical data. She also picks up shifts as a nurse at an urgent care facility to maintain her clinical skills.

We spoke with Collier about her 911�� journey and how it impacted her career.

How do you use what you learned in the BSN program in your current job with NIAID?

My BSN provided the foundational knowledge that I continue to draw on every day in my current role as a clinical research nurse at the NIH/NIAID. Nursing school introduced me to the principles of patient care, disease processes, evidence-based practice, and the clinical considerations that guide how nurses care for patients. While much of my critical thinking and clinical judgment developed through hands-on experience in my first nursing role, my BSN gave me the framework to build those skills and was the first step in shaping who I am as a nurse today. That foundation continues to inform how I approach research participants, understand clinical information, collaborate with multidisciplinary teams, and contribute a nursing perspective to infectious disease research.

When did you realize you were interested in public health and infectious diseases?

There were a few pivotal moments. The first was taking microbiology as a pre-nursing major. I discovered my love for learning about infectious diseases and how they affect populations, and I especially thrived in the lab.

Before entering the nursing program, I had a free semester and decided to pursue a public health minor. That introduced me to epidemiology, and I realized this was what I wanted to do. Learning about treatments, biostatistics, and neglected tropical diseases piqued my interest further. Later, community health clinicals exposed me to the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), geriatric adult day centers, food safety and inspection, and environmental public health.

You said you weren’t always sure about nursing. What changed?

Photo provided

Throughout nursing school, I sometimes questioned whether I’d chosen the right path. It was challenging, and there were certainly clinical days I dreaded.

It wasn’t until my senior-year preceptorship that something clicked. For 14 weeks, I worked closely with a nurse who trusted me with increasing responsibilities and gave me the opportunity to experience what it truly felt like to work as a nurse. I discovered that caring for patients came naturally to me and developed confidence in my ability to become a great nurse.

Nursing showed me how much I valued caring for people, while microbiology and epidemiology showed me how deeply I wanted to understand the diseases affecting them. My career today has allowed me to bring those interests together.

What has stayed with you most from your 911�� education?

911�� gave me the freedom to explore and remain curious, from learning in the microbiology lab to assisting at clinical sites. The nursing program taught me to think critically, become comfortable with being uncomfortable, and seek out current evidence-based practices.

Through rotations in pediatrics, behavioral health, correctional health, and community settings, I learned to work with different populations and understand how health care needs vary. That experience has served me throughout my career across hospitals, homeless shelters, a state health department, outpatient care, and research.

Although I haven’t worked in traditional bedside nursing in nearly a decade, the clinical judgment, adaptability, and foundational knowledge I developed are skills I continue to rely on daily.

Why does public health matter to you now?

What I value most about the field is its ability to be proactive. We can prevent disease before it occurs, identify emerging threats, educate and advocate for communities, and use evidence to improve health on a much larger scale.

To me, being in public health means not only responding to the challenges we face today, but helping prepare communities for the challenges we have yet to encounter.

Key Takeaways

Nyah Collier, BSN ’15, supports infectious disease studies as a clinical research nurse at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
911��’s nursing program and public health minor helped her discover an interest in epidemiology and prepare for a career combining nursing and research.

Learn more about the College of Public Health

Topics

bachelor of science in nursing

College of Public Health

National Institutes of Health

Playing it out: A new way to teach health economics

Heather Carroll — Wed, 07 Oct 2026 17:49:22 +0000

Playing it out: A new way to teach health economics Heather Carroll Wed, 10/07/2026 - 13:49

In Phillip Zane’s 911�� classroom, students weigh an invitation to jump out of an airplane. The skydiving lesson and jump are free, and the exercise assumes there is zero risk of death. But an injury could mean $10,000 in medical expenses and $1,000 in lost wages.

Some have health insurance. Others don’t. Everyone has to decide whether to take the leap.

Phillip Zane presenting to students during class
Photo by Heather Carroll/College of Public Health

The imaginary jump brings a question of health economics within reach: how insurance can change the risks people are willing to take, and what happens when those choices add up across a health care system.

Zane, an associate professor in the Department of Health Administration, Policy, and Informatics, has built his Health Economics and Policy course around such experiments, pulling students into questions that can seem abstract or remote on a textbook page.

He and his colleagues, including associate professor Debora Goetz Goldberg, describe the approach in a new paper, “More Than a Game,” published in a special issue of The Journal of Health Administration Education focused on gamification.

