Outlook on life is formed in childhood
A new study published in the recent issue of the Journal of Personality finds a correlation between adult pessimism and childhood in a low socioeconomic status (SES) family.
By connecting socioeconomic status to pessimism, which in turn has in earlier studies shown to be related to physical and mental health, the current study provides critical information for policy makers and parents concerned with preventing the development of less adaptive coping strategies of children
Meningitis Vaccine May Help Protect Small Children
A new systematic review suggests that a certain kind of vaccine may help to protect babies and small children from a devastating killer: meningococcal meningitis.
However, this particular vaccine is not approved for use in the United States, and while it may boost immunity, no randomized controlled studies so far have proven its actual clinical effectiveness.
The review looks at serogroup C conjugate meningococcal vaccines (MCC) and their possible role in helping to prevent bacterial meningitis and its complications. Such vaccines are already widely used in Great Britain, Canada and Spain.
Antibodies show promise in treating Alzheimer’s
Researchers say infusing human antibodies into people with Alzheimer’s disease appears to help stop the disease from getting worse and may even help the patients improve.
A research team at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center gave six of eight patients intravenous immunoglobulin or IVIg for 18 months and they appeared to develop better brain function.
Dr. Norman Relkin, who led the study says the results suggests that IVIg can exert long-term benefits for the treatment of cognitive decline in Alzheimer’s.
School Flu Immunization Reduced Student Absences
Results from a new study found that free, on-site, mass flu immunization had a positive impact on school attendance. With the help of school nurses, more students may be able to avoid getting sick in the next flu season. The study is published in the latest issue of The Journal of School Nursing.
School nurses in Indiana, where the study was conducted, found that schools that have a high population of children with a low socioeconomic status were showing a higher absentee rate caused by influenza. Many of these children lived in multifamily dwellings, where there is increased person-to-person contact, which promotes the spread of bacteria and viruses. Although influenza vaccines were available in the community, these families often did not have the funds or transportation to receive preventive health care.
The benchmark attendance rate for the state of Indiana in the 95th percentile is 97.8%. School nurses noted that none of the local Title 1 schools met this benchmark. Title 1 is a federal entitlement program allocated on the basis of student enrollment and census poverty data. As part of the No Child Left Behind Act, children should have the opportunity to obtain a high quality education and to reach grade-level proficiency.
Balance the Key to Protecting Teenaged Athletes from Injury
Staying active is important for teenagers - and so is staying injury free. Unfortunately, injury is all too common, according to one study funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). But, according to another CIHR-funded study, innovative training techniques can help reduce the injury rate.
A survey of Victoria teens has found that nearly 40% had sports injuries serious enough to limit their normal daily activity. Unexpectedly, nearly three-quarters of the injuries - 70% - occurred in organized sports. Unorganized sports, such as biking, rollerblading or skateboarding, had much lower injury rates.
Dr. Bonnie Leadbetter of the University of Victoria, who conducted the study, fears that these injuries could discourage teens from continuing to participate in sports, which will contribute to increasing youth obesity rates.
Expert Offers Tips on Avoiding Backpack Injuries in Children
In the rush to buy back-to-school supplies for their children, parents may unknowingly purchase backpacks that do more harm than good, warns a University of Florida occupational therapist.
In a study of American students, published in the Indian Journal of Pediatrics, researchers found that six out of 10 students ages 9 to 20 reported chronic back pain related to heavy backpacks.
Overloaded and improperly worn backpacks can result in chronic back pain, poor posture and numbness in the hands and arms, said Joanne Jackson Foss, director of professional programs in occupational therapy and assistant dean of academic affairs at the UF College of Public Health and Health Professions.
Impulsive preschoolers at risk for teen drinking
How preschoolers behave may help predict whether they will drink alcohol or use illegal drugs like marijuana in adolescence, research hints.
In a long-term study, children who had less control over their behavior and impulses between 3 and 5 years of age and those who gained behavioral control more slowly were more likely to drink alcohol at age 14. They were also more likely to develop an alcohol problem and try illicit drugs.
Moreover, adolescents with higher resiliency in early childhood—meaning they were flexible and could readily adapt to a changing environment—were less apt to start drinking alcohol in the early teenage years.
Sleep deprivation doubles risks of obesity in both children and adults
Research by Warwick Medical School at the University of Warwick has found that sleep deprivation is associated with an almost a two-fold increased risk of being obese for both children and adults.
Early results of a study by Professor Francesco Cappuccio of the University of Warwick’s Warwick Medical School were presented to the International AC21 Research Festival hosted this month by the University of Warwick.
The research reviewed current evidence in over 28,000 children and 15,000 adults. For both groups Professor Cappuccio found that shorter sleep duration is associated with almost a two-fold increased risk of being obese.
