Weekly Health Digest: Vaping in Schools, Ultraprocessed Foods, Pertussis Outbreaks, Pelvic Floor Health

Vaping Is ‘Everywhere’ in Schools—Sparking a Bathroom Surveillance Boom

       By Mark Keierleber, WIRED

Vaping is everywhere. It has become an unavoidable part of daily life for many students. Laila Gutierrez, 18 years old, began vaping in high school as a way to cope with depression, and eventually developed a nicotine addiction. She describes how, later down the line, she was caught vaping in a school bathroom. In retaliation, she was suspended for a week but received no mental-health support. For many teens, vaping is not just an addiction, but a social tool. Teenagers vape to fit in and feel accepted by peer groups. Ayaan Moledina, a sixteen year old from Austin, Texas, explains how he is not invited to social events because he does not partake in vaping. 

In hopes of stopping student vaping, school districts are installing vape detectors in their bathrooms. Vape detectors are sensors that monitor changes in air quality to detect vaping. Many schools have already implemented this. However, many of the disciplinary cases result in suspensions without students getting referred to treatment centers or counselors to help stop their addiction. 

Many critics argue that while these sensors detect vaping, they do not address the root of the issue: Why do students vape? While these sensors are fairly accurate, students have found workarounds to improve their performance. Some have disclosed exhaling into their sleeves or bottles, in hopes of avoiding detection. 

If an individual is not getting the professional help they need to help their addiction, it will continue and possibly escalate. Lastly, schools may be prioritizing punishment and fear over support on how to handle the social pressures of vaping. 

— by Michelle Arauz 

Scientists Call for Global Shift Away From Ultraprocessed Foods

By Alice Callahan, The New York Times

A new series of papers published in The Lancet highlights the urgent need for global reform on ultraprocessed foods, which researchers have said are contributing to the global increase in chronic diseases. The review, written by 43 public health experts, calls for changes in government regulation to end the overconsumption of ultraprocessed foods. 

Carlos Monteiro, a nutritional epidemiologist and lead author on one of the papers, cited 104 studies linking ultra-processed foods to diseases such as Type 2 diabetes, kidney disease, and heart disease. The evidence that these researchers gathered makes a strong case that these foods are directly linked to the decline of population health.  

The authors of The Lancet publications urge policies that can fight this growing public health crisis. Implementation of warning labels, taxes on sugary drinks, and restrictions on marketing aimed at children; they argue that a decrease in the number of individuals consuming these types of foods can occur.  

While researchers acknowledged limitations such as the challenge to create a universal definition of ultraprocessed foods, they agree that it is time to act. Ultraprocessed foods have dominated many countries, especially the United States where avoiding their impact is no longer an option.  

— by Talia Gordon Wexler

Waning Immunity and Falling Vaccination Rates Fuel Pertussis Outbreaks

By Céline Gounder, Kaiser Health News

There has been a huge rise in cases of pertussis, also referred to as whooping cough or the 100-day cough, across mainly Texas, Florida, and California. Health officials note that a decrease in vaccinations are to blame, and that infants too young to be fully vaccinated are among the highest risk groups. Even people who were vaccinated as children could be unknowingly spreading pertussis to babies. This is because while the DTaP and Tdap booster vaccines are successful at preventing serious complications, they unfortunately lose their protection over time. 

Before the pertussis vaccine became available, whooping cough was a leading reason for death and childhood disease in America. Vaccinations for it have significantly decreased after the pandemic. This is a greater problem in states that have made it easy to claim nonmedical exemptions. For example, in Texas parents can get online exemption forms, which makes vaccinations hard for health departments to track. Some communities may also be avoiding vaccinations out of fear of immigration enforcement. There is concern that antibiotic-resistant strains of pertussis are common abroad and international travel could make the situation worse.

It is important for pregnant individuals to vaccinate during every pregnancy and also vaccinate their children on time. As the holiday season nears, experts are recommending that families protect newborns from sick visitors and look out for symptoms like coughing fits. 

— by Yasemin Isbilir

The Pelvic Floor Is a Problem

By Casey Johnston, WIRED 

In a personal health feature, Casey Johnstonn provides valuable insight on the pelvic floor, a group of muscles and connective tissue that support the bladder, bowel, and reproductive organs. The pelvic floor’s close connection to these important organs means that it has a direct impact on continence, stabilization of the spine and hips, and coordination of breathing and movement. 

Johnston shines light on how little medical professionals and the public know about the pelvic floor, and how further research could have many health benifits, not just for pregnant women and women post-pregancy, but universally as pelvic tension can be experienced by anyone. She begins by recounting a sudden, agonizing tailbone pain she began to experience on a long flight after giving birth. Despite being a physically fit ex-collegiate athlete who practiced weekly strength training, this pain persisted causing her to seek additional help from a physical therapist.  

Johnston discovered that her discomfort and shallow breathing were a result of her holding tension in her pelvic floor. According to Johnston, “When we get stressed out, overburdened, fevered in the soul, traumatized, betrayed, bamboozled, run amok, or, say, forced to bear witness to constant atrocities, daily mayhem, senseless violence, and destruction — these problems can manifest as pelvic dysfunction no matter who you are.” To overcome this tension individuals must learn to relax their pelvic floor through posture work, focused breathing, and physical therapy exercises. 

— by Collin France

Items summarized by: Talia Gordon Wexler, Yasemin Isbilir, Michelle Arauz, Collin France