Monthly Archives: March 2018

Drug related deaths: learning from the past

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It has been proposed that drug related deaths in Scotland, which have been rising since the 1990s, can be attributed to the social, economic and political contexts of the 1980s. Findings from research published today in BMC Public Health add support to this idea and here, lead author of the study Dr Jane Parkinson, discusses the delayed consequences that policies and resulting social conditions have on health and what current drug policy in Scotland can do to support this generation.

Health

Swim fast, die young: seminal fluid from competing males prompts sperm to swim faster despite possible costs

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Leaf-cutting ant queens have one only mating event in their lives, when they will mate with a number of male partners and then store the sperm which they will use to fertilize millions of eggs throughout their lives. In an article published in BMC Evolutionary Biology, Liberti and colleagues explain more about this ants unique mating biology and how the sperm has evolved to survive being stored for many years.

Biology
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How much is too much? Does increasing use of social media having a damaging effect on young girls?

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Research published BMC Public Health has found that not only do adolescent girls use social media more than boys, but among girls, there was an association between increased time spent on social media in early adolescence and reduced well-being in later adolescence. Here to tell us about their findings and the implications for young people’s well-being is author of the study Dr. Cara Booker.

Health Technology

BMC at the 2018 Global Health Trials Conference, Nigeria

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BMC Oral Health was present at the 2018 Global Health Trials Conference that took place in January 2018 in Lagos Nigeria. In this blog Section Editor Morenike Folayan shares some of the key discussion points and themes of the conference including questioning conventions of global health research, maximizing collaboration opportunities and ensuring Africa is not left behind in the era of knowledge and technology development.

Developing World Health

What role does branding play in the smoking experience?

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Today marks National No Smoking Day, an annual health awareness day in the United Kingdom which is intended to help smokers who want to kick the habit. In nations that have introduced plain packaging to help this cause, brand variant names are some of the few remaining features that distinguish cigarette products. Below we highlight a study just published in BMC Public Health which examines the role that branding plays in the experience of smoking cigarettes.

Health

Pet ownership as a social determinant of health

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A study published today in BMC Public Health finds that patterns of pet ownership among older adults is not only widespread, but that it appears to be emotionally engaging and important to their social functioning. The researchers also find that pet ownership is a significant predictor of the likelihood of ever having experienced depression. We take a closer look at the results of the study below.

Health