Hyping Health Risks

Author : Geoffrey C. Kabat
Publisher : Columbia University Press
Page : 282 pages
File Size : 48,9 Mb
Release : 2011-11-11
Category : Medical
ISBN : 9780231141499

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Hyping Health Risks by Geoffrey C. Kabat Pdf

The media constantly bombard us with news of health hazards lurking in our everyday lives. But many of these hazards turn out to have been greatly overblown. According to author and epidemiologist Geoffrey C. Kabat, this hyping of low-level environmental hazards leads to needless anxiety and confusion on the part of the public about which exposures have important effects on health and which are likely to have minimal or no effect. Kabat approaches health scares as "social facts" and shows that a variety of factors can contribute to the inflaming of a hazard. ... By means of four case studies, Kabat demonstrates how a powerful confluence of interests can lead to overstating or distorting scientific evidence. He examines the health risks of pollutants sucha s DDT as a cause of breast cancer, electromagnetic fields from power lines, radon within residences, and secondhand tobacco smoke. Tracing the trajectory of each of these hazards from its initial emergence to the present, Kabat shows how publication of more rigorous studies and critical assessments ultimately helped put the hazard in perspective.--Book jacket flap.

Author : Geoffrey C. Kabat
Publisher : Columbia University Press
Page : 405 pages
File Size : 48,9 Mb
Release : 2016-11-22
Category : Medical
ISBN : 9780231542852

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Getting Risk Right by Geoffrey C. Kabat Pdf

Do cell phones cause brain cancer? Does BPA threaten our health? How safe are certain dietary supplements, especially those containing exotic herbs or small amounts of toxic substances? Is the HPV vaccine safe? We depend on science and medicine as never before, yet there is widespread misinformation and confusion, amplified by the media, regarding what influences our health. In Getting Risk Right, Geoffrey C. Kabat shows how science works—and sometimes doesn't—and what separates these two very different outcomes. Kabat seeks to help us distinguish between claims that are supported by solid science and those that are the result of poorly designed or misinterpreted studies. By exploring different examples, he explains why certain risks are worth worrying about, while others are not. He emphasizes the variable quality of research in contested areas of health risks, as well as the professional, political, and methodological factors that can distort the research process. Drawing on recent systematic critiques of biomedical research and on insights from behavioral psychology, Getting Risk Right examines factors both internal and external to the science that can influence what results get attention and how questionable results can be used to support a particular narrative concerning an alleged public health threat. In this book, Kabat provides a much-needed antidote to what has been called "an epidemic of false claims."

Author : Inge F. Goldstein,Martin Goldstein
Publisher : Oxford University Press
Page : 360 pages
File Size : 51,6 Mb
Release : 2002-01-03
Category : Medical
ISBN : 0198032056

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How Much Risk? by Inge F. Goldstein,Martin Goldstein Pdf

An excellent critical analysis and scientific assessment of the nature and actual level of risk leading environmental health hazards pose to the public. Issues such as radiation from nuclear testing, radon in the home, and the connection between electromagnetic fields and cancer, environmental factors and asthma, pesticides and breast cancer and leukemia clusters around nuclear plants are discussed, and how scientists assess these risks is illuminated. This book will enable readers to better understand environmental health issues, and with the proper scientific understanding, make informed, rational decisions about them.

Author : Alfredo Morabia
Publisher : Columbia University Press
Page : 298 pages
File Size : 53,8 Mb
Release : 2014-06-24
Category : Medical
ISBN : 9780231168854

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Enigmas of Health and Disease by Alfredo Morabia Pdf

This book is the principal account of epidemiology’s role in the development of effective measures to identify, prevent, and treat diseases. Throughout history, epidemiologists have challenged conventional knowledge, elucidating mysteries of causality and paving the way for remedies. From the outbreak of the bubonic plague, cholera, and cancer to the search for an effective treatment of AIDS and the origins of Alzheimer’s disease, epidemiological thought has been crucial in shaping our understanding of population health issues. Alfredo Morabia’s lucid retelling sheds new light on the historical triumphs of epidemiological research and allows for contemporary readers, patients, and nontechnical audiences to make sense of the immense amount of health information disseminated by the media. By drawing from both historical and contemporary sources, Morabia provides the reader with the tools to differentiate health beliefs from health knowledge. The book covers important topics, including the H1N1 swine flu epidemic, breast cancer, the effects of aspirin, and the link between cigarettes and lung cancer. Enigmas of Health and Disease is a concise narrative helping patients and health providers develop a more informed relationship.

