A Tel Aviv University study found that investors who switched to a social fund reduced their donations to charities, mainly in similar causes. However, most investors in the social fund had not previously donated, suggesting that social funds entice more people to fund social causes.
A new analysis reveals that socioeconomic status amplifies underlying differences in the spatial patterns of how men versus women travel within cities. Women tend to travel shorter distances than men, but socioeconomic factors play a bigger role in shaping their mobility patterns.
A study by Washington State University found that social support can mitigate the risk of heart disease and death in older American Indians. Higher rates of depression symptoms, poor quality of life, and social isolation were linked to increased mortality, but instrumental social support reversed this effect.
Researchers found that loneliness is driven by different brain states than social anxiety, with distinct neural activity patterns. People with social anxiety showed increased amygdala activation and reduced nucleus accumbens activation, while those with high loneliness did not display these patterns.
A new study reveals that social isolation and loneliness can increase cardiovascular disease risk by 8% and 5% respectively. Women who experience high levels of both social isolation and loneliness have a 13-27% increased risk of heart disease, compared to those with low levels.
A new study found that living in a disadvantaged neighbourhood increases a child's risk of developing overweight by school age. Children born in less affluent areas were more likely to gain weight and develop obesity, even when controlling for other factors.
A new 16-question self-report form, F-SIM16, assesses someone's level of social inclusion and can lead to more targeted and personalized care. The measure has been recognized for its strong theoretical foundation and input from people with lived experience of mental ill-health.
A study by University at Buffalo researchers found a correlation between excessive social media use and higher levels of C-reactive protein, a marker of chronic inflammation. Participants who used social media excessively also reported more frequent visits to doctors and health centers for illness treatment.
A new study of Chinese older adults found that higher levels of social isolation are associated with having fewer teeth and losing teeth more quickly over time. Despite this, loneliness was not linked to the number of remaining teeth or tooth loss rate.
A new study found that social media use is correlated with higher levels of C-Reactive Protein, a marker of chronic inflammation, and more frequent somatic symptoms. This suggests that excessive social media use may negatively impact physical health in multiple ways.
A recent study published by the American Psychological Association found that new mothers who perceive themselves as lower in social status have worse health outcomes one year after childbirth. The study highlights the importance of subjective social status in maternal health disparities.
Research by Jesús Bas and colleagues found that smaller groups are perceived as leaders in decision-making tasks, but larger groups are seen as more powerful and controlling when it comes to resources. Children's perceptions of social status also vary with age and group size.
A new study published in Frontiers argues that lumping individual factors together equally under socioeconomic status omits crucial data for understanding gaps in education. The research team found that relations between student achievement and socioeconomic factors look very different in different countries.
The Zinc Status Index is a new evaluation method developed by Cornell food scientists that uses biomarkers to calculate the physiological status of a subject. It aims to provide a comprehensive assessment tool for zinc deficiency, which affects over 1 billion people worldwide.
A recent study found that digital health programs and apps are less effective in boosting physical activity among users with lower socio-economic status. Researchers analyzed over 14,000 studies and concluded that these interventions do not provide clear benefits for individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds.
A recent Rutgers University study found that receiving a new diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias leads to decreased formal and informal social engagement. This can be particularly concerning for disadvantaged populations with limited resources. The study highlights the need for practitioners and policymakers to consi...
Researchers have identified significant neurological effects of social isolation on the brain, including altered neural circuits and increased risk for disease. Social isolation can cause permanent changes in behavior and lead to health issues like anxiety and depression.
A study reveals that prairie voles are highly motivated by social interactions with familiar animals, while meadow voles tolerate friends and family but lack strong motivation. Oxytocin receptor density is associated with individual variation in social behavior.
Researchers found that honeybee colonies modify their social interactions and movement patterns in response to parasite infestations, increasing social distance between young and old bees. This adaptation helps reduce the spread of diseases while maintaining beneficial social behaviors.
A new study found that most people maintain their pre-retirement level of social support after retirement, with women and those with high social support experiencing an improvement in mental wellbeing. The research also shows an increase in life satisfaction for couples where either the man or woman retired.