Course evaluations from 129 students between 2022 and 2025 suggest the approach resonated: About 89 percent found the class environment engaging, and 85 percent said the teaching methods enhanced their learning.

In written feedback, students said the games clarified challenging concepts and exposed them to classmates’ different approaches.

Invitation to play

Students participating in Zane's class
Photo by Mary Cunningham

The idea took hold during a summer of online teaching in 2022, when most students kept their cameras off. Zane wanted a way to keep them engaged. “It’s a topic that I love, but they didn’t seem to get it,” he said.

Many of his health administration students came to the course with little background or interest in economics. Game theory—which examines how people make decisions when their outcomes depend on others’ choices—offered a way in. A former antitrust lawyer, Zane had used its principles in the past to help clients decide whether to settle lawsuits. Now he thought it might help students understand the economic forces underpinning health care.

Zane started with the “ultimatum game,” a well-established experiment in which one party offers to divide a financial windfall with another. In his version, Kit Kats stand in for cash. One student makes a proposal to their classmate, who can accept it or turn it down, with a rejection leaving both empty-handed. As it turns out, some students would rather get nothing than accept an unfair share—prompting a discussion about why fairness can outweigh personal gain.

From there, Zane began adding more exercises, some adapted from existing game-theory models and others of his own design, and adjusting according to student feedback.

Students listening to Zane during class. Photo by Mary Cunningham/College of Public Health

In his original orange juice game, students are assigned to groups with different levels of competition, from a single seller with a monopoly to a crowded market with many sellers. Zane tells each group he will pay up to $5 for a bottle of juice. The monopolist can hold near that ceiling, while competing sellers must undercut each other. In the most crowded market, the price can fall close to zero, showing students how competition drives down prices.

The games are only part of the lesson. After playing, students explain their choices and compare their reasoning with others in the class. Reading those reflections helped Zane see whether the economic lessons were landing.

“It became pretty clear that most of the students were getting it,” he said.

In addition to Zane and Golberg, additional co-authors to the paper were doctoral students Shaan Muberra Khan and Sravya Vunnam of the Department of Health Administration, Policy, and Informatics.

The Journal of Health Administration Education special issue also features HAPI professor John Cantiello and associate professor Renee Geschke’s research on case-based learning.

Key Takeaways

911�� associate professor Phillip Zane uses games and simulations to teach health economics.
A new journal article by Zane describes the teaching approach as part of a special issue on gamification.
In evaluations, most students found the learning environment engaging and said the teaching methods helped them learn.

In This Story

Phillip Zane, JD

Debora Goetz Goldberg, PhD, MHA, MBA

Topics

Simulation

Active Learning

immersive technologies

innovative classes

Students

How political, cultural, and economic forces can shape the risk of zoonotic disease

Heather Carroll — Mon, 05 Oct 2026 18:37:43 +0000

How political, cultural, and economic forces can shape the risk of zoonotic disease Heather Carroll Mon, 10/05/2026 - 14:37

In eastern Ethiopia, pressures like conflict and displacement are changing how people and their camels travel, shifting livestock into new environments and potentially influencing the risk of zoonotic diseases spreading between animals and humans.

Amira Roess, PhD, MPH. Photo provided

A new study co-led by 911�� infectious disease expert Amira Roess explores these connections as part of a broader look at how politics, culture, economics, and international trade factor into zoonotic disease risk in livestock-herding communities. Published in Social Science & Medicine, the research is part of a long-running international collaboration funded in part by a $2.5 million National Science Foundation grant, for which Roess is principal investigator.

For this paper, researchers interviewed more than 100 people involved in camel herding, care, milking, trading, and slaughter across eastern Ethiopia. They identified several factors that could affect zoonotic disease risk:

People and camels often live in close proximity, and grazing camels can come into contact with other wildlife.
Raw camel milk is widely consumed fresh and unpasteurized.
Conflict and displacement can push people and livestock onto new routes and into wildlife preserves, changing where they encounter other animals.
Trade restrictions and challenges accessing export facilities can push more activity into informal markets outside of disease surveillance systems.

Because diseases that spread between animals and humans account for most emerging infectious diseases, the researchers emphasize the importance of a “One Health” approach, which considers human, animal, and environmental health together.