Author : Timothy J. Jorgensen
Publisher : Princeton University Press
Page : 506 pages
File Size : 52,8 Mb
Release : 2017-08-22
Category : Science
ISBN : 9780691178349

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Strange Glow by Timothy J. Jorgensen Pdf

The fascinating science and history of radiation More than ever before, radiation is a part of our modern daily lives. We own radiation-emitting phones, regularly get diagnostic x-rays, such as mammograms, and submit to full-body security scans at airports. We worry and debate about the proliferation of nuclear weapons and the safety of nuclear power plants. But how much do we really know about radiation? And what are its actual dangers? An accessible blend of narrative history and science, Strange Glow describes mankind's extraordinary, thorny relationship with radiation, including the hard-won lessons of how radiation helps and harms our health. Timothy Jorgensen explores how our knowledge of and experiences with radiation in the last century can lead us to smarter personal decisions about radiation exposures today. Jorgensen introduces key figures in the story of radiation—from Wilhelm Roentgen, the discoverer of x-rays, and pioneering radioactivity researchers Marie and Pierre Curie, to Thomas Edison and the victims of the recent Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant accident. Tracing the most important events in the evolution of radiation, Jorgensen explains exactly what radiation is, how it produces certain health consequences, and how we can protect ourselves from harm. He also considers a range of practical scenarios such as the risks of radon in our basements, radiation levels in the fish we eat, questions about cell-phone use, and radiation's link to cancer. Jorgensen empowers us to make informed choices while offering a clearer understanding of broader societal issues. Investigating radiation's benefits and risks, Strange Glow takes a remarkable look at how, for better or worse, radiation has transformed our society.

Author : Joe Thornton
Publisher : MIT Press
Page : 624 pages
File Size : 46,5 Mb
Release : 2000
Category : Chlorohydrocarbons
ISBN : 0262700840

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Pandora's Poison by Joe Thornton Pdf

The dangers of organochlorides and a proposed solution.

Author : James Walsh
Publisher : Silver Lake Publishing
Page : 353 pages
File Size : 44,6 Mb
Release : 1996
Category : Business & Economics
ISBN : 9781563431142

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True Odds by James Walsh Pdf

A compilation of essays about the lives and accomplishments of 48 outstanding women in communication--from Sarah Josepha Hale in the eighteenth century to today's Barbara Walters. The focus is on pioneers in journalism, contemporary media professionals, and scholars in the fields of interpersonal, organizational, and mass communication. Each profile examines the subject's family background, education, mentors, career path, and major contributions and achievements. The introduction provides an overview of the development of communication as a discipline. Annotation copyright by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Author : Alan P. Zelicoff,Michael Bellomo
Publisher : Amacom Books
Page : 292 pages
File Size : 41,9 Mb
Release : 2005
Category : Medical
ISBN : 0814428835

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Microbe by Alan P. Zelicoff,Michael Bellomo Pdf

Whether a virus is unintentionally released via our modern transportation system, or deliberately by terrorists, even a small scale biological event could have a profound effect on our society. Yet our current public health system is completely unprepared to detect and respond quickly enough to avert a disease related crisis.

Author : Robert Whitaker
Publisher : Crown
Page : 418 pages
File Size : 43,5 Mb
Release : 2011-08-02
Category : Psychology
ISBN : 9780307452429

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Anatomy of an Epidemic by Robert Whitaker Pdf

