Feature Channels: In the Home

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After a period of relative calm during the 1990s, rapid changes in American families began anew during the 2000s, a new analysis suggests.

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Researchers found a preliminary link between workaholics and reduced physical and mental well-being.

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The decline and disappearance of stable, unionized full-time jobs with health insurance and pensions for people who lack a college degree has had profound effects on working-class Americans who now are less likely to get married, stay married and have their children within marriage than those with college degrees, a new University of Virginia and Harvard University study has found.

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The decline and disappearance of stable, unionized full-time jobs with health insurance and pensions for people who lack a college degree has had profound effects on working-class Americans who now are less likely to get married, stay married, and have their children within marriage than those with college degrees, a new University of Virginia and Harvard University study has found.

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A woman’s work is never done — or so the saying goes. Though women still do about two thirds of household chores, the division of labor may depend on what her mate does for a living.

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Although working mothers and fathers are almost as likely to think about family matters throughout the day, only for mothers is this type of mental labor associated with increased stress and negative emotions, according to new research to be presented at the 108th Annual Meeting of the American Sociological Association.

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Adolescents who have half-siblings with a different father are more likely to have used drugs and had sex by age 15 than those who have only full siblings, according to new research.

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The onset of the Great Recession and, more generally, deteriorating economic conditions lead mothers to engage in harsh parenting, such as hitting or shouting at children, a team of researchers has found. But the effect is only found in mothers who carry a gene variation that makes them more likely to react to their environment.

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Sugary cereals eaten dry could cause tooth decay, but when washed down with milk after eating, plaque acid levels are reduced, preventing damage to tooth enamel that leads to cavities, according to new research at the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Dentistry.

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Montefiore expert provides tips to avoid common summertime maladies.

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Kids whose moms encourage them to exercise and eat well, and model those healthy behaviors themselves, are more likely to be active and healthy eaters, according to researchers at Duke Medicine. Their findings, published online in the International Journal of Obesity on June 18, 2013, remind parents that they are role models for their children, and underscore the importance of parental policies promoting physical activity and healthy eating.

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Low-income families have been hit hard by the rising cost of child care in America, and federal child care subsidies are one of the most important ways to mitigate rising child care costs that, for some households, now represent more than a third of their annual income, according to new research from the Carsey Institute at the University of New Hampshire.

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If you want to improve your health, doctors often suggest making changes to your diet or exercise routine. But what about making changes to your house? A compelling new study is underway at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center to see how your home may impact your health. For several weeks experts will analyze 100 homes, taking note of everything from the types of food people keep in their cupboards to the layout of the houses themselves. They will also track the physical well-being of patients, charting height and weight, stress and cholesterol levels.

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Praying for a romantic partner or close friend can lead to more cooperative and forgiving behavior toward the partner, according to a new study co-authored by a Florida State University researcher.

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Thanks to the American Academy of Pediatrics, most parents know the safest way for an infant to sleep is on their back. The campaign has reduced the number of children who have died from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) has declined by more than half. But sleeping is only a portion of the infant’s day. What should parents do when their baby is awake?

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The National Center for Family Literacy and Toyota announced Toyota Family Learning, an initiative that creates a new model for literacy by expanding it beyond the walls of the classroom and into homes and communities. Grant applications are being accepted for the first phase.

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People who are unhappy in their romantic relationship spend more time during a disagreement thinking about how angry and frustrated they are, but happy couples coordinate their thoughts so that when one partner has many emotional thoughts, the other has few, according to a new study recently published online in the National Communication Association’s journal, Communication Monographs.

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Sunless tanning — whether with lotions, bronzers or tanning pills — has been promoted as an effective substitute to dodge the health risks of ultraviolet rays, but if the products don’t provide the perfect tan, young women likely will not use them, according to a Baylor University researcher.

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Although it’s known that home construction in suburban areas can have negative impacts on native plant and animals, a recent study suggests that well-managed development such as provided by homeowners associations can support native wildlife and promote species diversity.

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Cornell University ILR School Assistant Professor Beth Livingston has worked on research that shows dads experiencing the work-family guilt long associated with working moms.

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One of the major demographic and social changes of the last four decades has been the dramatic increase in the average age at which Americans first marry, from their early 20s in 1970 to their late 20s today.

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Adults whose parents were divorced are more likely to switch religions or disassociate themselves from institutional religions altogether — but growing up in a single-parent family does not have any effect on private religious life, including praying, according to a study by a Baylor University sociologist.

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Marriage may not always be as beneficial to health as experts have led us to believe, according to a new study.

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In light of the recent influenza outbreak, a SLU study finds that majority of businesses are not prepared for a pandemic

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An increasing number of people die from unintentional home injury, in large part due to accidental drug overdose, according to a new study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

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Detaching from work -- mentally, physically and electronically -- is the key to recovery from job stress during nonwork hours, according to a Kansas State University researcher.

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A new study analyzing outbreaks of foodborne illness has found contaminated salad greens make the most people sick, but contaminated poultry have resulted in the most deaths. In light of this study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Home Food Safety program—a collaboration between the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and ConAgra Foods—encourages Americans, rather than avoid certain foods, to practice safe food handling at home instead.

