21 February, 2015

Cyber bullying increases depression in female students

Involvement in cyber bullying increases risk of depression in female college students - for both bullies and victims , says a study led by an Indian-origin researcher.

What is worse is that the bullies are also likely to report problem alcohol use, the researchers noted.

"Participants with any involvement in cyber bullying had increased odds of depression and those involved in cyber bullying as bullies had increased odds of both depression and problem alcohol use," said Rajitha Kota from the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine in the US.

Cyber bullying and its effects have been studied largely in middle and high school students, but less is known about cyber bullying in college students.

This cross-sectional study investigated the relationship between involvement in cyber bullying and depression or problem alcohol use among college females.

For the study, two hundred and sixty-five female students from four colleges completed online surveys assessing involvement in cyber bullying behaviours.

Participants also completed the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) to assess depressive symptoms and the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT) to assess problem drinking.

The researchers found that more than one in four females experienced cyber bullying in college, increasing their risk for depression.

Among the participants who had experienced cyber bullying, the most common behaviours reported were hacking into another person's account, receiving unwanted sexual advances, being harassed by text message, and posting of degrading comments.

Those who had experienced unwanted sexual advances online or via text message had six-fold increase in odds of depression, the findings showed.

The study appeared in the journal Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking.

Source: www.timesofindia.com

21.02.2015

Soft drink consumers at a higher risk of cancer

People who consume one or more cans of cold drinks per day are exposing themselves to a potential carcinogen, warns a new study.

The ingredient, 4-methylimidazole (4-MEI) - a possible human carcinogen - is formed during the manufacture of some kinds of caramel colour. Caramel colour is a common ingredient in colas and other dark soft drinks.

"Soft drink consumers are being exposed to an avoidable and unnecessary cancer risk from an ingredient that is being added to these beverages simply for aesthetic purposes," said Keeve Nachman, senior author of the study.

Building on an analysis of 4-MEI concentrations in 11 different soft drinks first published by Consumer Reports in 2014, researchers estimated exposure to 4-MEI from caramel-coloured soft drinks and modelled the potential cancer burden related to routine soft drink consumption levels in the United States.

"This unnecessary exposure poses a threat to public health and raises questions about the continued use of caramel colouring in soda," Nachman of Johns Hopkins Center for a Liveable Future (CLF).

Results indicated that levels of 4-MEI could vary substantially across samples, even for the same type of beverage.

While there is currently no federal limit for 4-MEI in food or beverages, Consumer Reports petitioned the Food and Drug Administration last year to set limits for the potential carcinogen.

"This new analysis underscores our belief that people consume significant amounts of soda that unnecessarily elevate their risk of cancer over the course of a lifetime," said Urvashi Rangan, executive director for Consumer Reports' Food Safety and Sustainability Center.

The results were published online in the journal PLOS One.

Source: www.timesofindia.com

21.02.2015

Truth is such a rare thing; it is delightful to tell it

Emily Dickinson