STA199 Assignment 1: Critically Assessing a News Story

Summary:

In this assignment, you will be writing a report that critically assesses a research study reported in a news story. You will choose from a list of pre-selected news stories. Your goal will be to summarize the study, identify strengths and weaknesses of the study, identify any important details that have been omitted, and comment on the overall level of evidence from this study. To do this, you will be applying many of the concepts that we have covered in this class so far.

This assignment will be due on February 16, 2024 at 11:59 PM.

Selecting a News Story:

A list of news stories is provided at the bottom of this document. You may choose any story from this file.

Report Requirements:

As a guideline, your report should follow these steps:

1.   Begin with a brief summary of the news story that summarizes the researchers’ goals and a description of the study. Be sure to identify if the research was a randomized experiment, an observational study, a combination, or based on anecdotes.

2.   Identify the strengths and weaknesses of the study. To do this, consider the Seven Critical

Components discussed in Lecture 2. For components that are applicable your selected study, use the components to critically assess strengths and weaknesses of the study. Of course, you can go beyond the Seven Critical Components when discussing strengths and weaknesses.

3.   Determine if the information is complete based on the news article alone. Are all pertinent pieces  of information about the study available in the article? If necessary, find the original source of the report (article or report about the study from the researchers) to see if missing information can be found there. Make note of any pertinent details that are not available in the news story, not available in the original source, or both.

4.   If you are able to, identify the original article that the news articles is based on. Use the original article to identify the gaps found in the previous step.

5.   Comment on if the results make sense in the larger scope of things. If they are counter to

previously accepted knowledge, see if you can get a possible explanation in the news story, original source, or elsewhere.

6.   Comment on if there is an alternative explanation for the results.

7.   Determine if the results would be meaningful enough to encourage one to change their lifestyle, attitudes, or beliefs on the basis of the research.

These are general questions that should guide your assignment, rather than a strict list of questions that you must adhere to. When reading your assignment, it should not feel that you are simply answer a set of questions. Rather, it should be a piece of writing with good flow and cohesion.

Other details:

•    Your assignment should be formatted usingAPA style. This includes a title page, page numbers, in-text citations, and a reference list at the end.

•    Headings are not necessary but you may choose to use them.

•    Your writing should be clear and concise. Simply having more words in your assignment does not automatically mean that it is a better assignment. Expressing the same thoughts in fewer words without sacrificing clarity is a very important skill.

•    Recommended length is 4-6 pages double spaced. There is no automatic penalty for going over 6 pages, but you should try to make your writing more concise.

•    A PDF file is preferred.

Submission and Rubric:

The assignment will be due on February 16, 2024 at 11:59 PM on Quercus. A rubric is provided on the Quercus submission page as well.

New study finds 6 ways to slow memory decline and lower dementia risk

Link:https://www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/2023/01/26/dementia-memory-loss-lifestyle-habits/

A new study of more than 29,000 older adults has identified six habits — from eating a variety of foods to regularly reading or playing cards — that are linked with a lower risk of dementia and a slower rate of memory decline.

Eating a balanced diet, exercising the mind and body regularly, having regular contact with others, and not drinking or smoking — these six “healthy lifestyle factors” were associated with better cognitive outcomes in older adults, in alarge Chinese studyconducted over a decade and published in the BMJ on Wednesday.

Whileresearchers have long knownthat there is a link betweendementia and factors such as social isolation and obesity, the size and scope of the new study adds substantial evidence to a global body of research that suggests a healthy lifestyle may help brains age better.

It also suggests that the effects of a healthy lifestyle are beneficial even for people who are genetically more susceptible to memory decline — a “very hope-giving” finding for the millions of individuals around the world who carry the APOEε4 gene, a major risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease, said Eef Hogervorst, chair of biological psychology at Loughborough University, who was not involved in the study.

Memory naturally declines gradually as people age. Some older people may developdementia, an umbrella term that can include Alzheimer’s, and generally describes a deterioration in cognitive function that goes beyond the normal effects of aging. But for many, “memory loss can merely be senescent forgetfulness,” write the authors of the BMJ study — like forgetting the name of that TV program you used to love, or that pesky fact you wanted to look up.

