“There still is this misconception that if you have a disability, then you cannot be healthy,” says Gloria Krahn, the Barbara Emily Knudson Endowed Chair in Family Policy Studies. “I would’ve thought that after 25 years, we would be past some of that. Special Olympics is helping bring about that change.”
“I have a number of components to my philosophy around fitness and exercise. Consistency is very important, and creating good habits around overall fitness is first on the list. It’s about a way of life and includes diet, exercise and movement, focus, mental challenges, creativity and having fun with life. There is solitude in all of this, but at the same time it’s a social event. I probably do 90 percent of my exercise socially.”
The researchers found health insurances rates increased 6.1 percent for young adults age 19 to 25 after the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, was adopted. But, the percentage increase varied greatly, from seven percent for whites to 1.2 percent for blacks.
The study is believed to be the first to examine marijuana usage patterns following legalization of recreational marijuana in Oregon and the first to examine the effects of any state’s legalization on college students.
Children under age 3 who have or are at risk of a developmental disability are eligible for services to improve cognitive, behavioral and physical skills under the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA).
Jafra Thomas will receive his master’s degree in Public Health on June 17 and is currently a doctoral degree candidate pursuing his PhD in Kinesiology. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Sports Sciences and his first master’s degree in Health and Exercise Science from the University of the Pacific in Stockton, Calif.