Department of Social and Behavioral Health News
Housed in the UNLV School of Public Health, the Department of Social and Behavioral Health consists of faculty who engage in research and develop and evaluate community-based programs that promote health and disease prevention. Our students learn to identify high-risk behaviors or trends in specific populations, as well as propose solutions that aim to improve overall public health in communities.
Current Social and Behavioral Health News
Some of the biggest news headlines featuring UNLV faculty and students.
The top news stories starring university students and staff.
The top headlines featuring UNLV’s staff and students.
The students and faculty of UNLV are springing into headlines around the country.
After an unexpected start in public health, this professor of social and behavioral health is uncovering the complexities of substance misuse and childhood trauma.
Headlines and highlights featuring the students and faculty of UNLV.
Social and Behavioral Health In The News
Smart toilets are an emerging technological advancement, especially for older adults, as non-invasive, passive, continuous home-based diagnostic tools available to the healthcare industry.
It’s well-established that stretching during exercise can prevent injuries and improve performance. But stretching may provide a range of health benefits even when you’re not working out. Daily stretching can improve circulation, enhance posture, and promote mental health, to name a few perks. Growing evidence suggests it may improve blood sugar levels and joint health, too.
In 2024, the dating app Feeld and a fellow from the Kinsey Institute released The State of Dating Report, a study that surveyed more than 3,000 Feeld members between the ages of 18-75 from 71 countries. The findings were striking: Nearly half of Gen Z respondents surveyed were single compared to one-fifth of older generations. Thirty-seven percent of Gen Zers reported not having any sex in the last month—matching the sexual frequency of surveyed Boomers—and they were twice as likely to say they longed for monogamy than older generations. Feeld’s reputation as a kink and hookup app makes these discoveries even more surprising.
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is characterized by mood variations with a change in season, especially during the winter months, with reduced daylight.
Fast food chains are seemingly racing to reach a growing demand of customers using GLP-1s, or weight loss drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. Dr. Manoj Sharma, professor at the Department of Social and Behavioral Health at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, said food chains are expanding their menus to include items packed with protein and low in portion size.
Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) or variation of mood with change in season, especially during months with reduced daylight, is a well-recognized condition that adversely affects the mental health and well-being of many people. It was first described in 1984 and is now classified as a distinct disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, Text Revision (DSM-5-TR), and related to major depressive disorder and bipolar disorder.
