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Coming out as bisexual associated with increased risk of smoking

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For many years, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and other non-heterosexual (LGB+) folks have been known to be more likely to smoke than their straight counterparts.

But a new, first-of-its-kind Boston University School of Public Health (BUSPH) study paints a more precise picture by looking at LGB+ identities separately and over time, finding that bisexuality is the identity most associated with smoking, especially around the time of coming out.

Published in the journal JAMA Pediatrics, the nationally-representative cohort study followed 7,843 youth and young adults over three years, finding that those who came out as bisexual were twice as likely as consistently-heterosexual participants to start smoking. [Read more…] about Coming out as bisexual associated with increased risk of smoking

Positive outlook predicts less memory decline

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We may wish some memories could last a lifetime, but many physical and emotional factors can negatively impact our ability to retain information throughout life.

A new study published in the journal Psychological Science found that people who feel enthusiastic and cheerful – what psychologists call “positive affect” – are less likely to experience memory decline as they age. This result adds to a growing body of research on positive affect’s role in healthy aging.

A team of researchers analyzed data from 991 middle-aged and older US adults who participated in a national study conducted at three time periods: between 1995 and 1996, 2004 and 2006, and 2013 and 2014. [Read more…] about Positive outlook predicts less memory decline

Related Posts

  • How parental involvement affects children’s performance in school
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    How parental involvement affects children’s performance in schoolUsing data from the HSE University longitudinal study Trajectories in Education and Careers (TrEC), Ilya Prakhov, Olga Kotomina and Alexandra Sazhina determined which forms of family engagement in the school are useful and which are harmful to the student. This study makes it possible to monitor students' entire educational path…
    Tags: study, university, positive, life

Early results from DETECT study suggest fitness trackers can predict Covid-19 infections

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Examining data from the first six weeks of their landmark DETECT study, a team of scientists from the Scripps Research Translational Institute sees encouraging signs that wearable fitness devices can improve public health efforts to control Covid-19.

The DETECT study, launched on March 25, uses a mobile app to collect smartwatch and activity tracker data from consenting participants, and also gathers their self-reported symptoms and diagnostic test results. Any adult living in the United States is eligible to participate in the study by downloading the research app, MyDataHelps.

In a study that appears today in Nature Medicine, the Scripps Research team reports that wearable devices like Fitbit are capable of identifying cases of COVID-19 by evaluating changes in heart rate, sleep and activity levels, along with self-reported symptom data – and can identify cases with greater success than looking at symptoms alone. [Read more…] about Early results from DETECT study suggest fitness trackers can predict Covid-19 infections

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  • Caltech researcher unveils sensor that rapidly detects Covid-19 infection
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    Caltech researcher unveils sensor that rapidly detects Covid-19 infectionOne feature of the Covid-19 virus that makes it so difficult to contain is that it can be easily spread to others by a person who has yet to show any signs of infection. The carrier of the virus might feel perfectly well and go about their daily business--taking the…
    Tags: covid, infection, virus, test, levels, study, individuals, tested, data, detect
  • Mapping the 1.6 billion people who live near forests
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    Mapping the 1.6 billion people who live near forestsGlobal maps of places where people and forests coexist show that an estimated 1.6 billion people live within 5 kilometers of a forest. The assessment, based on data from 2000 and 2012 and published September 18 in the journal One Earth, showed that of these 1.6 billion “forest-proximate people”, 64.5 percent…
    Tags: people, data, life

Empathy may be in the eye of the beholder

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Empathy is talked about a lot these days. Against the backdrop of a global pandemic and a divisive political climate in the United States, calls for empathy have become louder and more urgent.

We encourage empathy for those inflicted with Covid-19 and those struggling with unemployment. We reminisce about the empathy of public figures who have recently passed away.

