— Early sign of Alzheimer's reversed in lab — One of the earliest known impairments caused by Alzheimer's disease - loss of sense of smell - can be restored by removing a plaque-forming protein in a mouse model of the disease,…
— Parental controls on embryonic development? — When a sperm fertilises an egg, each contributes a set of chromosomes to the resulting embryo, which at these very early stages is called a zygote. Early on, zygotic genes are inert,…
— Newly discovered heart stem cells make muscle and bone — Researchers have identified a new and relatively abundant pool of stem cells in the heart. The findings in the December issue of Cell Stem Cell, a Cell Press publication, show that…
— BUSM researchers develop blood test to detect membranous nephropathy — Research conducted by a pair of physicians at Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) and Boston Medical Centre (BMC) has led to the development of a test that can help diagnose…
— New hip implants no better than traditional implants — New hip implants appear to have no advantage over traditional implants, suggests a review of the evidence published on bmj.com today…
— Action needed to improve men's health in Europe — Policies aimed specifically at men are urgently needed to improve the health of Europe's men, say experts on bmj.com today…
— Probiotics reduce infections for patients in intensive care — Traumatic brain injury is associated with a profound suppression of the patient's ability to fight infection. At the same time the patient also often suffers hyper-inflammation, due…
— High blood sugar levels in older women linked to colorectal cancer — Elevated blood sugar levels are associated with an increased risk of colorectal cancer, according to a study led by researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University.…
— Engineered botulism toxins could have broader role in medicine — The most poisonous substance on Earth - already used medically in small doses to treat certain nerve disorders and facial wrinkles - could be re-engineered for an expanded role in helping…
Only a small minority of children are carefree and many are bored
A UK study into children's happiness and safety co-authored by a psychologist at the University of Hertfordshire just released has revealed that only 11 per cent of children surveyed are carefree and free from worry.
Professor Karen Pine, Research Leader at the University of Hertfordshire's School of Psychology worked with Intuitive Media Research Services to conduct research among 200,000 UK children aged 6-14 years and over 18,000 of their teachers in their social learning networks: www.SuperClubsPLUS.com and www.GoldStarCafe.net.
The study, entitled Happy and Safe, which asked children how safe and happy they felt and what the Government could do to make their lives better, revealed that although 82 per cent of children said that they felt happy most of the time, with girls a little happier than boys and younger children happier than older ones, only 11 per cent are completely carefree and free from worry.
Over half of those surveyed (51 per cent) worried about their parents divorcing or arguing, with over half also worrying about violence and street crime.
It also emerged that 72 per cent of those surveyed cited boredom as the cause of their unhappiness - more so for girls (68 per cent) than for boys (58 per cent).
'Children's well being should be the top concern of any society, and a good measure of well being is how safe children feel and how happy and fulfilled they feel,' said Professor Pine. 'I find it surprising that over half of the children surveyed worry about their parents arguing or divorcing. This shows how, when marriages are going through difficulties, children are more often aware than many parents might think they are. A rather worrying finding is that such a large proportion of children said that boredom is the biggest cause of unhappiness - given that kids have such a vast range of multimedia entertainment and extra-curricular activities available to them nowadays.'
Robert Hart from Intuitive Media added:
'The children have told us that boredom is the biggest downer, along with adults who expect too much of them and having to work too hard. Children want more freedom to play, relax, pursue their hobbies and be creative. Catriona, a 13-year old in GoldStarCafe, spoke for her generation when she said, 'The Prime Minister needs to seriously think about the amount of homework given in school. I've been really stressed about all the work I have to do, and one week I didn't even have any time to do anything fun at all.''
Or subscribe for our Newsletter, a free e-mail publication. It is published practically every day.
Discovery of cellular 'switch' may provide new means of triggering cell death, treating disease
A new type of stem cells found in prostate may be involved in cancer
Study reveals new genetic culprit in deadly skin cancer
New technique could eliminate inherited mitochondrial disease