Use of psychoactive substances associated with poor working conditions

TUESDAY, Oct. 22 (HealthDay News) — The use of psychoactive substances, including alcohol, amphetamines, and marijuana, appears common in truck drivers, particularly when working conditions are poor, according to research published online Oct. 21 in Occupational & Environmental Medicine.

Edmarlon Girotto, of the Universidade Estadual de Londrina in Brazil, and colleagues conducted a systematic review of the literature to summarize the evidence for use of psychoactive substances in truck drivers and to identify the factors associated with this behavior. [Read more…]

Brown-bagging it at your desk not as stressful when it’s your choice, study finds

WEDNESDAY, Oct. 9 (HealthDay News) — Working through your lunch break may not be so bad, as long as you make that choice yourself and don’t feel pressured into it, a new study suggests.

“We found that a critical element was having the freedom to choose whether to do it or not,” John Trougakos, an assistant professor of organizational behavior at the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management, said in a university news release. “The autonomy aspect helps to offset what we had traditionally thought was not a good way to spend break time.” [Read more…]

The feared Ebola virus is much less common, study says

FRIDAY, Jan. 18 (HealthDay News) — Malaria and typhoid fever — not the much-feared Ebola virus — are the biggest health threats for travelers to tropical regions of the world, according to a new study.

Researchers analyzed data from more than 80,000 people in Australia, Europe, Israel, Japan, New Zealand and North America who sought medical care after traveling to the tropics between 1996 and 2011.

More than 3,600 (4.4 percent) of the patients had one of 13 life-threatening diseases. Thirteen of the patients died, including 10 with malaria, according to the study, which was published online Jan. 16 in the American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. [Read more…]

Others may misjudge you because of your droopy eyelids, hangdog expression

THURSDAY, Sept. 5 (HealthDay News) — Every face tells a story, and when you’ve had too little sleep the world sees it in technicolor, a new study suggests. What’s more, those red, puffy eyes and sagging eyelids likely influence what people think of you, the researchers say.

So, the next time you’re tempted to pull an all-nighter, consider that “other people might treat you differently because of the way you look when you haven’t slept,” said lead study author Tina Sundelin, from the department of psychology at Stockholm University. [Read more…]