Illustration by Camilla Watson By Alison Lu By 2025, it is estimated that across the United States, there will be a shortage of between 124,000-159,000 physicians, and Hawaii is no exception.1 In Hawaii, it is estimated that there was a shortage of 732 physicians in 2021, and that number is expected to continue to […]
The Impact of Racial Inequities on the Burden of Adverse Maternal Outcomes in the United States
Illustration by Nikitha Bhimireddy Article by Mallory Go Introduction The high prevalence of preventable maternal deaths in the United States (US) is a tragedy. The US is an alarming outlier due to higher health expenditures and maternal mortality rates (MMR) than comparable countries such as Canada, France, and Germany. The US MMR has increased […]
The Reality of Maternal Health in Post-Roe America
By Simran Singh & Nina Faynshtayn In the wake of the Supreme Court Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision to overrule Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey, there has been a significant shift in the landscape of abortion in the United States. At least 13 states implemented “trigger laws” to make abortion […]
Deadnaming: A Detriment to Modernized Medical Care
By Jackson DeBorde The United States is recognized as having one of the world’s most advanced and personalized healthcare systems; however, the nation severely lacks in many fundamental areas of modernized medical care. While physical outcomes of health care are certainly important to determining a person’s overall health, mental and environmental health components of medical […]
A Billionaire’s Attempt to Tackle to Prescription Drug Cost Crisis
By Yatharth Sharma With its launch earlier this year, billionaire Mark Cuban’s Cost Plus Drug Company has attracted widespread attention. Some researchers have claimed that the startup could save Medicare, the government insurance program mainly targeting the elderly, billions of dollars per year.1 In its current state, the United States drug market holds many drugs […]
What Makes TikTok so Addictive?: An Analysis of the Mechanisms Underlying the World’s Latest Social Media Craze
Author: Sophia Petrillo The health impacts of social media addiction remain somewhat unknown. Recent studies indicate variable health effects depending on the severity of the addiction, and increased social media use predicts more significant health consequences. One study investigating the impact of social media addiction on stress among employees of 13 companies in Thailand found […]
The State of Prescription Opioids
Author: John Lin It takes six minutes for Dr. Megan Ranney to prescribe painkillers. It’s six o’clock in the evening, around the time that most workers at The Miriam Hospital in Providence leave for home. Not her or her patient. Ranney has spent the past two hours rushing from one urgent patient to another. As […]
ADHD and Inequality: Theorizing a Dual Pattern of Diagnostic Pathways, Symptomatology, and Treatment
Author: Ruth Schlenker ABSTRACT First, I briefly review the inconclusive psychological literature about Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)’s lack of diagnostic validity and heterogeneity to make the case that its diagnosis and interpretation are highly dependent on social context. Next, I theorize ADHD’s dual functions of performance enhancement for the more-privileged and social control for […]
Insight into Health Systems: A Cross-National Study of Kidney Disease in the United States and Taiwan
Author: Daniel Chan ABSTRACT: THE GROWING BURDEN OF CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE As the ninth leading cause of death in the United States,1 kidney disease undoubtedly deserves our increased attention through novel research. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 37 million (or 1 in 7) American adults live with chronic kidney disease (CKD)1. […]
Reproductive Responsibility and the Racial Biopolitics of Choice
Author: Sara Alavi ABSTRACT The following paper seeks to situate the pivotal shifts in reproductive politics in the 1960s and 70s within Foucault’s concept of biopower. An introductory discussion of early 20th century eugenic politics sets an ideological precedent for the following neo-eugenic analysis of Black motherhood and reproduction. The 1960s and 70s present a […]
Discussions in Global Health Volunteering: Imperialism, Incompetence, and Indifference
Author: Rebecca Kim Although many global volunteering programs have temporarily grinded to a halt due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the pre-pandemic popularity of global health volunteering had soared to new heights. It has been estimated that out of all Americans who volunteer internationally, around 21% designated medical care as their primary sphere of interest. This […]
Universal Health Coverage and the Global Impact of COVID-19
Authors: Gauri Gadkari | Kento Suzuki | Riki Fameli | Rinchen Dolma | Youkie Shiozawa ABSTRACT Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have witnessed enormous disparities in the severity of its global impact. A significant factor that may influence the outcome of the disease is access to sufficient health care. The main objective […]
Exploring the Relationship Between Hinduism, Body Image, and Maladaptive Eating Behaviors among South Asian Individuals: A Qualitative Study
Author: Sammy Plezia ABSTRACT Objective: Although eating disorders (EDs) impact individuals from all racial and ethnic groups, the existing literature on EDs focuses disproportionately on the experiences of individuals who are white, female, and living in high-income countries. To better understand potential risk factors for and protective factors against ED development among culturally diverse groups, […]
Birthing While Black: A Critique of the Technocratic Model of Birth and the Potential of Doulas in Addressing the Black Maternal Health Crisis
Author: Sydney Fisher Introduction When 26-year-old West Bronx resident Amber Isaac became pregnant with her first child, she dreamed that she would not survive the delivery.1 Ridden with anxiety, Isaac spent time reading about maternal death, particularly regarding Black women in the United States where she learned that Black women are two to six times […]
Behind the Mask: The Effects of PPE on COVID-19 Testing and Vaccination in Dementia Care Facilities
Author: Joseph Hernandez Abstract COVID-19 has disproportionately affected dementia residents in long-term care facilities because of issues including but not limited to understaffing, social isolation, and high infection rates.1 Recent testing and vaccination efforts have helped to combat this suffering, but successful testing and vaccination administration is frequently hindered by the use of personal protective […]
The Policing of Cross-Border Bodies and Births: Deconstructing the “gendered prison crisis” in Hong Kong
Author: Emily Ma INTRODUCTION Humanitarian crises and increased global human flow in the 21st century have increased xenophobia in the Global North, leading to governments using policing to control communities’ mobility. “Crimmigration” is a term used by scholars to describe this phenomenon—the intersection of the immigration and criminal-legal system that punishes and banishes populations of […]