January - June 2015

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Suggested Citation: Jung, B.C. (2015 - 2023). Betty C. Jung's 2015 Public Health Blog (January - June).
Web document: https://www.bettycjung.net/Blog2015b.htm

January - June July - December

June 30, 2015 - Today is a "Leap Second" Longer!

Graphic source: http://www.fromquarkstoquasars.com/why-the-day-will-increase-by-one-second-starting-on-63015/

June 30, 2015 - June is Alzheimer's and Brain Awareness Month

Graphic source: http://gophouse.org/wp-content/uploads/Map.png
For more information, see Alzheimer's Disease and Senior Health

June 29, 2015 - June is National Safety Month

Graphic source: https://www.medifit.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/June-2013-Infographic-final.jpg
For more information, see Consumer Safety and Environmental Health

June 27, 2015 - National HIV Testing Day

Graphic source: http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/library/awareness/testingday.html
For more information, see TEN THINGS YOU CAN DO FOR NATIONAL HIV TESTING DAY and AIDS/HIV

June 26, 2015 - Same-Sex Marriage Now Legal in all 50 States

Graphic source: http://www.pillinglaw.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/constitution-gay-marriage-2.jpg
June 26, 2015 Supreme Court Ruling

June 25, 2015 - June 15th was World Elder Abuse Awareness Day

CDC's Elder Abuse Page
For more information, see Senior Health

June 24, 2015 - June is Men's Health Month

Make sure you stay around to watch your kids grow up. Besides eating healthy and exercising daily, make sure your health is in tip-top shape. Make the appointment and get screened. Man up and wear the gown!
For additional information, see Men's Health

June 23, 2015 - Statistical Atlas Revived

A great addition to your statistics library is the revival of the "Statistical Atlas of United States," freshly updated with current day by Dr. Nathan Yau. The presentation reminds me of just how much we have lost over the years, and I would love to see more documents written up like this. It would sure make reading about statistics a guilty pleasure.
For more statistics, see Government Statistics and Public Health Data Index Page

June 22, 2015 - Age Determines What You Do Online

According to "What your age says about how you use the Web":

Regarding verticals or genres: Although every generation is engaged the most in the entertainment vertical, each generation had its own unique preference for others.

Millennials held a strong lead in technology at 19 percent 71 percent more than Baby Boomers.

Baby Boomers lead in world news and politics at 18 and 12 percent respectively its biggest win coming from the politics vertical, with 120 percent more Baby Boomers reading about politics than Millennials.

Gen Xers held its strongest lead in healthy living at 13 percent while also nabbing the top spot in the personal finance and parents verticals.

The least popular vertical for Millennials was style, whereas Gen Xers and Baby Boomers equally engaged the least in both the environment and style verticals."

Graphic and citation source: http://thenextweb.com/insider/2015/06/14/what-your-age-says-about-how-you-use-the-web/

For more information, see Web and Internet Resources

June 19, 2015 - Blogs are the Content People Liked the Most Online

According to "What your age says about how you use the Web":

"Although they can't strongly agree on which device to use, every generation unites unanimously on at least four content types: blog articles, images, comments, and e-books.

The least preferred content types flip books, SlideShares, webinars, and white papers were the same across generations too although not in that exact order.

Reviews closed out the top five for Baby Boomers, whereas this content type didn't even make the top 10 for Millennials.

Lists, infographics, podcasts, and guides all landed somewhere in the middle for each generation in terms of preference.

Although sites such as BuzzFeed and PlayBuzz seem to be popular with younger generations, Gen Xers and Millennials listed quizzes as one of their five least favorite content types."

Graphic and citation source: http://thenextweb.com/insider/2015/06/14/what-your-age-says-about-how-you-use-the-web/

June 18, 2015 - Laptops favored by everyone, then desktops.

According to "What your age says about how you use the Web":

"When it comes to which device each generation uses to consume content, computers are still king. The most popular device for each generation is a laptop at least 35 percent of each generation shares this preference followed by desktops.

However, the biggest distinction is in portable devices: More than 25 percent of Millennials use their mobiles as their primary source for content, and out of those who use a tablet as their primary device, nearly 40 percent are Baby Boomers.

More than 50 percent of respondents who primarily use mobile devices for content are Millennials.

Baby Boomers use laptops the most 43 percent 20 percent more than Millennials.

More than 115 percent more Millennials are using their mobile devices compared to Baby Boomers."

Graphic and citation source: http://thenextweb.com/insider/2015/06/14/what-your-age-says-about-how-you-use-the-web/

June 17, 2015 - Age Determining When You Use the Internet

According to "What your age says about how you use the Web":

"More than 30 percent of Millennials and Gen Xers consume most of their content between 8 p.m. and midnight, whereas nearly 40 percent of Baby Boomers are online between 5 a.m. and noon.

Baby Boomers peak between 9 a.m. and noon with more than 20 percent of respondents online at this time nearly 30 percent more than Gen Xers and Millennials.

The least popular time for most respondents to engage online is late at night between midnight and 5 a.m.; this period earned fewer than 10 percent from each generation.

During Millennials and Gen Xers peak hours between 8 p.m. and midnight 80 percent more of these generations are online compared to Baby Boomers."

Graphic and citation source: http://thenextweb.com/insider/2015/06/14/what-your-age-says-about-how-you-use-the-web/

June 16, 2015 - The 31-second Attention Span, and How to Stay on Track Anyway

"Here is the typical pattern of a student who is supposed to be studying but gets distracted all the time. In blue, we see schoolwork. In red, Facebook and other social media."
According to "Why your brain wants to check Facebook every 31 seconds and how you can stop it,"

"There is plenty of scientific work on how long it takes before we can concentrate again after being interrupted (almost 15 minutes!).

...students estimate that they can concentrate on their work for about five minutes at a time. If a five minute attention span seems awfully short, the experiment described above showed that in reality students on average concentrate on a task for about 31 seconds.

Facebook use is a key contributor to and initiator of task switching and multitasking behavior.

...our brain wants to check Facebook every 31 seconds, even though it knows that it shouldn't. Which leads to the question: can you stop your brain from wanting to check social media? Fortunately, yes. Here are five scientific insights about multitasking that will help you stay on task longer and finish your to-do list on time:

Hack your own laziness: make it a tiny bit harder to access Facebook and other distractions;

Start with the hard stuff. We also tend to stay longer with a task if it's difficult. That's because we know that difficult work requires our creativity and is fragile.

Try to feel excited about the tasks you need to finish

Think consciously about what your priorities are. Be aware that research shows that once you do start scrolling mindlessly on Instagram, it's hard to break away from it.

Disable distracting notifications on your apps, especially if they go ding. Adding a visual reminder to a task increases the chances that you will switch to this task by 30 percent. If the reminder also says ding, ping, or chirp it becomes even more effective at catching your attention: add another 12 percent to the chance you will switch tasks."

Graphic and citation source: http://thenextweb.com/socialmedia/2015/06/08/why-your-brain-wants-to-check-facebook-every-31-seconds-and-how-you-can-stop-it/

June 15, 2015 - The Expectation Factor in Web Browsing

According to "The psychology behind Web browsing," Web visitors have expectations when browsing that they feel the need to manage. This comes from the perpetual inundation of data coming from everywhere and everything. Developing expectations helps us to manage the stress of dealing with new things. Thus, the current approach to Web site development is to simplify the structure so that it is easy to follow and navigate.
This is nothing totally new but it does raise the issue of dealing with stress in still another part of our lives. In the end, how we deal with stress contributes to our quality of life. For more information about stress and how to manage it, see Stress
Graphic and Citation source: http://thenextweb.com/lifehacks/2015/06/09/the-psychology-behind-web-browsing/

June 12, 2015 - Lifetime US Smoking Prevalence, 2008

Graphic source: http://media.gallup.com/poll/graphs/080724Smoking4_hkkdj984.gif
According to Gallup's Gallup's annual Consumption Habits survey:

Self-reported adult smoking peaked in 1954 at 45%, and remained at 40% or more through the early 1970s, but has since gradually declined. The average rate of smoking across the decades fell from 40% in the 1970s to 32% in the 1980s, 26% in the 1990s, and 24% since 2000.

