Study finds widening inequalities in child vaccination rates across England

Vaccine uptake “consistently lower” among children in areas of higher deprivation Number of children susceptible to measles at age 5 increased 20-fold in most deprived areas Inequalities in childhood vaccination are widening in England, with uptake rates of five key vaccines consistently lower in young children living in areas of ...

2024-12-12T11:33:02+00:0012 December 2024|Press release, The BMJ|

End food and drink industry’s infiltration of UK children’s education, say experts

Kellogg’s and Greggs have sponsored school breakfast clubs in the UK for more than two decades, reaching many thousands of primary school children Experts say tactics are highly problematic and require much greater scrutiny An investigation published by The BMJ today reveals widespread influence of food and drink brands in schools and ...

2025-06-26T11:08:09+00:005 December 2024|Press release, The BMJ|

Global prevalence of short-sightedness in children and teens set to top 740 million cases by 2050

Condition currently affects estimated third of children and teens around the world Female sex, East Asian or urban area residence, and educational level influential factors Around 1 in 3 children and teens around the world is short (near)-sighted, with the global prevalence of myopia set to top 740 million cases ...

2024-09-25T12:12:03+00:0025 September 2024|British Journal of Ophthalmology, Press release|

Sugary drink intake by children and adolescents increased by almost a quarter between 1990 and 2018

Increase parallels rises in obesity among young people Action needed to curb consumption, particularly in Latin America and the Caribbean, and sub-Saharan Africa, say researchers  Children and adolescents across the world consumed on average 23% more sugar sweetened beverages (SSBs) in 2018 than they did in 1990, show the results ...

2024-08-08T09:19:07+00:008 August 2024|Press release, The BMJ|

Reducing child poverty in England would significantly boost child health and narrow health inequalities

It would cut infant deaths, numbers of children in care, hospital admissions Likely have other beneficial knock-on effects on local authority and health services Most deprived regions, especially in the North East, stand to benefit the most Renewed efforts to reduce child poverty in England between now and 2033, such ...

Little evidence to back widespread prescribing of mood-altering drugs to children for mental health issues

But current practice needs to be a lot safer, insist experts There’s limited evidence to back up the widespread and increasing rates of prescribing mood-altering drugs (psychotropics) as the mainstay of mental health treatment for children and young people, warn experts in an editorial, published today in the August issue ...

Private school and/or ‘higher status’ university education linked to better mid-life health

Alongside level of education reached, institution type may also be influential say researchers  A private (fee-paying) school and/or a ‘higher status’ (Russell Group*) university education may be linked to better mid-life health—at least in the UK—suggests research published online in the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health. Alongside the level of ...

Cass review on gender medicine “largely ignored” in the US

Many US professional bodies stand by their “gender affirming” recommendations Cass does not seem to be penetrating the public consciousness, says expert The newly released Cass Review on transgender care for young people has been pivotal in the UK, where the prescription of puberty “blocking” drugs outside of research protocols ...

2024-06-04T12:17:50+00:0024 May 2024|Press release, The BMJ|

Some teen girls clocking up close to 6 smartphone hours/day, Finnish study finds

Proportion may be ‘addicted’ to social media and have poorer mental health and wellbeing Some teenage girls are clocking up close to 6 hours a day on their smartphones, with a significant proportion of them likely addicted to social media, finds research published online in the journal Archives of Disease in ...

Likelihood of kids and young people smoking and vaping linked to social media use

7+ daily hours associated with more than doubling in risk among 10 to 25 year olds Findings reinforce concerns about marketing clout of these platforms, say researchers The more time spent on social media, the greater the likelihood that children and young people will both smoke and/or vape, suggests research ...

2024-06-04T12:17:50+00:0020 May 2024|Press release, Thorax|
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