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Behavioral Health
Do adolescents have a natural tendency to engage in more risk-taking than children?
Do adolescents have a natural tendency to engage in more risk-taking than children?
An article published in Policy Insights from the Behavioral and Brain Sciences coming out of the Annenberg Public Policy Center reviews research into whether adolescents are actually more likely to take risks than children, as some neuroscience theories have suggested.
Behind the scenes, complex disease surveillance is protects the campus community
Behind the scenes, complex disease surveillance is protects the campus community
Beyond promoting vaccines and overall health education, Campus Health, the public health arm of Student Health Service, is watching for clusters of common illnesses, unusual diagnoses, and anything out of the ordinary.
Can closing homeless encampments help Philadelphia’s opioid problem?
Can closing homeless encampments help Philadelphia’s opioid problem?
According to a new report, the city’s recent effort opened up treatment spots for people with opioid addiction and offered permanent and temporary housing options.
U.S. fertility is at an all-time low, but is that a bad thing?
U.S. fertility is at an all-time low, but is that a bad thing?
Researchers from the Population Studies Center dissect the latest CDC numbers and explain the role of migration patterns, better family planning, and delayed parenthood.
College campuses are thinking about lactation spaces—but could be doing more
College campuses are thinking about lactation spaces—but could be doing more
Breastfeeding mothers in higher-education environments can typically find a place to pump, but only recently have institutions begun to prioritize access to this resource.
Embracing a community’s practice to promote the measles vaccine
Embracing a community’s practice to promote the measles vaccine
Mimicking a news-sharing custom common among ultraorthodox Jewish communities, two Penn Nursing students created and placed posters around a Jerusalem neighborhood, employing a mystical technique that assigns a numerical value to each Hebrew letter.
The art of talking about science
The art of talking about science
Paul Offit of Penn Medicine and CHOP offers five tips for better communicating tough scientific topics to the public—and standing up for science in the process.
What do opponents of genetically modified foods really know about the science?
What do opponents of genetically modified foods really know about the science?
The study, published in Nature Human Behaviour, found that the strongest critics actually know less—a pattern similar for gene therapy, but not for climate change.
Can music improve anxiety and depression for people with memory disorders?
Can music improve anxiety and depression for people with memory disorders?
That’s the aim of a recently completed pilot program connecting Penn Memory Center patients, Penn graduate students, and Curtis Institute musicians.
Black and Hispanic teens see risky behaviors on social media, but few actually post about them
Black and Hispanic teens see risky behaviors on social media, but few actually post about them
The research, from Penn Nursing and Annenberg, points to a need to change the feedback loop on these channels and to dispel myths about what constitutes normal behaviors.
In the News
The Washington Post
Americans are sleeping more than ever. See how you compare
Mathias Basner of the Perelman School of Medicine says that work and traveling are the major sleep killers, with the majority of traveling being commuting to and from work.
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Women’s Health
How does fat leave the body? Experts explain the weight loss process
Colleen Tewksbury of the School of Nursing and Perelman School of Medicine says that waist circumference is a more accessible and potentially more helpful measure for fat loss than stepping on a scale.
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The New York Times
When it’s time for an aging driver to hit the brakes
Lauren Massimo of the School of Nursing says that losing the ability to drive is a major and dehumanizing loss for older adults.
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USA Today
Many parents give their children melatonin at night. Here’s why you may not want to
Ilene Rosen of the Perelman School of Medicine supports practicing proven-bedtime-routine behaviors and avoiding bright lights and electronics in the bedroom to encourage the body’s natural production of melatonin.
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The New York Times
Why are older Americans drinking so much?
David Oslin of the Perelman School of Medicine says that alcohol use can have much more disastrous consequences for older adults, whose bodies cannot process it as quickly.
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Consumer Reports
Best CPAP alternatives
Richard Schwab of the Perelman School of Medicine says that obstructive sleep apnea causes breathing to pause during sleep when something like the tongue or relaxed throat muscles blocks the airway.
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