Culture | Page 2475 | Science Codex

Interpretation: Avoiding bias in medical research

Most people are rather vague when reporting on food and drink consumption, smoking and exercise habits but general practitioners are skilled at interpreting phrases such as "I only have a few drinks rarely" and "I get to the gym regularly" and can estimate based on symptoms and a person's physical appearance just how precise those claims are.

However, for healthcare research and epidemiology that relies on patient self-reporting it is important to find a more objective way to identify bias in self-reporting - which would also avoid bias from the person doing the interpretation.

Multiple riders, lack of helmet use, and faster ATVs contribute to pediatric injuries

BOSTON - As all-terrain vehicle (ATV) use continues to grow, so does the number of injuries. Children comprise about one-third of the 130,000 to 150,000 ATV-related emergency department visits each year and one-quarter of the more than 800 deaths. In fact, more children are injured from ATV crashes each year than from bicycles.

Two research abstracts, presented on Monday, Oct. 17 at the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) National Conference and Exhibition in Boston, provide insights into the potential causes of ATV crashes as well as much-needed safety precautions.

Critical look at medication safety in US homes

BOSTON -- Nearly 30 percent of homes with young children have acetaminophen products stored unsafely, and nearly all homes included at least one expired medication, according to a research abstract presented Monday, Oct. 17, at the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) National Conference and Exhibition in Boston.

Knee injuries on the rise in school age athletes

BOSTON – Sports-related knee injuries in children and adolescents seem to be increasing at an alarming rate. Researchers at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia noted a more than 400 percent increase in these injuries at their institution over the last decade, according to new research presented on Sunday, Oct. 16, at the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) National Conference and Exhibition in Boston.

Minority children less likely to wear a car seatbelt

BOSTON -- Less than half of pediatric car passengers suffering injuries from motor vehicle crashes were restrained, with the lowest rates among blacks, Hispanics and Native Americans, according to a research abstract presented Saturday, Oct. 15, at the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) National Conference and Exhibition (NCE) in Boston.

You knew this: Heavy drinking undergraduates at high risk for alcohol problems

Researchers used an anonymous online survey to examine drinking patterns and personality traits.

Results identified three groups, two of which drank at fairly high levels.

The group with higher levels of impulsivity and aggression appears most at-risk for future alcohol problems.

You knew this: Moderate and heavy drinkers at greater risk of serious injury

Researchers know that alcohol impairs coordination and the ability to perceive and respond to hazards, and that hangovers impair neurocognitive performance and psychomotor vigilance. This study closely examined alcohol-related injuries admitted to hospital, finding that alcohol greatly increases risk for serious injury.

Even more lawsuits would make corporations behave, claims academic

Many contend the lawsuit industry is out of control and certainly it is to blame for ballooning health care costs but one academic feels like more lawyers would be better.

New technologies challenge old ideas about early hominid diets

New assessments by researchers using the latest high-tech tools to study the diets of early hominids are challenging long-held assumptions about what our ancestors ate, says a study by the University of Colorado Boulder and the University of Arkansas.

Lower income dads active in their kids' health and exercise

CHICAGO -- Lower-income, urban dads are involved in their children's health and encourage them to exercise and eat healthy foods, reports a new study from Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine., but these same dads may also give their kids the wrong dose of medicine and may be uncomfortable handling emergency medical care for their children.

Urban chic gets its own study

Montreal, October 13, 2011 -- A neighborhood's raw, edgy atmosphere is an essential feature in attracting designers, according to new research from Concordia University and the University of Toronto. The study focused on Mile End, a multicultural district just north of downtown Montreal, long envied for its staple bagel shops and often depicted as the epicentere of all things Jewish by the late Canadian novelist, Mordecai Richler.

Children prefer cooperation

Recent studies have shown that chimpanzees possess many of the cognitive prerequisites necessary for humanlike collaboration. Cognitive abilities, however, might not be all that differs between chimpanzees and humans when it comes to cooperation. Researchers from the MPI for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig and the MPI for Psycholinguistics in Nijmegen have now discovered that when all else is equal, human children prefer to work together in solving a problem, rather than solve it on their own.

Do US men value fatherhood over their careers?

The classic figure of a distant, career-focused father who spends lots of time at the office and who has little time for his kids might be getting outdated, a new study shows.

In a nationwide survey that examined Americans' feelings on fatherhood, 77 percent of U.S. men rated being a good father as very important, while just 49 percent said the same about having a successful career.

When the economy is down, alcohol consumption goes up

CORAL GABLES, FL (October 13, 2011) — Previous studies have found that health outcomes improve during an economic downturn. Job loss means less money available for potentially unhealthy behaviors such as excessive drinking, according to existing literature on employment and alcohol consumption. A new study by health economist Michael T. French from the University of Miami and his collaborators has concluded just the opposite--heavy drinking and alcohol abuse/dependence significantly increase as macroeconomic conditions deteriorate.

UK doctors still undertreating major risk factor for stroke

Despite significant improvements in stroke prevention over the past decade, and a fall in incidence and deaths, UK doctors are still undertreating one of the major risk factors - atrial fibrillation - reveals research published in BMJ Open.

Atrial fibrillation, or AF for short, describes abnormal heart rhythms. Its treatment has been prioritised in the NHS in a bid to cut preventable deaths and disability from stroke.