Both Democrats and Republicans have highlighted their own presidential candidate’s empathy and accused the other side of lacking it. [Read more…] about Empathy may be in the eye of the beholder

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  • Why social media has changed the world – and how to fix it
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    Why social media has changed the world – and how to fix itAre you on social media a lot? When is the last time you checked Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram? Last night? Before breakfast? Five minutes ago? If so, you are not alone – which is the point, of course. Humans are highly social creatures. Our brains have become wired to process…
    Tags: people, news, life
  • Why some friends make you feel more supported than others
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    Why some friends make you feel more supported than othersIt's good to have friends and family to back you up when you need it – but it's even better if your supporters are close with each other too, a new set of studies suggests. Researchers found that people perceived they had more support from a group of friends or…
    Tags: people, participants, life
  • The gravity of play: Quantifying what we enjoy about games
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    The gravity of play: Quantifying what we enjoy about gamesGames and the very act of playing have been around since before the cradle of human civilization. However, games have constantly evolved over time, with various rulesets and modes of play falling in and out of favor throughout history. In turn, this implies that people at different times enjoyed different…
    Tags: people, news, life
  • Mapping the 1.6 billion people who live near forests
    39
    Mapping the 1.6 billion people who live near forestsGlobal maps of places where people and forests coexist show that an estimated 1.6 billion people live within 5 kilometers of a forest. The assessment, based on data from 2000 and 2012 and published September 18 in the journal One Earth, showed that of these 1.6 billion “forest-proximate people”, 64.5 percent…
    Tags: people, life
  • The first human settlers on islands caused extinctions
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    The first human settlers on islands caused extinctionsThough some believe prehistoric humans lived in harmony with nature, a new analysis of fossils shows human arrival in the Bahamas caused some birds to be lost from the islands and other species to be completely wiped out. The researchers examined more than 7,600 fossils over a decade and concluded…
    Tags: people, news, life

Keeping weight off is up to your brain, not just willpower, Ben-Gurion U researchers discover

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What if an MRI scan could determine whether a weight loss program was likely to be effective? Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) researchers have discovered a neural subnetwork of connected regions between the brain and gastric basal electric frequency that correlates with future weight loss based on connectivity patterns.

BGU’s multidisciplinary team’s findings, published in the journal NeuroImage, support a prevalent neural theory that people with an increased neural response to seeing and smelling food consistently overeat and gain weight. [Read more…] about Keeping weight off is up to your brain, not just willpower, Ben-Gurion U researchers discover

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  • Is sitting always bad for your mind? A new study suggests maybe not
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    Is sitting always bad for your mind? A new study suggests maybe notIt's generally accepted health advice that adults of all ages should sit less, move more, and engage in regular exercise to feel better and reduce the risk of chronic diseases. However, when it comes to the brain and cognition, a new study of older adults from Colorado State University suggests…
    Tags: health, participants, researchers, brain, news

Is sitting always bad for your mind? A new study suggests maybe not

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It’s generally accepted health advice that adults of all ages should sit less, move more, and engage in regular exercise to feel better and reduce the risk of chronic diseases.

However, when it comes to the brain and cognition, a new study of older adults from Colorado State University suggests that some sedentariness isn’t all bad, so long as basic physical activity benchmarks are being met.

The research, from Assistant Professor Aga Burzynska in the CSU Department of Human Development and Family Studies, examined the association between sensor-measured physical activity and cognitive performance in a sample of 228 healthy older adults, aged 60 to 80. [Read more…] about Is sitting always bad for your mind? A new study suggests maybe not

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  • Physical distancing policies ‘not enough to protect lower-income people’
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    Physical distancing policies ‘not enough to protect lower-income people’A new Boston University School of Public Health study of the first four months of America's coronavirus epidemic, published in the journal Nature Human Behaviour, shows that physical distancing (also called "social distancing") policies had little effect on lower income people still needing to leave their homes to go to work…
    Tags: people, study, physical, health, news
  • Program to improve outcomes for surgery for older patients shows promise
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    Program to improve outcomes for surgery for older patients shows promisePeople age 65 years and older account for 40 percent of inpatient operations and one-third of outpatient procedures, and these older patients are more vulnerable to longer hospital stays and other complications after surgery than younger patients. A beta test of a program for older adults who undergo major surgery…
    Tags: older, adults, study, news, health
  • High intensity training best for older people
    31
    High intensity training best for older people"First of all, I have to say that exercise in general seems to be good for the health of the elderly. And our study results show that on top of that, training regularly at high intensity has an extra positive effect," says Dorthe Stensvold. Stensvold is a professor in the…
    Tags: study, participants, people, exercise, health
  • Keeping weight off is up to your brain, not just willpower, Ben-Gurion U researchers discover
    30
    Keeping weight off is up to your brain, not just willpower, Ben-Gurion U researchers discoverWhat if an MRI scan could determine whether a weight loss program was likely to be effective? Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) researchers have discovered a neural subnetwork of connected regions between the brain and gastric basal electric frequency that correlates with future weight loss based on connectivity patterns.…
    Tags: brain, researchers, participants, news, health

High intensity training best for older people

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“First of all, I have to say that exercise in general seems to be good for the health of the elderly. And our study results show that on top of that, training regularly at high intensity has an extra positive effect,” says Dorthe Stensvold.

