News tagged with social factors


Feeling flirty? Wait for the sun to shine

We all know how casual flirtation can lift one's mood, which can be important at this time of year when the winter blues are at their peak. But if you are more serious about your flirting and hope to get that all important ...

Psychology & Psychiatry created Jan 28, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0

How can evolutionary biology explain why we get cancer?

Over 500 billion cells in our bodies will be replaced daily, yet natural selection has enabled us to develop defenses against the cellular mutations which could cause cancer. It is this relationship between evolution and ...

Cancer created Jan 22, 2013 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Mouse research links adolescent stress and severe adult mental illness

Working with mice, Johns Hopkins researchers have established a link between elevated levels of a stress hormone in adolescence—a critical time for brain development—and genetic changes that, in young adulthood, cause ...

Neuroscience created Jan 17, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (5) | comments 3 | with audio podcast

Public obsession with obesity may be more dangerous than obesity itself, UCLA author says

Much has been made about who or what is to blame for the "obesity epidemic" and what can or should be done to stem the tide of rising body mass among the U.S. population.

Overweight and Obesity created Dec 20, 2012 | popularity 3.3 / 5 (3) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Experiencing discrimination increases risk-taking, anger, and vigilance

Experiencing rejection not only affects how we think and feel—over the long-term it can also influence our physical and mental health. New research suggests that when rejection comes in the form of discrimination, people ...

Psychology & Psychiatry created Dec 19, 2012 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Common heart drug might dampen some autism symptoms

(HealthDay)—A medication typically prescribed to control high blood pressure that's commonly referred to as a water pill may ease some of the symptoms of autism, researchers say.

Autism spectrum disorders created Dec 11, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (2) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Feeling lonely linked to increased risk of dementia in later life

Feeling lonely, as distinct from being/living alone, is linked to an increased risk of developing dementia in later life, indicates research published online in the Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery and Psychiatry.

Psychology & Psychiatry created Dec 10, 2012 | popularity 4.5 / 5 (2) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

30 year study uncovers linkages between mothers and their children's health

Researchers at The University of Queensland have been documenting the lives of mothers and their children over 30 years to uncover what role genetic and environmental factors have on mental illness, substance abuse and heart ...

Health created Dec 05, 2012 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Listen up, doc: Empathy raises patients' pain tolerance

A doctor-patient relationship built on trust and empathy doesn't just put patients at ease – it actually changes the brain's response to stress and increases pain tolerance, according to new findings from ...

Health created Dec 03, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Adolescents with low status among peers are more likely to become adult smokers

A new study from Sweden reveals that having low peer status in adolescence is a strong risk factor for regular and heavy smoking in adulthood. Researchers from Stockholm University in Sweden used a large database that followed ...

Addiction created Nov 20, 2012 | popularity 3.5 / 5 (2) | comments 0

Even moderate drinking in pregnancy can affect a child's IQ, study shows

Relatively small levels of exposure to alcohol while in the womb can influence a child's IQ, according to a new study led by researchers from the universities of Bristol and Oxford using data from over 4,000 mothers and their ...

Health created Nov 14, 2012 | popularity 3.7 / 5 (6) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Obesity epidemic threatens health of all social groups equally

It is often assumed that those on low incomes and with low levels of education are overly represented in the major increase in obesity of recent decades.

Overweight and Obesity created Nov 12, 2012 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Gene that's usually bad news loses its punch if you live to your 90s, study finds

A gene linked to the risk of developing Alzheimer's, heart disease and diabetes becomes less important to quality of life once people hit their 90s, a Mayo Clinic study shows. At that point, good friends and a positive attitude ...

Alzheimer's disease & dementia created Oct 25, 2012 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0 | with audio podcast

South Asian people like to exercise in social groups, study finds

(Medical Xpress)—A study by Stirling's Dr Ruth Jepson has determined that South Asian people in the UK will be more likely to exercise if it can be done as part of a group and has a social element.

Health created Oct 11, 2012 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Whether we like someone affects how our brain processes movement

Hate the Lakers? Do the Celtics make you want to hurl? Whether you like someone can affect how your brain processes their actions, according to new research from the Brain and Creativity Institute at USC.

Neuroscience created Oct 06, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (5) | comments 1 | with audio podcast