ScienceDaily: Living Well News

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• Think it’s safe to type a quick text while walking? Think again
• Positive health technique for stressed nurses found
• Tears and fears: How do emotions change our political attitudes?
• Increased intake of fish can boost good cholesterol levels
• Health benefits from free play confirmed by research
• Zoos, aquariums do teach us about biodiversity, largest international study proves
• College athletes often sidelined from healthy lifestyle later in life
• Food allergy nearly doubles among black children
• Got an itch? Allergy to moistened wipes rising, says dermatologist
• Effective treatment for youth anxiety disorders has lasting benefit
• Vision test on sidelines may help diagnose concussion: More evidence
• Secret salaries hurt worker performance, increase top-talent turnover
• Attitude during pregnancy affects weight gain, research shows
• Self-rated physical fitness in midlife an indicator of dementia risk
• Vitamin D deficiency may compromise immune function

Think it’s safe to type a quick text while walking? Think again Posted: 03 Mar 2014 11:33 AM PST Texting and walking is a known danger, but an emergency doctor says distracted walking results in more injuries per mile than distracted driving. Consequences include bumping into walls, falling down stairs, tripping over clutter or stepping into traffic. The issue is so common that in London, bumpers were placed onto light posts along a frequented avenue to prevent people from slamming into them. Though injuries from car accidents involving texting are often more severe, physical harm resulting from texting and walking occurs more frequently, research shows.

Positive health technique for stressed nurses found Posted: 03 Mar 2014 07:37 AM PST Within the health care industry and beyond, daily exposure to stress can lead to negative consequences for employees both on and off the job – from apathy and burnout to physical illness or mental impairments. New research suggests the implementation of a Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program can reduce employee stress and burnout. In the study, a sample of 41 female nurses from a large healthcare company participated in an 8 week scheduled course of guided instruction in mindfulness meditation practices, facilitated group discussion, stretching and yoga, work and home assignments, and individually tailored instruction and support. Results showed statistical improvement in both overall health and wellness of the nurses at each point of intervention.

Tears and fears: How do emotions change our political attitudes? Posted: 03 Mar 2014 05:39 AM PST Politicians know that turning on the tears can be a vote winner, but how does the political manipulation of our emotions actually work? Researchers explore how emotions such as anxiety, even if their cause has nothing to do with politics, can result in a hardening of our views.

Increased intake of fish can boost good cholesterol levels Posted: 03 Mar 2014 05:35 AM PST The consumption of fish has long been known to be beneficial for health; however, the mechanisms by which fats and other useful nutrients found in fish work in the human body are not fully known. Now research confirms that increasing the intake of fatty fish increases the number of large HDL particles. People who increased their intake of fish to a minimum of 3-4 weekly meals had more large HDL particles in their blood than people who are less frequent eaters of fish. Large HDL particles are believed to protect against cardiovascular diseases.

Health benefits from free play confirmed by research Posted: 03 Mar 2014 05:35 AM PST Cheap items like crates and buckets encourage children to be more active and creative than expensive play equipment, researchers have found. The findings are the result of a long-term study into the play differences of primary school children with access to different playgrounds. Introducing simple, everyday objects during recess and lunchtime can cut sedentary behavior by half, improve creativity and boost social and problem-solving skills, the research shows.

Zoos, aquariums do teach us about biodiversity, largest international study proves Posted: 03 Mar 2014 05:35 AM PST Zoos and aquariums do teach the public about the delicate balance between animal species and their habitats, a new international study shows. More than 6,000 visitors to over 30 zoos and aquariums across the world took part in this landmark study. Participants filled out pre- and post-visit surveys to evaluate their biodiversity understanding and knowledge of how to help protect biodiversity. The study found there was an increase from pre-visit (69.8%) to post-visit (75.1%) in respondents demonstrating some positive evidence of biodiversity understanding.

College athletes often sidelined from healthy lifestyle later in life Posted: 03 Mar 2014 05:32 AM PST Elite college athletes often struggle to stay active in later years, facing limitations to their day-to-day activities in middle age that could be a result of injuries during their athletic career, new research shows. Researchers have long known that compared to non-athletes, college athletes experience more severe injuries -- and long-term effects of those injuries. However, surprising results from a recent study indicated that former elite athletes also scored worse on depression, fatigue and sleep scales.

Food allergy nearly doubles among black children Posted: 03 Mar 2014 05:32 AM PST Children's food allergies are gradually increasing, but they may be as much as doubling among black children. According to a study, self-reported food allergy nearly doubled in black children over 23 years.

