ScienceDaily: Society - January 07, 2025
Top society research news
Study finds physical activity reduces chronic disease risk
A study underscores the value of physical activity. Researchers found patients who responded in a survey that they are physically active have a statistically significant lower risk of having 19 chronic conditions.
Acoustic sensors find frequent gunfire on school walking routes
A new study used acoustic sensors that detect the sound of gunfire to show how often children in one Chicago neighborhood are exposed to gunshots while walking to and from school. Results showed that nearly two-thirds of schools in the Englewood neighborhood of Chicago had at least one gun incident within 400 meters (about one-quarter mile) of where children were walking home during the 2021-22 school year.
Multilingualism improves crucial cognitive functions in autistic children, study finds
A new study adds to the growing body of evidence on the cognitive benefits of speaking multiple languages, finding that multilingualism not only enhances general cognitive abilities but also may help reduce certain symptoms and bolster control of daily thoughts and actions in children with and without autism.
One of the world's largest social programs greatly reduced tuberculosis among the most vulnerable
Brazil's Bolsa Fam lia Program, one of the world's largest conditional cash transfer programs, was responsible for the reduction of more than half the number of tuberculosis cases and deaths among those living in extreme poverty and indigenous groups.
Farmers are receiving less of what consumers spend on food, as modern food systems increasingly direct costs toward value-added components like processing, transport, and marketing. A study shows that this effect shapes how food prices respond to agricultural climate policies: While value-added components buffer consumer price changes in wealthier countries, low-income countries -- where farming costs dominate -- face greater challenges in managing food price increases due to climate policies.
People find medical test results hard to understand, increasing overall worry
In April 2021, a provision in the 21st Century Cures act took effect which required that all medical test results be released to a patient's electronic medical record as soon as they become available. As a result of this newer law, many patients are seeing and reading their test results even before their doctor has. The problem is that many medical reports aren't written with patients in mind.
Modeling tool affirms critical role of testing in pandemic response
A study found public-private partnerships to develop, produce and distribute COVID-19 diagnostic tests saved approximately 1.4 million lives and prevented an estimated 7 million patient hospitalizations in the U.S. during the pandemic.
How good are AI doctors at medical conversations?
Researchers design a new way to more reliably evaluate AI models' ability to make clinical decisions in realistic scenarios that closely mimic real-life interactions. The analysis finds that large-language models excel at making diagnoses from exam-style questions but struggle to do so from conversational notes. The researchers propose set of guidelines to optimize AI tools' performance and align them with real-world practice before integrating them into the clinic.
Africa: Better roads promote greater dietary diversity
A balanced diet is important for reducing hunger and malnutrition. Researchers thus advocate that small farmers in low- and middle-income countries should try to produce as many different foods as possible for their own consumption. However, a study is now questioning this recommendation to some extent. It suggests that good access to regional markets is more important than farmers growing a large diversity of crops on their own smallholding. Better-functioning markets increase the variety of foods available locally, which benefits the population as a whole.
Recognizing that news coverage may have influence in forming attitudes and in driving action, a team of psychology researchers examined whether reframing this gender gap in terms of 'men's overrepresentation' -- rather than as 'women's underrepresentation' -- would have an impact on perceptions of the issue and on motivations to address it. Its findings showed that framing the gap as 'men's overrepresentation' -- as opposed to 'women's underrepresentation' -- in political leadership elicited more anger at the disparity among women and increased perceptions that the gap is unjust. Moreover, the results showed that anger at the disparity leads women to take action to address it.
Expanding the agenda for more just genomics
A special report outlines opportunities to enhance justice in genomics, toward a world in which genomic medicine promotes health equity, protects privacy, and respects the rights and values of individuals and communities.
Addressing gender issues strengthens peace agreements
When it comes to peace processes and negotiations, U.N. Women highlights a stark reality: All too often, women remain invisible and excluded. But a new study draws on evidence from Colombia to show that addressing gender-related issues helps peace agreements succeed.