Cigarette smoking is more prevalent among younger adults (18 to 49 years) than among older adults and seniors, something Gallup has seen consistently over the years. Thirty percent of 18- to 29-year-olds and 26% of those 30 to 49 say they had a cigarette in the past week. This contrasts with only 17% of those 50 to 64 and 9% of those 65 and older.

A major reason for the difference in smoking rates by age is that many older Americans have quit the habit. For nearly every current smoker in the 30- to 49-year age bracket, there is another who says he or she used to smoke. Among those 50 to 64, the ratio of former smokers to current smokers is nearly 2-to-1, while among those 65 and older it swells to more than 5-to-1.

As a result, a greater proportion of seniors have "ever" smoked (56%), compared with young adults (42%).

Presumably, the older age brackets would include even more current and former smokers relative to the younger age brackets, if not for the disproportionately higher rate of deaths among older Americans because of tobacco use.

Smoking rates have been coming down for about the past quarter century, and recent Gallup polling suggests they have continued to drop in just the past few years. About one in five Americans today say they smoke cigarettes, down from about one in four at the start of the decade.

Although most smokers feel they are addicted to cigarettes, that fact that so many older adults have reportedly succeeded in quitting should give young smokers who want to quit the encouragement to try."

Citation source: http://www.gallup.com/poll/109048/us-smoking-rate-still-coming-down.aspx

June 11, 2015 - Privacy, Security and Surveillance

Graphic source: http://www.pewinternet.org/2015/05/20/americans-attitudes-about-privacy-security-and-surveillance/ According to PEW Research May 20, 2015's "Americans Attitudes About Privacy, Security and Surveillance"

"Online service providers are among the least trusted entities when it comes to keeping information private and secure. When asked about search engine providers, online video sites, social media sites and online advertisers, the majority felt not too confident or not at all confident that these entities could protect their data:

76% of adults say they are not too confident or not at all confident that records of their activity maintained by the online advertisers who place ads on the websites they visit will remain private and secure.

69% of adults say they are not confident that records of their activity maintained by the social media sites they use will remain private and secure.
66% of adults say they are not confident that records of their activity maintained by search engine providers will remain private and secure.

66% say they are not confident that records of their activity collected by the online video sites they use will remain private and secure."

Citation source:http://www.pewinternet.org/2015/05/20/americans-attitudes-about-privacy-security-and-surveillance/

June 10, 2015 - U.S. Media Research

Graphic source: http://www.marketingcharts.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Nielsen-US-Media-Reach-Mar2015.png

June 9, 2015 - How are Smartphones really used for.

Graphic source: http://www.pewinternet.org/2015/04/01/us-smartphone-use-in-2015/ According to PEW Research Center's "U.S. Smartphone Use in 2015"

"Young users are particularly likely to use a smartphone to avoid boredom and ignore other people

Younger Users More Likely to Use Their Phone for Preventing Boredom, Avoiding Others, Getting Somewhere

Younger users stand out especially prominently when it comes to using their phone for two purposes in particular: avoiding boredom, and avoiding people around them.

Fully 93% of 18-29 year old smartphone owners in the experience sampling study used their phone at least once to avoid being bored, with respondents in this age group reporting that they did so in average of 5.4 surveys over the one-week study period.

Similarly, 47% of young smartphone owners used their phone to avoid interacting with the people around them at least once during the study period, roughly three times the proportion of older smartphone owners who did so.

Smartphones frequently inspire their owners to feel productive and happy but can also lead to distraction and frustration

When it comes to the emotions that people experience as a result of having a smartphone, productive and happy lead the way 79% and 77% of smartphone owners, respectively, indicated that their phone made them feel this way at least once over the course of the study period.

But smartphones do not always inspire positive feelings, as 57% of smartphone owners reported feeling distracted thanks to their phone, and 36% reported that their phone made them feel frustrated.

Younger smartphone owners tend to experience a wider range of these emotions compared with older users they are more likely to report feeling positive emotions like happy or grateful, but also more likely to report negative emotions like distracted and angry.

Source: http://www.pewinternet.org/2015/04/01/us-smartphone-use-in-2015/

June 8, 2015 - How Necessary are Smartphones?

Graphic source: http://www.pewinternet.org/2015/04/01/us-smartphone-use-in-2015/ According to PEW Research Center's "U.S. Smartphone Use in 2015"

"Users view smartphones as freeing, connecting, helpful, and usually worth the cost but not always essential

Despite Clear Benefits, 54% of Smartphone Owners Say Their Phone is Not Always Neededbut 46% Say it is Something They Couldn't Live Without

... a substantial majority of smartphone owners feel that these devices are helpful rather than annoying,connecting rather than distracting, and that they represent freedom rather than a leash.

At the same time, smartphone owners are relatively divided on the essential necessity of mobile connectivity: 54% say that their phone is not always needed, while 46% say that it is something they couldn't live without.

And while a substantial 80% majority of smartphone owners describe their phone as worth the cost, 19% and 29% of those who pay more than $200 per month for service describe it as a financial burden.

Source: http://www.pewinternet.org/2015/04/01/us-smartphone-use-in-2015/

June 5, 2015 - What are Smartphones being used for?

Graphic source: http://www.pewinternet.org/2015/04/01/us-smartphone-use-in-2015/ According to PEW Research Center's "U.S. Smartphone Use in 2015"

"Smartphone owners of all kinds use their phone to help navigate numerous important life events; lower income and smartphone-dependent users are especially likely to use their phone for job and employment resources

More than Half of Smartphone Owners Have Used Their Phone to get Health Information, do Online BankingSmartphones are used for much more than calling, texting, or basic internet browsing.

Users are turning to these mobile devices as they navigate a wide range of life events:

62% of smartphone owners have used their phone in the past year to look up information about a health condition.

57% have used their phone to do online banking.

44% have used their phone to look up real estate listings or other information about a place to live.

43% to look up information about a job.

40% to look up government services or information.

30% to take a class or get educational content.

18% to submit a job application.

Lower-income smartphone owners are especially likely to use their phone during a job search. Compared with smartphone owners from households earning $75,000 or more per year, those from households earning less than $30,000 annually are nearly twice as likely to use a smartphone to look for information about a job and more than four times as likely to use their phone to actually submit a job application.

Similarly, smartphone-dependent users are much more likely to use their smartphones to access career opportunities.

63% of these smartphone-dependent users have gotten job information on their phone in the last year, and 39% have used their phone to submit a job application.

Young adults (85% of whom are smartphone owners) are also incorporating their mobile devices into a host of information seeking and transactional behaviors.

About three-quarters of 18-29 year old smartphone owners have used their phone in the last year to get information about a health condition; about seven-in-ten have used their phone to do online banking or to look up information about job; 44% have consumed educational content on their phone; and 34% have used their phone to apply for a job."

Source: http://www.pewinternet.org/2015/04/01/us-smartphone-use-in-2015/

June 4, 2015 - Women and Heart Disease

Graphic source: http://www.cdc.gov/dhdsp/data_statistics/fact_sheets/fs_women_heart.htm According to the CDC:
"Among women, black women are at highest risk of dying early from heart disease and stroke (78 preventable deaths per 100,000 people), followed by American Indian/Alaska Native (46 preventable deaths per 100,000 people), White (36 preventable deaths per 100,000 people), Hispanic (30 preventable deaths per 100,000 people), and Asian/Pacific Islander women (22 preventable deaths per 100,000 people)." (Citation source: http://www.cdc.gov/Features/WearRed/ )

"Heart disease is the leading cause of death for women in the United States, killing 292,188 women in 2009 that's 1 in every 4 female deaths.

Although heart disease is sometimes thought of as a "man's disease," around the same number of women and men die each year of heart disease in the United States. Despite increases in awareness over the past decade, only 54% of women recognize that heart disease is their number 1 killer.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death for African American and white women in the United States. Among Hispanic women, heart disease and cancer cause roughly the same number of deaths each year. For American Indian or Alaska Native and Asian or Pacific Islander women, heart disease is second only to cancer.