Got an itch? Allergy to moistened wipes rising, says dermatologist Posted: 03 Mar 2014 05:32 AM PST Spring allergies aren't the only thing to worry about these days. More people are developing an itchy, painful rash in an effort to stay clean. A dermatologist says a preservative in many pre-moistened wipes is linked to a dramatic rise in allergic reactions. The allergen, a chemical preservative referred to as MI, is found in many water-based products like liquid soaps, hair products, sunscreen, cosmetics, laundry products and cleaners as well as pre-moistened personal hygiene products and baby wipes. The irritated skin can be red, raised, itchy and even blistery, appearing much like a reaction to poison ivy. The three most common areas affected by the allergic reaction include the face, from using soaps and shampoos, the fingers and hands, from handling the wipes, and the buttocks and genitals from using moistened flushable wipes. "Concentrations of the preservative have increased dramatically in some products in the last few years, as manufacturers stopped using other preservatives like paraben and formaldehyde," Zirwas said.

Effective treatment for youth anxiety disorders has lasting benefit Posted: 27 Feb 2014 06:20 AM PST The majority of youth with moderate to severe anxiety disorders responded well to acute treatment with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), medication (sertraline), or a combination of both, new research concludes. They maintained positive treatment response over a 6 month follow-up period with the help of monthly booster sessions. Collectively, anxiety disorders are the most common mental disorders in children and adolescents. Often overlooked, severe anxiety can significantly impair children's school, social, and family functioning, and if untreated, can increase the risk of depression, alcohol and substance abuse, and occupational difficulties in adulthood.

Vision test on sidelines may help diagnose concussion: More evidence Posted: 26 Feb 2014 01:51 PM PST A simple vision test performed on the sidelines may help determine whether athletes have suffered a concussion, according to a study. The study provides more evidence that the King-Devick test, a one-minute test where athletes read single-digit numbers on index cards, can be used in addition to other tests to increase the accuracy in diagnosing concussion. "Adding a vision-based test to evaluate athletes on the sidelines may allow us to better detect more athletes with concussion more quickly. This is particularly important since not all athletes reliably report their symptoms of concussion, including any vision problems," researchers note.

Secret salaries hurt worker performance, increase top-talent turnover Posted: 26 Feb 2014 09:52 AM PST Pay secrecy can hurt employee performance and prompt top talent to look for new jobs. High-performing workers are more sensitive than others when they perceive no link between performance and pay, suggesting that pay secrecy may hinder a firm's ability to retain top talent. Pay secrecy also can lead to negative behavioral consequences, such as decreased performance and increased turnover.

Attitude during pregnancy affects weight gain, research shows Posted: 26 Feb 2014 06:52 AM PST Overweight or obese women with the mentality that they are 'eating for two' are more likely to experience excessive weight gain while pregnant, according to research. Researchers interviewed 29 post-partum women who were overweight or obese before pregnancy. Participants in the study were asked about their diet habits, experience with morning sickness and physical activity habits during pregnancy. Those who gained the appropriate amount of weight stuck to a meal plan and chose foods carefully. These women also had little or no increase in the amount of calories they consumed during pregnancy and exercised as much or more than they had before the pregnancy. Women who gained excessive weight described the experience as "eating for two." They had fewer goals and exercised less than usual during their pregnancy. They also made less healthy food choices and ate more as a result of cravings.

Self-rated physical fitness in midlife an indicator of dementia risk Posted: 26 Feb 2014 04:48 AM PST How would you rate your own physical fitness? Is it good, satisfactory or maybe even poor? Surprisingly, your answer may reveal your future risk of getting dementia. A recent collaborative study from Finland, involving the follow-up of 3,559 adults for 30 years, has found that a simple question about self-rated physical fitness in midlife may reveal individuals who are at an increased risk of developing dementia. Those who reported poor self-rated physical fitness in midlife, at the mean age of 50 years, were four times more likely to get dementia during the next three decades compared to those with good self-rated physical fitness.

Vitamin D deficiency may compromise immune function Posted: 25 Feb 2014 10:42 AM PST Older individuals who are vitamin D deficient also tend to have compromised immune function, according to new research. Vitamin D plays an important role in helping the body absorb calcium needed for healthy bones. The skin naturally produces vitamin D when it is exposed to sunlight. People also obtain smaller amounts of the vitamin through foods, such as milk fortified with vitamin D. More than 1 billion people worldwide are estimated to have deficient levels of vitamin D due to limited sunshine exposure.

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