Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

What’S In Wildfire Smoke?: A Toxicologist Explains The Health Risks And Which Masks Can Help, Luke Montrose

Public Health and Population Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Smoke is turning the sky hazy across a large swath of the country as dozens of large fires burn, and a lot of people are wondering what’s in the air they’re breathing.

As an environmental toxicologist, I study the effects of wildfire smoke and how they differ from other sources of air pollution. We know that breathing wildfire smoke can be harmful. Less clear is what the worsening wildfire landscape will mean for public health in the future, but research is raising red flags.

Smoke From Wildfires Can Worsen Covid-19 Risk, Putting Firefighters In Even More Danger, Luke Montrose

Public Health and Population Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Two forces of nature are colliding in the western United States, and wildland firefighters are caught in the middle.

Emerging research suggests that the smoke firefighters breathe on the front lines of wildfires is putting them at greater risk from the new coronavirus, with potentially lethal effects.

At the same time, firefighting conditions make precautions such as social distancing and hand-washing difficult, increasing the chance that, once the virus enters a fire camp, it could quickly spread.

As an environmental toxicologist, I have spent the last decade expanding our understanding of how wood smoke exposure impacts human health. Much of …

Wildfire Smoke Worsens Coronavirus Risk, Putting Firefighters In Extra Danger, Luke Montrose

Public Health and Population Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

As summer approaches, two forces of nature are on a collision course, and wildland firefighters will be caught in the middle.

New research suggests that the smoke firefighters breathe on the front lines of wildfires is putting them at greater risk from the new coronavirus, with potentially lethal effects.

At the same time, firefighting conditions make precautions such as social distancing and hand-washing difficult, increasing the chance that, once the virus enters a fire camp, it could quickly spread.

As an environmental toxicologist, I have spent the last decade expanding our understanding of how wood smoke exposure impacts human health. …

Training African Refugee Interpreters For Health Related Research, Terri Soelberg, Michal Temkin-Martínez, Mikal Smith, Pamela Springer

English Literature Faculty Publications and Presentations

This paper describes an approach to training African refugee interpreters for their role in health-related research. A study was proposed to evaluate the self-reported health of African Refugees in Boise, Idaho. Collaboration with a community advisory board revealed that targeted communities had members who spoke at least one of five main languages, many of whom had limited access to formal education. Interpreters were recruited from the refugee communities, and had either worked for and/or received training through one of two local hospitals. Few of the interpreters had experience serving in that role in the context of a research study. A …

The Impact Of Volunteering On Seniors’ Health And Quality Of Life: An Assessment Of The Retired And Senior Volunteer Program, Theodore W. Mcdonald, Erica L. Chown, Jordan E. Tabb, Amy K. Schaeffer, Elsa K. M. Howard

Public Health and Population Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Past research suggests that senior citizens often face challenges related to deteriorating physical and men- tal health, and the quality of their lives may suffer as a result. Past research also suggests that volunteering can improve the health and quality of life for seniors. In the present study, 451 volunteers enrolled in the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) completed surveys including questions regarding their volunteer experiences and how these experiences have affected their health and quality of life. The results suggest that volunteering through RSVP is associated with improvements in health and quality of life across a variety of …

Women Bound To Be Active: One Year Follow-Up To An Innovative Pilot Intervention To Increase Physical Activity And Self-Worth In Women, Jennifer L. Huberty, Jamie Vener, Laura Schulte, Sara M. Roberts, Beth Stevens, Lynda Ransdell

Kinesiology Faculty Publications and Presentations

The purpose of this investigation was to assess the effectiveness of a lifestyle intervention (a women’s book club; Women Bound to be Active) in promoting long-term physical activity (PA). Thirty-five women (26-70 years; mean age 50.6 years) completed the 8-month intervention and participated in the one-year follow-up. At follow-up, PA returned to baseline levels; however, self-worth and body mass index significantly improved. Women were more knowledgeable about PA at follow-up; however, they failed to maintain PA after the intervention. Components of the intervention were effective in improving self-worth and lowering BMI at one-year follow-up. To enhance long-term PA adherence continued …