About 5.8% of all white women, 7.6% of black women, and 5.6% of Mexican American women have coronary heart disease.

Almost two-thirds (64%) of women who die suddenly of coronary heart disease have no previous symptoms. Even if you have no symptoms, you may still be at risk for heart disease.

Citation source: http://www.cdc.gov/dhdsp/data_statistics/fact_sheets/fs_women_heart.htm

June 3, 2015 - Leading Causes of Death in Females United States, 2010
The CDC has been compiling leading causes of death in females almost annually since 1998.
Overall, heart disease (23.5%) is the leading cause of death, followed by cancer (22.1%). This is not necessarily true for all women of color. Heart disease is only the leading cause of death for white and black females. Cancer is the leading cause of death for American Indian/Alaskan Native, Asian or Pacific Islander and Hispanic females!
While, overall, stroke is the 3rd leading cause of death for females, this is only true for African-American, Hispanic & Asian women, while it is the 7th cause of death for American Indian/Alaskan Native women, and the 4th for white women, following chronic lower respiratory disease, probably due to smoking.
Such mortality data indicate the importance of looking at such disparities by race and ethnicity as it helps to identify areas that may be missed by just looking at the overall population. For example, tobacco cessation messages may need to target white women more, while encouraging cancer screening among women of color would help to reduce the greater cancer mortality among these women.

June 2, 2015 - A Timeline of CDC/ATSDR Contributions to Women's Health

Graphic source: http://www.cdc.gov/women/contributions/index.htm Want an overview of public health issues affecting U.S. women today? Well, then check out the timeline the CDC and ATSDR have developed to document what they have done to improve the quality of women's lives.
For example, selected 2013 CDC highlights about women's health include:

Binge Drinking: A Serious, Under-Recognized Problem Among Women and Girls;

Show Your Love Campaign designed to improve the health of women and babies by promoting preconception health and health care;

The National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey, 2010 Findings on Victimization by Sexual Orientation: Nearly 1 in 3 lesbians (29.4%), 1 in 2 bisexual women (49.3%), and 1 in 4 heterosexual women (23.6%) experienced at least one form of severe physical violence by an intimate partner in her lifetime;

New Study Shows HPV Vaccine Helping Lower HPV Infection Rates in Teen Girls;
U.S. Selected Practice Recommendations for Contraceptive Use, 2013;

Vital Signs: Overdoses of Prescription Opioid Pain Relievers and Other Drugs Among Women - United States, 1999-2010: Deaths from opioid pain relievers (OPRs) increased fivefold between 1999 and 2010 for women;

Trends in Smoking Before, During, and After Pregnancy - Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System, United States, 40 Sites, 2000-2010: smoking prevalence before, during, or after pregnancy did not change over time;

Pregnancy Rates for U.S. Women Continue to Drop;

On-Line Course Trains Nurses on Preventing Workplace Violence;

How Did Cause of Death Contribute to Racial Differences in Life Expectancy in the United States in 2010? Life expectancy for black females was 3.3 years lower than that of white females. This difference was due to higher death rates for black females for heart disease, cancer, diabetes, perinatal conditions, and stroke.

Citation source: http://www.cdc.gov/women/contributions/2010/index.htm

Click on the graphic, or go to A Timeline of CDC/ATSDR Contributions to Women's Health

June 1, 2015 - Women and Physical Activity, 2009 - 2011

Graphic source: http://mchb.hrsa.gov/whusa13/health-status/health-behaviors/p/physical-activity.html Are women getting enough physical activity? Not really. According to HRSA's Women's Health USA 2013, only 16.6% of women had adequate aerobic and strengthening activity. But, women did better with aerobic than with strengthening activity. Regardless of aerobic activity, strengthening activity or both, percentage of participation increased with increased years of education.
Citation source: http://mchb.hrsa.gov/whusa13/health-status/health-behaviors/p/physical-activity.html 5

May 29, 2015 - Women and Sweetened Beverages, 2007 - 2010

Graphic source: http://mchb.hrsa.gov/whusa13/health-status/health-behaviors/p/nutrition.html Do women love sweet stuff? They certainly do. When it comes to sweetened beverages, they are not as bad as men, but the percentages are way too high. Overall, 43.2% of women drink sweetened beverages. For women 18 - 24 years of age, 59.1% do, and 48.5% of women 25 - 44 years of age do, with 40.8% of women 45 -64 years of age. Way too many calories are consumed this way, which is probably why there is an obesity epidemic now.
Here is a pie chart showing where all this added sugar is coming from:

Graphic source: https://www.cspinet.org/reports/sugar/sugarchart2.gif

May 28, 2015 - Women and Alcohol, 2009 - 2011

Graphic source: http://mchb.hrsa.gov/whusa13/health-status/health-behaviors/p/alcohol-use.html Do women drink alcohol excessively? They certainly do. According to HRSA's Women's Health USA 2013, sadly, over a third (37.7%) of women age 18 to 25 years binge drink, while another 11.4% can be classified as drinking heavily. That means that 49.1%, or about 1/2 of women 18 to 25 years of age are drinking way too much.
While the percentage of women who drink excessively decreases with age, this is a new trend for women needs some attention. The CDC has issued a Excessive Alcohol Use and Risks to Women's Health

May 27, 2015 - HRSA's Women's Health 2013

Graphic source: http://mchb.hrsa.gov/publications/womenshealthusa.html One of the best statistical resources for women's health is HRSA's annual "Women Health USA" reports. It provides the latest statistics for:

Population Characteristics

Health Status

Health Behaviors

Health Indicators

Reproductive and Maternal Health

Special Populations

Health Services Utilization

Click on the graphic to access the 2013 online and pdf editions these annual reports. For more information, see US Government Statistics, and Maternal Child Health Data

May 26, 2015 - Women and Underemployment

Graphic source: http://seekingalpha.com/article/2454385-underemployment-college-majors-compensation-and-gender According to August 27, 2014's "Underemployment, College Majors, Compensation And Gender":

"A survey found 48% of the respondents identified as underemployed.

Compensation was a leading factor.

It is not just liberal arts and general studies that are identified as underemployed.

There seems to be a gender dimension to the issue as well.

...modern economy simply does not need as many full time workers as it has in the past.

Underemployed refers to the feeling that one's job did not put their education or experience to work as much as they should.

Some ostensibly more practical majors, like criminal justice and business management graduates, identify themselves as underemployed in greater numbers than liberal arts or general studies. PayScale survey found 43% of the respondents felt underemployed and poor pay was a leading factor.

PayScale found that nine of the ten most underemployed majors were dominated by women. Underemployment may be, at least partly, a function of the gender wage gap.

Georgetown University Center on Education and Workforce survey found that the least underemployed majors were dominated by men. And men overwhelmingly dominated the highest paid majors.

Among the ten least paid majors, women dominate nine.

Sommers argued that the gender wage gap does not really exist. She argues that it is a question of life choices. In particular she states, "Much of the wage gap can be explained away by simply taking account of college majors." We suspect the situation is more complicated and the causal links are not clear."

Citation source: http://seekingalpha.com/article/2454385-underemployment-college-majors-compensation-and-gender

May 25, 2015 - Women and Pay Disparities, by Educational Attainment, 2011

Graphic source: http://mchb.hrsa.gov/whusa13/population-characteristics/p/women-labor-force.html Are women being underpaid? You betcha. According to HRSA's Women's Health USA 2013, women earn less at every educational level, when compared to men. And, the pay disparity gets worse with greater educational attainment. How about equal pay for equal work?
This inequity in pay is magnified when statistics show that 31.2% of families living below the poverty level are households headed by a single mother vs. only 16.1% headed by a single father.

Graphic source: http://mchb.hrsa.gov/whusa13/population-characteristics/p/women-poverty.html

May 22, 2015 - Women and Academic Majors, 2010 - 2011

Graphic source: http://mchb.hrsa.gov/whusa13/population-characteristics/p/educational-attainment.html Do women favor certain disciplines in higher education? They certainly do. According to HRSA's Women's Health USA 2013, women earn the majority of bachelor degrees in the health professions, followed by education. Only a small number choose to go into engineering and computer sciences.