“When we think about diseases moving between animals and people, we tend to focus on the pathogen or the animal carrying it. This study shows why we also need to understand the broader and more complex circumstances that affect how people and animals interact,” said Roess, professor of global health and epidemiology in the Department of Global and Community Health at the College of Public Health.

Read the full study here.

Thumbnail provided by Gaper

This research supports the Grand Challenge Initiative's goal of improving human health, well-being, and preparedness

Discover more GCI health research

Learn about other solutions >>

Key Takeaways

Conflict, displacement, cultural practices, and international trade can change the interactions of people, livestock, and wildlife, potentially influencing zoonotic disease risk.
The study of camel economies in eastern Ethiopia highlights the importance of a One Health approach that considers human, animal, and environmental health together.

In This Story

Amira Roess, PhD, MPH

Topics

GCH Global Health Research

Global Health

Research

College of Public Health

GCI-Health

National Science Foundation

NIH R01 grant funds study of physical activity and binge eating in children

Heather Carroll — Mon, 14 Sep 2026 18:12:51 +0000

NIH R01 grant funds study of physical activity and binge eating in children Heather Carroll Mon, 09/14/2026 - 14:12

Early signs of binge eating can emerge as children enter adolescence, signaling risk for eating disorders. 911�� researcher Tyler Mason is investigating whether physical activity could improve self-regulation and, in turn, reduce that risk.

Tyler Mason, associate professor in the Department of Nutrition and Food Studies. Photo provided.

With a five-year, R01 grant from NIH’s National Institute of Mental Health, Mason will use wearable technology and other real-time assessments to study children during a pivotal developmental window, with the goal of better understanding how eating disorders develop and how to intervene earlier.

Mason, an associate professor in the Department of Nutrition and Food Studies at the College of Public Health, is leading the project with co-principal investigator Kathryn Smith, an assistant professor at the University of Texas at Dallas.

“Many people overeat, but we’re focused on what is called ‘loss of control eating’—that sense that you can’t stop eating and feel like you have to continue,” Mason said. “The loss of control is the part that can be distressing and associated with eating disorders.”

Previous research has linked physical activity with improved mood and cognitive functioning, aspects of self-regulation that can influence eating behavior. “If physical activity improves aspects of self-regulation, then perhaps it could reduce overeating because of loss of control,” Mason said.

Over three years, researchers will study 200 children in the Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, area starting at ages 10 to 12, a phase when several factors converge: puberty begins, autonomy grows in eating choices, and physical activity tends to decline while sedentary behavior increases.

The study will capture both long-term changes and moment-to-moment shifts in participants’ lives. Garmin wristbands will measure physical activity, while smartphone-based cognitive tests and real-time surveys will track self-regulation, emotions, cravings, and eating behavior. Participants will also undergo functional MRI (fMRI) scans and clinical interviews assessing eating disorder symptoms.

The approach builds on Mason’s work as director of the BREAD Lab at 911��, short for Biobehavioral Research on Eating and Appetite Dysregulation, within the Department of Nutrition and Food Studies.

With the National Institutes of Health study, Mason said the goal is to find ways to intervene earlier in problematic eating by understanding whether and how physical activity plays a role, including how its effects unfold in daily moments.

In addition to Mason and Smith, the research team for the study—titled “Biobehavioral Mechanisms of Activity and Loss of Control Eating in Children”—includes Shan Luo, Genevieve Dunton, and Megan Herting of the University of Southern California.

Thumbnail photo by golubovy via Adobe Stock

Topics

Nutrition Research

Childhood Obesity

CPH research

Childhood obesity prevention

NIH grant funding

National Institutes of Health

Research

College of Public Health

GCI-Health

In the George

Key Takeaways

A five-year NIH R01 grant will fund 911�� researcher Tyler Mason’s study of physical activity, self-regulation, and binge eating in children.
The study will follow 200 children starting at ages 10 to 12, examining long-term changes and moment-to-moment behaviors in daily life.
The research could inform new approaches to eating disorder prevention, including whether and how physical activity could reduce the risk of losing control of eating.

