Nationwide Dip in Teen Pregnancies

Teen pregnancy numbers plunged in nearly every state in the nation.

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Photo Credit: Google Images 

Are You a Part of a Car-less Home?

Study says more U.S. homes don’t have a vehicle.

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Millennials Are Changing Driving Trends

New study shows young adults are using their cars less.

Millennials have been criticized for many things in the past several years. They have been accused of being lazy and unmotivated among other things. 

But now, the men and women who are currently in their 20’s and early 30’s, are leading the change in transportation trends across the country. 

A new report from the U.S. PIRG Education Fund shows that Millennials are driving less than any other generation.

According to the report, 16 to 34-year-olds drove 23 percent fewer miles on average in 2009 than in 2001, the greatest decline in driving of any age group. 

“The Driving Boom is over,” said Phineas Baxandall, senior analyst at the U.S. PIRG Education Fund and co-author of the report. “The constant increases we saw in driving up until 2005 show no sign of returning. As more and more Millennials become adults, and their tendency to drive less becomes the norm, the reduction in driving will be even larger.” 

The report also shows that Millennials are more likely to live in urban and walk-friendly neighborhoods than older generations. 

It also shows the implications of how American’s travel life will change with this new trend such as traffic congestion being less of a problem and public transit being a better investment in the future. 

Check out this infographic created by the U.S. PIRG Education Fund on the new direction in driving trends.

Have your driving habits changed? 

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7 Ways to Improve Cognitive Wellness

Does your daily routine impact your mood?

It turns out, what and how we think contributes to our mental health. Our daily routines and patterns of thoughts have a big impact on our moods. 

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Photo Credit: ShutterStock.com 

Parents’ Saliva Good for Babies

Study says saliva can help infants fight allergies.

Mother’s give their babies their milk, but what about their saliva?

Contrary to what many think, washing a baby’s pacifier with water may not be the best solution. 

According to a Swedish study published in Pediatrics journal, babies are less likely to develop allergies at 18 months if their parents used their saliva to clean a dirty pacifier. 

Harmless bacteria from a parent’s mouth strengthens a baby’s immune system which in return helps protect them against allergies. 

The study shows that allergies such as eczema, asthma and food allergies where reduced in babies whose parents cleaned their pacifier with saliva. 

You can see the full study here. 

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Photo courtesy of Hello Beautiful  

Why is Multiple Sclerosis More Common in Blacks?

The disease attacks the central nervous system.

In the past, multiple sclerosis (MS) has been thought as a white disease. Apparently, not so much anymore. 

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Photo Credit: MedPageToday.com 

Higher Housing Cost Burden for Working-Class Renters

Working renters use up to half their paycheck on living expenses.

Over 26 percent of working renters spent more than 50 percent of their paycheck on housing in 2011. The number is up from 22.8 percent in 2008, study says. 

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Poor, Minority Women More Likely to Hinder Breast Cancer Treatment

Study shows women delay care for over a month

African American and Hispanic women with breast cancer are waiting six weeks or more to have surgery or to begin chemotherapy. 

A new study done by University of California, Irvine and the Children’s Hospital of Orange County states that Latina, African Americans and poor women are more likely to wait for treatment. 

Researchers used information from the California Cancer Registry database and focused on 8,860 women with breast cancer between the ages of 15 and 39 who were diagnosed in 1997 through 2006. 

These women account for five to six percent of all breast cancer patients. While it is rare, these patients’ cancer is more aggressive and therefore more urgent that they get treatment. 

Researchers also found that 22 percent of women who delayed their treatment for at least six weeks were not alive five years after they were diagnosed. This compares to 16 percent of women who began their treatment within two weeks and 17 percent who started within two to four weeks after they were diagnosed. 

The study also showed that health insurance played a factor in how long women waited to get their breast cancer treatment. 

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Women Are Surgically Getting Michelle Obama’s Arms

New poll shows First Lady among other celebrities with admirable arms

Michelle Obama has been a trendsetter ever since she stepped into the spotlight as First Lady. 

From her glamorous dresses at dinner parties to her casual outfits at family outings, Michelle Obama has become one of the most admired fashion icons in recent years.  

