Text-based support programs are one of the best ways to help young people quit vaping, a new evidence review says. These texts offer motivational messages and tips for quitting vaping. “I think it’s clear that this approach helps young people,” senior researcher Jamie Hartmann-Boyce, an assistant professor of health policy and management at the University…  read on >  read on >

Ever woke in the night with your thoughts racing about work problems, co-worker disputes, or heavy career decisions? Well, it’s more common than you think. Job stress is robbing U.S. workers of the sleep they need, researchers reported in a study published Jan. 8 in the American Journal of Industrial Medicine. Work strain increases risk…  read on >  read on >

Public health officials must prepare to counter ongoing anti-vaccine sentiment in coming years, argues a leading pediatrician-scientist. “Antivaccine activism became a major lethal force in America” during the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in an estimated 200,000 deaths among the unvaccinated, according to an article in the journal PLOS Global Public Health written by Dr. Peter Hotez.…  read on >  read on >

It’s long been a mystery why folks need a flu vaccine every year, even though immunizations they got in childhood continue to protect them from measles and mumps. Researchers now think they know why vaccine effectiveness varies — and they’ve even come up with a blood test to check a vaccine’s durability. “Our study defines…  read on >  read on >

More and more adults are stuck in the middle of their families, caring not only for their children but also for aging parents and other older family members. The mental and physical health of these “sandwich carers” is more likely to deteriorate over time, a new study published in the journal Public Health says. “These…  read on >  read on >

Rates of whooping cough in the U.S. continue to climb, according to data from the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Over 32,000 cases reported have been reported as of mid-December — about six times more than there were at this time last year, and more than there have been since 2014, according to CNN.…  read on >  read on >

The spotted lanternfly is an invasive pest that can ruin grape, apple and hop crops and do terrible damage to maple and walnut trees. Luckily, man’s best friend is on hand to help fight this insect foe, a new study published in the journal Ecosphere says. Farmers and conservationists have trained dogs to sniff out…  read on >  read on >