May 21, 2015 - 2009 Gender Differences in Choosing College Majors

Graphic source: http://www.forbes.com/2010/03/02/top-10-college-majors-women-forbes-woman-leadership-education.html

Graphic source: http://www.forbes.com/2010/03/02/top-10-college-majors-women-forbes-woman-leadership-education.html
According to Forbes.com 3/2010's "Top 10 College Majors For Women"

Women who study business believe it will give them a practical edge, says Judy Touchton, founder and CEO of Womenleadersmove.com, a consultancy for women in higher education. Women are choosing business majors because they, often guided by their parents, think they will be more likely to find jobs after college In this economy, practicality reigns.
Still, a business degree does not insure against the income gap. A woman one year out of college and working full time typically earns only 80% as much as her male counterparts. Why? According to the AAUW's 2007 Behind the Pay Gap report, women with business degrees are twice as likely as men with similar degrees to enter administrative, clerical or support positions earlier in their career. On the other hand, men with a business degree are more likely to enter management positions.

Citation source: http://www.forbes.com/2010/03/02/top-10-college-majors-women-forbes-woman-leadership-education.html

May 20, 2015 - Gender Differences in the Promise of Technology

Graphic source: http://www.pewinternet.org/2014/04/17/us-views-of-technology-and-the-future/

May 19, 2015 - Gender Differences in Body Image

According to the results of the TODAY/AOL Ideal to Real Body Image Survey, released on 2/24/14:

"Women spend an average of 55 minutes every day working on their appearance. Let's break that down a little further: That amounts to 335 hours every year or an entire two-week vacation lost to their looks

There's nothing wrong with caring about your appearance, of course. Part of caring for yourself is paying attention to the way you look. But there's a difference between self-care and investing too much of your self -worth in your appearance, and it's a tricky balance to stay on the right side of that line. Obsessing over your appearance is terribly unhealthy, potentially leading to mental health problems like anxiety, depression and disordered eating, decades of research has shown.

The survey found that 60 percent of adult women have negative thoughts about themselves weekly. That's compared to 36 percent of men. Even more alarming: 78 percent of teen girls are plagued with this kind of self-criticism.

Adult women worry more regularly about their appearance (67 percent at least once a week or more) than they do about finances (62 percent), health (49 percent), family/relationships (46 percent) or professional success (40 percent). Men aren't far behind, either, with 53 percent regularly worrying about their appearance. Only finances at 59 percent rank higher among weekly worries for men.

Whether they are engaging in fat talk or old talk, 77 percent of adult women and 80 percent of teen girls complained about their appearance to someone at least once in the past month.

Appearance worries hit moms doubly hard. 73 percent of moms regularly worry about their appearance, compared to 65 percent of women without children. Plus, 57 percent of moms worry about how their own body image affects their children. Forty-one percent of adult women say that selfies and other flattering online photos make them "feel more confident, but 46 percent say overall, social media makes me feel more self-conscious about my appearance. Sixty-five percent of teen girls say selfies and flattering online pictures make them feel confident, while 55 percent report feeling selfie-conscious.

78 percent of women surveyed said they spent almost an hour a day on their appearance to "feel better about themselves." Looking good seems to be its own reward for women.

Nearly two-thirds (62 percent) of millennials (those age 16-34) worry that people are judging their appearance. On the upside, we fret less with age: 51 percent of Gen Xers (ages 35 to 49) and 35 percent of Boomers (ages 50 to 68) share that worry.

Eighty percent of teen girls compare themselves to glamorous celebrity images. Among those, nearly half are left feeling dissatisfied with their appearance. It makes sense that 56 percent of teen girls wish photo-shopping of models and celebrities would stop.

We are certainly our own worst critics. The average woman frets about six body parts, while the average man worries about three. Noted: Nobody likes their stomach with 69 percent of women worrying about their tummies compared to 52 percent of men. For men, thinning hair comes next (24 percent), followed by skin issues (23 percent).

For women, the list of common worries goes on: skin (40 percent), thighs (39 percent), hair (32 percent), cellulite (29 percent) and butt (29 percent).

It is not a bad thing to be invested in our appearance," says Jonathan Rudiger, a clinical psychologist in Nashville. "Our physical appearance is very much a part of the self. However, we must avoid investing in our appearance for self-worth. Appearance is only one aspect of the self. In our culture, we spend too much time focused on the external while neglecting the internal."

When asked at what age they felt best about their body, both men and women agreed on the golden age of 27. However, that does not mean our best days are behind us. The good news is that along with wrinkles comes the wisdom to accept them, and body image improves with age. While 80 percent of women under age 24 worry about their appearance regularly, among the 55+ crowd, that number drops to 52 percent.

It's totally normal to not be crazy about every single aspect of your physical self, especially for women, says psychologist Kathryn Gordon, an assistant professor at North Dakota State University. The trouble starts when you begin to obsess over the things you hate about your appearance, says Gordon, who has studied the negative effects of dwelling on body hatred.

There are a couple proven ways to turn down the volume on those negative thoughts:

1. Distract yourself. When you notice yourself headed down a body-hatred shame spiral, sometimes all it takes is consciously trying to shifting your thoughts elsewhere, says Sarah Etu, a clinical psychologist in Fredericksburg, Va., who has published research that suggests distraction can lessen our stress over the way we look. If it's too hard to force yourself to change your thoughts, try doing something active, like doing the dishes, taking a walk or going to the gym.

2. Accept yourself. Teach yourself to appreciate your body for what it can do, not what it looks like. Maybe your ankles are a little cankle-y, but did they carry you across a finish line at a 5K? Maybe your stomach is a little squishy, but did it carry your kids? When we move away from pretty and ugly labels, we can start to appreciate just how amazing our bodies really are," Rudiger says. "When we set healthy goals and stop focusing on what is wrong with our bodies, we can finally start to appreciate life and enjoy our connection to our body."

Because these are the bodies we're stuck with, he says. "We might as well learn to enjoy it and nurture it while we work on changing those unhelpful negative thoughts.

Citation source: http://www.today.com/health/stop-obsessing-women-waste-2-weeks-year-their-appearance-today-2D12104866

For full results see TODAY/AOL 'Ideal to Real' body image survey results Feb 24th 2014

May 18, 2015 - May is Mental Health Month!

Graphic source: http://mommiesoftheyear.blogspot.com/2013/05/may-is-national-mental-health-month.html
For more information, see Mental Health Resources

May 15, 2015 - May is Hepatitis Awareness Month!

Graphic source: http://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/HepAwarenessMonth.htm

For more information, see CDC's Viral Hepatitis Page and Hepatitis

May 14, 2015 - May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month!

Graphic source: http://www.dodea.edu/dodeaCelebrates/AsianAmericanHM/images/2013_AAPIHM_banner_1.jpg
For more information, see Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders and Chinese Culture

May 18, 2015 - Immunization Schedule For Pregnant Women

Graphic source: http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/idepc/immunize/hcp/pregvax.html While on the topic of women taking care of themselves, here is a "Pregnancy and Vaccination Pocket Guide" developed by the Minnesota Department of Health. It's always best to keep up with vaccines and get them at the appropriate time. However, exposure to potential pathogens may warrant getting some vaccines while pregnant. Important to keep in mind that some may be contraindicated. Check with your health care provider.
See Minnesota Department of Health's Pregnancy and Vaccination Pocket Guide for more information.
Check out Vaccines for the ones you need. Also, see Vacccines.gov and Vaccineinformation.org

May 13, 2015 - Screening Tests for Women

I recommend to my students to use myhealthfinder's widget to get a quick list of what they need to do for stay healthy. Just type in your age and gender and click on "Get started." It's that simple.
Also, check out Womenshealth.gov's Screening Tests for a comprehensive listing of screening tests you should be getting to stay healthy. The table is organized according to screening test and age.
You can print out a pdf of the Screening Test Table that you can post on the wall, or refrigerator to remind you of what you need to do.
For more information, see Women's Health Index I have 5 webpages devoted to women's health issues.

