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People near the middle of social hierarchies suffer higher rates of depression and anxiety

Individuals near the middle of the social hierarchy suffer higher rates of depression and anxiety than those at the top or bottom, according to researchers at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health.

19 Aug 2015

Growing availability of heroin changing the face of opiate addiction in the U.S.

The growing availability of heroin, combined with programs aimed at curbing prescription painkiller abuse, may be changing the face of opiate addiction in the U.S., according to sociologists.

18 Aug 2015

Women's health, marital status and education may put children, grandchildren at higher risk of low birth weight

A woman's weight at birth, education level and marital status pre-pregnancy can have repercussions for two generations, putting her children and grandchildren at higher risk of low birth weight, according to a new study by Jennifer B. Kane, assistant professor of sociology at the University of California, Irvine. The findings are the first to tie social and biological factors together using population data in determining causes for low birth weight.

18 Aug 2015

Postmenopausal women more likely to use vaginal estrogen to achieve significantly higher sexual quality of life

Local vaginal estrogen (VE) appears to have escaped the shroud of doubt cast upon hormone therapy as a result of the Women's Health Initiative Study by providing numerous medical benefits without systemic effects. That's according to a new study reported online today in Menopause, the journal of The North American Menopause Society.

12 Aug 2015

Swedish study reveals combined effects of smoking and early menopause on overall mortality

Women may now have yet another reason to quit smoking given the results of a new study that is being reported online today in Menopause, the journal of The North American Menopause Society. The Swedish study involving 25,474 women is the first to quantify the combined effects of smoking and age at menopause on overall mortality in terms of survival time by investigating the role of smoking as a possible effect modifier.

5 Aug 2015

UBC research finds that gender plays vital role in healthy diets for seniors

Strategies to support healthier diets among seniors need to take into account differences between elderly men and women, according to UBC research.

10 Jul 2015

Sociologists to explore ideas, scientific research relating to sexuality at ASA's Annual Meeting

More than 5,500 sociologists will convene in Chicago this August to explore ideas and scientific research relating to sexuality and many other topics, as part of the American Sociological Association's 110th Annual Meeting. This year's theme, "Sexualities in the Social World," shows the importance of research by sociologists in illuminating how social norms and social inequalities affect what sexual behavior is acceptable and who partners with whom.

7 Jul 2015

One-third of US population provides unpaid care to another person, study shows

There has been much recent discussion in the press of the plight of the so-called "sandwich generation," that is, adults who are responsible for the care of children as well as aging parents.

2 Jul 2015

Rice University study reveals that gays, lesbians and heterosexuals have better health than bisexuals

Bisexual males and females report poorer health than gays, lesbians and heterosexuals, according to a new study from sociologists at Rice University.

1 Jul 2015

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27 Jun 2015

Studies compare self-reported health between unemployed and working populations

In an international context, Norway stands as an egalitarian country with only small class and income disparities, in which everyone basically has equal access to universal health care.

25 Jun 2015

New study analyses how policy actions affect tobacco consumption among Spanish women

Cigarette prices and images on cigarette packets have an impact on women in terms of continuing to smoke or quitting. In fact, less educated women are more responsive to pictorial labels on cigarette packets, as revealed by a study that has analysed, for the first time, the generation differences among female smokers, a group which, despite policy measures, has not stopped growing.

19 Jun 2015

New UW study uncovers surprising findings about caregivers

Caregiving is a part of daily life for millions of Americans, particularly the so-called sandwich generation balancing the needs of aging parents with looking after their own children.

18 Jun 2015

New study finds growing use of CAM therapies among menopausal women

The use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is increasing for the treatment of menopausal symptoms but often without the guidance of a clinician. That's according to a new study reported online today in Menopause, the journal of the North American Menopause Society.

10 Jun 2015

University at Albany researcher receives $1.76 million NIH grant to explore role of vitamin D in breast cancer

Each year, about 230,000 new cases of breast cancer are diagnosed in women in the U.S. It remains the third leading cause of death, behind only heart disease and lung cancer. Of the new cases, about 20 percent of women will be diagnosed with "triple negative" breast cancer (TNBC), a deadly form of breast cancer that does not respond to standard treatments such as tamoxifen or aromatase inhibitors.

7 Jun 2015

Women who suffer from fibromyalgia benefit from hyperbaric oxygen therapy

Women who suffer from fibromyalgia benefit from a treatment regimen in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber, according to researchers at Rice University and institutes in Israel.

3 Jun 2015

Study addresses children's basic perspectives on living with Type 1 diabetes

If a picture is worth a thousand words, UF Health Type 1 diabetes researchers and their colleagues have tapped into an encyclopedia, revealing new insights into how young people cope with the disease.

2 Jun 2015

Workplace intervention has positive influence on sleep patterns of employees' children

A workplace intervention designed to reduce employees' work-family conflict and increase schedule flexibility also has a positive influence on the sleep patterns of the employees' children.

22 May 2015

New CU-Boulder study finds that hazardous drinking behaviors increase mortality rates

A new University of Colorado Boulder study involving some 40,000 people indicates that social and psychological problems caused by drinking generally trump physically hazardous drinking behaviors when it comes to overall mortality rates.

29 Apr 2015

Women in developed countries are more likely to be physically assaulted, study finds

When researchers examine violent assault numbers, historically the data has pointed to higher rates of female victimization in developing countries. But a study by a West Virginia University sociology professor finds that women in developed countries — like the United States — are actually more likely to be physically assaulted than women in developing countries.

13 Apr 2015