Obesity Epidemic a Threat to U.S. Military Personnel and National Security

The obesity epidemic in the United States affects public health and the labor market, but researchers suggest that obesity may also affect national security.

Abiba Longwe is a Ph.D. student in economics at Radboud University Nijmegen. In this video interview, she shares her research findings.

Recent research considers the extent to which subsidized contraceptives influence the use of family planning supplies in several developing countries.

In Nigeria, where 10 percent of the world's deaths to children occur, literate mothers are much less likely to see their children die before their fifth birthday than their illiterate peers. While in the United States, Los Angeles mothers' reading skills are the greatest determinant of their childre…

Robert Hummer and Elaine Hernandez, co-authors of the Population Bulletin "The Effect of Educational Attainment on Adult Mortality in the U.S., shared their findings during a PRB webinar.

In the U.S., remaining life expectancy at age 25, an important overall indicator of adult population health, is about a decade shorter for people who do not have a high school degree compared with those who have completed college.

Results of rigorous evaluations show that one of the most cost-effective ways to boost primary school attendance in western Kenya is to treat children for intestinal worms. That's the finding of researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL).

Suspensions, expulsions, and arrests are predictors of trouble for students. Students in trouble tend to drop out or not graduate on time, which can ultimately diminish their lifetime earnings--and will make them much more likely to be incarcerated than those who graduate. Actions that push students…

This PRB ENGAGE Snapshot highlights how family planning can play a role in reducing poverty throughout sub-Saharan Africa and achieving the MDGs.

Despite a free primary education policy introduced by the Kenyan government in 2003, a substantial number of children who should benefit from it are still out of school, even though gains have been made between 1998 and 2009.

The youth population in sub-Saharan Africa is increasing rapidly. By 2050, that age group is projected to nearly double to about 561 million, according to PRB's The World's Youth 2013 Data Sheet. The youth of the region are also becoming better educated.

This PRB ENGAGE Snapshot sheds light on the relationship between fertility and gross national income, highlighting how family planning can contribute to development and economic growth.