May 12, 2015 - National Women's Health Week - Pledge to be a well woman!
Map your commitment to taking better care of yourself. This year the National Women's Health Week has a webpage in which you choose what you will do to be a well woman. For the General Health of Women:

Get an annual well-woman visit

Get my blood pressure checked

Eat healthy

Maintain a healthy weight

Get at least 30 minutes of exercise most days (65 and older who are fit and have no limiting chronic conditions)

Talk with my doctor about an exercise program that is appropriate (65 and older with low fitness levels or chronic conditions)

Quit smoking or don't start up again

Limit alcohol use

Get a seasonal flu shot

Get a pneumonia shot (65 and older)

Ask what other shots I need

Ask about daily aspirin use

Talk to my doctor about preventing falls

Talk to my doctor about any domestic and interpersonal violence

Talk to my doctor about when I need a Pap and HPV test (65 and younger)

Talk to my doctor about my risk for sexually transmitted infections and need for screening

Get an HIV test at least once in my lifetime (65 and younger)

Sources: http://www.womenshealth.gov/nwhw/checkup-day/; http://www.womenshealth.gov/nwhw/by-age/60s/

May 11, 2015 - National Women's Checkup Day

Graphic source: http://www.womenshealthmag.com/files/wh6_uploads/wp_import/health-checks2_1.png
For more information, see Women's Health - General Resources

May 10, 2015 - National Women's Health Week Starts Today! & Happy Mother's Day! (14th year)

Graphic source: http://www.homelifeweekly.com/mothers-day/printable-mothers-day-cards/ Happy Mother's Day to all women who believe in the power of nurturing! On this day, take a moment to reflect on how important it is to take care of ourselves so we can continue to nurture those we love!

May 9, 2015 - National Women's Health Week starts tomorrow!

Graphic source: http://womenshealth.gov/nwhw/images/nwhwlogos/NWHW-logo.jpg

May 8, 2015 - U.S. & Canadian Physical Activity Guidelines

Graphic source: https://www.wellspan.org/media/3647/activitypyramid-500r.jpg
See 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans.
This graphic summarizes the adult exercise guidelines

Graphic source: http://www.letsbecomefit.com/uploads/1/0/8/4/10845971/1378035_orig.png I like Canada's Exercise Guidelines which are nicely summarized below:

Graphic source: http://blog.northernhealth.ca/active-living/make-time-to-move-for-stress-control-every-move-helps/
Of course, you can do this all day....

For more information, see Fitness Resources and Obesity

May 7, 2015 - May Is Physical Fitness Month

Graphic source: http://www.health.gov/paguidelines/
Enlarged Graphic

May 6, 2015 - May 6th - 12th is National Nurses Week!

Graphic source: http://trianglespine.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/NNW-2012.jpg
May 5, 2015 - State of Women's Health 2015

Graphic source: http://magazine.good.is/infographics/infographic-a-picture-of-women-s-health#open

May 4, 2015 - The World Population of Women

Graphic source: http://thoughtfulcynic.tumblr.com/post/11367757493/women-are-half-the-worlds-population-work-two
For more information, see Statusofwomendata.org

Graphic source: http://www.npr.org/news/graphics/2010/04/gr-gender-earnings-624.gif
WHY DO WE HAVE THIS STILL?

May 1, 2015 - May 10-16 is National Women Health Week!

Graphic source: http://www.womenshealth.gov/nwhw/assets/images/nwhw-logo-web.png
"National Women's Health Week is an observance led by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office on Women's Health. The goal is to empower women to make their health a priority. National Women's Health Week also serves as a time to help women understand what it means to be well.
What does it mean to be a well woman?
It's a state of mind. It's being as healthy as you can be. And, most importantly, it's about taking steps to improve your physical and mental health:

Visit a health care professional to receive regular checkups and preventive screenings.

Get active.

Eat healthy.

Pay attention to mental health, including getting enough sleep and managing stress.

Avoid unhealthy behaviors, such as smoking, texting while driving, and not wearing a seatbelt or bicycle helmet."

Citation source: http://www.womenshealth.gov/nwhw/learn/index.html

As in previous years, I am taking the opportunity to devote May's Public Health Blog postings to women's health.

April 30, 2015 - April 30th is National PrepareAthon! Day

April 28, 2015 - April 28th is World Day for Safety and Health at Work

Graphic source: http://www.ilo.org/legacy/english/protection/safework/worldday/products06/emblem_en.gif

For more information, see World Day for Safety and Health at Work

April 27, 2015 - Air Quality Awareness Week is April 27 - May 1

Graphic source: http://www.motherearthnews.com/nature-and-environment/earth-gauge-air-quality-awareness-week.aspx
For more information, see Why Air Quality Is Important NOAA.gov and Teacher's Air Quality Resources

April 25, 2015 - April 25th is National DNA Day!

Graphic source: http://www.cdc.gov/genomics/update/current.htm#features
For more information about Genomics, see Genomics and CDC's Celebrate National DNA Day on April 25th!

April 25, 2015 - April 25th is World Malaria Day!

Graphic source: http://i2.wp.com/www.orakonews.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Malaria-life-cycle.png
For more information, see World Malaria Day

April 23, 2015 - April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month

Graphic source: http://voxxi.com/2013/04/24/child-abuse-prevention-month-signs/
For more information, see National Child Abuse Prevention Month

April 22, 2015 - April 22nd is Earth Day!

Graphic source: http://usamania.wikispaces.com/Earth+Day
For more information, see Environmental Health and NASA's There's Not Place Like Home

April 21, 2015 - April is National Donate Life Month

Graphic source: http://donatelife.net/april2014/ For more information, see America National Donate Life Month and Organ Donation Information

April 20, 2015 - April 19 - 25 is National Infertility Awareness Week

Graphic source: http://i2.wp.com/img1.dzmind.com/images/screen-shot-2013-04-21-at-3-01-08-pm.png?w=600
For more information, see National Infertility Awareness Week and Women's Health

April 17, 2015 - April 18-25, 2015 is National Infant Immunization Week

Graphic source: http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/events/niiw/index.html
For more information, see NIIW (National Infant Immunization Week)

April 16, 2015 - National Stress Awareness Day

Graphic source: http://jkstalent.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/keep-calm-and-be-stress-aware-257x300.png
For more information, see Stress information

April 15, 2015 - April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month

Graphic source: http://www.collegian.psu.edu/news/campus/article_0aa3ab60-b9f7-11e3-80a7-001a4bcf6878.html
For more information, see Sexual Assault Awareness Month Site & Domestic Violence Information

April 14, 2015 - April is Alcohol Awareness Month

Graphic source: http://dekalbcountyonline.com/2014/04/april-is-alcohol-awareness-month/
For more information, see Alcohol

April 13, 2015 - April is National Minority Health Month!

For more information, check Minority Health Information

April 10, 2015 - April 10th is National Youth HIV & AIDS Awareness Day

"

April 9, 2015 - Public Health Expertise Network of Mentors (PHENOM)

Are you looking for a challenging career? Then join a diverse group of public health professionals who work all over the world, protecting mankind from itself and others and championing the beauty and the gift of Nature that is our environment.
Who are public health professionals?

We are health communicators and educators spreading the word about how to live well and long;

We are epidemiologists studying disease while developing strategies to prevent its spread;

We are sanitarians ensuring that our food and water will not make us sick;

We are health care providers working to ensure that everyone can get the preventive services needed to stay healthy, and that the health services provided meet the standards of medical care;

We are policy makers advocating for and developing laws to protect the Public good;

We are disaster preparedness experts supporting the important work of first responders;

We are professors teaching future practitioners the basic principles needed to develop effective interventions that are evidence-based;

We work at all levels of government, and in any organization that share our vision of Public Health; and

We are grass roots advocates and coalition builders interested in empowering communities short on resources;

But, most of all, we collaborate with anyone and everyone to get the work done;

And, we do our best work totally unnoticed, because when the work doesn't get done, you will know it.

