Brown School study analyzes Twitter hashtags associated with diabetes

An analysis of Twitter hashtag use on the subject of diabetes provides new insights about spreading health information through social media. The study, led by Jenine Harris, PhD, assistant professor at the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis, looked at the hashtag #diabetes and its interaction with two Twitter measures of engagement, retweeting and favoriting. The study found retweeting and favoriting was significantly lower for tweets about the number or percentage of people with diabetes, while favoriting was higher for tweets about health problems associated with diabetes.

WashU Expert: Caitlyn Jenner may be turning point in America’s awareness of transgender issues

Caitlyn Jenner’s first public appearance on the cover of Vanity Fair has sparked quite a stir. The Twitter account for Jenner, formerly Bruce Jenner, reached 1 million followers in just over four hours. Her story reminds us that even the most personal decisions are linked to broader social conditions, says an expert on later-in-life gender transitions at Washington University in St. Louis.

When STEM education meets African-American culture

Studies show that despite demonstrating high interest, African-American girls have fewer support systems, less exposure to, and lower academic achievement in STEM fields than their Caucasian counterparts. Sheretta Butler-Barnes, PhD, assistant professor at the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis, is working to change that.

Sexual orientation, gender identity linked to eating disorders

Transgender and non-transgender lesbian, gay and bisexual students are at greater risk for eating disorders, finds a new study from the Brown School and Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. The study used data from 289,024 students at 223 U.S. universities participating in the American College Health Association–National College Health Assessment. Alexis Duncan, PhD, assistant professor at the Brown School, was senior author on the study.

Tax-time savings programs effective in helping low-income families save refunds, study finds

Tax-time savings programs help low- and moderate-income families save significantly more of their refunds than those who choose not to participate, finds an analysis of such a program called $aveNYC. The study was co-authored by Michal Grinstein-Weiss, PhD, associate professor at Washington University in St. Louis, Brown School and associate director of the Center for Social Development.
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