Updated with bonus material, including a new foreword and afterword with new research, this New York Times bestseller is essential reading for a time when mental health is constantly in the news. In this astonishing and startling book, award-winning science and history writer Robert Whitaker investigates a medical mystery: Why has the number of disabled mentally ill in the United States tripled over the past two decades? Interwoven with Whitaker’s groundbreaking analysis of the merits of psychiatric medications are the personal stories of children and adults swept up in this epidemic. As Anatomy of an Epidemic reveals, other societies have begun to alter their use of psychiatric medications and are now reporting much improved outcomes . . . so why can’t such change happen here in the United States? Why have the results from these long-term studies—all of which point to the same startling conclusion—been kept from the public? Our nation has been hit by an epidemic of disabling mental illness, and yet, as Anatomy of an Epidemic reveals, the medical blueprints for curbing that epidemic have already been drawn up. Praise for Anatomy of an Epidemic “The timing of Robert Whitaker’s Anatomy of an Epidemic, a comprehensive and highly readable history of psychiatry in the United States, couldn’t be better.”—Salon “Anatomy of an Epidemic offers some answers, charting controversial ground with mystery-novel pacing.”—TIME “Lucid, pointed and important, Anatomy of an Epidemic should be required reading for anyone considering extended use of psychiatric medicine. Whitaker is at the height of his powers.” —Greg Critser, author of Generation Rx

Author : Nina Shapiro, MD,Kristin Loberg
Publisher : St. Martin's Press
Page : 288 pages
File Size : 45,8 Mb
Release : 2018-05-01
Category : Health & Fitness
ISBN : 9781250149312

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Hype by Nina Shapiro, MD,Kristin Loberg Pdf

A Publisher's Weekly Best Book of 2018 A straightforward appraisal of why health myths exist, dispelling many of them, and teaching readers how to navigate the labyrinth of health advice and the science and misinformation behind it. Hype is Dr. Nina Shapiro's engaging and informative look at the real science behind our most common beliefs and assumptions in the health sphere. There is a lot of misinformation thrown around these days, especially online. Headlines tell us to do this, not that—all in the name of living longer, better, thinner, younger. Dr. Shapiro wants to distinguish between the falsehoods and the evidence-backed truth. In her work at Harvard and UCLA, with more than twenty years of experience in both clinical and academic medicine, she helps patients make important health decisions every day. She's bringing those lessons to life here with a blend of personal storytelling and science to discuss her dramatic new definition of “a healthy life.” Hype covers everything from exercise to supplements, alternative medicine to vaccines, and medical testing to media coverage. Shapiro tackles popular misconceptions such as toxic sugar and the importance of drinking eight glasses of water a day. She provides simple solutions anyone can implement, such as drinking 2% milk instead of fat free and using SPF 30 sunscreen instead of SPF 100. This book is as much for single individuals in the prime of their lives as it is for parents with young children and the elderly. Never has there been a greater need for this reassuring, and scientifically backed reality check.

Author : Neil Pearce
Publisher : Bridget Williams Books
Page : 106 pages
File Size : 43,6 Mb
Release : 2022-06-07
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 9781990046858

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Pesticides and Health by Neil Pearce Pdf

New Zealand has been one of the world's heaviest users of pesticides, including some contaminated with dioxin, a notorious toxic chemical. In this BWB Text a leading epidemiologist uses the example of dioxin to illustrate how badly New Zealand handles problems of environmental pollutants, and why we can do better. Concern with public health has been recast by the Covid-19 pandemic. Neil Pearce's eye-opening account of our country's ongoing failures in environmental protection shows there is much more work to be done.

Author : Victoria Team,Rukhsana Ahmed,Mohan Jyoti Dutta,Audra Diers-Lawson
Publisher : Frontiers Media SA
Page : 228 pages
File Size : 44,5 Mb
Release : 2024-01-16
Category : Social Science
ISBN : 9782832543023

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COVID-19: Risk Communication and Blame by Victoria Team,Rukhsana Ahmed,Mohan Jyoti Dutta,Audra Diers-Lawson Pdf

Author : John Abramson
Publisher : HarperCollins
Page : 336 pages
File Size : 55,9 Mb
Release : 2022-02-08
Category : Health & Fitness
ISBN : 9781328956989

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Sickening by John Abramson Pdf

