Mental Attitude: Kids with Musculoskeletal Pain Have Increased Risk for Psychological Issues…
According to a new study that looked at data from the 2011/2012 National Survey of Children’s Health, boys and girls with a musculoskeletal condition have an elevated risk for anxiety, depression, and behavioral/conduct problems.
Rehabilitation Psychology, October 2018
Health Alert: Path to Obesity Starts in Preschool.
Preschoolers who quickly gain weight are at a particularly higher risk for becoming obese teens. In this study, researchers looked at the weight-gain patterns of more than 51,000 German children and found that more than 50% of obese teens had already become overweight or obese by the time they reached age five.
New England Journal of Medicine, October 2018
Diet: A Third of Americans Eat Fast Food Daily.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that 37% of adults have eaten fast food at least once in the last 24 hours.
National Center for Health Statistics, October 2018
Exercise: Family Caregivers Benefit From Exercise.
Exercise can reduce stress and improve cellular health among family caregivers. Researchers recruited 68 sedentary individuals who cared for family members suffering from either Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia. The participants were divided into either a group that undertook 40 minutes of aerobic exercise three to five times per week or a group that was asked not to alter their current level of activity. At the end of the six-month study, the exercise group not only experienced improved cardiorespiratory fitness, but they also reduced their body mass index, trimmed their waistlines, and reported lower levels of stress. Lastly, the researchers observed an increase in telomere length among participants in the exercise group, a trait that previous studies have associated with slowed cellular aging.
Psychoneuroendocrinology, October 2018
Chiropractic: Leg Pain Commonly Precedes Spinal Pain in Children.
In a study involving 1,008 Danish school children, parents reported each week whether their child had spinal pain, lower extremity pain, or upper extremity pain. The results revealed that children were more likely to experience an episode of spinal pain after experiencing lower extremity pain. Additionally, the likelihood of spinal pain increased in children who had more frequent or longer lasting lower extremity pain. The researchers conclude, “This paper confirms that attention to the entire musculoskeletal system is required to understand the course and development of spinal pain.”
European Journal of Pediatrics, September 2018
Wellness/Prevention: Should Pregnant Women Take a Calcium Supplement?
Following a review of data from 27 published studies, researchers conclude that women who take a calcium supplement during their pregnancy may have a reduced risk for pre-eclampsia and preterm birth, particularly if they also consume a low-calcium diet.
Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, October 2018