Research highlights five key areas where people of high socioeconomic status have a disproportionate impact on global greenhouse gas emissions. These include influencing consumer behavior, investments, organizational practices, social movements, and access to decision-makers.
A new study reveals that male giraffes have higher social connectedness than females, with males forming more acquaintances and older males having shorter social paths. This complexity could impact conservation efforts for endangered giraffes.
A study by Indiana University researchers found that individuals' socioeconomic status and social networks play a significant role in shaping their decisions about health controversies. Higher-status people faced fewer consequences for resisting medical guidelines, while those with lower statuses experienced more scrutiny. The study em...
A study by the University of Miami found that tiger sharks form social groups and exhibit social preferences, but interactions become more random when fed by dive tourism. The researchers tracked tiger sharks over three years and used Social Network Analysis to examine their behavior.
A new study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association found that Hispanic and Latino adults who perceive themselves as having higher social status are more likely to have ideal markers of cardiovascular health. The study suggests that subjective markers of social status may have stronger effects on the cardiovascular h...
A new survey study links belief in social Darwinism with dysfunctional psychological characteristics such as exploitative attitudes, hostility and low self-esteem. Social Darwinists tend to admire strength and power despite having a fragile self-image.
The study, published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, found that subjective social status can be used to assess overall cardiovascular health in Hispanic/Latino adults. The researchers analyzed data from 15,374 participants and discovered a significant correlation between self-perceived social standing and cardiovascul...
A study found that informal parole status uniquely contributes to the likelihood of receiving a prison sentence, with a large and consistent impact across sentencing guidelines. This cumulative disadvantage disproportionately affects Black defendants, exacerbating the Black-White gap in prison sentences.
Research found that members of low-status groups endorse hierarchy-enhancing ideologies as an in-group status-enhancement strategy. This challenges previous assumptions on the motivations of disadvantaged groups.
A massive study of spotted hyena data over 27 years reveals that social inheritance plays a crucial role in forming and maintaining social networks. Offspring inherit social bonds from their mothers, influencing survival and reproductive success, with higher-ranked mothers having more accurate copying of social associations.
Researchers used 27 years of detailed data on hyena social interactions to reveal that mother's social networks are inherited by their cubs. Higher-ranking mothers' cubs closely replicate their mother's social connections, while lower-ranking offspring diverge more.
A new study reveals that inherited social networks passed from mothers to offspring are essential to spotted hyena life and survival. The strength of the maternal relationship affects social inheritance and is positively correlated with long-term survival for both mother and offspring.
A qualitative study found that community health workers are integral to identifying patients' social needs, with roles shifting from screener to implementer. However, social needs screening data is often not integrated into electronic health records or used for population health management, and sites face barriers to its implementation.
A new study published in Neurology found that despite lower socioeconomic status, Black people with multiple sclerosis (MS) tend to have more disability than white peers. The study discovered smaller brain lesions and slower cognitive and physical processing speeds among Black participants.
A new project funded by the German Research Foundation is analyzing the coronavirus crisis in India to understand its effects on social policy, regional variations, and local experiences of access to social entitlements. The project aims to capture the dynamism of social perceptions during this period.
A recent study found that foreign-born status, but not acquired U.S. citizenship, protects against criminal victimization. Researchers used new data to explore the association between citizenship status and risk of victimization, finding significantly lower rates of victimization among foreign-born citizens compared to U.S.-born citizens.
A study of US adults found that those who received more social support than they gave had a higher mortality risk. Individuals who gave excessive social support also exhibited a higher risk of death.
University of Houston researcher Beau Alward aims to use African cichlid fish Astatotilapia burtoni to study social disorders like autism. He plans to utilize CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing to create a genetic model of social dysfunction, allowing for a more precise understanding of genes involved.
Research presents evidence that social isolation and loneliness are associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease in post-menopausal women. The study found that measures of social isolation and loneliness should be incorporated into standard care to better understand cardiovascular risk and develop solutions.
Researchers sequenced the genomes of three socially parasitic ant species, finding evidence of widespread genomic rearrangements and gene losses. The study sheds light on the evolutionary consequences of transitioning from social to parasitic behavior, with significant impacts on sensory capabilities and behavioral repertoire.
