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Hot weather affects health of migratory farmworkers, finds UTHealth study

Hot weather is significantly associated with clinical visits among migratory farmworkers compared to other patients, according to a study by researchers at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) published recently in the journal Occupational and Environmental Medicine.

10 Mar 2016

Victims of sexual abuse stop breastfeeding early, study finds

More than two out of ten women who have been victims of sexual abuse as children are likely to stop breastfeeding before their babies reach four months, according to a new study.

10 Mar 2016

IUPUI researcher awarded $1.1 million grant to develop tools to improve care for chronic pain patients

An Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis researcher has been awarded $1.1 million to develop information-based tools to help primary care providers improve care for patients with chronic pain, a condition that affects 100 million Americans at a cost of $630 billion annually in health care costs and lost worker productivity.

10 Mar 2016

VTT develops new technology that can be utilised in smart clothing

VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd has developed new technology that takes care of the thermal, moisture and flow-technical behaviour of smart clothing. The temperature of smart clothing, for example, is automatically adjusted according to the wearer's individual needs. The technology is also suited to demanding conditions such as hospitals and sports.

10 Mar 2016

Meldonium use widespread among elite athletes

The use of meldonium--the substance taken by tennis star Maria Sharapova--is widespread among elite athletes, reveals research published online in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.

10 Mar 2016

Bullied young children not at higher risk of substance abuse later in life

Being bullied can hurt young children in many ways, but a new UT Dallas study found that it does not lead to later substance abuse.The research by three criminologists in UT Dallas' School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences discovered that students who were bullied in third grade did not have a greater risk of using drugs or alcohol by ninth grade.

10 Mar 2016

Walking on two legs can be a challenging task even for young, healthy adults

"The most commonly cited statistic is that one in three older adults falls each year due to age-related changes in balance, and in this four-month study, more than half of the college students fell during daily activities," said Shirley Rietdyk, a professor of health and kinesiology, who only looked at young adults in this study. "The fall rate may be lower for older adults because they are more cautious due to the higher risk of serious, even fatal, injuries from falls. These findings also highlight that walking on two legs is a challenging task that is mechanically unstable, even for young, healthy adults."

10 Mar 2016

FDA OKs ACR's new Digital Mammography QC Manual

The Food and Drug Administration approved the American College of Radiology's alternative standard request to allow mammography facilities to use the new Digital Mammography Quality Control Manual and Digital Mammography QC Phantom in routine QC of digital equipment. The new manual and phantom will aid in ensuring uniformity of QC testing.

10 Mar 2016

Overprescribing of opioids leads to serious public health problems

Overprescribing of opioids and opioid addiction are serious and growing public health problems in the U.S., and are the focus of a new report by an expert panel, entitled The American Opioid Epidemic: Population Health Implications and Potential Solutions," from the National Stakeholder Panel, Jefferson College of Population Health, which is published in a special supplement to Population Health Management, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. The supplement is available open access on the Population Health Managementwebsite

10 Mar 2016

Breastfeeding essential for first six months of newborns' life

Newborns should be breastfed exclusively for the first six months of life with continued breastfeeding until at least 12 months, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. This can be hard when new breastfeeding families have to rely on child care facilities because of a need to return to work in a specified time. What kind of breastfeeding support, if any, can they rely on from the child care facility? This question interested a team of researchers from the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing

10 Mar 2016

Yoga holds promise for helping improve anxiety, depression and PTSD

Across the country, health and human service providers have shown a growing interest in using yoga as an option for treating people who experience mental health problems. But a recent study from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill found that while there are some promising benefits to using yoga, there isn't yet enough evidence to support the practice as a standalone solution for improving mental health and well-being.

10 Mar 2016

Early childhood intervention guide can help prevent substance use disorders

An online guide about interventions in early childhood that can help prevent drug use and other unhealthy behaviors was launched today by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, part of the National Institutes of Health.

10 Mar 2016

Young people who self-harm seek emergency hospital care as last resort due to deep sense of shame

Young people who self-harm only seek emergency hospital care as a last resort due to a deep sense of shame and unworthiness, a study at the University of Exeter has found.

10 Mar 2016

Integrative approach critical in addressing teen health issues

As rural communities struggle to obtain access to health services, a Kansas State University student is researching how medical, dental, social work and mental health providers can collaborate to meet the needs of teens.

10 Mar 2016

Scientists discover brain mechanisms that separate food consumption from cravings

Researchers investigating eating disorders often study chemical and neurological functions in the brain to discover clues to overeating. Understanding non-homeostatic eating -- or eating that is driven more by palatability, habit and food cues -- and how it works in the brain may help neuroscientists determine how to control cravings, maintain healthier weights and promote healthier lifestyles. Scientists at the University of Missouri recently discovered the chemical circuits and mechanisms in the brain that separate food consumption from cravings. Knowing more about these mechanisms could help researchers develop drugs that reduce overeating.

9 Mar 2016

Shift in workforce model in public mental health clinics may affect efforts to improve services

Community mental health clinics, where most specialty mental health treatment is delivered, have been relying more on independent contractors to treat patients, largely for budgetary reasons. Many of these clinics have simultaneously been moving towards the greater use of evidence-based psychosocial practices , broadly defined as talk therapies that are informed by rigorous research as well as clinician expertise and patient preferences.

9 Mar 2016

Bilberries can be utilised in food products to boost dietary fibre intake

Bilberries - a unique part of the Nordic diet - could be utilised in higher amounts in food products to increase our dietary fibre intake. VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd took an interest in bilberry press cake and developed methods to use it as a dietary fibre source in tasty snacks.

9 Mar 2016

Use of OTC medication not always a smart decision for yeast infection

Itching, burning, redness—a yeast infection can be a total pain. While they aren't life-threatening, yeast infections are irritating—both physically and mentally. So, when undesirable symptoms appear 'down there,' should you consult your physician or self diagnose and treat with over-the-counter medications?

9 Mar 2016

Columbia University researchers find link between firearm-related laws and firearm homicides

A study by researchers at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health looked at the associations between firearm-related laws and firearm homicides, suicides, and unintentional injuries and deaths. The paper is the first to explore the evidence from around the world on gun laws and gun violence to determine whether gun restrictions help reduce gun deaths. While the research did not conclusively prove that restrictions, or relaxation of laws, reduce gun deaths, the results indicate that gun violence tended to decline after countries passed new restrictions on gun purchasing and ownership

9 Mar 2016

Alcohol worst of all drugs that affect fetal health

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention set off a firestorm of controversy this month when they suggested that women stop drinking alcohol if they are trying to get pregnant, or could get pregnant. Some people took this advice as the CDC prioritizing hypothetical, yet-to-be-conceived children over real women, which has brought up a number of issues from female autonomy to access to birth control—but how clear is the science about what causes fetal alcohol syndrome and related fetal alcohol spectrum disorders.

9 Mar 2016