When a group of collaborators wanted to eliminate early childhood caries on the Crow and Hopi reservations in Montana and Arizona, respectively, they began by… Read more
Ending oral health inequities starts with dedicated partnerships
Kristan Elwell
February 2021 newsletter
Learn more about the Great Beginnings for Healthy Native Smiles project in our February 2021 newsletter:
Researchers at NAU join with Hopi and Crow tribes to tackle early childhood tooth decay
Early childhood caries (ECC), or tooth decay, has been linked to serious chronic health conditions like premature or low birth weight in infants, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and stroke, according to the Arizona Healthy Smiles, Healthy Bodies Survey conducted by the Arizona Department of Health Services.
Researchers from Northern Arizona University’s Center for Health Equity Research (CHER) and other institutions are working to… Read more
Faculty Spotlight: Kristan Elwell
Since Kristan Elwell began her work, she has dedicated her life to health equity. She joined NAU’s Center for Health Equity Research four years ago after earning her doctorate in sociocultural anthropology from Michigan State University.
Elwell also has a master’s degree in applied cultural anthropology from Northern Arizona University and a… Read more
Recently Funded Project, Great Beginnings for Healthy Native Smiles
Great Beginnings for Healthy Native Smiles: An Early Childhood Caries Prevention Program
American Indian children are four times more likely to suffer from untreated dental caries when compared to white children.1 High rates of Early Childhood Caries (ECC; one or more decayed, missing, or filled teeth in a child less than 6 years of age)2 in American Indian children impact the wellbeing of their families and communities because of the associated problems that result from untreated ECC such as infection,… Read more
Highlighting the work of CHER Faculty Researcher Kristan Elwell In Observance of the 30th Anniversary of World AIDS Day, December 1, 2018,
In observance of the 30th anniversary of World AIDS Day on December 1, 2018, we are highlighting the work of CHER faculty member, Dr. Kristan Elwell:
Kristan Elwell, Ph.D. has dedicated many years of her career conducting research on access to HIV/AIDS treatment. As a doctoral student at Michigan State University, Elwell worked with HIV-positive women in Malawi to identify social and structural factors affecting their access to health care programs and services to prevent mother to child transmission (MTCT).
Now,… Read more