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Parenting lessons to support child mental health

Professor John Ashton, the outgoing president of the Faculty of Public Health, said that today’s children are being neglected by schools and parents, with a poor relationship with parents as a primary cause of mental health problems, including anorexia, anxiety and obesity.

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Mental, emotional or psychological problems account for more disability than all physical health problems put together.

Professor Sarah Stewart-Brown, who produced the report, said that diet and activity played a role in mental health but emphasised the key importance of supporting parenting, as ‘over three-quarters of all mental health problems emerge in childhood and adolescence’.

Strategies proposed included more educational support from the government such as lessons in parenting and encouraging parents to be more open with their children, rather than avoiding discussion of difficult topics.

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Selling wine in larger glasses may cause people to drink more

High alcohol consumption is a leading public health concern in the United Kingdom as it is a leading risk factor for type 2 diabetes, liver disease and cancer. A recent study from the University of Cambridge sought to uncover whether serving alcoholic drinks in larger glasses increases consumption. It had previously been demonstrated that larger portion sizes and tableware increases consumption of food but it has now been demonstrated that this can also be applied to alcoholic beverages.

In the study, a shop in Cambridge changed the size of their glasses, alternating between the standard 300 mL size, a larger 370 mL size and smaller 250 mL sizes, while maintaining standard wine measurements of 125 or 175 mL.

The researchers found that, on average, consumers purchased a volume of wine 9.4% greater when served in a large wine glass compared to a regular-sized glass, and this effect was greater in the bar area than the restaurant. The study was inconclusive as to whether reducing the size of the glass had the opposite effect. The researchers suggested that this effect was caused by the perception of the wine volume in the glass, causing people to drink more quickly and order more. The authors stated that more research is required to understand this effect but pointed to potential avenues in alcohol licensing which could alter glass size to discourage heavy drinking.

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Women working longer hours at greater risk of chronic disease

A new study from the Ohio State University has shown that women whose working weeks averaged 60 h or more over three decades appear to triple the risk of diabetes, cancer and heart problems. Researchers analysed data from interviews with almost 7,500 people who were part of the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth.

The study demonstrated that early work experiences affected women far more in later life, whereas men with similarly gruelling work schedules appeared to fare much better. This may be due to the pressure women face in balancing family and work demands.

Researchers also found that the risk notably heightened when women worked for more than 40h per week and took a decidedly negative turn above 50 h.

They examined data for survey participants who were at least 40 in 1998, when interview questions began to include questions about health status and chronic conditions. They averaged the self-reported weekly hours worked over 32 years and compared this to the incidence of chronic diseases, such as heart disease, cancer (except skin cancer), arthritis or rheumatism, diabetes or high blood sugar, chronic lung disease including bronchitis or emphysema, asthma, depression and high blood pressure.

Examining the results by gender showed a notable result for female workers: a clear relationship between long hours and heart disease, cancer, arthritis and diabetes, whereas men who worked long hours had a higher incidence of arthritis, but none of the other chronic diseases.

The study relied on average hours worked per week and did not take into account if more hours were worked earlier in life or a consistently high amount, so more research is needed to determine this.

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Coronary heart disease is decreasing in the united states

Coronary heart disease (CHD) is a leading cause of death in the United States and was a growing concern for many years. However, in a recent study of over 21,000 adults over a period of 12 years, it has been found that rates of CHD are actually now significantly decreasing in the United States, with 8.0% of the over 40s population in the United States with CHD in 2011–2012 compared to 10.3% in 2001–2002.

CHD encompasses angina and myocardial infarction and related conditions of the coronary arteries and is largely attributable to treatable risk factors. The reduction in CHD was seen mainly among people without established CHD risk factors, indicating that the reduction is most likely due to treatable factors including hypertension, dyslipidemia, smoking, diabetes, obesity and overweight.

Over the period of the study, the prevalence of smoking saw a significant decrease. The prevalence of high blood pressure and abnormal cholesterol has remained relatively unchanged over the last 12 years, although control rates for these individuals have significantly improved, owing to decreased morbidity and mortality of CHD. Similarly, while obesity and diabetes rates have increased during this time, overall glucose control has improved significantly among the general population.

The lead investigator Sung Sug Yoon commented that the decrease in CHD prevalence is most likely a result of prevention efforts in the improvements in management of risk factors which may relate to lifestyle changes including improved diet and increased levels of exercise, among others. This study demonstrates how prevention efforts can create positive advancements in the battle against CHD and potentially to other non-communicable diseases arising from modern day lifestyles.

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The health of 25 million transgender people worldwide is reliant on transgender rights

It is estimated that there are around 25 million transgender people across the world. Despite improvements in the recognition of transgender rights in some high-income countries in recent years, transgender people are frequently victims of stigma, discrimination and abuse, causing detrimental effects on their physical and mental health.

A new series published in The Lancet has highlighted how laws and policies denying transgender people of gender recognition introduce and exacerbate multiple health challenges. The series highlighted high rates of depression in the transgender population with reports suggesting 60% of the transgender population live with depression. Exclusion from families and the workplace means that transgender people are often more likely to engage in risky behaviours including sex work and drug taking, causing the transgender population to be at a 50 times greater risk of contracting HIV than the general population. The transgender community are also often victims of violence with 2,115 documented killings of transgender people across the world between 2008 and 2016 although many more are likely to have gone unreported.

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In their three paper series, the authors have stated calls to action that must be implemented to improve transgender health. These calls include removing diagnoses of transgender people from mental and behavioural disorders, better training for general practitioners (GPs) and teachers, inclusion of transgender people in all anti-discrimination laws, and access to feminising and masculinising hormones, among others. The groundbreaking series was led by authors at the University of Sheffield (UK), John Hopkins University (USA), Curtin University (Australia) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). It received contributions from the transgender community and includes profiles of transgender activists from across the world.

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