Is too much screen time turning kids off of books? New research suggests that’s so: Toddlers who regularly spent time on electronic devices — including tablets, smartphones and TVs — were less likely to read print books with their parents at age 3. That, in turn, translated to even more screen use by age 5.… read on > read on >
All Lifestyle:
Mammography Rates Plummeted During Pandemic
There was a sharp drop in mammography breast cancer screening during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the decline was especially severe among American women of color and those living in rural areas, new research shows. Those trends could cost lives in years to come, because “detecting breast cancer at an early stage dramatically increases the chances… read on > read on >
U.S. COVID Infections, Deaths Drop to Levels Not Seen Since Last Summer
Fewer than 30,000 new coronavirus cases are now being reported daily in the United States, with deaths as low as they have been since last June. Infection and death rates are dropping dramatically as nearly 50 percent of Americans have now received at least one vaccine shot, The New York Times reported. “I think by… read on > read on >
Just 1 in 10 People With Alcohol Problems Get Treatment
Americans with drinking problems are rarely referred for treatment, even though most say a doctor has asked about their alcohol use, a new study finds. The study is not the first to uncover low rates of treatment for alcohol use disorders (AUDs) — the medical term for drinking that interferes with a person’s life and… read on > read on >
16 Candles? Time for Your Meningitis Shot, Molly Ringwald Says
Leslie Maier lost her son, Chris, to meningococcal meningitis more than 15 years ago, but by telling his story she hopes to educate other parents about this rare but potentially deadly illness that a vaccine can prevent. Soon after Chris passed away in 2005, Maier joined the board of the National Meningitis Foundation. Now she… read on > read on >
Science Studies Most Likely to Be Wrong Are the Most Widely Read
Studies that can’t be verified and may be untrue are much more likely to be cited in the media because they tend to be more interesting, researchers report. They looked at studies in top psychology, economic and nature/science journals and found that only 39% of 100 psychology papers were successfully replicated. The replication rates were… read on > read on >
‘Yo-Yo’ Dieting May Mean Sleepless Nights for Women
So-called yo-yo dieting may increase a woman’s risk of insomnia, sleep apnea and other sleep problems, a new study suggests. Yo-yo dieting — formally called weight cycling — is defined as losing and regaining 10 pounds or more when not pregnant. The study included more than 500 women in every stage of adult life, including… read on > read on >
Gluten Doesn’t Trigger ‘Brain Fog’ for Women Without Celiac Disease: Study
Going gluten-free is a trend that touts benefits for the mind and body, but a new study finds no evidence that gluten is bad for your brain. Among nearly 13,500 middle-aged women, researchers found no connection between eating wheat, barley or rye (the sources of gluten) and mental ability. According to the study authors, the… read on > read on >
Fetal Exposure to Ultra-Fine Air Pollution Could Raise Asthma Risks
Exposure to a certain type of air pollution while pregnant may up the odds that your child will develop asthma, a new study says. Children born to mothers exposed to high levels of ultra-fine particle air pollution during pregnancy have a significantly increased risk of asthma, researchers found. Ultra-fine particle pollution is smaller than the… read on > read on >
Approved Vaccines ‘Respond’ to All COVID Variants So Far: WHO
Vaccines approved for use in the United States and Europe show protection against all of the more infectious coronavirus variants known to be circling the globe, the World Health Organization said Thursday. “All COVID-19 virus variants can be controlled in the same way, with public health and social measures,” European Regional Director Hans Kluge said… read on > read on >