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Risk factors for direct maternal deaths in the UK

Medical co-morbidities, when women have one or more medical conditions, are found to be an important factor associated with direct maternal deaths, suggests a new study.

The research, led by the National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit at the University of Oxford and funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), used data from the recent MBRRACE Confidential Enquiry into Maternal Deaths and data on women who survived severe complications during pregnancy and childbirth from the UK Obstetric Surveillance System (UKOSS).

Americans who attend synagogue have better health

For Jewish people in America, going to synagogue makes a difference for health, according to a study of five large Jewish urban communities by Baylor University's Institute for Studies of Religion.

"Adults who affiliate with a Jewish religious denomination and attend synagogue report significantly better health than secular or non-practicing Jews," says Jeff Levin, Ph.D., University Professor of Epidemiology and Population Health, professor of medical humanities and director of the Program on Religion and Population Health at the institute (ISR).

Bilingualism changes children's beliefs?

Most young children are essentialists: They believe that human and animal characteristics are innate. That kind of reasoning can lead them to think that traits like native language and clothing preference are intrinsic rather than acquired.

But a new study from Concordia University suggests that certain bilingual kids are more likely to understand that it's what one learns, rather than what one is born with, that makes up a person's psychological attributes.

All about that bass: Women told that men want larger women are happier with their weight

Women who are told that men desire larger-body women who aren't model-thin are happier with their weight, according to a series of three independent surveys which suggest a woman's body image is strongly linked to her perception of what she thinks men prefer, said lead author and social psychologist Andrea Meltzer of Southern Methodist University.

100 million Americans live with chronic pain, yet research lags

An estimated 100 million Americans live with chronic pain. A new report by an independent panel convened by the National Institutes of Health has found a need for evidence-based, multidisciplinary approaches to pain treatment that incorporate patients' perspectives and desired outcomes while also avoiding potential harms.

50 percent of young victims of fatal crashes in 9 US states used alcohol or marijuana

Half of young drivers who died in car crashes in U. S. states such as California, Hawaii and West Virginia were under the influence of either alcohol or marijuana, or both. This is according to the statistics for fatal road accidents involving 16- to 25-year olds in nine U.S. states. Researchers at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health analyzed the data to gauge how possible policy changes could influence substance use among adolescents and young adults. The study, led by Katherine M.

Rate of investment in medical research has declined in US, increased globally

From 2004 to 2012, the rate of investment in medical research in the U.S. declined, while there has been an increase in research investment globally, particularly in Asia, according to a study in JAMA (doi:10.1001/jama.2014.15939).

Breast cancer diagnoses (and survival) varies by ethnicity

Among nearly 375,000 U.S. women diagnosed with invasive breast cancer, the likelihood of diagnosis at an early stage, and survival after stage I diagnosis, varied by race and ethnicity, with much of the difference accounted for by biological differences, according to a study.

Jihadism appeals to religiously illiterate loners - here's why

Disillusioned young people are being conned into fighting for a global army. EPA

By Akil N Awan, Lecturer in Political Violence & Terrorism at Royal Holloway

Over 10 percent of heart patients taking aspirin as therapy shouldn't

Over 10 percent of patients using aspirin therapy for primary cardiovascular disease prevention were likely either inappropriately prescribed it or do it over the counter, according to a new study that examined practice variations in aspirin therapy.

Tired of London? You're not tired of life, Samuel Johnson, you're living in the wrong place

"When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life," wrote Samuel Johnson. And that was in the 18th century. Since they have Arsenal, it is a much better place now.

Physician self-referrals - thank government

Physicians can refer patients for medical services to enterprises in which they have a financial stake, which has a logical basis - a wheezing smoker that needs a CT scan of his lungs can conveniently get one if that doctor happens to own a diagnostic imaging clinic in the same building.

Disruptive kindergartners benefit from customized classroom intervention

Young children with disruptive behaviors do worse than their focused peers and have high maintenance temperaments, characterized by high physical activity, low ability to persist at tasks, and negative reactions to even minor situations.

A new study Early Childhood Research Quarterly finds that kindergartners and first graders with high maintenance temperaments showed less disruptive behavior and more active engagement and on-task behavior in the classroom, thanks to a program that helps teachers, parents, and students recognize and adapt to individual differences.

Stop the cycle of sexual violence before perpetrators and victims reach adulthood

When it comes to youth violence, the perpetrators get the most attention while victims only make the news stories. But widespread violence among adolescents can place them on a lifelong trajectory of aggression -- either as victims or perpetrators -- endangering their sexual and reproductive health now and in the future.

Never-ending: Post-treatment cancer survivors still battle sexual dysfunction, anxiety

Even decades after being cured, many cancer survivors face physical and mental challenges, from physical problems such as sexual dysfunction to anxiety about getting cancer again to financial hardships, resulting from their disease and its treatment.

20 years after the actual disease is defeated, survivors continue to fight its effects, concludes a study led by University of Central Florida social work professor Mary Ann Burg.