On the Heights: October 2025
Faculty research shapes policy debates on mass deportation, SNAP benefits, and health communication while centers expand lifecourse research focus and new technology advances lab safety training.
Health Communication
Many older adults skeptical about stopping colon cancer screening at 75
A research letter published in JAMA Network Open reveals a surprising divide among older Americans about when to stop colon cancer screening. While medical guidelines suggest halting routine screenings at age 75, nearly 40% of adults find this recommendation unacceptable—regardless of their personal health status.
University of Michigan study engages parents in protecting young children from unintentional shootings
Q&A with Alison Miller
University of Michigan researchers are working on a new study seeking to engage firearm-owning parents of young children in a community-based project to assess perceptions of firearm injury risk and safe firearm storage.
Few older adults use direct-to-consumer health services; many who do don't tell their regular provider
New report from the National Poll on Healthy Aging
Only a small percentage of older Americans have jumped on the rising trend of getting health care services and prescriptions directly from an online-only company, rather than seeing their usual health care providers in person or via telehealth, a new poll finds. But that could change rapidly, the University of Michigan survey suggests.
Why COVID vaccines for young children have been hard to get
Brian Zikmund-Fisher quoted in Scientific American
Brian Zikmund-Fisher, professor of Health Behavior and Health Education, highlights the importance of public health messaging related to boosting COVID-19 vaccination rates in children.
Graphic Warning Labels on Cigarettes Could Have Prevented Hundreds of Thousands of Deaths
New Research from Rafael Meza
Adding warning labels with graphic depictions of negative health consequences could have averted thousands of smoking-related deaths, according to a new analysis by University of Michigan researchers and colleagues.