EurekAlert! News by Subject: Social & Behavior - News by Subject: Social & Behavior

Social & Behavior

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 1-May-2025 11:08 ET (1-May-2025 15:08 GMT/UTC)

The impact of government assistance, housing, and employment on postpartum maternal health across income and race

Pennington Biomedical Research Center
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Stressful periods such as COVID-19, hurricanes or infant formula shortages negatively impact racial groups differently

Researchers provide vital insights into social determinants such as government support, stable housing, and employment opportunities on postpartum health among Louisiana mothers during stressful periods including COVID-19, hurricanes and the infant formula shortage.

The study, "The role of government assistance, housing, and employment on postpartum maternal health across income and race: a mixed methods study," published in BMC Public Health, was led by a multidisciplinary team of researchers from the Reproductive Endocrinology & Women’s Health Laboratory at Pennington Biomedical research Center, along with colleagues from Woman’s Hospital and Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine.

Journal: BMC Public Health
Funder: NIH/National Institutes of Health, National Institutes of Health, NIH/National Institutes of Health, NIH/National Institutes of Health, NIH/National Institutes of Health

Long-distance friendships can provide conservation benefits

Washington State University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

While sustaining friendships from afar can be challenging, they may offer unexpected benefits for environmental conservation. A Washington State University-led study, recently published in Conservation Letters, found that these social ties can positively influence community-based conservation. While the study focused on 28 fishing villages in northern Tanzania, it has potential broader implications for global conservation efforts.

Journal: Conservation Letters

Choosing between human and algorithmic decision-makers

PNAS Nexus
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Elisabeth Paulson asked 9,000 US-based study participants to choose between human and algorithmic decision-makers decision-makers for two high stakes situations: pretrial release and bank loan applications. Participants prioritized efficiency over fairness when choosing decision-makers. According to the authors, demonstrably efficient algorithms will likely overcome cultural aversion to algorithms for all groups.

Journal: PNAS Nexus

Smart TVs collect viewing data even when used as external screens

Universidad Carlos III de Madrid
Reports and Proceedings

A scientific team from Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M), in collaboration with University College London (England) and the University of California, Davis (USA), has found that smart TVs send viewing data to their servers. This allows brands to generate detailed profiles of consumers’ habits and tailor advertisements based on their behaviour.

Increased area income improves birthweight rates, researchers find

Penn State
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Higher incomes are often correlated with healthier pregnancies and babies, but is it really the money that matters? Sedimentary rocks that formed 390 million years ago, surprisingly, help provide the answer, at least for those who live above the Marcellus Shale formation, according to a team led by researchers at Penn State.

Journal: Demography
Funder: Russell Sage Foundation, NIH/National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Drug Abuse

Threats and harassment common in Swedish academia

University of Gothenburg
Reports and Proceedings

Four out of ten researchers and teachers have been subjected to harassment, threats and violence. This is shown in a survey on victimisation in Swedish higher education institutions. The report provides new insights into the extent of the problem, where the threat comes from and what the consequences are.

Police investigating child abuse have higher rates of depression and anxiety

University of Southampton
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Research led by the University of Southampton suggests that police investigating Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) experience higher levels of depression and anxiety than other officers.

But the study, published in Depression and Anxiety, also found that feeling successful and supported at work can act as a powerful buffer to these outcomes.

Journal: Depression and Anxiety