Preliminary local results of the 2011 Cuyahoga County High School Youth Risk Behavior survey show progress in some areas and more work to do in others.  For example, adolescent cigarette use in the county is below the Healthy People 2020 goal (16% nationally, compared to 11.4% adolescents reporting cigarette use locally).  However, little cigar use is above the Healthy People goal.  The goal is no more than 8% nationally while 11.7% adolescents used cigar products locally.  Read more in our newsletter. . .

Check out our Student Internship Opportunities for the latest jobs at the PRC for students. Currently, there is a posting for students to work on FreshLink and the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS).  But in the future, positions may include opportunities working on the various projects such as the PEER Program, IMPACT, or the Marathon program.  Click here for more information on all the PRC's projects, or check out the "Featured Projects" yellow box on the right.

Elaine Borawski named Angela Bowen Williamson Professor of Community Nutrition

Dr. Elaine Borawski, Angela Bowen Williamson Professor of Community NutritionElaine Borawski, PhD, co-director and principal investigator of the Prevention Research Center at Case Western Reserve University, was appointed as the inaugural Angela Bowen Williamson Professor of Community Nutrition in the CWRU School of Medicine on January 4, 2012.  

Dr. Borawski is responsible for all projects and activities that occur within the PRC, and is also the President of the American Academy of Health Behavior.  She has nearly 20 years of experience in community-based health research and has been awarded over $8 million over the past 12 years to support her research.  Her research interests include: health behavior intervention, adolescent health, survey methodology, health status measurement, outcome-based community evaluations, and community-based participatory research.

The endowed chair was created from a gift of $23.5 million given to CWRU by James Wood Williamson.  The Angela Bowen Williamson professorship was created in memory of Williamson's wife, who was a dietician educated at the Flora Stone Mather College for Women, now the Flora Stone Mather Center for Women at CWRU.

Ohio is a state with some work to do regarding the health of its citizens.  According to a recent article in the Columbus Dispatch, in a state-by-state ranking of health, Ohio came in at a dismal 36th.  The state showed increases in smoking, obesity, diabetes, and childhood poverty.   Smoking was perhaps the greatest surprise, since nationally smoking has been on the decline, and was in Ohio as well, until the state stopped tobacco prevention programs.   Read more...

Find out how "Team Science" is making a difference in the lives of Cleveand's children through a study called IMPACT, a collaborative effort between the Prevention Research Center, the Frances Payne Bolten School of Nursing, the Clinical Translational Science Core and The Rainbow Center for Child Health and Policy.   Watch the video

The PEER Training Program will be an 18-month, faculty-partnered program designed to increase research partnership capacity in community organizations and facilitate academic/community research partnerships through the training of a selected staff member of that organization.    Read more...

Laura Danosky and her APHA posterThe PRC was represented by three posters at the 139th Annual Meeting of the American Public Health Association in Washington, D.C., Oct 29-Nov 2.

Laura Danosky, David Bruckman, and Ericka Abrams, all of the PRC, traveled east to present their posters in person.  The theme of this year’s meeting was “Healthy Communities promote Healthy Minds and Bodies.” 

Ericka Abrams and her APHA posterThe posters are viewable by clicking on this link.

Economic success tied closely to impact of chronic disease

Chronic disease not only takes a toll on our region's health and well-being, it also takes a toll on our economic success.  According to a study done by Cleveland think tank PolicyBridge, the mere perception of a place as "unhealthy" can lead to less economic and other types of development.  Click here to read the entire article.

We're happy to announce that NOCA Co-Chair and Burten, Bell, Carr  Development Inc. Executive Director Tim Tramble (and company) were awarded more than $750,000 from the Department of Health & Human Services to establish a fresh food production center on Kinsman Avenue.  The "MC2 Food Access Initiative" will feature a community kitchen, healthful cooking demonstrations, a cafe, and fresh food stands.  Click on this link to read the Plain Dealer article about the MC2 Food Access Initiative. 

The Prevention Institute has begun a campaign to decrease junk food marketing to kids.  Click on this link to their new movie, "We're Not Buying It"