Teens still able to access e-cigarettes during COVID-19 pandemic

(HealthDay)—Underage youth report being able to access electronic cigarettes from online and retail stores during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a study published online Dec. 3 in JAMA Network Open. Shivani Mathur Gaiha, Ph.D., from Stanford University in Palo Alto, California, and colleagues conducted an online survey to assess change in e-cigarette use (increase, decrease, […]

Young people’s anxiety levels doubled during first COVID-19 lockdown, says study

The number of young people with anxiety doubled from 13 percent to 24 percent, during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown 1, according to new research from the University of Bristol. The study, using Bristol’s Children of the 90s questionnaire data, showed that young people (27-29 years) reported higher levels of anxiety […]

Exercised over nothing: Masks don’t impair lung function during physical activity

Wearing a facemask helps limit the spread of COVID-19 by reducing respiratory droplets and aerosols spewed into the air when people breathe, talk, laugh, sneeze or cough. But the physical barrier created by masks has prompted concerns that they might impair the cardiopulmonary system by making it harder to breathe, by altering the flow of […]

How schools can reduce parents’ anxiety during the pandemic

Our recent survey found that schools can affect the mental health and well-being of not just students but their parents, too. From April through June 2020, we surveyed 152 parents—primarily mothers—in Detroit, Michigan, who were managing the new demands of remote schooling for their children. Not surprisingly, they reported high levels of anxiety (34%) and […]

How I coped with being made redundant during a pandemic

Redundancy is about as close as it gets to the feeling of being dumped.  There’s no good way to experience it, but having to sit on my bed and watch my boss and a HR representative (never a good sign) tell me over a glitchy Microsoft Teams call that my services were no longer required, […]

Emma Roberts: Why Being Pregnant During a Pandemic Has Been 'Amazing'

Looking on the bright side! Emma Roberts opened up about her “interesting time” being pregnant amid the coronavirus pandemic. Fab in Florals! See Pregnant Emma Roberts Cradling Baby Bump “It’s definitely caused a lot of introspection, but I think it’s been amazing to really sit with myself and really turn inward in a way I […]

Why optimism can be dangerous during a pandemic

For those of us who insist on seeing the glass half full, even when the miserable brigade point out that it’s also half empty, COVID-19 poses particular challenges. In regular times, our relentless optimism wins us friends and provides us with a host of benefits including higher levels of wellbeing, increased resilience and better health. […]

Kids are exercising less and sitting more during the pandemic

Patterns set during childhood can influence adult life profoundly, and exercise habits are no exception. With the U.S. seeing a 20-year trend of increased risk of being overweight or obese among children, there’s reason for concern about both short- and long-term effects on health at a population level. Recent USC findings—from one of the first […]