Now, it is her arms that are trending.

Part of her symbolic looks include sleeveless dresses and shirts which highlight her nicely toned arms. 

A poll conducted on behalf of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) shows that an increase in arm lifts is due in part to women paying attention to the arms of female celebrities. 

The most admired arms of all are those of the First Lady. 

“I think we are always affected by the people that we see consistently, either on the big screen or on TV,” said David Reath, ASPS public education committee chair in the report. “We see them and think, ‘yeah I’d like to look like that’.”

The poll comes after a new study by the ASPS shows that arms lifts in women have increased by 4,378 percent in the last 10 years. 

In 2000, more than 300 women received upper arm procedures while in 2012, more than 15,000 did, according to the report. 

The upper arm surgical procedure is known as brachioplasty, in which loose skin is removed from the back of the arms. 

Other celebrity arms that women admire include those of Jennifer Aniston, Demi Moore, Jessica Biel, and Kelly Ripa.

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Health Alert: Tetris Helps Combat Lazy Eye

Classic video game can now do more than just provide entertainment

One of the most popular video games of all time has shown to be an effective way to treat the lazy eye condition among adults.

A new study conducted by researchers at the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre shows Tetris improves Amblyopia. Most commonly known as “lazy eye,”  amblyopia is a visual disability in which the brain has trouble processing what the person is seeing.

The blurry images the brain receives causes one eye to not focus properly which then leads the eye to drift to one side and loose focus. 

Playing Tetris requires both eyes to work together, the study says. 

The most common treatment for this condition has been to place a patch on the stronger eye, which forces the weaker one to do more work. Amblyopia affects almost 3 percent of the population, and if not treated early, can lead to permanent vision loss. 

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Light Drinking During Pregnancy May Not Harm Child's Development

Research shows small amount of alcohol per week did not raise danger to child.

Pregnant women are allowed to enjoy up to two alcoholic drinks per week during pregnancy without hurting their infants, new research shows. 

According to a new study published in the "British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (BJOG): An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology," light drinking during pregnancy has no negative effects on children.    

The study followed 10,000 children whose mothers were light drinkers or non-drinkers, and kept an eye on their development from nine months to 7 years of age. 

“There appears to be no increased risk of negative impacts of light drinking in pregnancy on behavioural or cognitive development in 7-year-old children,’ said Yvonne Kelly, co-author of the study and co-director, ESRC International Centre for Lifecourse Studies at University College London. 

Children born to mothers who drank lightly during pregnancy had fewer behavioral problems than those born to mothers who did not drank during their pregnancy, the research found. 

However, the difference was not enough to be significant. 

Some experts are still doubtful this may be true. 

Dr. Keith Eddleman, director of obstetrics at the Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City told US News Health the notion of not drinking at all during pregnancy may be used as a safety precaution. 

“The problem is that no one knows the exact amount of alcohol consumption that is safe, so many doctors in this country choose a conservative approach and tell their patients not to drink any alcohol,” he said. 

Kelly added there needs to be more of an understanding of how children’s environments influence their behavioral and intellectual development. 

“While we have followed these children for the first seven years of their lives, further research is needed to detect whether any adverse effects of low levels of alcohol consumption in pregnancy emerge later in childhood,” she said. 

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Study: Getting Hitched Reduces Risk Of Heart Attack

Researchers find that unmarried men are more than 58 percent more likely to have a heart attack

Pushing for a ring this Valentine's Day? Here's another reason you can give to sell your significant other on the merits of marriage: married men and women are less likely to have a heart attack and are more likely to live longer lives.

Finnish researchers collected data on more than 15,500 people who suffered heart attacks between 1993 and 2002.

The findings reveal that both married men and women fared the best: Unmarried men were 58 to 66 percent more likely to have a heart attack than those who were married, and 60 to 168 percent more likely to die as a result.

For single women, the risk of heart attack was 60 to 65 percent higher than that of their married counterparts—and they had a 71 to 175 percent higher chance of dying as a result.

Researchers aren’t sure why that is, but surmised that strong social support and better health habits (likely from a nagging spouse) could be possible reasons.

So, if you want a long and healthy life, it might be time to jump the broom!

