Public Health Review

Reducing Harm

Cheyenne Reyes, Carrie Lawrence, Tessa Nalven — Thu, 05 Mar 2026 00:00:00 -0600

Background: Opioid misuse has increased significantly in the U.S.,
with mortality rates tripling within the past decade and a half.
Purpose: The purpose of this study is to explore healthcare
providers’ perceptions of how the opioid epidemic has impacted
their day-to-day patient interactions and practice.
Method: Semi-structured phone interviews were conducted among
healthcare providers (n=6), recorded, and transcribed verbatim. An
interpretive phenomenological analysis framework was then used
to evaluate these data, with two independent coders analyzing these
data for common themes.
Results: Major themes emerging from the data include: (1)
skepticism and apprehension in medical decision-making, (2)
increased awareness of and focus on patients’ chronic pain and
opioid use, and (3) influences of the financial market on medical
practice, access, and care.
Discussion/Conclusion: This study provides insight on how
evolving policy and professional standards impact providers’
everyday practice. Integrating in-depth training and continuing
education on treating patients who misuse opioids may build
provider self-efficacy and lead to more informed and effective
treatment.

The Effect of Yoga Interventions on Hypertension: A Systematic Review

Tyler Dregney, Beth Lewis — Thu, 05 Mar 2026 00:00:00 -0600

Objective: The focus of this current study is to examine the impact of yoga
interventions on hypertension and provide recommendations for future
research.
Methods: Four databases were searched for existing studies that observed
the impact of yoga on hypertension. Interventions were included if they
evaluated yoga relative to a control arm in patients with any form of
arterial hypertension. PRISMA guidelines were followed. Two
independent reviewers performed the selection of studies, data extraction,
and quality assessments.
Results: Nine studies met the inclusion criteria, eight of which were
RCTs and one non-RCT. Five studies suggested yoga was effective in
reducing systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure
(DBP), while two studies suggested yoga was effective in reducing SBP.
Two studies suggested that yoga did not impact SBP or DBP.
Conclusion: Yoga may be an effective treatment for individuals with
hypertension; however, the methodological flaws and inconsistencies of
existing studies leaves some questions unanswered. Future studies should
include larger samples, yoga interventions that focus on postures, and
sessions lasting at least 30 minutes

Apacheta

Gustavo Galarraga — Thu, 05 Mar 2026 00:00:00 -0600

“Apacheta”—stone over
stone—are ancient stone mounds commonly found
across South America, often located at crossroads or
at the beginning of trails. There, travelers would place
a stone and leave an offering as a gesture seeking
good omens for their journey, while also encountering
the offerings left by those who had passed before
them.
For the 2025–2026 period, our team finds itself in a
moment of transition, walking a path shaped by past
editorials that continue to inspire our work and by the
authors who, through their contributions, have
allowed PHR Review to sustain its editions for more
than six years.