A University of Minnesota Medical School study found that COVID-19 outcomes are worse for racial and ethnic groups in the Twin Cities, independent of socioeconomic status. Non-English speaking also contributes to worse outcomes, according to the research.
Researchers found that adolescents and older adults pay less attention to social cues than young adults, leading to impaired social interaction. This can result in isolation, loneliness, and poor health, particularly during adolescence and older adulthood.
New research from the University of Notre Dame shows that peers can help boost marginalized voices, enhancing both the status of those being amplified and their own. The study found that publicly endorsing a peer's contribution with attribution increases ratings of idea quality and employee status.
A new study by Indiana University researcher Hank Green found that cohesive neighborhoods where people get along and help each other have a lower likelihood of binge drinking. In contrast, disordered neighborhoods with less social cohesion tend to increase binge drinking, especially among those with denser social networks.
A longitudinal study found that people with relapsing-remitting MS exhibit significant social cognition deficits, particularly in facial emotion recognition and empathy. These deficits are associated with psychological outcomes of daily living, such as depression and anxiety.
A study by Michigan State University found that excessive social media use can lead to poor mental health due to limited real-life social support. The research suggests that people who engage in too much social media use often receive less social support in their daily lives, which can negatively impact their mental well-being.
Research at University of Strathclyde suggests frequent social media use is not necessarily linked to addiction, contradicting previous studies on attentional bias. The study tested participants' attention towards specific apps and found no association with self-reported addictive severity or established measures of engagement.
A recent study by North Carolina State University found that education alone cannot overcome social inequality, particularly among men. The research examined data from over 56,000 individuals and found that a parent's social status continues to provide an advantage to their children in terms of earnings.
Data from two large studies published by The BMJ found that socioeconomic status is the dominant factor in health disparities between US and UK adults. While healthy lifestyles reduce disease burden, they only explain a small proportion of excess risks. Other measures tackling social determinants of health are warranted.
Researchers are investigating how oxytocin and dopamine act in the brain's reward circuits to make social interactions rewarding for males and females. The project has the potential to provide new mechanisms for understanding well-known sex differences in neuropsychiatric disorders and spur the development of gender-specific treatments.
A study on ants found that social isolation alters their behavior, reducing interest in adult colony mates and increasing time spent on brood care. The isolated ants also exhibit downregulated immune system genes, similar to humans experiencing stress and weakened immunity during the pandemic.
A recent study by Duke University researchers reveals that male baboons who attain high social status experience accelerated aging due to the physical and energetic demands of competing for dominance. This is in contrast to humans, where high social status typically predicts better health.
A study published in eLife suggests that high social status contributes to accelerated aging in male baboons, with higher body mass index and increased physical demands being key factors. In contrast, early life adversity is not a significant predictor of premature aging.
A new analysis by researchers led by Dr. David Nerenz of Henry Ford Health System suggests that accounting for social risk factors like poverty, housing instability and transportation insecurity can have a meaningful impact on healthcare quality measures without compromising quality of care. The study makes the case for using social ri...
A first-of-its-kind study with 144 pregnant women found that low parental socioeconomic status during pregnancy affects the developing fetal brain, altering key regions and cortical features. This can potentially impact neural, social-emotional and cognitive function later in infancy.
A comprehensive modeling study reveals that socioeconomic factors synergistically drive health inequities in influenza burden across the US. People of lower socioeconomic status bear a disproportionate burden of infection, with disparities arising from combined social-economic and healthcare factors.
This study found that high levels of social support for mothers of patients with eating disorders are associated with lower scores for loneliness and depression. However, there was no significant impact on patient symptoms. The findings suggest that social support can help prevent caregiver depression and loneliness in this population.
Animal responses to infectious disease exhibit pathogen-induced behavioral changes, including sickness behaviors and self-isolation. Nonhuman animals alter social interactions in response to infection, offering insights into underlying epidemiological mechanisms.
New research from the University of Kent suggests that childhood exposure to diversity is key to fostering acceptance of other groups, leading to sustainable social cohesion. A model of immigration shows that medium-paced immigration promotes greater community cohesion over time.
Research at York University found that maternal care of offspring leads to an expanding social life in bees, selecting more social genes over time. The study suggests a unifying principle driving social trait evolution across different species.