http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/science_society/public_health/ Read about scientific research on a wide-array of public health issues. en-us Thu, 12 Nov 2009 04:05:01 EST Thu, 12 Nov 2009 04:05:01 EST 60 http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/logosmall.gif http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/science_society/public_health/ For more science articles, visit ScienceDaily. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102121626.htm Perceived poor managerial leadership increases not only the amount of sick leave taken at a workplace, but also the risk of sickness amongst employees later on in life. The longer a person has had a "poorer" manager, the higher his or her risk of for example suffering a heart attack within a ten-year period, according to new research. Wed, 11 Nov 2009 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102121626.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091110171739.htm People who did not earn a high school diploma could be more likely to get H1N1 and the vaccine might be less effective in them compared to those who earned a diploma, new research shows. Wed, 11 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091110171739.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091110105401.htm A woman is six times more likely to be separated or divorced soon after a diagnosis of cancer or multiple sclerosis than if a man in the relationship is the patient, according to a study that examined the role gender played in so-called "partner abandonment." The study also found that the longer the marriage the more likely it would remain intact. Tue, 10 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091110105401.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091103121614.htm The effectiveness of a screening colonoscopy may depend on the time of day it is performed. According to a new study, early-morning colonoscopies yielded more polyps per patient than later screenings, and fewer polyps were found hour by hour as the day progressed. The findings point to the need for more research in this area to possibly improve outcomes for colonoscopy procedures. Tue, 10 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091103121614.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091111092045.htm An important, ground-breaking initiative is unfolding in the global critical care community in response to the H1N1 pandemic. While front-line health-care workers and infectious disease experts around the world are working round the clock to control, treat and prevent H1N1 infection, those who deal with the most severely ill patients -- physicians working in hospital intensive care units (ICUs) -- have joined forces to develop a more coordinated, long-term approach to H1N1. Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091111092045.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091110202851.htm As African nations are poised to undergo the highest increase in the rate of tobacco use among developing countries, nearly 90 percent of people on the continent remain without meaningful protection from secondhand smoke, according to a new report. Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091110202851.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091110171647.htm The American health-care sector accounts for 8 percent of the country's carbon dioxide emissions, according to a first-of-its-kind calculation of health care's carbon footprint. Researchers used expenditures from different parts of the health care sector to measure the industry's potential effect upon global warming through the release of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091110171647.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091110171645.htm Roughly a quarter of Medicare patients hospitalized for heart failure are back in the hospital within 30 days. The rehospitalization rate for these patients, who are over age 65, remained the same from 2004 though 2006. Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091110171645.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102121720.htm The swine flu (H1N1) pandemic has received extensive media coverage this year. In times of heightened health concerns, everyday behaviors like sneezing can serve as a reminder to wash our hands or take our vitamins. But, what if we overreact to everyday sneezes and coughs and sniffles? Can these signals transform healthy discretion into an unreasonable fearfulness about germs and more? Mon, 09 Nov 2009 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102121720.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091109142133.htm Physician bias might be the reason why African Americans are not receiving kidney/pancreas transplants at the same rate as similar patients in other racial groups. Mon, 09 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091109142133.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091031002312.htm According to the Institute of Medicine, more than 90 million Americans suffer from low health literacy, a mismatch between patients' abilities to understand health care information and providers' abilities to communicate complex medical information in an understandable manner. In two recent studies, researchers found that two groups -- those with limited English proficiency and those with disabilities -- experience significantly lower health literacy than the general population. Mon, 09 Nov 2009 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091031002312.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091110090903.htm Last year, the United States provided asylum and resettlement assistance for nearly 80,700 people from other countries, an increase from 71,300 individuals in 2007, according to the US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants. Health experts say the increase has made issues of immigrant and refugee violence and the need for effective intervention strategies more apparent. Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091110090903.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091110065920.htm Human movement is a key factor of dengue virus inflow in Rio de Janeiro, according to results from researchers in Brazil. The results, based on data from a severe epidemic in 2007-2008, contribute to new understanding on the dynamics of dengue fever in the second largest city in Brazil. Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091110065920.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091109174302.htm A major, long-term study of pregnant mothers and their fetuses as well as infant children to determine just how profoundly environmental factors early in life influence the onset of diseases such as obesity and diabetes in later years. Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091109174302.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091109174252.htm A new study has for the first time found that patients with more difficult to treat forms of hepatitis C are half as likely to initiate treatment for the disease, when compared to patients with hepatitis C that is easier to treat. Marital status also affected whether patients chose treatment, as did whether or not they had other diseases. Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091109174252.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091109173722.htm A survey of patients had who experienced some sort of adverse event during their hospitalization found that, although caregivers discussed the event with patients less than half the time, those patients to whom the adverse event had been disclosed rated the quality of their care higher than did patients whose caregivers did not address the problem. Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091109173722.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091109173618.htm Adult primary care visits have increased in quality, duration and frequency between 1997 and 2005, according to a new report. Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091109173618.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091109173616.htm One in four emergency department patients in 2006 waited longer to be evaluated by a clinician than recommended at triage, an increase from one in five in 1997, according to a new report. Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091109173616.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091106145258.htm A new national poll has found that a majority of adults who tried to get the H1N1 vaccine for themselves or their children have been unable to do so. Sat, 07 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091106145258.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091031002308.htm The effectiveness of pandemic flu vaccination campaigns -- like that now underway for H1N1 -- could be undermined by the public incorrectly associating coincidental and unrelated health events with the vaccines. Fri, 06 Nov 2009 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091031002308.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091105201441.htm Parents who dress their children in inappropriate clothing could be inadvertently hampering their child's physical activity in childcare settings. The study suggests that inadequate or inappropriate clothing could restrict children's outdoor play. Fri, 06 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091105201441.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091104152302.htm As flu season approaches, parents around the country are starting to face school closures. But how bad should an influenza outbreak be for a school to shut down? A study by epidemiologists tapped a set of Japanese data to help guide decision making by schools and government agencies. Fri, 06 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091104152302.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091105132456.htm School-based physical education plays a key role in curbing obesity and improving fitness among adolescents from low-income communities, according to a new study. Fri, 06 Nov 2009 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091105132456.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091107115829.htm Three leading scientific organizations specializing in infectious diseases prevention issued a letter to President Obama November 6 expressing their significant concern with current federal guidance concerning the use of personal protective equipment by health care workers in treating suspected or confirmed cases of 2009 H1N1 influenza. Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091107115829.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091106145256.htm A new Web site allows users to explore differences in the probability of dying across European countries and the US states for men and women of different ages and races. Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091106145256.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091106095640.htm SNM applauds the US House of Representatives for its passage of H.R. 3276 -- the American Medical Isotopes Production Act of 2009. Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091106095640.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091104161834.htm Heavy traffic corridors in the cities of Long Beach and Riverside are responsible for a significant proportion of preventable childhood asthma, and the true impact of air pollution and ship emissions on the disease has likely been underestimated, according to researchers. Thu, 05 Nov 2009 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091104161834.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091104122520.htm What do patients want from their radiation oncologists? The most significant preference is that more than one-third of female cancer patients (37 percent) prefer to have their hands held by their radiation oncologists during important office visits, compared to 12 percent of men, according to a randomized study. Thu, 05 Nov 2009 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091104122520.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091104122517.htm A patient's socioeconomic status (income, martial status and race) has absolutely no impact on his outcome following curative radiation therapy for the treatment of prostate cancer, according to a new study. It is unique in that nearly 50 percent of patients in the analysis are African-American. Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091104122517.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091104181155.htm Childhood obesity in the United States is reaching epidemic proportions. With more than one fourth of advertising on daytime and prime time television devoted to foods and beverages and continuing questions about the role television plays in obesity, a new study examines how food advertising aimed at children might be a large contributor to the problem. Thu, 05 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091104181155.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091104161902.htm Do pediatric oncologists feel that religion is a bridge or a barrier to their work? Or do they feel it can be either, depending on whether their patients are recovering or deteriorating? A novel study examines these questions in a new study. Thu, 05 Nov 2009 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091104161902.