Memory loss is no less damaging for being gradual, and age-related memory decline can in some cases be an early symptom of dementia. But the good news, the researchers say, is that it “can be reversed or become stable rather than progress to a pathological state.”

The BMJ study was conducted in China between 2009 and 2019. Researchers conducted tests on over 29,000 people ages 60 and older and then tracked their progress or decline over time — what’s known as a population-based cohort study. Although more than 10,500 participants dropped out of the study over the next decade — some participants died or stopped participating — the researchers still used the data collected from those individuals in their analysis.

At the start of the study, researchers conducted baseline memory tests as well as testing for the APOE gene. They also surveyed participants about their daily habits. Participants were sorted into one of three groups — favorable, average and unfavorable — based on their lifestyle.

The six modifiable lifestyle factors the researchers focused on included:

•    Physical exercise: Doing at least 150 minutes of moderate or 75 minutes of vigorous activity per week.

•    Diet: Eating appropriate daily amounts of at least seven of 12 food items (fruits, vegetables, fish, meat, dairy products, salt, oil, eggs, cereals, legumes, nuts and tea).

•    Alcohol: Never drank or drank occasionally.

•     Smoking: Never having smoked or being a former smoker.

•    Cognitive activity: Exercising the brain at least twice a week (by reading and playing cards or mah-jongg, for example).

•     Social contact: Engaging with others at least twice a week (by attending community meetings or visiting friends or relatives, for example).

Over the course of the study, the researchers found that people in the favorable group (four to six healthy  factors) and average group (two to three) had a slower rate of memory decline over time than people with unfavorable lifestyles (zero to one healthy factor).

People living favorable lifestyles that included at least four healthy habits were also less likely to progress to mild cognitive impairment and dementia.

The results show that “more is better of these behaviors,” says Hogervorst — in other words, the more healthy lifestyle factors you can combine, the better your chances of preserving your memory and staving off dementia.

Notably, this held true even for people who carried the APOE gene associated with a higher risk of Alzheimer’s disease.

“These results provide an optimistic outlook, as they suggest that although genetic risk is not modifiable, a combination of more healthy lifestyle factors are associated with a slower rate of memory decline, regardless of the genetic risk,” wrote the study authors.

The study stands out because of its size and follow-up over time, and because it was conducted in China, whereas “most publications are based on western high income countries,” Carol Brayne, a professor of public health medicine at the University of Cambridge who researches older people and dementia, said in an email.

However, the study authors acknowledge several limitations, including that people’s own reports of health behaviors may not be fully accurate, and that the people who took part in the study were more likely to be leading healthy lives to begin with.

Some of the study’s findings differ from the results of other large studies conducted in the United States and in Europe, says Hogervorst. For instance, the BMJ study found that the lifestyle factor with the greatest effect on reducing memory decline was a balanced diet. Other studies have suggested that diet matters less in old age than physical and mental exercise, says Hogervorst.

Still, its results align with the broad scientific consensus that there is a link between how we live and our cognitive function as we age — and perhaps more important, suggest that it may never be too late to improve your brain health.

“The overall message from the study is a positive one,” Snorri B. Rafnsson, associate professor of aging and dementia at the University of West London, said in an email. “Namely, that cognitive function, and especially memory function, in later life maybe positively influenced by regularly and frequently engaging in different health related activities.”

New Study Shows Managers Are Changing Their Minds About The Hybrid Work Model

Link:https://www.forbes.com/sites/glebtsipursky/2023/01/13/new-study-shows-managers-are-changing- their-minds-about-the-hybrid-work-model/?sh=5fb49dc76b91

New resear chfrom the University of Birmingham has shed light on how managers' attitudes towards the hybrid work model have changed as a result of the pandemic. Surprisingly, the findings reveal an increasingly positive outlook on the benefits of remote and flexible working.