Stensvold is a professor in the Cardiac Exercise Research Group (CERG) at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) and has been looking forward to sharing the results from the Generation 100 study for a while now.

Researchers, healthcare professionals and individuals around the world are eager to learn the answer to the question: Can exercise really give older people a longer and healthier life? Generation 100 is the first major study that can tell us that, and Stensvold has encouraging news. [Read more…] about High intensity training best for older people

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  • Making health care more personal
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    Making health care more personalThe health care system today largely focuses on helping people after they have problems. When they do receive treatment, it’s based on what has worked best on average across a huge, diverse group of patients. Now the company Health at Scale is making health care more proactive and personalized –…
    Tags: health, people
  • Empathy may be in the eye of the beholder
    34
    Empathy may be in the eye of the beholderEmpathy is talked about a lot these days. Against the backdrop of a global pandemic and a divisive political climate in the United States, calls for empathy have become louder and more urgent. We encourage empathy for those inflicted with Covid-19 and those struggling with unemployment. We reminisce about the…
    Tags: participants, people
  • Why some friends make you feel more supported than others
    33
    Why some friends make you feel more supported than othersIt's good to have friends and family to back you up when you need it – but it's even better if your supporters are close with each other too, a new set of studies suggests. Researchers found that people perceived they had more support from a group of friends or…
    Tags: people, group, participants, study
  • Is sitting always bad for your mind? A new study suggests maybe not
    31
    Is sitting always bad for your mind? A new study suggests maybe notIt's generally accepted health advice that adults of all ages should sit less, move more, and engage in regular exercise to feel better and reduce the risk of chronic diseases. However, when it comes to the brain and cognition, a new study of older adults from Colorado State University suggests…
    Tags: study, health, exercise, participants, people

Why some friends make you feel more supported than others

by 1 Comment

It’s good to have friends and family to back you up when you need it – but it’s even better if your supporters are close with each other too, a new set of studies suggests.

Researchers found that people perceived they had more support from a group of friends or family who all knew and liked each other than from an identical number of close relationships who were not linked.

The results suggest that having a network of people to lean on is only part of what makes social support so beneficial to us, said David Lee, who led the study as a postdoctoral fellow in psychology at The Ohio State University. [Read more…] about Why some friends make you feel more supported than others

Related Posts

  • Catholic gynecologists can face moral dilemmas in issues of family planning
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    Catholic gynecologists can face moral dilemmas in issues of family planningA study of Catholic obstetrician-gynecologists shows that many face moral dilemmas when dealing with issues of family planning and abortion due to their religious faith, according researchers at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. The study, published this week in JAMA Network Open, revealed that some Catholic Ob/Gyn practitioners lean…
    Tags: family, study, people, features, life
  • Empathy may be in the eye of the beholder
    41
    Empathy may be in the eye of the beholderEmpathy is talked about a lot these days. Against the backdrop of a global pandemic and a divisive political climate in the United States, calls for empathy have become louder and more urgent. We encourage empathy for those inflicted with Covid-19 and those struggling with unemployment. We reminisce about the…
    Tags: participants, people, life
  • High intensity training best for older people
    33
    High intensity training best for older people"First of all, I have to say that exercise in general seems to be good for the health of the elderly. And our study results show that on top of that, training regularly at high intensity has an extra positive effect," says Dorthe Stensvold. Stensvold is a professor in the…
    Tags: group, study, participants, people
  • Experiences of loneliness may differ by age
    31
    Experiences of loneliness may differ by ageLoneliness in adult life is experienced differently depending on age, according to a study published in the open access journal BMC Public Health.   The research concludes that there can be no ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach to reducing loneliness, as factors associated with it, such as contact with friends and family, perceived…
    Tags: features, life
  • To protect nature's benefits, focus on people
    30
    To protect nature's benefits, focus on peopleTo calculate the true value of a forest, we need to know how people benefit from it, according to new research published in Nature Sustainability. A healthy forest holds a treasure trove of benefits for people – it can filter water for downstream communities, supply timber for building, and provide a…
    Tags: people, features, life