University of South Carolina Prevention Research Center

University of South Carolina Prevention Research Center One of 26 Prevention Research Centers funded by the CDC to help the community of South Carolina improve physical activity and eating behaviors.

Healthy habits don’t happen in a vacuum. A recent review of 11 studies involving African immigrants living in Western co...
08/05/2026

Healthy habits don’t happen in a vacuum. A recent review of 11 studies involving African immigrants living in Western countries found that health behaviors after migration were shaped by factors including food access and cost, time, family responsibilities, safety, and cultural beliefs.

Creating healthier communities starts with understanding the conditions that shape everyday choices.

Background Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are on the rise globally, accounting for approximately 71% of deaths worldwide. This upward trend has also been observed among the increasing population of African immigrants residing in Western countries, where health behavior and various sociocultural an...

Older adults who received peer support through a smartphone app walked significantly more steps by week 12 than those wh...
07/31/2026

Older adults who received peer support through a smartphone app walked significantly more steps by week 12 than those who did not. That is the finding from a cluster randomized trial published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research earlier this year. Not a trainer. Not a clinic. Just someone in a similar situation checking in through a phone. Sometimes the most effective health tool is peer support.

Background: As the population ages, older adults face an increasing risk of physical inactivity and related health complications, highlighting the need for scalable interventions. Smartphone-based programs have emerged as a promising strategy to support sustained physical activity among older adults...

Produce prescription programs can improve access to healthy foods, but providing vouchers is only part of the solution. ...
07/31/2026

Produce prescription programs can improve access to healthy foods, but providing vouchers is only part of the solution. A study published in Preventing Chronic Disease found that food insecurity, transportation barriers, and distance to participating retailers all influenced whether low-income adults with type 2 diabetes redeemed fresh produce vouchers. The findings highlight the importance of designing nutrition programs that address barriers to access.

Preventing Chronic Disease (PCD) is a peer-reviewed electronic journal established by the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. PCD provides an open exchange of information and knowledge among researchers, practitioners, policy makers, and others who strive to improve....

The months after childbirth are among the most physically and emotionally demanding in a woman's life, yet they're also ...
07/29/2026

The months after childbirth are among the most physically and emotionally demanding in a woman's life, yet they're also when physical activity often declines the most. A 2026 systematic review highlights that regular movement during the postpartum period supports physical recovery, improves mental well-being, and promotes long-term health. Helping new mothers stay active isn't about giving advice, but rather, providing support that helps them move.

Postpartum physical activity (PA) is crucial in supporting maternal health, contributing to mental health and well-being, weight management, and overall physical fitness. Although multiple health organizations have issued PA recommendations for ...

When you eat your protein may matter as much as how much you eat. Evidence consistently shows that older adults who spre...
07/24/2026

When you eat your protein may matter as much as how much you eat. Evidence consistently shows that older adults who spread protein evenly across meals, rather than loading most of it at dinner, tend to maintain better muscle mass and strength over time. Most people do the opposite without realizing it. A high protein dinner after a low protein breakfast is a pretty common pattern, and it may not be doing the muscles much good.

The importance of meal distribution of dietary protein to optimize muscle mass and body remains unclear and the findings are intertwined with age, physical a...

Volunteering may be one of the more overlooked strategies in healthy aging. A systematic review published in The Geronto...
07/23/2026

Volunteering may be one of the more overlooked strategies in healthy aging. A systematic review published in The Gerontologist found that volunteering was linked to better physical and mental health outcomes in older adults, including reduced mortality risk. The mechanism seems to go beyond just staying busy. Purpose, structure, and social contact all appear to play a role. For communities looking for low-cost ways to support healthy aging, this is worth taking seriously.

AbstractBackground and Objectives. Volunteering is recommended to promote healthy aging in older adults. This review investigated the benefits and harms of

Health programs work best when the people they are designed for have a seat at the table.Research published in Preventin...
07/23/2026

Health programs work best when the people they are designed for have a seat at the table.
Research published in Preventing Chronic Disease highlights how community-based approaches, where communities are partners in the design process from the start, can create more relevant, trusted, and effective health interventions.
Who is in the room when a program is designed matters.

Preventing Chronic Disease (PCD) is a peer-reviewed electronic journal established by the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. PCD provides an open exchange of information and knowledge among researchers, practitioners, policy makers, and others who strive to improve....

Your garden might be a workout in disguise. Digging, planting, weeding, and hauling soil all get your body moving in way...
07/17/2026

Your garden might be a workout in disguise. Digging, planting, weeding, and hauling soil all get your body moving in ways that add up. A 2025 review in BMC Public Health found that gardening programs had real mental health benefits and physical health improvements in people managing chronic conditions. Sometimes the best exercise is the one that does not feel like exercise

Background Gardening activities became increasingly popular in health promotion. The aim of this systematic review was to investigate the effect of gardening-based training or horticultural therapy on domains of health, including mental, physical and general health. Method The MEDLINE, PsychINFO, We...

Walking speed may reveal more than just mobility, it could provide clues about brain health.A study of three long-term a...
07/17/2026

Walking speed may reveal more than just mobility, it could provide clues about brain health.

A study of three long-term aging studies found that slower walking speed was linked to a higher risk of cognitive decline. Researchers found that slow gait speed was associated with progression from mild to more severe cognitive impairment.

Very few studies looking at slow gait speed as early marker of cognitive decline investigated the competing risk of death. The current study examines associations between slow gait speed and transitions between cognitive states and death in later ...

Community and connection matter. But for rural African American women navigating discrimination, chronic stress, and lim...
07/15/2026

Community and connection matter. But for rural African American women navigating discrimination, chronic stress, and limited access to care, they are not the whole answer. New research from the USC Prevention Research Center looked at what actually protects mental health in these communities and what the evidence says we still need to do differently

Plain Language Research Briefs Summaries of findings from the Prevention Research Center’s studies and scientific publications are listed below. The plain language summaries are designed to share our research with the general community. If you have questions, please contact us. How Resilience, Soc...

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