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Married men and women who divide household chores in traditional ways report having more sex than couples who share so-called men's and women's work, according to a new study co-authored by sociologists at the University of Washington.

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In a new Ohio State University study, researchers will explore the home-health relationship by personally examining 100 central Ohio residences, especially food choices and food availability. The scientists will also assess architectural features associated with food.

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For the working poor, making housing decisions based on the old real estate adage “location, location, location” is complicated: Should a family choose cramped quarters in a safer but more expensive neighborhood, or would it be better to have a bigger apartment where rent is low but crime rates are high? When faced with difficulties finding affordable housing to accommodate their families, 124 mothers and grandmothers in Baltimore participating in a housing study often opted for a bigger apartment in a less desirable location because extra bedrooms would mean higher rental rates in safer neighborhoods in the city or surrounding counties, according to sociologists at The Johns Hopkins University and Loyola University Chicago.

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In interviews with unwed couples, a University of Indianapolis sociologist finds that the conventional notion of male breadwinner and female homemaker still guides some behaviors, even for couples in which the woman is the primary financial provider. The tendency leads some women to avoid marriage.

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Despite the end of the Great Recession, American families still rely on the income of wives at record levels, with employed wives’ contribution to total family income holding steady at 47 percent, which is its highest level in decades, according to new research from the Carsey Institute at the University of New Hampshire.

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In a new University of Michigan poll, the majority of the public supports updating federal laws that require Internet safety standards to protect kids.

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Four types of family cultures – the Faithful, the Engaged Progressives, the Detached and the American Dreamers – are molding the next generation of Americans, a three-year study by the University of Virginia’s Institute for Advanced Studies in Culture finds.

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What do a tight, fitted bed sheet and a blood clot in the wrist have in common? Both are associated with a condition called sheet fitting palsy. True to its name, the palsy is reported in those who spend a long period of time repeatedly trying to pull a fitted bed sheet over the corner of a mattress. But it has also been reported in basketball players and in those who do push-ups as exercise.

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David Shelburne, M.D., Family Medicine, Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center and the CDC suggest the following health tips to keep every kitchen safe for family and friends all year long.

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A new Family Profile from the National Center for Family and Marriage Research (NCFMR) at Bowling Green State University takes a closer look at same-sex couple households, and finds those households often include children. Sociology graduate student Sarah Burgoyne compiled the data.

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Nearly 60 percent of women in Alaska have experienced intimate partner violence, sexual violence or both over the course of their lifetime, according to the Alaska Victimization Survey, an ongoing assessment of violence against women in the state.

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Researchers at The Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, in partnership with The Ohio State University have developed a prototype for child-resistant spray bottles for household cleaning products. If produced, the prototype would provide an alternative to current, more harmful child-resistant spray bottles while still meeting U.S. Consumer Product Safety commission standards for child resistance.

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A new kind of roof-and-attic system field-tested at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory keeps homes cool in summer and prevents heat loss in winter, a multi-seasonal efficiency uncommon in roof and attic design.

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Grandparents, an increasingly important source of child care in the United States, vary greatly in the kind of care they provide. A new study shows that 60 percent of grandparents provided some care for their grandchildren during a 10-year period, and 70 percent of those who did provided care for two years or more.

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Although many U.S. consumers were alarmed to see news reports this summer of droughts leaving shriveled crops dying in the fields, John Stanton, Ph.D., professor of food marketing at Saint Joseph's University in Philadelphia, warns other factors will have a greater effect on Americans’ wallets. “Price increases from the droughts are likely to have short-term effects, but global issues can have a longer and greater impact,” Stanton explains, citing increasing demand from the rest of the world for crops like corn.

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When it comes to cooking, grocery shopping and playing with children, American moms with full-time jobs spend roughly three-and-half fewer hours per day on these and other chores related to their children’s diet and exercise compared to stay-at-home and unemployed mothers, reports a new paper by a Cornell University health economist.

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Members of The National Communication Association who study interpersonal, organizational, and family communication can provide insight into the following issues surrounding the struggle of work/life balance: How can individuals manage stress related to balancing their personal and professional lives? What impact can social support in the workplace and in the home have on work/life balance? How can couples and families better communicate to improve work/life balance? How can companies help their employees balance their personal and professional lives? How do individuals and companies use policies and structures that can enable and/or constrain work/life “balance”?

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A major improvement in the world’s lightest solid material and best solid insulating material, described here today, may put more of this space-age wonder into insulated clothing, refrigerators with thinner walls that hold more food, building insulation and other products. The report was part of the 244th National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society, the world’s largest scientific society.

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Married couples who undergo long-term separations appear to be those who can’t afford to divorce, a new nationwide study suggests.

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More and more adults age 50 and over are choosing to live with their significant other instead of marrying them. According to a new study from researchers at the National Center for Family and Marriage Research (NCFMR) at Bowling Green State University, during later life, cohabitation appears to operate as a long-term alternative to marriage, rather than a first step down the aisle. The study is in featured in August’s Journal of Marriage and Family.

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New study finds allergy sufferers who rent, rather than own, their home are significantly less likely to make necessary environmental changes to improve allergy symptoms, suffering and overall quality of life.