The inside story of how Big Pharma’s relentless pursuit of ever-higher profits corrupts medical knowledge—misleading doctors, misdirecting American health care, and harming our health. The United States spends an excess $1.5 trillion annually on health care compared to other wealthy countries—yet the amount of time that Americans live in good health ranks a lowly 68th in the world. At the heart of the problem is Big Pharma, which funds most clinical trials and therefore controls the research agenda, withholds the real data from those trials as corporate secrets, and shapes most of the information relied upon by health care professionals. In this no-holds-barred exposé, Dr. John Abramson—one of the foremost experts on the drug industry’s deceptive tactics—combines patient stories with what he learned during many years of serving as an expert in national drug litigation to reveal the tangled web of financial interests at the heart of the dysfunction in our health-care system. For example, one of pharma’s best-kept secrets is that the peer reviewers charged with ensuring the accuracy and completeness of the clinical trial reports published in medical journals do not even have access to complete data and must rely on manufacturer-influenced summaries. Likewise for the experts who write the clinical practice guidelines that define our standards of care. The result of years of research and privileged access to the inner workings of the U.S. medical-industrial complex, Sickening shines a light on the dark underbelly of American health care—and presents a path toward genuine reform.

Author : Dennis J. Paustenbach
Publisher : John Wiley & Sons
Page : 1319 pages
File Size : 49,6 Mb
Release : 2024-04-23
Category : Technology & Engineering
ISBN : 9781119551102

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Human and Ecological Risk Assessment by Dennis J. Paustenbach Pdf

Understand the fundamentals of human risk assessment with this introduction and reference Human risk assessments are a precondition for virtually all industrial action or environmental regulation, all the more essential in a world where chemical and environmental hazards are becoming more abundant. These documents catalog potential environmental, toxicological, ecological, or other harms resulting from a particular hazard, from chemical spills to construction projects to dangerous workplaces. They turn on a number of variables, of which the most significant is the degree of human exposure to the hazardous agent or process. Human and Ecological Risk Assessment combines the virtues of a textbook and reference work to introduce and analyze these vital documents. Beginning with the foundational theory of human health risk assessment, it then supplies case studies and detailed analysis illustrating the practice of producing risk assessment documents. Fully updated and authored by leading authorities in the field, the result is an indispensable work. Readers of the second edition of Human and Ecological Risk Assessment will also find: Over 40 entirely new case studies reflecting the latest in risk assessment practice Detailed discussion of hazards including air emissions, contaminated food and soil, hazardous waste sites, and many more Case studies from multiple countries to reflect diverse international standards Human and Ecological Risk Assessment is ideal for professionals and advanced graduate students in toxicology, industrial hygiene, occupational medicine, environmental science, and all related subjects.

Author : Kathleen Hall Jamieson,Dan M. Kahan,Dietram Scheufele
Publisher : Oxford University Press
Page : 513 pages
File Size : 48,7 Mb
Release : 2017
Category : Psychology
ISBN : 9780190497620

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The Oxford Handbook of the Science of Science Communication by Kathleen Hall Jamieson,Dan M. Kahan,Dietram Scheufele Pdf

The proposal to vaccinate adolescent girls against the human papilloma virus ignited political controversy, as did the advent of fracking and a host of other emerging technologies. These disputes attest to the persistent gap between expert and public perceptions. Complicating the communication of sound science and the debates that surround the societal applications of that science is a changing media environment in which misinformation can elicit belief without corrective context and likeminded individuals are prone to seek ideologically comforting information within their own self-constructed media enclaves. Drawing on the expertise of leading science communication scholars from six countries, The Oxford Handbook of the Science of Science Communication not only charts the media landscape - from news and entertainment to blogs and films - but also examines the powers and perils of human biases - from the disposition to seek confirming evidence to the inclination to overweight endpoints in a trend line. In the process, it draws together the best available social science on ways to communicate science while also minimizing the pernicious effects of human bias. The Handbook adds case studies exploring instances in which communication undercut or facilitated the access to scientific evidence. The range of topics addressed is wide, from genetically engineered organisms and nanotechnology to vaccination controversies and climate change. Also unique to this book is a focus on the complexities of involving the public in decision making about the uses of science, the regulations that should govern its application, and the ethical boundaries within which science should operate. The Handbook is an invaluable resource for researchers in the communication fields, particularly in science and health communication, as well as to scholars involved in research on scientific topics susceptible to distortion in partisan debate.