Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Mental Health, and More Health News Trends

A look at health news from PR Newswire in September and October that you might have missed.

By Ally Bautista | Published Nov. 8, 2023

PR Newswire distributed over 6,000 health-related press releases in September and October. That's a huge amount of health news to consume and keep up with, so our team tracked the headlines to identify recurring trends. Some of the most popular in the past two months include Breast Cancer Awareness Month, mental health, protection against the flu, COVID-19, and RSV, and health and fitness-related mobile apps.

Read on for a closer look at these trends and additional newsworthy stories from September and October.

Popular Health Releases

Over the past two months, these health-related stories received a high number of views and engagement:

• Aetna announced its 2024 Medicare products, offering more choices, greater flexibility, and further simplified plans to members.
• The Peanut Institute shared gut microbiota research from the University of Barcelona that outlined how eating peanuts and peanut butter daily can promote better brain health.
• Abbott announced a definitive agreement to acquire Bigfoot Biomedical. Together, the companies plan to continue developing technology-driven solutions for people with diabetes.
• Orangetheory Fitness launched Strength 50, a new 50-minute class designed to help people build lean muscle mass, improve form, and get stronger physically and mentally.

Health News Trends

These are a few of the trends we noticed among health-related press releases in September and October, with a few examples of each.

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

According to the National Breast Cancer Foundation, 1 in 8 U.S. women will develop breast cancer in their lifetime, making it the most common cancer in U.S. women besides skin cancers. October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and with how widespread the disease is, the significance of shining a light on it is clear.

PR Newswire distributed 375 press releases that mentioned “breast cancer” in September and October. Stories included health surveys, tips for identifying warning signs, brand campaigns, and more. Here are some examples:

• Susan G. Komen®’s “Live Pink” program returned for a fifth year and put a spotlight on the organization’s corporate partners that support the mission to end breast cancer.
• A survey from MedStar Health found that most American women over age 40 skip their annual mammograms despite their importance, especially as women get older.
• The American Cancer Society shared risks and warning signs for inflammatory breast cancer (IBC), a rare type of breast cancer.
• Avocados From Mexico® teamed up with the Cure Bowl to announce the 2023 Avocados From Mexico Cure Bowl, a college football bowl game that will fund breast cancer research.

Mental Health

October is a significant time for mental health awareness, with Mental Illness Awareness Week taking place during the first full week of the month (October 1-7 in 2023) and World Mental Health Day on October 10. Mental illnesses are extremely common health conditions: more than 1 in 5 U.S. adults live with a mental illness, and over 1 in 5 youth (ages 13-18) have had a seriously debilitating mental illness. As such, education about mental health and ending the stigma surrounding discussing it is important.

In September and October, PR Newswire distributed over 900 press releases that mentioned “mental health.” Here are a few examples that help raise awareness:

• For Mental Illness Awareness Week, NAMI highlighted some of its major support resources, like the new NAMI Teen & Young Adult HelpLine.
• The Cigna Group’s “U.S. Youth Mental Health Crisis Demands a Community Response” report showed that American parents want community support to help their families overcome mental health issues.
• To raise awareness of emotional support services, the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline and Vibrant Emotional Health partnered with leading open-air shopping center owners to install "Signs of HOPE" across 1,450 U.S. shopping centers.
• Mind Share Partners and Qualtrics released their biennial Mental Health at Work Report, which revealed a mixed picture of workplace mental health.

Flu, COVID, and RSV Protection

In the U.S., fall is synonymous with the beginning of Halloween season, plus something potentially scarier: flu season. Along with the influenza virus, COVID-19 and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) also see increased activity and spread in fall and winter. These three are considered the most severe respiratory diseases and cause the most health care system utilization.

In September and October, news about all or any of “the big three” respiratory diseases often revolved around ways we can protect ourselves from them. Here are a few:

• A survey from the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases showed that many U.S. adults underestimate the seriousness of respiratory diseases, prompting health experts to urge vaccination.
• Novavax, Inc.'s Novavax COVID-19 Vaccine, Adjuvanted (2023-2024 Formula) received Emergency Use Authorization from the FDA for COVID-19 prevention. Doses became available nationwide at thousands of locations in the U.S.
• A survey from CVS Health revealed insights about the important factors consumers consider when scheduling flu shots.
• The American Lung Association shared four steps we can take to help prevent the spread of RSV.

Mobile Apps

This year, there are an estimated 5.25 billion smartphone users worldwide. Additionally, users are spending more time accessing content through apps than browsers. September and October saw many releases about healthcare and fitness companies launching new mobile apps, expanded features, and integrations which are sure to help ease the lives of smartphone-using patients and consumers.

Here are some examples of mobile app announcements that crossed the wire:

• The Lupus Foundation of America launched a mobile app for its Strategies to Embrace Living with Lupus Fearless (SELF) program, designed to help users with easy and accessible lupus self-management on-the-go.
• Building on the long-standing integration between their apps, ŌURA and Cronometer announced a new feature to help track and analyze menstrual cycle data.
• To address neglected men’s health issues like STIs, HeHealth launched an AI-powered app that offers anonymous, stigma-free, and doctor-validated digital health screenings.
• Burn Boot Camp announced a new app to bring the workouts and community of their physical locations to users everywhere.

Looking Ahead

As winter approaches, we may see continued news about flu season, along with general cold-weather wellness. Additionally, as the open enrollment period for 2024 health coverage begins in November, more health insurance-related news may hit the wire. We'll keep our eyes on the headlines to bring you the latest trends in our next roundup!

About the Author

Ally Bautista is a Customer Content Specialist at PR Newswire. Based in the San Francisco Bay Area, she enjoys baking, creating visual art, and keeping up with pop culture news in her free time.