This research supports the Grand Challenge Initiative's goal of improving human health, well-being, and preparedness

Discover more GCI health research

Learn about other solutions >>

Childhood adversity may put women at higher risk for postpartum depression years later

Heather Carroll — Wed, 26 Aug 2026 16:39:13 +0000

Childhood adversity may put women at higher risk for postpartum depression years later Heather Carroll Wed, 08/26/2026 - 12:39

Key Takeaways

In a 911��-led study, women exposed to multiple types of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) reported the highest levels of postpartum depressive symptoms.
Despite their higher risk, women with greater childhood adversity were no more likely to receive postpartum depression screening than their peers.
The findings suggest that considering a woman’s history of ACEs could help cliniciansidentifywomen who could benefit from more frequent depression screening and earlier support.

The effects of childhood trauma may persist for decades, resurfacing during one of life's most demanding transitions: becoming a mother.

A 911��-led study found that women who had experienced multiple forms of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) reported the highest levels of postpartum depressive symptoms. But despite those elevated risks, these women were no more likely to receive postpartum depression screening than their peers.

"The effects of ACEs may not fade simply because time has passed," said Sunny Shin, professor of social work at the 911�� College of Public Health and the study's lead author. "They may persist and resurface when women face the profound physical and emotional demands of motherhood."

The findings, published in The Journal of Childhood & Adolescent Trauma, suggest that asking women about childhood adversity in a sensitive and supportive way may help clinicians identify mothers who could benefit from more frequent depression screening and earlier support.

Why it matters

Postpartum depression affects millions of women worldwide and can have serious consequences, including disrupted maternal-child bonding and long-term cognitive, emotional, and behavioral problems in children. Untreated perinatal mood and anxiety disorders also carry an estimated $14 billion economic burden during the first five years after childbirth.

"This study identified a potential gap between risk and care," Shin said. "Women at higher risk for depressive symptoms may not be receiving more targeted screening."

Further study details

The study analyzed data from 427 diverse, predominantly low-income young women participating in the Longitudinal Infant and Family Environment (LIFE) study.

Rather than simply counting the total number of ACEs each participant reported, the researchers examined how different types of adversity tended to group together. They identified three distinct patterns of childhood adversity and found that women with high exposure to multiple types of ACEs reported the highest levels of postpartum depressive symptoms.

According to Shin, this person-centered approach provides a more nuanced understanding of risk than relying solely on a cumulative ACE score because it captures the ways childhood adversities can cluster together.

The research builds on Shin's longstanding work examining how adverse experiences in childhood impact health across the life course, with the goal of translating that knowledge into trauma-informed prevention and intervention strategies. For this study, he collaborated with researchers from Virginia Commonwealth University, the University of Louisville, Gachon University in South Korea, and Masaryk University in the Czech Republic.

Thumbnail photo by leszekglasner on Adobe Stock

Topics

College of Public Health

Five Strategies to Fight Burnout

Katarina Benson — Wed, 26 Aug 2026 16:17:38 +0000

Five Strategies to Fight Burnout Katarina Benson Wed, 08/26/2026 - 12:17

More than three-quarters of health care workers report feeling stressed or stretched thin, with burnout contributing to problems like higher turnover and staffing shortages that can affect patient care. According to researchers at 911��’s College of Public Health, the fight against widespread burnout needs to begin with the training of future health care administrators.

Photo by Getty Images

Drawing from existing research and national frameworks on workforce well-being, Debora Goldberg, principal investigator and an associate professor in the Department of Health Administration and Policy, outlines several leadership strategies that can help counteract burnout.

1. Build workplaces where staff can speak up.

Health care leaders must create environments where employees can report mistakes, raise concerns, and discuss safety issues without fear of punishment. Clear reporting policies, open communication, and a culture of trust are key for psychological safety. 

2. Redesign jobs to reduce overload. 

Many health care roles involve long hours, heavy documentation, and clunky technology that add to daily stress. Leaders’ decisions about staffing, scheduling, and tools can either ease those pressures or make them worse. 

3. Prevent violence and protect staff safety. 

Health care workers face some of the highest rates of workplace violence of any profession. Leaders can help reduce risks by establishing zero-tolerance policies, training staff to de-escalate tense situations, and putting safety measures in place before incidents occur. 

4. Involve frontline staff in decisions. 

The people delivering care often know exactly where problems arise. When leaders directly involve nurses, physicians, and other staff in decisions about schedules, policies, and daily operations, the changes are more likely to succeed. 

5. Measure and improve workforce well-being.

Health care organizations routinely track patient outcomes and financial performance. Workforce well-being deserves the same attention. Leaders can measure burnout, engagement, and working conditions and use that data to steer improvements. 