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New Study Shows 6 Percent of Galaxy Hosts Earth-Size Worlds

You know what that means… We are not alone!

The Harvard Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics announced Wednesday that some 60 percent of the galaxy’s most ubiquitous stars are likely host planets smaller than Neptune and about 6 percent host Earth-size planets. Astronomers talked of a “Goldilocks” zone where liquid water—and life as we know it—are possible.

Courtney Dressing, a graduate astronomer who led the study, says that “the nearest Earth-like planet is expected to be about 13 light years away.” In other words, if the Milky Way was the size of the United States and earth was located on one side of Central Park, the nearest Earth-like planet is just across the park. SCARY but exciting! (CBS News)

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Good or Bad? Study Finds Facebook Users Are Decreasing Usage

When asked why they took Facebook breaks, 21% said they were just too busy.

On one hand, we have a social website that has taken the place of in-home visits, phone calls, and sitting on the porch talking. On the other hand, we have a social website that has revolutionized the art of networking and staying connected to family and friends. The dichotomy here is unfortunate.  

According to the Pew Internet and American Life Project, a majority of current Facebook users have at one time or another tired to the point of avoiding the social-networking site. In fact, 21% surveyed that they either were too busy or didn’t have time for it. Twenty percent thought it just wasn’t interesting or was a waste of time.  The most disconcerting finding underscores what Facebook warned investors about last week: the cool kids are so over Facebook.

There is the strong likelihood they are converting to other social sites but lets be optimistic and believe that maybe…possibly…people are starting to look up from their phones and computers and beginning to engage each other in real-time conversation. (CNET)

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Loneliness May Lead to Decline in Physical Health, Study Says

Valuable and healthy relationships should improve poor immunity.

Bad relationships or little to no relationships at all can actually affect a person’s physical health, researchers report. In a study of 200 breast cancer survivors compared to study participants with more social connections, people who felt lonely showed more inflammation in response to stress and higher levels of a latent herpes virus—a sign of poor immunity.

"It is clear from previous research that poor-quality relationships are linked to a number of health problems, including premature mortality [death] and all sorts of other very serious health conditions,” said study author Lisa Jaremka, a postdoctoral fellow at the Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research at Ohio State University. “And people who are lonely clearly feel like they are in poor-quality relationships.”

The reactivation of a latent herpes virus is known to be linked to stress. Investigators said these findings suggest that lonliness acts as a chronic source of stress that triggers a poorly controlled immune response. The data and conclusions are viewed as preliminary until published by a peer-reviewed journal. (U.S. News)

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Secret to Happiness: Chocolate, Puppies and Money

Finding money produces the highest pleasure.

Life just got a lot easier. There is finally an answer to the age-old question, ‘what is happiness?’  According to new research, puppies, chocolate, and money is all you need to have a happy life. Scientists at Birkbeck Univeristy in London performed tests on 80 volunteers whose brainwaves were recorded while they engaged in various activities. Finding a stray £10 note came top of the list, followed by playing with puppies and eating chocolate; cue the rising obesity rates and uneasy financial climate. The results were produced on a pleasure scale ranging from minus 100 to plus 100. Listening to bad played violin was one of the most unpleasant experiences, with a rating of minus 55.7

The study was commissioned by chocolate brand Beyond Dark and was released on ‘Blue Monday, the third Monday in January and traditionally the most depressing day of the year. (Huffington Post)

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Study: Daycare Doesn’t Lead to Behavior Problems

Resarchers from Norway and Harvard used 75,000 children for the study.

A new study conducted by researchers from Norway and Harvard Medical School show little evidence that the amount of time a child spends in child care leads to an increase in behavioral problems. The study looked at more than 75,000 children in Norway, contradicting earlier findings in the U.S. that made more solid connections between day care and behavioral issues.

However, Boston College Associate Professor of Education Eric Dearing cautioned the results. He said the Scandinavian country’s approach to child care might explain why so few behavioral problems were found among children. Unlike the U.S. Norway maintains national standards and regulations for child care providers, which may lead to higher quality care. Dearing and colleagues report that next steps will be follow-up studies that determine the child and family policy environments in which child care does or does not put children at risk. (Science Daily)

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