Tag: Poverty and Learning

Taxing sweetened drinks by the amount of sugar could cut obesity and boost economic gains: New analysis finds greater health and economic benefits to taxing sugar content compared to liquid volume

Taxing sugar-sweetened beverages by the amount of sugar they contain, rather than by the liquid volume of these drinks, as several U.S. cities currently do, could produce even greater health benefits and economic gains, a team of researchers has concluded. The analysis, by researchers at New York University, Harvard’s TH Chan School of Public Health,

Snack tax may be more effective than a sugary drink tax to tackle obesity: Effect was double that seen for similar price increase on sugar sweetened drinks

Taxing high sugar snacks such as biscuits, cakes, and sweets might be more effective at reducing obesity levels than increasing the price of sugar sweetened drinks, suggests a study published by The BMJ today. The researchers say this option “is worthy of further research and consideration as part of an integrated approach to tackling obesity.”

Gun ownership linked to greater incidence of domestic homicides

A new study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, published by Elsevier, reveals a unique and strong association between firearm ownership and the risk of domestic homicides. For each 10 percent increase in household gun ownership rates, the findings show a significant 13 percent increased incidence of domestic firearm homicide. The homicide risk differed

Physician-targeted marketing is associated with increase in opioid overdose deaths, study shows

Many individuals cite prescription opioids as their gateway to illicit opioid use. However, while prescription opioids are involved in more than one-third of all opioid overdose deaths in the U.S., examining any correlation between prescription opioid overdose deaths and pharmaceutical industry marketing has been limited — until now. New research from NYU School of Medicine

How a personality trait puts you at risk for cybercrime

Impulse online shopping, downloading music and compulsive email use are all signs of a certain personality trait that make you a target for malware attacks. New research from Michigan State University examines the behaviors — both obvious and subtle — that lead someone to fall victim to cybercrime involving Trojans, viruses, and malware. “People who

Vulnerable youth stress the importance of influential adults in their school lives: How systems to address stressors such as maltreatment and homelessness affect education

Kids who faced daunting barriers to success in the classroom had a clear message for University at Buffalo researchers who asked them as young adults to look back on their experiences with maltreatment, homelessness and their time in school: Adults can do better. “It’s as though they’re asking us as adults not to give up

Roles of emotional support animals examined: Beyond airlines, colleges and courts struggle to understand need, effects, researchers say

Airlines are not the only organizations grappling with the complexities surrounding emotional support animals. Colleges and courts are also questioning the need for these animals and the effects they may have on students and juries, respectively, according to research presented at the annual convention of the American Psychological Association. The recent, rapid rise of emotional

Black Americans face education, income barriers to healthy behaviors, study finds: Policy action is needed to address income, education gap for low-income individuals, researchers say

Better educational opportunities and higher incomes may be key to closing the gap of cardiovascular health behaviors — including smoking, physical activity, and diet quality — between black and white Americans, according to a new study led by a University of Iowa researcher. The study, headed by Kara Whitaker, assistant professor in the UI’s Department

Gun safety programs do not prevent children from handling firearms: Findings suggest that children do not retain safety skills when encountering a firearm in a real-world scenario

Children who participate in gun safety programs often ignore what they learned when encountering a real firearm, according to a Rutgers School of Nursing study. The report, published recently in Health Promotion Practice, reviewed 10 studies on the effectiveness of strategies for teaching gun safety to children ages 4 to 9. The researchers found such