911��’s John Cantiello and Riva Kamat from Lotus Clinician Well-Being are co-authors on the paper published in the Journal of Health Administration Education.

Can laws make social media safer for young people?

Mary Cunningham — Mon, 24 Aug 2026 13:33:58 +0000

Can laws make social media safer for young people? Mary Cunningham Mon, 08/24/2026 - 09:33

In This Story

Melissa L. Villodas, PhD, LMSW, LCSW-A

Key Takeaways

A 911��-led study identified three main approaches U.S. states are using to protect youth online: limiting access, reducing harmful exposure, and teaching media literacy.
Most enacted laws focused on age verification and parental consent, though evidence supporting those approaches remains limited.
Media literacy appeared in just one state law, despite evidence suggesting it may be one of the more promising strategies for supporting youth mental health.

Topics

College of Public Health

SW research

In the George

From TikTok bans and age verification requirements to media literacy lessons in schools, U.S. states are exploring a wide range of strategies to protect young people online.

The flurry of legislation reflects growing concern about social media's role in youth mental health, as rates of depression and anxiety have increased in recent years. But policy approaches have varied considerably, and the scientific evidence backing their effectiveness is mixed.

Melissa Villodas, assistant professor of Social Work. Photo provided.

To better understand how states are responding, a research team led by social work researcher Melissa Villodas of 911��’s College of Public Health analyzed 16 enacted laws across 10 states. The study, published in The Journal of Policy Practice and Research, offers one of the first frameworks for organizing and assessing the growing patchwork of state social media laws.

Researchers found the policies generally fell into three broad categories:

1) Limiting access through measures like parental consent requirements, age verification, internet restrictions in school, and, in one case in Montana, an attempted ban on TikTok. This was by far the most common approach, despite relatively limited evidence that many of these measures improve mental health for young people.

2) Reducing harmful exposure by restricting targeted advertising to minors, limiting potentially addictive platform features, and expanding parental controls. Existing research offers somewhat stronger, though still mixed, support for these approaches.

3) Building media literacy by teaching students about topics such as misinformation, cyberbullying, online safety, and social media's effects on mental health. This was the least common approach, even though existing evidence suggests it may be a promising strategy, particularly when it addresses both the risks and benefits of social media use.

Why does this matter?

"Most research on this topic has focused directly on how social media affects young people's mental health," said Villodas, associate professor in the Department of Social Work and the study's lead author. "We wanted to understand what state governments are actually doing in response, whether those approaches are supported by existing evidence, and where additional research is needed.” She also emphasized the study’s “person-in-environment” perspective, a fundamental approach in social work that considers how broader forces, including public policy, can influence a young person’s experiences and mental health.

The study uncovered one glaring disconnect: the policy approach used most often, limiting young people's access, had the least supporting evidence of its effectiveness. Meanwhile, media literacy training, included in just one enacted law in Florida, appeared to have some of the strongest evidence behind it.

"Many states have focused on measures like parental consent and age verification, but the evidence for those strategies is still limited," Villodas said. "Media literacy has received much less attention, even though it may be one of the more promising approaches when it teaches young people about both the risks and the benefits of social media."

The study captures the policy landscape through November 2024, but Villodas said its findings are designed to help policymakers evaluate future proposals as the evidence continues to evolve.

In addition to Villodas, the study was coauthored by Michael Wheeler and Natalia Acevedo, both recent graduates of 911��’s Master of Social Work program; Fadi Hamati of Columbia Cornell Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at New York-Presbyterian; and Ishita Kapur of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

Food as medicine: Six insights from a 911�� nutrition expert

Heather Carroll — Mon, 17 Aug 2026 15:08:52 +0000

Food as medicine: Six insights from a 911�� nutrition expert Heather Carroll Mon, 08/17/2026 - 11:08

In This Story

Raedeh Basiri, PhD, RDN

Key Takeaways

911�� nutrition expert and registered dietitian Raedah Basiri shared six key lessons with Honors College students, emphasizing that personalized, gradual nutrition changes are often more effective than one-size-fits-all approaches to preventing and managing chronic disease.
Basiri highlighted the importance of nutrition in health care, noting that diet-based interventions, supported by technology and real-time feedback, can improve long-term health outcomes and encourage healthier behaviors.
She also stressed that nutrition support remains essential even when patients use weight-loss medications, and that building trust between patients and health care providers is critical.