Yes, we are all these things and more! Checkout our online directory of 61 Public Health Professionals.
The Public Health Expertise Network of Mentors (PHENOM) has been around for over 20 years. Contact anyone of these professionals listed and learn more about what they do and what you can do if you join us, as we all work the field of Public Health!

April 8, 2015 - April 6 - 12 is National Public Health Week

The first full week of April has been declared National Public Health Week (NPHW) since 1995. It's nice to have one week devoted to celebrating the importance of Public Health. For more information, see The Basics of Public Health and Public Health Practice

April 7, 2015 - April 7 is World Health Day - Focus on Food Safety

Graphic source: http://www.hhs.gov/blog/2015/04/07/focus-food-safety-world-health-day.html
For more information, see Focus on Food Safety on World Health Day HHS.gov

April 6, 2015 - April 6 - 12 is National Public Health Week

For more information, see National Public Health Week

April 3, 2015 - U.S. Map of Picture Perfect Cities

Map source: http://us-climate.blogspot.com/2015/03/picture-perfect-weather-days.html

April 2, 2015 - U.S. Dreary Index Map

Map source: http://us-climate.blogspot.com/2015/03/dreary-weather.html
See Top Two Weather-wise Dreariest US Cities

April 1, 2015 - National Walking Day!

See Walking for your Health NIH.gov

March 30, 2015 - 5 places you can only go on Google Earth

March 27, 2015 - Injury Deaths

Graphic source: http://www.cdc.gov/injury/images/lc-charts/leading_causes_of_death_by_age_group_2012-a.gif In this most recent table available from the CDC Web site, you can see that unintentional injuries are the most common cause of death for people up to the age of 44, even though it is the 5th overall leading cause of death.
Perhaps, what is even sadder is that that suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death among those who are 15 to 34, and the 3rd for those between the ages of 10 and 14. We need to address issues that are putting young people at risk for unintentional injuries and suicide.
See Suicide Prevention Resources

March 26, 2015 - Gender Differences to Online Harassment

Graphic source: http://pewrsr.ch/1vAwPEt According to PEW's Part 1: Experiencing Online Harassment:

Forty percent of adult internet users have personally experienced some variety of online harassment. In this study, online harassment was defined as having had at least one of six incidents personally occur:

27% of internet users have been called offensive names

22% have had someone try to purposefully embarrass them

8% have been physically threatened

8% have been stalked

7% have been harassed for a sustained period

6% have been sexually harassed

Citation source: http://www.pewinternet.org/2014/10/22/part-1-experiencing-online-harassment/#Demographics of Online Harassment

The darkest side of online harassment: Menacing behavior

March 25, 2015 - Internet and Privacy Concerns

Graphic source: http://www.pewinternet.org/2014/11/12/public-privacy-perceptions/ According to PEW's "Public Perceptions of Privacy and Security in the Post-Snowden Era" report:

"Most say they want to do more to protect their privacy, but many believe it is not possible to be anonymous online"
Different types of information elicit different levels of sensitivity among Americans
Social security numbers are universally considered to be the most sensitive piece of personal information, while media tastes and purchasing habits are among the least sensitive categories of data.
At the same time that Americans express these broad sensitivities toward various kinds of information, they are actively engaged in negotiating the benefits and risks of sharing this data in their daily interactions with friends, family, co-workers, businesses and government. And even as they feel concerned about the possibility of misinformation circulating online, relatively few report negative experiences tied to their digital footprints.
11% of adults say they have had any bad experiences because embarrassing or inaccurate information was posted about them online.
16% say they have asked someone to remove or correct information about them that was posted online.
Citation source: The Internet and Privacy Concerns http://www.pewinternet.org/2014/11/12/public-privacy-perceptions/

March 24, 2015 - 2014 Hottest Year on Record!

March 23, 2015 - 2014 Hottest Year on Record!

Graphic source: http://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/gistemp_map_2014_withyear.jpg

March 20, 2015 - Mortality in the United States, 2013

Age-adjusted death rates for the 10 leading causes of death: United States, 2012 and 2013

Graphic source: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db178.htm According to CDC's NCHS Data Brief (Number 178, December 2014) Mortality in the United States, 2013:

"Life expectancy for the U.S. population in 2013 was unchanged from 2012 at 78.8 years."

The age-adjusted death rate of 731.9 per 100,000 standard population did not change significantly from 2012.

The 10 leading causes in 2013 remained the same as in 2012, although unintentional injuries became the fourth leading cause, while stroke became the fifth. Age-adjusted death rates significantly decreased for 4 leading causes and increased for 2.

The infant mortality rate in 2013 of 596.1 infant deaths per 100,000 live births did not change significantly from the rate in 2012. The 10 leading causes of infant death in 2013 remained the same as in 2012, although maternal complications became the third leading cause, while Sudden infant death syndrome became the fourth.

Citation source: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db178.htm

An interesting developing is that Unintentional injuries have moved to 4th place, and stroke is now the 5th leading cause of death. Stroke was the 3rd leading cause of death for many years until Chronic Lower Respiratory Diseases became took 3rd place.

March 19, 2015 - Effectiveness of Social Media Platforms

Graphic source: http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/2013/10/2014-b2b-content-marketing-research/ According to Content Marketing Institute's "2014 B2B Content Marketing Research: Strategy is Key to Effectiveness"

"The use of social media has increased across-the-board
B2B marketers are using all social media platforms to distribute content more frequently than they did last year. In addition, they now use an average of six platforms, versus five last year.

The social media platforms that have experienced the biggest surges in use, year over year, are SlideShare (40 percent vs. 23 percent), Google+ (55 percent vs. 39 percent), and Instagram (22 percent vs. 7 percent).

Uncertainty about effectiveness remains, especially for social media

Each year we ask marketers to rate the effectiveness of traditional tactics, but this year we also asked them to rate the effectiveness of social media platforms. Similar to what we've seen with traditional tactics, there is uncertainty in terms of effectiveness. LinkedIn is the only platform that the majority of B2B marketers consider to be effective.

Citation source: http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/2013/10/2014-b2b-content-marketing-research/

March 18, 2015 - The art of doing business online

Graphic source: http://i2.wp.com/contentmarketinginstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/B2B_Usage_Tactic_1.jpg According to Content Marketing Institute's "2014 B2B Content Marketing Research: Strategy is Key to Effectiveness"

"A documented strategy makes a difference, as 84 percent of marketers who say they are ineffective at content marketing said they have no documented strategy. B2B (Business to Business) marketers who have a documented content strategy are far more likely to consider themselves effective (66 percent vs. 11 percent).

Compared to last year, the average number of tactics used has risen from 12 to 13. The use of all tactics has remained fairly consistent, with one standout: Infographics have seen a considerable increase, from 38 percent last year to 51 percent this year. B2B content marketers continue to rate in-person events as the most effective tactic."

Citation source: http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/2013/10/2014-b2b-content-marketing-research/

March 17, 2015 - Media Outlets - Who do you trust?

Graphic source: http://www.journalism.org/2014/10/21/section-1-media-sources-distinct-favorites-emerge-on-the-left-and-right/

March 16, 2015 - Media Outlets by the Ideological Composition of Their Audience

Graphic source: http://www.journalism.org/2014/10/21/political-polarization-media-habits/#media-outlets-by-the-ideological-composition-of-their-audience

March 14, 2015 - Happy Pi Day!
This year's Pi Day is special because putting date and time together you can get up to 10 digits of the never-ending pi. I did my part and saved the ever so fleeting moment...

We won't be able to see this (3/14/15 9:26:53) for another 100 years, or not in our lifetime....

March 13, 2015 - Skills Needed to Succeed, by Educational Level

Graphic source: http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2015/02/19/skills-for-success/ According to PEW's "The skills Americans say kids need to succeed in life"

While all Americans were most likely to cite communication and reading skills as most important for today's kids, women were more likely than men to say this. More women said reading skills (88%) matter compared with men (83%), and there was a similar divide on communication skills (92% vs. 88%). On the other hand, men were more likely than women to say that science and math skills were most important. Among men, 63% said science skills were important a figure 9 percentage points higher than women who said the same. Men were also more likely than women to say that math skills were important (81% vs. 76%).

