Mid Rivers Newsmagazine 2-21-24

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22 I HEALTH I February 21, 2024 MID RIVERS NEWSMAGAZINE @MIDRIVERS_NEWS MIDRIVERSNEWSMAGAZINE.COM Having a sense of purpose makes online daters more attractive to potential partners, according to recent Washington University research. (Adobe Stock photo) HEALTH CAPSULES By LISA RUSSELL Looking for romance? First find your purpose Valentine’s Day has come and gone once again … and those still looking for that special someone may have better luck if they’re also seeking a sense of purpose in their lives, according to new research from Washington University in St. Louis. Dating apps now play a central role in the world of romance, and have become one of the most common ways for couples to connect and start relationships. Wash U researcher Isabella D’Ottone made up a number of dating app profiles based on four different “sense of purpose” categories, along with control profiles which didn’t mention a sense of purpose. Then, she asked study participants to rank the attractiveness of these fictional potential dates. The four “higher purpose” categories the study focused on were prosocial orientation, or purpose found in helping others; relationship orientation; financial orientation; and creative orientation, meaning purpose found in creative pursuits. “In general, we found people with a higher purpose were considered to be more romantically attractive,” D’Ottone said of the results. The exception to that rule were the false profiles which mentioned a sense of purpose based on achieving financial success –which were not so appealing to participants unless they also were mainly motivated by money. D’Ottone completed the research while working in the lab of Patrick Hill, Ph.D., associate professor of psychological and brain sciences. Hill said the study shows how people are picking up on sense of purpose and factoring that into how they are attracted to others, whether they are aware of it or not. “When it comes to attraction, knowing someone has a direction matters…We actually seek out people with a purpose,” he said. The study, published in the International Journal of Applied Positive Psychology, was designed to build on previous research conducted in Hill’s lab, focused on how having a common sense of purpose is connected to better long-term relationships. School nurses play key role in spotting absenteeism risk Students’ chronically missing school is a growing problem since most returned to their classrooms during the COVID-19 pandemic. Nearly 15 million young Americans – about a third of the student population – were chronically absent (defined as 15 or more days per academic year) during the 2021- 22 school year, data shows. These absences can impact students’ grades and test scores, mental well-being, and prospects for future success in their lives and careers. A recent University of Missouri study found that one staff member present at every school is uniquely positioned to identify students at risk for chronic absenteeism: the school nurse. This finding could help schools to better support students who are likely to miss school frequently, according to the new report. The research was led by Knoo Lee, an assistant professor in the MU Sinclair School of Nursing. Lee’s new study looked at partial-day absences, and found that kids who have many of these absences often seek out their school nurses as a source of comfort and support. “Through interviews with school nurses, we are learning that some kids who miss part of the school day are more likely to go see the school nurse first before they come to class or before they leave school for the day…Therefore, they are in a good position to possibly identify personal factors, family factors or environmental factors that may be at play,” Lee said. In some cases, for example, students would visit the nurse’s office at the same time every day, indicating problems with a particular class. In others, nurses found out that students’ food insecurity was leading them to come to the office hungry every morning. This gives school nurses School nurses are in a unique position to identify students at risk for chronic absenteeism. (Adobe Stock photo) an opportunity to get students more help before their partial-day absences become chronic or turn into more and more full days of missed school. Lee added that because of school nurses’ front-line awareness of students’ issues, he hopes they will be given a seat at the table during discussions about strategies to combat absenteeism among key stakeholders, including school administrators, state legislators, social workers, school principals and teachers. In a previous study published last June, Lee’s team identified 18 factors commonly linked with students who were chronically absent from school. These included peer pressure and the approval of friends; drug or alcohol use; health or behavioral issues; family struggles, and other adverse childhood experiences. Most parent decline antivirals for their kids with flu Influenza infections can sometimes be dangerous or even deadly for children, especially those under age 5. For example, during the 2023-24 flu season – considered to be average so far in terms of severity – 65 pediatric deaths had been reported to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as of the end of January. Oseltamivir, also available under the brand name Tamiflu, is the only antiviral medication approved in kids under 5 who test positive for flu. Although clinical trials have found that early use of oseltamivir can shorten the illness and make its symptoms less severe in children more than 2 weeks old, well over half of parents choose not to give the medication to their children, a large new analysis found. Researchers from Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt University collaborated with a University of Illinois at Chicago team on a large study looking at both outpatient and emergency department prescriptions for kids under 18. It found that over a nine-year period, just 40% of children were treated with an antiviral, with low rates of use across all age groups. Potential reasons for the drug’s underuse include a wide range of perceptions about its effectiveness, differences in test interpre-
