Our Health&
Get an insider look at the impacts of public health and human development.
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The Our Health& series showcases the importance of health in a person’s daily life throughout the lifespan. Each episode is guided by and designed to answer our community members’ questions about health topics via a facilitated a town hall-style forum with series panelists.
These events are hosted in partnership by the OSU Alumni Association, OSU Foundation, the OSU College of Health and the OSU Center for Health Innovation.
Upcoming events
Recordings of past webcasts
A Breath of Fresh Air: the top environmental risks that affect children
Did you know that Oregon has some of the highest asthma rates in children for the entire U.S.? And has experienced some of the worst air quality in the world in the past few years? Join College of Health faculty as they discuss the top environmental risks that affect children (and adults!), the health outcomes associated with exposure and how the college’s new ASP3IRE Center is working to reverse the trends.
Building a Trained and Stable Child Care Workforce
Access to affordable and accessible child care is becoming increasingly difficult for hard-working, young families — especially for middle and low-income families and within communities of color. Fortunately, faculty from Oregon State University are finding innovative ways to break barriers and address the needs of Oregon’s early childhood educators and children.
Modifying Metabolism: Small Choices, Big Results
Understanding your metabolism — what it is and why it is important — in today’s world of information saturation can feel confusing, overwhelming and deflating. However, there are numerous small choices that you can implement today that can lead to immediate, significant positive outcomes.
Mentorship: Making the Connection
There are many stories being written about workplace culture—from work-life balance to finding a new job and the importance of networking. And it’s not uncommon to see the concept of mentorship woven into the conclusions. But what does mentorship really mean? And how do you go about finding or becoming a mentor?
Refocusing the Picture of Health for Kids
It’s no surprise the pandemic caused a shift in Americans' physical activity and eating patterns, including among kids and teens. From a continued decline in high-quality physical education to inequitable access to green spaces to a pervasive diet culture, America’s young people face a future of chronic health issues unless current trends are reversed.
The caregiving conundrum: Complex challenges and an uncertain future
Caregiving affects both older adults and younger adults, who may be caring for children as well as aging parents. And the number of those in advanced age is growing. By 2030, 1 in 5 Americans is projected to be 65 or older, and this generation desires a more holistic approach to aging and caregiving, especially in underserved populations/communities.
A guide to navigating the return to travel
Ready to hit the road or fly the friendly skies? Watch this video to learn how to do so safely, and get lots of great travel tips and links on the OSUAA’s Travel Resources page.
What's in your water?
Tainted water sources greatly impact long-term health, and pollutants often can’t be identified by sight or smell alone. CPHHS researchers break through myths and explore how to fight disease and reduce health disparities by identifying tainted water sources through at-home testing.
Healthy Back Home
CPHHS' Jay Kim and Laurel Kincl discuss the importance of ergonomics, working these practices into our everyday lives and how the lessons learned from typically hazardous occupations can improve our health and well-being.
Manage your growing everyday stress
Stress related to the pandemic continues to take its toll, with a majority of people saying they are at or near a mental and emotional health crisis. CPHHS researchers examined the long-term effects of stress and our ability to bounce back through resiliency at any age.
Back to school: Expectations, transitions and challenges
CPHHS researchers discuss the expectations, transitions and challenges of returning to in-person instruction, including mental and emotional health, childhood development and social and emotional outcomes.
Living on the edge: Rapid social change and uncertainty
University Distinguished Professor Rick Settersten discusses concepts from his new book that look at how relevant and relatable the lives and experiences of this generation are today to the daily lives of the 1900 generation.
Making the outdoors accessible for all: A noel partnership
The College of Public Health and Human Sciences and Outdoor Recreation Economy Initiative (OREI) has partnered with AARP to contribute to making the health benefits of outdoor recreation accessible to people of all ages and abilities, from all walks of life.
The silent crisis in rural housing
Associate Professor Kate MacTavish discusses the various health challenges rural families face in a housing crisis and how community development may lead to restoring economic viability, improving quality of life and providing Americans means to afford a reliable home.
Does your home pass the test? How environmental health in the home can affect your health
Researchers in the CPHHS at Oregon State are collaborating on a study to determine children's school readiness in relation to how flame retardants have an impact on brain development.
Isolate the problem
Latinx and LGBTQ communities experience among the worst mental health outcomes in Oregon and beyond. CPHHS faculty, students and alumni discuss how the pandemic contributes to widening health disparities related to mental health and emotional well-being.
It takes a village: Shared challenges and shared solutions
COVID-19 impacted Oregon’s Latinx communities especially hard and brought awareness to their disproportionate access to health resources, information and other community services. Seeing these disparities, OSU Extension’s Family and Community Health team began looking at ways they could help.
A public health crisis: Factors that impact your health outcomes
Assistant Professor Kari-Lyn Sakuma helps us discover how your ZIP code may be a more important predictor of your health than your genetic code and how we can work together to dismantle systemic health disparity.
Public health careers: The world needs you
Karen Elliott, senior instructor and public health undergraduate internship coordinator, presents career paths available to those who have a background rooted in public health or are interested in a medical degree.
Public Health 101
Viktor Bovbjerg, a professor in the College of Public Health and Human Sciences at Oregon State University, discusses the basic elements of public health that influence our lives, our environment and response in times of crisis.