Population Health

People are increasingly falling for their favorite chatbots, spending hours each day building relationships with their artificial lovers. Chatbot site Janitor AI told Semafor that users have started 2.1 million conversations with its Valentine’s Day bots since they went live on Tuesday, representing about a quarter of all interactions on the site and breaking the company’s all-time daily user record. Pepper Schwartz, professor of sociology at the UW, is quoted.

The Journal of the Academy of Public Health claims to open up scientific communication. But its unusual editorial policies have some scientists concerned. Carl Bergstrom, professor of biology at the UW, is quoted.

Massachusetts’ attorney general is championing a bill this legislative session that would ban students from using their cellphones and other personal electronic devices during the school day. That makes Massachusetts one of more than two dozen states where lawmakers are considering legislation this spring that would restrict students’ cellphone use, according to a tally by Education Week. Lucía Magis-Weinberg, assistant professor of psychology at the UW, is quoted.

Exposure to traffic-related air pollution (TRAP) is associated with depression in women, possibly via reproductive health, according to a study published online Jan. 21 in Menopause. Anwesha Pan, a doctoral student of anthropology at the UW, is mentioned.

As director of government relations for the Catholic Health Association, Paulo G. Pontemayor (BA, 2005) is dedicated to increasing equity and access to health care in the United States.

It can help us cope with painful events and find peace in the present moment. Marsha Linehan, professor emeritus of psychology at the UW, is quoted.

Throughout her journey from preschool teacher to speech and language pathologist to a special education administrator, Sara Jerger (BS, MS, Speech & Hearing Sciences) has helped students thrive. 

Combining classroom time and outdoors experiences, a Disability Studies course explores what it means to provide access and disability justice for community members in recreation spaces.

Assessing the size of the homeless population is full of challenges and has often led to undercounts, but a team of researchers at the University of Washington has developed a system that they say fills in those gaps. Zack Almquist, a UW associate professor of sociology, and Amy Hagopian, professor emeritus of health systems and population health, are interviewed.

Emergency department visits for self-harm have spiked since the pandemic. Experts explain the psychology behind the behavior and how to overcome it. Vibh Forsythe Cox, clinical associate professor of psychology and director of the Marsha M. Linehan DBT Clinic at the UW, is quoted.

Much of what can make linking friends scary — insecurity, envy, an instinct to hold tight to the people you love — isn’t new; it’s fundamentally human. But keeping your friends to yourself, what I call “friend hoarding,” is a modern practice. Katherine Stovel, professor and chair of sociology at the UW, is quoted.

Across the animal kingdom, models have vastly underestimated the energy costs of reproduction. Lauren Buckley, professor of biology at the UW, is quoted.

New research is shedding light on how war inflicts mortality, displaces families and erodes mental health. Nathalie Williams, professor of sociology and of international studies at the UW, is quoted.

New research from the University of Washington investigated responses to sweetened beverage taxes using the purchasing behavior of approximately 400 households in Seattle, San Francisco, Oakland and Philadelphia. Researchers found that after the tax was introduced, lower-income households decreased their purchases of sweetened beverages by nearly 50%, while higher-income households reduced purchases by 18%.

In “Primary Trust,” which opens at Seattle Rep on Oct. 24 and runs through Nov. 24, playwright Eboni Booth brings audiences on a deep dive into the epidemic of adult loneliness. Nicole McNichols, associate teaching professor of psychology at the UW, is quoted.