FACEBOOK.COM/MIDRIVERSNEWSMAGAZINE MIDRIVERSNEWSMAGAZINE.COM February 21, 2024 MID RIVERS NEWSMAGAZINE I HEALTH I 23 tation, misunderstanding of medical guidelines and concerns about adverse drug events associated with oseltamivir in children, according to lead author and principal investigator James Antoon, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor of pediatrics at Vanderbilt. A main concern to parents may be a low risk for neuropsychiatric effects, such as behavior changes, altered mental states, seizures and hallucinations. Oseltamivir carries a “black box” warning for these neuropsychiatric effects, and Antoon also led a 2023 study looking into their frequency and causes. However, it remains unclear whether the antiviral medication or the influenza infection itself is responsible for most of them. The conclusion of this new study is that, for nearly all kids, oseltamivir is beneficial. “Antiviral treatment, when used early, improves health outcomes with influenza… Treatment of children in the outpatient setting has been reported to decrease symptom duration, household transmission, antibiotic use and influenza-associated complications like ear infections,” Antoon said. The new study was published in Pediatrics. Most people conceal illness due to FOMO study finds During these winter months, when many of us are hit with respiratory illnesses and other viruses, we’d like to believe that our sick co-workers, friends and others would stay home to avoid spreading them. But that’s far from the case, say University of Michigan researchers. In a series of surveys involving both sick and healthy adults, about three-fourths of Your next social gathering may include someone who is hiding symptoms of an illness, a recent study found. (Adobe Stock photo) the more than 4,000 participants said they had either hidden an infectious illness or might do so in the future. Many reported going to work, taking plane trips, going on dates, attending parties, and participating in other social situations while secretly sick. More than 60% of healthcare workers who participated in the study also said they had concealed an infectious illness. One part of the study involved a large group of university healthcare employees and students, who were interviewed about their behavior after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. They were asked how many days they felt symptoms of a potentially infectious illness, and rated how often they left home on those days while covering up their symptoms and not telling others they were sick. More than 70% of these participants reported hiding their symptoms (only five people said they had hidden a known COVID infection, however.) Another part included conducting online surveys of about 2,000 different participants, some who were healthy and some who were actively sick. They were asked to rate the symptom severity and transmissibility of their real or imagined illness, as well as to rate their likelihood of covering up that illness – whether real or imagined – in a meeting with another person. Participants were most likely to say they would hide an illness when symptom severity was low, and least likely to conceal one when symptoms were severe and highly communicable. Compared to healthy participants who only imagined being sick, though, the results showed those who were actually sick were more likely to conceal their illness, regardless of how communicable it might be. “This suggests that sick people and healthy people evaluate the consequences of concealment in different ways,” said Wilson N. Merrell, a Ph.D. candidate and the study’s lead author. “Healthy people forecasted that they would be unlikely to hide harmful illnesses – those that spread easily and have severe symptoms – but actively sick people reported high levels of concealment regardless of how harmful their illness was to others.” Overall, these findings carry significant public health implications, Merrell said. “This suggests that solutions to the problem of disease concealment may need to rely on more than just individual goodwill.” On the calendar BJC St. Louis Children’s Hospital sponsors a Babysitting 101 virtual class on Tuesday, Feb. 27 from 6-8:30 p.m., live via Teams Meeting. This interactive class is a great introduction to the basics of babysitting and is recommended for ages 10 and above. A workbook, first-aid kit, babysitter skills assessment and backpack are included in the cost of $25 per child. Parents may sit in on the class at no additional cost. Register online at bjc.org/babysitting-class. • • • St. Luke’s Hospital presents Be Still to Chill: Basics of Meditation on Wednesday, Feb. 28 from 6:30-7:30 p.m. at the Desloge Outpatient Center, 121 St. Luke’s Center Drive in Chesterfield, in Building A. Come to this free in-person program to learn the basics of meditation as well as many tips to support your practice. Register at stlukes-stl.com. • • • St. Luke’s Hospital presents Let’s Cook! Heart Healthy Cooking on Thursday, Feb. 29 from 2-3 p.m. at Schnucks Eatwell Market, 220 THF Blvd. in Chesterfield. The DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet is a flexible and balanced eating plan for everyone that promotes a heart-healthy lifestyle. Join a St. Luke’s dietitian to get the scoop on DASH, learn now to prepare sodium-free seasonings, and taste a delicious cranberry grain salad. The course is free. Register at stlukes-stl.com. • • • St. Luke’s Hospital presents a monthly Conversations for Women event on Monday, March 12 from 6:30-7:30 p.m. at the Desloge Outpatient Center, 121 St. Luke’s Center Drive, Building A in Chesterfield. This month’s free event, Are You Hot?, will feature Dr. Kael Murphy, a St. Lukes’ OB/GYN physician who will lead a conversation about all things menopause, including how to thrive after early menopause. Register at stlukes-stl.com. Dr. Genevieve Otto, Orthodontist Otto Orthodontics Des Peres • Fenton • St. Peters • Wentzville 314-900-OTTO (6886) • www.ottoortho.com The goal for the professionals at Otto Orthodontics is to treat patients the way they would like to be treated – with respect, professionalism and sensitivity. Take Dr. Genevieve Otto who runs the orthodontic office with her husband A.J. Orthodontics is her passion, and she calls it a blessing to be able to help others. “I love that I can be a positive influence on so many adolescents during a very influential time in their lives,” she said. “Orthodontics helps increase self-confidence and provides a smile that everyone is proud to show off.” A board certified member of the American Association of Orthodontists and the Greater St. Louis Dental Society, Dr. Otto was top of her class at the University of Southern California. Along with Dr. Otto, Otto Orthodontic’s topof-the-line team includes orthodontists: Dr. Kirsten Karkow, Dr. Katelyn Roland and Dr. Andrew Larkin. Otto Orthodontics provides braces, Invisalign, surgical orthodontics, Zoom whitening, Botox and injectable lip fillers. Voted St. Louis’ Top Orthodontist in St. Louis Magazine and St. Louis Post-Dispatch, they have the latest technology and a caring staff of industry veterans. Free consultations are available.
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Mid Rivers Newsmagazine 2-21-24

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