College-educated Americans were more likely to point to communication, writing, logic and science skills as important when compared with those with a high school education or less. For example, 63% of those with a college degree said science skills were most important, compared with 51% of those with a high school education or less. Some 81% of college grads said that writing skills were most important, compared with 70% among those with a high school degree or less.

Older Americans, the cohort who are likely to be grandparents of today's children, are more likely than younger adults to say it is important to stick with science and math. Some 64% of adults ages 50 and older say science skills are important to get ahead, compared with just over half (54%) of younger adults. There was a similar gap between older and younger adults when it comes to math skills (83% vs. 74%) and a smaller gap on reading skills (88% vs. 84%). Younger adults put a higher emphasis on logic, with 77% saying it was important for kids to get ahead compared with 71% of adults ages 50 and older who said the same.

Citation source: http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2015/02/19/skills-for-success/

March 12, 2015 - Skills for Success

Graphic source: http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2015/02/19/skills-for-success/ According to PEW's "The skills Americans say kids need to succeed in life"

Pew Research Center recently asked a national sample of adults to select among a list of 10 skills: Regardless of whether or not you think these skills are good to have, which ones do you think are most important for children to get ahead in the world today?

The answer was clear. Across the board, more respondents said communication skills were most important, followed by reading, math, teamwork, writing and logic. Science fell somewhere in the middle, with more than half of Americans saying it was important.

Rounding out the bottom were skills more associated with kids extracurricular activities: art, music (sorry, right-brained people) and athletics. There was virtually no difference in the responses based on whether the person was a parent of a child aged 18 and younger or not.

Citation source: http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2015/02/19/skills-for-success/

March 11, 2015 - 14 striking findings from 2014: Technology

Graphic source: http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2014/12/22/14-striking-findings-from-2014/ The PEW Research Center summarizes their most striking 2014 findings from the many surveys they have conducted in the past year.

"Americans are now more attached to their cellphones and internet access than their televisions or landline telephones, marking a shift in their communications habits since 2006. Over half of internet users now say the internet would be very hard to give up. And among this devoted group, 61% say the internet is essential to them, either for work or other reasons. Translated to the whole population, 39% of all Americans feel they absolutely need to have internet access.

While privacy issues continue to pervade public policy debates after recent hacking incidents and amid the emergence of tech products that use consumer tracking data 91% of Americans agree or strongly agree that consumers have lost control over how their personal information is collected and used by private companies."

Citation source: http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2014/12/22/14-striking-findings-from-2014/

March 10, 2015 - 14 striking findings from 2014: Demographic issues

Graphic source: http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2014/12/22/14-striking-findings-from-2014/ The PEW Research Center summarizes their most striking 2014 findings from the many surveys they have conducted in the past year.

"The earnings gap between young adults with a bachelor's degree or higher and those without has never been greater in the modern era, despite soaring student debt and high youth unemployment.

In 1979, when the first wave of Baby Boomers were the same age that Millennials are today, the typical high school graduate earned about three-quarters (77%) of what a college graduate made. Today, Millennials with only a high school diploma earn 62% of what the typical college graduate earns.

After decades of declining marriage rates and changes in family structure, the share of American adults who have never been married is at an historic high. In 2012, one-in-five adults ages 25 and older had never been married. Men are more likely than women to have never been married. And this gender gap has widened since 1960.

The Great Recession was hard on all American families. But even as the economic recovery has begun to mend asset prices, not all households have benefited alike, and wealth inequality has widened along racial and ethnic lines. The median wealth of white households was 13 times the wealth of black households and 10 times that of Hispanic households in 2013, compared with eight and nine times the wealth in 2010, respectively."

Citation source: http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2014/12/22/14-striking-findings-from-2014/

March 9, 2015 - U.S. Educational Attainment, by Gender

Graphic source: http://www.vox.com/a/how-the-us-is-changing Here is a chart from Vox.com's "21 charts that explain how the US" that looked at educational attainment by gender. It appears that for every age group more women than men have earned a bachelor's degree or higher, except for the 65+ age group.
The lower number for 65+ women reflects a cohort effect as many women who are now 65 or older just didn't go to college because when they were young women were not expected to earn a college degree. Plus, there were many job opportunities that did not require a college education, which is not true today.
It is no longer enough to have earned a college degree, but just as important to learn be open to the possibility of learning newer skills that will be needed in the foreseeable future. It is unlikely many of us working today will have the luxury that our parents and grandparents had - work for decades with the same employer and retire with a pension. The recession that took place between December 2007 and ended in June 2009 took care that.
According to the 2010 Wall Street Journal article, "Seven Careers in a Lifetime? Think Twice, Researchers Say" a career counselor notes,"the typical person has six to seven careers, and the number is growing." (http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748704206804575468162805877990)

March 6, 2015 - U.S. Educational Attainment 1960 - 2013

Graphic source: http://www.vox.com/a/how-the-us-is-changing Here is a chart from Vox.com's "21 charts that explain how the US" that looked at educational attainment from 1960 to 2013. Over this 50+ year period, the number of people who went on to earn a college degree has increased. It is close to impossible these days to expect to find a job that pays a decent wage without a high school diploma.

March 5, 2015 - 2012 - 2022 U.S. Jobs Outlook

Graphic source: http://www.vox.com/a/how-the-us-is-changing Charting data makes all that information so much easier to digest. Here is a chart from Vox.com's "21 charts that explain how the US" that looks at jobs outlook.
Over the 10-year period, between 2012-2022, the demand for personal services (home health and personal aides) will be high, whereas the demand for bookkeepers, accounting and auditing clerks will be low, in terms of the number of jobs that will be available in these areas.
These projections make sense because there will be more baby boomers reaching their twilight years in the coming decade in which they will be requiring more assistance as they get older.
Finally, definitely check out 21 charts that explain how the US is changing for some informative and visually pleasing charts about everything that counts!

March 4, 2015 - 21 charts that explain how the US is changing

21 charts that explain how the US is changing

March 3, 2015 - Who's Using Which Social Networks? By Gender

Graphic source: http://www.marketingcharts.com/online/whos-using-which-social-networks-49697/ According to Marketingcharts.com's "Who's Using Which Social Networks?":

"Only 15% of US adults say they are not a member of any social networks, finds YouGov in a newly-released survey, with this figure higher among men (18%) than women (12%).

Consistent with most research on the topic, women lead men in stated adoption of most social networks, with LinkedIn and Google+ the exceptions among the larger platforms.

Facebook is still by far the largest social network, with three-quarters of adults (80% of women, 70% of men) reporting being members. The second-tier, by penetration, consists of Twitter (31%), Google+ (29%) and LinkedIn (28%).

While men and women reported roughly equal use of Twitter, men were slightly ahead in Google+ use (31% vs. 28%), with the gap larger on LinkedIn (30% vs. 25%).

Rounding out the top 5 is Pinterest, with 18% stated adoption (28% among women; 9% among men), followed by the fast-growing Instagram (13%). While Instagram recently said it passed 300 million monthly active users (which would be more than Twitter's total), its audience leans more heavily towards teens (excluded from the YouGov survey) and it also has a strong international base (also excluded from the YouGov survey)."

Citation source:http://www.marketingcharts.com/online/whos-using-which-social-networks-49697/

March 2, 2015 - Who's Using Which Social Networks? By Age Group

Graphic source: http://www.marketingcharts.com/online/whos-using-which-social-networks-49697/ According to Marketingcharts.com's "Who's Using Which Social Networks?":

"On an age basis, the YouGov survey results indicate that: Twitter use is highest among the 18-34 bracket (41%), with the 35-54 (31%) and 55+ (23%) brackets trailing;

That disparity is even greater for Instagram, with 27% stated penetration among 18-34-year-olds, versus 12% among the 35-54 group and 4% in the 55+ bracket; and

The 55+ group leads in LinkedIn use, though, with 31% reporting being members, compared to 28% of 35-54-year-olds and 23% of 18-34-year-olds.

