Health Bites

Tidbits on teen contraception, juvenile diabetes, sweat and acne, and the holistic power of breast-feeding.

By PT Staff, published on May 01, 2005 - last reviewed on June 21, 2007

Family Planning

Teenage girls whose parents discuss their children's schoolwork are more likely to practice safe sex than girls with parents who are less interested in their education. According to a study from the University of Wisconsin, parental involvement promotes the most effective contraceptive methods for preventing pregnancy—the use of multiple methods and oral contraceptives.

A Diabetic Trigger?

Familial stress and strain are linked to diabetes in children. A Swedish study found kids who live in turbulent homes were more likely to develop the disease than other children, independent of any family history of diabetes.

Bad Reputation

Contrary to popular belief, exercise and sweating do not cause acne, according to a study by Stanford University School of Medicine researchers. Skin breakouts were not affected by the frequency of exercise, length of time sweating during exercise or time between exercise and showering.

Mother's Milk

American women aren't breast-feeding long enough, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics, which recommends that babies drink only their mother's milk in the first six months of life. Many women stop nursing after just a few months, and many mothers needlessly supplement their own breast milk with water, juice or formula, a survey found. Studies show breast-feeding is linked to a lower risk of ear infection and diarrhea in infants. Adults who were breast-fed as children have lower rates of diabetes, obesity and asthma.

Happiness? Mostly, We're Born With It

The majority of us have a steady level of joy in life, whatever our life circumstances may be. A 17-year study of German men and women supports the theory that happiness, over the long term, is more biological than environmental. Only 25 percent of people report drastic fluctuations in life satisfaction. Change is generally for the worse. People who lose a spouse or are repeatedly unemployed are less likely to fully bounce back.

Parenting: Where's Daddy?

Even though only 16 percent of American families fit the "traditional" model of gender roles—with Dad as the breadwinner and Mom raising the kids—the father's role in parenting is largely missing from even modern parenting books. One study of 23 published parenting guides found that mothers were referenced three times as often as fathers. The researchers, who published the study in the journal Psychology of Men and Masculinity, contend that even today, fathers' roles are portrayed as largely voluntary and negotiable.