The researchers surveyed 597 UK managers from a wide variety of industries and company sizes; three-fifths came from organizations with over 250 employees. The survey found that 52% of managers agreed that working from home improves concentration, 60% said it improves productivity, and 63% stated it increases motivation. This is a significant shift in attitude, as there has long been a perception that working from home can be a distraction, leading to a lack of productivity and motivation.

The study also revealed that more than seven in 10 (73%) managers felt that giving employees flexibility over their working hours increased productivity, while 60% said the same for working from home. This suggests that managers are starting to recognize that giving employees more control over when and where they work can lead to better performance.

When it comes to the future of remote and flexible working, the study found that 55% of managers said roles would be advertised as available for flexible working, compared with 50% reporting this in 2020.  This indicates that organizations are becoming more open to the idea of flexible working and are beginning to see it as a long-term solution, rather than a temporary measure.

Moreover, 90% of managers said that mentioning the availability of flexible working in job advertisements would make them more attractive to candidates. It seems that remote and flexible working has become a key consideration for many job seekers, especially in the post-pandemic era.

Another key finding from the study is that managers are becoming more aware of the challenges of remote and flexible working. For example, 61% of managers agreed that working from home can lead to  feelings of isolation and loneliness. This highlights the importance of addressing these issues and finding ways to maintain team cohesion and collaboration when working remotely.

One solution to this is to make use of technology to stay connected and collaborate with team members. Video conferencing, instant messaging, and project management tools can all be used to keep in touch and work together, even when team members are working from different locations. Additionally, leaders can also provide regular check-ins, create virtual social interactions, and encourage team members to set up virtual coffee breaks to combat loneliness and isolation.

Another important aspect of remote and flexible working is work-life balance. The study found that 57% of managers agreed that working from home can blur the lines between work and personal time, which can lead to burnout and stress. It is crucial for leaders to promote a culture of healthy boundaries and encourage employees to take breaks and switch off from work during non-working hours. This can be achieved by setting clear expectations for availability and response times and creating a supportive environment for employees to have a good work-life balance.

It is also worth mentioning thatcognitive biasescan also play a role in remote working environment, as working from home can limit employees' exposure to diverse perspectives, leading to a lack of creativity, innovation and teamwork. Managers should be aware of these biases and take steps to mitigate them, such as promoting virtual interaction and collaboration, fostering a culture of feedback, and providing training   on how to work effectively in a remote team.

It is essential for leaders to recognize that remote and flexible working is not a one-size-fits-all solution. Different employees may have different needs and preferences when it comes to working from home, and it is important to offer a variety of options and accommodations. For example, some employees may prefer to work in a dedicated home office, while others may prefer to work in a shared office space or a co-working facility. The key is to be flexible and open to different possibilities, and to support employees in finding what works best for them.

However, it is important to mention that the study might be limited by the fact that the participants were from United Kingdom and managers from other parts of the world may have different perspectives and experience. Therefore, it is essential for the leaders to conduct their own research or surveys to understand how remote and flexible working is impacting the employees in their own organization. Additionally, it is also important to recognize that remote and flexible working is not suitable for every job and it is important to consider the nature of the work, the team structure and the cultural context of the organization.

That’s why whenI work with my clientsto help them customize ahybrid work modelto their needs, we always start with a thorough survey and focus groups of their employees. Each of the 21 organizations that I helped transition over the last two years had different needs and concerns depending on their industry and position in it, as well as their internal organizational culture. So while using external benchmarks such as this study is a crucial start, the next step involves adapting such research to the needs of each company.

In summary, the study from University of Birmingham has revealed a shift in attitudes towards remote and flexible working among managers, with many recognizing the benefits and the potential for increased productivity and motivation. However, leaders must also be aware of the challenges and potential cognitive biases that come with remote and flexible working and take steps to mitigate them. It is crucial  for leaders to strike a balance between the advantages and disadvantages of remote and flexible working and make the necessary changes to support employees, drive performance and create an inclusive culture.

Brain smog: New study shows traffic pollution’s negative effect on the brain

Link:https://www.deseret.com/2023/1/25/23570719/traffic-pollution-negative-effect-on-the-brain

With a new study published in the journalEnvironmental Healthon Monday, scientists in Canada have taken the first step to understanding how pollution affects the brain.

