Mental Attitude: Bright Future May Help Teens Avoid Violence.
If teens are offered the possibility of a good future, they may become more peaceful. A survey of 866 male teens in poorer neighborhoods showed that those who had a positive outlook were less likely to say that they’d threatened somebody else or injured others with a weapon in the past nine months. Based on the findings, researcher Dr. Alison Culyba writes, “Designing youth violence prevention interventions to help teens develop a positive future orientation may be an important part of reducing violence perpetration.”
JAMA Pediatrics, June 2018
Health Alert: Lyme Disease-Carrying Ticks More Widespread Than Once Thought.
A nationwide effort led by scientists at Northern Arizona University has detected ticks that can carry Lyme disease and other tick-borne illness in over 80 counties in the United States where such ticks had not previously been recorded. Researcher Dr. Nate Nieto notes, “People should be aware of ticks and tick-borne disease, even when they may think there’s not a recorded incidence of a tick in a county.”
PLOS One, July 2018
Diet: Breastfeeding and Picky Eaters.
According to a Danish study that included 236 boys and girls, the longer a child exclusively breast feeds, the lower the chances they’ll be picky eaters when they move on to solid foods. In particular, the researchers found that kids who exclusively breast fed for their first four/five months of life were almost three-times less likely to exhibit picky eating behavior than children who breast fed for less than a month.
PLOS ONE, July 2018
Exercise: Improved Access to Exercise Classes May Help Those with Lung Conditions.
Using information gathered from one-on-one interviews and focus groups, researchers report that chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients are more likely to be physically active if they have routine contact with their healthcare provider, support from their peers, and access to regular organized exercise sessions.
Primary Care Respiratory Medicine, June 2018
Chiropractic: Taking Breaks Can Reduce Back Pain Risk for Office Workers.
If you work in an office, taking breaks can cut your risk for developing nonspecific lower back pain (NSLBP). In the study, researchers monitored the behavior and health of 669 office workers over the course of a year and found that those who took more frequent breaks had a lower risk for NSLBP, especially in light of more demanding work duties.
Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, July 2018
Wellness/Prevention: Check for Signs of Skin Cancer.
The warmer months are a great time for people to check their skin for signs of cancer. Dermatologist Dr. Katherine Gordon recommends looking for the following: moles that change, have irregular shapes, or uneven edges; moles that are multi-colored, such as brown, tan, and black; moles that are raised; moles that are large or have a diameter larger than the size of a pencil eraser; scales, itchiness, tenderness, or pain around a mole; a sore that does not heal or recurs; and brown or black streaks under a nail.
UT Southwestern Medical Center, June 2018