911�� community health students share their insights from nutrition professor and registered dietitian Raedah Basiri for their Honors College project exploring nutrition interventions for chronic disease.

Community Health student Janay Hopgood

The concept of food as medicine is gaining traction as a way to prevent and manage chronic disease. During an Honors College consulting course (Honors 260), community health student Janay Hopgood and a teammate interviewed Raedeh Basiri, assistant professor of nutrition and a registered dietitian, to inform their approach.

Their project challenged them to develop an innovative solution to improve long-term health outcomes and prevent chronic disease among a health care organization partner.

"We aimed to integrate nutrition into health care by leveraging technology, community partnerships, and data-driven strategies to promote healthier lifestyles and advance health equity," Hopgood said. "Dr. Basiri helped us better understand which avenues of research and implementation were realistic, challenged common misconceptions, and provided thoughtful feedback. Most importantly, she created a space where we could openly discuss our developing concept and draw upon her knowledge and experience."

Here are six insights that Hopgood and her partner developed from their interview with Basiri:

Personalization matters.
Effective nutrition interventions start with collecting comprehensive data to understand the whole person, including their food access, finances, lifestyle, physical activity, and living environment. One-size-fits-all recommendations rarely work, Basiri said.
Start small.
Bombarding people with too much nutrition information at once isn't sustainable. Introducing small, personalized changes gradually is more likely to improve health outcomes.
Nutrition is too often overlooked in favor of medication.
Basiri highlighted a gap between nutrition research and clinical practice. When lifestyle changes don't produce immediate results, patients often get moved to medication despite strong evidence supporting the long-term benefits of dietary interventions.
Real-time feedback encourages behavior change.
Basiri said technology can help patients better understand how food affects their health, especially for those with limited access to a physician. Continuous glucose monitors provide real-time feedback that can increase compliance, while artificial intelligence tools can help deliver similar personalized guidance.
Weight-loss medications still need nutritional support.
Although GLP-1 medications are effective for weight loss, Basiri noted that they can also contribute to issues such as malnutrition, hair loss, and bone density loss. Nutrition support, she said, can help ensure patients don't "solve the problem and create another one."
Trust is the foundation of lasting impact.
Basiri emphasized that successful nutrition programs are built on trust, both between nutrition practitioners and patients, and between nutrition practitioners and other health care professionals. Positive outcomes are most likely to create that trust, leading to more referrals and greater demand for nutrition-based services.

Topics

CPH Student Research

Nutrition and Weight Management

Weight Control

College of Public Health

Research

Students

Honors College

Katie Pearce

One in five young adults in the U.S. experience daily anxiety

Key Takeaways

In This Story

Why it matters

Topics

An alumna's journey from 911���� nursing to NIH clinical research

How do you use what you learned in the BSN program in your current job with NIAID?

When did you realize you were interested in public health and infectious diseases?

You said you weren’t always sure about nursing. What changed?

What has stayed with you most from your 911���� education?

Why does public health matter to you now?

Key Takeaways

Related Stories

Topics

Playing it out: A new way to teach health economics

Invitation to play

Key Takeaways

In This Story

Related Stories

Topics

How political, cultural, and economic forces can shape the risk of zoonotic disease

Key Takeaways

In This Story

Related Stories

Topics

More social media use linked to poorer sleep and self-rated health among college students

Why it matters

More study information

Key Takeaways

More Health Starts Here Findings

In This Story

Topics

NIH R01 grant funds study of physical activity and binge eating in children

Topics

Key Takeaways

Related Stories

Childhood adversity may put women at higher risk for postpartum depression years later

Key Takeaways

Why it matters

Further study details

Topics

Five Strategies to Fight Burnout

1. Build workplaces where staff can speak up.

2. Redesign jobs to reduce overload.

3. Prevent violence and protect staff safety.

4. Involve frontline staff in decisions.

5. Measure and improve workforce well-being.

Related News

Can laws make social media safer for young people?

In This Story

Key Takeaways

Topics

Why does this matter?

Food as medicine: Six insights from a 911���� nutrition expert

In This Story

Key Takeaways

Topics

An alumna's journey from 911�� nursing to NIH clinical research

What has stayed with you most from your 911�� education?

2. Redesign jobs to reduce overload. 

3. Prevent violence and protect staff safety. 

4. Involve frontline staff in decisions. 

Food as medicine: Six insights from a 911�� nutrition expert