The findings suggest that participants exposed to diesel exhaust for a brief time experienced decreased functioning in areas of the brain that are connected with internal thought and memory, called the “default mode network,” as reported by Science Daily.

“We know that altered functional connectivity in the DMN has been associated with reduced cognitive performance and symptoms of depression, so it’s concerning to see traffic pollution interrupting these  same networks,” said Jodie Gawryluk, a psychology professor at the University of Victoria and the study’s first author, told Science Daily.

In the past, studies have focused more on how pollution affects the lungs, per theAmerican Psychological Association. But in the last decade, the question of how pollutants affect the brain has been a topic of mounting concern among scientists.

Previous studies — like the one conducted byJennifer Weuve of Rush Medical Center— have used previous addresses of study participants and potential pollutants in those places to find a correlation  between living in places with high pollutants and the cognitive decline of older participants.

“Air pollution is now recognized as the largest environmental threat to human health and we are increasingly seeing the impacts across all major organ systems,” Dr. Chris Carlsten — head of respiratory medicine and the Canada Research Chair in occupational and environmental lung disease at the University of British Columbia — toldScience Daily.

This study is unique from past studies like Weuve’s because it was conducted in a controlled setting, rather than using already collected data. Diesel exhaust or filtered air was administered to randomly- selected participants from the group of 100, perthe study.

Carlsten called the study “the first of its kind in the world,” perScience Daily. But the method does bring up a concern for the safety of the participants.

To test how the brain reacts to pollution safely,the studyused a diluted and aged diesel exhaust — simulating real-world exhaust levels.

Since the study only focused on brief exposure to diesel pollution, more research would be necessary to understand more about the long-term effects of prolonged exposure.

Study finds feeling loved as a teen could lead to better health in adulthood

Link:https://thehill.com/changing-america/well-being/mental-health/3809280-study-finds-feeling-loved- as-a-teen-could-lead-to-better-health-in-adulthood/

Teenagers who feel as if they belong, are loved and wanted and are optimistic or happy may have lower cardiometabolic health risks in adulthood compared with teens who feel fewer of these positive emotions, according to anew studypublished Wednesday.

Although just 12 percent of young adults maintained good cardiometabolic health over time, teens who reported feeling more of the positive emotions were 69 percent more likely to maintain their health as young adults, results showed.

Effects were also cumulative. Each additional positive emotion reported by teens was associated with a 12 percent increase in likelihood of good health down the line.

The link is especially prominent among Black youth, data show, as these teens reported feeling the most positive emotions and derived the most health benefits from them.

Researchers suggest the positive emotions may serve as a buffer against the negative effects of social stress teens often feel.

“Assets like optimism and other facets of psychological wellbeing also predict greater health-enhancing behaviors across multiple domains, including physical activity, diet, and tobacco use,” they wrote in the study.

Fostering these positive emotions in teenagers could not only help prevent cardiometabolic disease but may also address health inequities, results suggest.

“We learned a lot in the last few decades about the impact of discrimination and other social risks youth

of color face that may explain their elevated rates of cardiometabolic disease,” study author Farah

Qureshi, an assistant professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore,in a statement.

But “much less attention is paid to the inherent strengths they possess and the ways those strengths may be leveraged to advance health equity,” Qureshi said. “In this study, we wanted to shift the paradigm in  public health beyond the traditional focus on deficits to one that concentrates on resource building.”

Data were collected from around 3,500 high schoolers first enrolled in the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health in 1994. Participants were followed for more than 20 years with the most recent data collected in 2018, when the average participant’s age was 38.

According to surveys carried out when participants were teenagers, the five positive mental health assets associated with better health outcomes were optimism, happiness, self-esteem, a sense of belonging and  feeling loved.

Researchers compared survey responses with measures of cardiovascular and metabolic disease risk factors — such as blood sugar levels and inflammation — collected when participants were in their late 20s and 30s.