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091106095642.htm Experts on both sides of the Atlantic applaud President Barack Obama and Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt, representing the European Union (EU) Presidency, for establishing a transatlantic task force to address antibiotic resistance, an urgent and growing problem that threatens patient safety and public health worldwide. During a summit held this week in Washington, D.C., President Obama and Prime Minister Reinfeldt joined forces to address the urgency of the problem and the need for solutions by signing an international agreement that seeks cooperative ways in which the United States and EU countries can help combat the global health crisis. Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091106095642.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091105121044.htm As health insurers require people to base more treatment decisions on out-of-pocket costs, physicians should learn to talk to patients about money, according to researchers. Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091105121044.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091105084840.htm Fifty-eight percent of primary care doctors in the US report their patients often have difficulty paying for medications and care, and half of US doctors spend substantial time dealing with restrictions insurance companies place on their patients' care, according to findings from the 2009 Commonwealth Fund International Health Policy Survey. Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091105084840.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102171415.htm Nearly half of all American children will reside in a household receiving food stamps at some point between the ages of 1 and 20, according to a new report. Wed, 04 Nov 2009 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102171415.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091103144826.htm The details of your personal life, such as grocery purchases and pizza topping preferences, are collected every day -- online and by club and discount cards from the gym, department store and supermarket. Though this data seems innocent enough, when it's put together it can tell a whole lot about your health, finances and behavior. That information, researchers remind us, could eventually be used against you. Wed, 04 Nov 2009 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091103144826.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091103144818.htm First responders who were exposed to caustic dust and toxic pollutants following the 2001 World Trade Center terrorist attacks suffer from asthma at more than twice the rate of the general US population, according to new data. Tue, 03 Nov 2009 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091103144818.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091103102250.htm Though hot tubs, whirlpools and spas are widely used for relaxation and fun, they can pose serious risk for injury. Over the past two decades, as recreational use of hot tubs has increased, so has the number of injuries. Tue, 03 Nov 2009 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091103102250.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102204431.htm In a study assessing the impact of the first national campaign to scale up zinc treatment of diarrhea in Bangladesh, researchers found that awareness was high but usage lagged behind. Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102204431.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102121637.htm A new study suggests that many patients are dissatisfied with the way they receive results of radiology tests and want more access to information in their medical records, specifically, detailed, lay-language results from those tests. Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102121637.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102103340.htm Awareness of COPD -- chronic obstructive pulmonary disease -- continues to grow in the United States, according to national survey results released today by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health. Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102103340.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091101132530.htm The intervals between lung cancer suspicion, diagnosis and treatment may be attributed to health care system discrepancies, according to new research. Sun, 01 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091101132530.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091030095509.htm Asian-Americans have higher instances of certain types of cancer, yet screening rates remain dismal. A new study calls for culturally sensitive materials to stress the importance of early screening, to help close the disparity. Fri, 30 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091030095509.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091029111915.htm A new study sheds new light on the relationship between race, body weight and sexual behavior among adolescent girls. The results suggest that a girl's ethnicity and her actual weight or perception of her weight may play a role in her participation in risky sexual behaviors. Thu, 29 Oct 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091029111915.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091029102419.htm Lack of health insurance might have led or contributed to nearly 17,000 deaths among hospitalized children in the United States in the span of less than two decades, according to new research. Thu, 29 Oct 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091029102419.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091027085254.htm More than half of patients with acute coronary syndrome don't get any counseling on their ability to drive after angioplasty -- and this could be putting lives in danger, researchers say. Thu, 29 Oct 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091027085254.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091028090657.htm Almost half of adults surveyed in summer 2009 in Hong Kong say they would take up free swine flu vaccination. However, this figure drops to around 1 in 7 if the price they have to pay for the vaccine reaches $26. In the absence of proved efficacy and safety, the figure decreases to less than 1 in 20, according to one of the first studies on behavioral intentions and A/H1N1 vaccination. Thu, 29 Oct 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091028090657.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091028140046.htm Where Latinos are born and their immigration status affect the quality of health care they receive in the US, according to new research. Thu, 29 Oct 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091028140046.htm