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Preventive medicine news

Historic Kenyan drought reshaped livelihoods, health and daily life

During a historic drought in northern Kenya, a pastoralist community turned to a food source it had long viewed as a fallback for people without livestock: fishing.

Practicing gratitude may boost health and well being

A new study from our Department of Psychology found that cultivating gratitude could help people adopt healthier habits.

CDC characterizes changing epidemiology of mpox infection

Fewer cases of mpox virus (MPXV) infection were reported in 2025 than in 2024, but the number of reported cases during September to October 2025 was double that seen in 2024, according to research published in the Aug. 20 ...

The clean energy transition's missing metric: Human health

Earlier this year, the First Conference on Transitioning Away from Fossil Fuels in Santa Marta, Colombia, convened representatives from 57 countries to advance a just, orderly and equitable transition to green energy. According ...

Though preventable, tetanus remains a global health problem

Tetanus is often considered a disease of the past, remembered mainly through childhood vaccinations and warnings about rusty nails. Yet despite being preventable with an effective vaccine, it continues to cause tens of thousands ...

Thinking about your weight? Here's how to talk to your doctor

Talking about weight can be tough. Even someone who feels ready for a doctor's help may find the conversation awkward. People living with excess weight can feel judged, stigmatized or embarrassed, "or maybe they are unaware ...

Why you move—not just how often—could affect dementia risk

For years, scientists have known that regular physical activity can help lower the risk of dementia. But new USC research suggests that it's not only the amount but also the activity's context—for work or for leisure—that ...

The hidden health cost of dollar store groceries

While consumers may save a few bucks on groceries at dollar stores, they end up paying a higher price with their health. New UC Riverside research shows a link between dollar store food quality and higher rates of obesity, ...

County vaccination data may mask school-level measles risk

Pockets of low vaccination rates in some schools help explain why measles outbreaks have been climbing in the U.S., even when county-level vaccination numbers—the data policymakers consult—appear high enough to provide community ...