When looking at race and ethnicity, the results reveal that: Twitter continues to appeal to Black Americans (42%) more than Whites (29%) and Hispanics (26%);

LinkedIn is less popular among Hispanics (18%) than among Whites (28%) and Black Americans (28%);

Instagram proves more attractive to Black Americans (19%) and Hispanics (15%) than to Whites (11%); and

Google+ similarly sees higher reported penetration among Black Americans (35%) and Hispanics (34%) than among Whites (27%)."

Citation source:http://www.marketingcharts.com/online/whos-using-which-social-networks-49697/

February 28, 2015 - Raise your hand, if you agree!

Map source: http://www.intellicast.com/Travel/Weather/Snow/Cover.aspx

February 27, 2015 - The top 10 memes, viral videos, and online goings-on that defined 2014

The top 10 memes, viral videos, and online goings-on that defined 2014 PCWorld.com

February 26, 2015 - 2014: What Google searches tell us about the year in tech

2014: What Google searches tell us about the year in tech Techrepublic

February 25, 2015 - Heartbleed, Shellshock, Tor and more: The 13 biggest security stories of 2014

Graphic source: http://www.pcworld.com/article/2859283/heartbleed-shellshock-and-tor-the-13-biggest-security-stories-of-2014.html#tk.nl_pcwbest
Heartbleed, Shellshock, Tor and more: The 13 biggest security stories of 2014 PCWorld

February 24, 2015 - 2012-214 E-mail Stats, Part V

Well, here is the final report on E-mails for 2014. Having 3 years' worth of data is great, and so this is a summary slide. As you can see that the number of E-mails (regular and spam) have been slowly increasing ever since 2012.
Since I am such a glutton for punishment I have already committed myself to tracking my 2015 E-mails. Why stop now? It will be interesting to see whether or not I will be buried with E-mail this year! Stay tuned.

February 23, 2015 - 2012-214 E-mail Stats, Part IV

Having 3 years' worth of data is great, and so this is a summary slide. The bad news is the percentage of spam has increased between 2012 to 2014. Just think, for every 100 E-mails I get, 49.9 of them (HALF) are spam!
Additional bad news is the number of E-mails I am getting is increasing, from an average of 296 per day in 2012 to 305 per day in 2013, to 336 in 2014!

February 20, 2015 - 2012-2014 E-mail Stats, Part III

For the past two days I have been talking about how many E-mails I got in 2014. Since I have been doing this for three years, I can now do some comparisons between 2012 and 2014! This is better than nothing. Probably having 5 years' worth of data will be more useful, but this does offer a little more information than just having two years of data.
For 2014, there were 6 months in which the percentage of spam was 50% or greater (February, May, June, September, October, November), whereas this occurred only for 2 months in 2013 (July and December), and 4 months in 2012 (April, May, November and December).
Just when I thought it was getting better, between 2012 and 2013, it has gotten worse for 2014! November has emerged as the "spammiest" month in 2014, displacing December's distinction for 2012 and 2013.

February 19, 2015 - Happy Chinese New Year!

Graphic source: http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices/watch/lunar-new-year-2015
2015 Chinese New Year Festival - Army of Lantern Warriors, Sydney Harbour, Australia
Graphic source: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-02-14/terracotta-warriors-installation-chinese-new-year-sydney-harbour/6098800

See Chinese Culture and CNN's Lunar New Year 2015

February 18, 2015 - 2012-2014 E-mail Stats, Part II

Here is another way of looking at those 122,819 E-mails. While the total E-mails averaged out to about 336 E-mails a day, of which 49.9% was spam, there were monthly variations, probably due to the fact that some months have 30 days and others have 31 days. I got the most E-mails in October (12,038) [AGAIN] with an average of 388 E-mails a day. This was followed by the month of November [AGAIN] with 11,383 E-mails, for an average of 379!
I got the most spam during November (vs. December 2013). About 55% of the E-mails I got were spam, for a total of 6,189 spam E-mails. So, last year I was wondering if 2013's statistics were a fluke, well, they were not!

February 17, 2015 - 2014 E-mail Stats, Part I

Since I last reported on my 2013 experiences with E-mails a year ago (See February 1 - 4, 2014 Entries ) I made the decision to continue tracking the number of E-mails I received for 2014.
After tracking it for another year, there is no doubt that I am inundated with E-mails!
After compiling and graphing the data, this is what I got. Indeed, I received 122,819 E-mails for 2014!! This means that I received 11,374 MORE E-mails than I did in 2013, or 31 more E-mails a day, which add up, to 336.29 E-mails a day! So, I really was getting "hundreds" of E-mails a day, or thousands of E-mails every month!
Perhaps, the saddest revelation of finding out that I have been inundated with E-mails, almost 1/2 of what comes into my inbox is spam! There is no solution to getting rid of them. Fortunately, most E-mail accounts have spam filters that work, but they are not perfect. Now you know.

February 13, 2015 - The worst social media brand blunders of 2014

The worst social media brand blunders of 2014 Techrepublic.com

February 12, 2015 - 2014 Social Media

2014's top 8 moments in the business of social media

February 10, 2015 - Top 10 Most Popular Posts of 2014 About Traveling

Top 10 Most Popular Posts of 2014 Airfarewatchdog.com

February 9, 2015 - The 15 Best Infographics of 2014

Graphic source:http://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/best-infographics-of-2014
I liked the butterflies infographic the best. See the rest at: The 15 Best Infographics of 2014

February 6, 2015 - The 15 Best Drone Photos of 2014 (Yahoo Tech)

Photo source: https://www.yahoo.com/tech/the-15-best-drone-photos-c1418370490627/photo-piazza-del-duomo-tower-of-pisa-italy-photo-1418369556381.html
The 15 Best Drone Photos of 2014

February 5, 2015 - [Best of 2014] The Year in Robots

[Best of 2014] The Year in Robots

February 4, 2015 - The 12 best in-depth tech stories of 2014 (Techrepublic.com)

The 12 best in-depth tech stories of 2014

February 3, 2015 - Top 10 Retractions of the Year (Thescientist.com)

The Top 10 Retractions of 2014

February 2, 2015 - Top 5 Retractions of the Year (Livescience.com)

Nix That: 5 Top Retracted Science Papers of 2014

January 30, 2015 - [Best of 2014] The Year in Brains

[Best of 2014] The Year in Brains

January 29, 2015 - 10 Biggest Food and Weight Loss Stories of 2014

10 Biggest Food and Weight Loss Stories of 2014

January 28, 2015 - The Most Amazing Science Images Of 2014
The Most Amazing Science Images Of 2014

January 27, 2015 - 15 Quotes to Spark Creativity in 2015

15 Quotes to Spark Creativity in 2015 LinkedIn.com

January 26, 2015 - Top 10 Cutest Animals in Science 2014

January 23, 2015 - [Best of 2014] The Year in Sound

[Best of 2014] The Year in Sound

January 22, 2015 - [Best of 2014] The Year in Sculpture

UserPic videosculpture by Aristarkh Chernyshev. 2014 from Aristarkh Chernyshev on Vimeo.
[Best of 2014] The Year in Sculpture

January 21, 2015 - [Best of 2014] The Year in Art Discoveries

[Best of 2014] The Year in Art Discoveries

January 20, 2015 - The 30 Weirdest Words Added to the Oxford English Dictionary in 2014

Graphic:http://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/weirdest-words-added-to-oxford-english-dictionary-2014 Attention, Word Nerds: The 30 Weirdest Words Added to the Oxford English Dictionary in 2014 Note, some are NSFW (not suitable for work)
You may also be interested in The Evolution of Language: How Internet Slang Changes the Way We Speak
And, Why did LOL infiltrate the language?

January 16, 2015 - Dealing with Distractions

Graphic source: http://learningfundamentals.com.au/wp-content/uploads/Focus-mindmap-for-web.jpg

January 15, 2015 - Electronic Devices are Time Wasters

Graphic Source: http://readwrite.com/2015/01/01/2014-social-trends Here is an interesting graphic that I have shared with my class. As much as we would like to believe that using electronic devices make us more productive, the truth of the matter is they are basically time wasters.
According to Flurry's analysis of 2014's mobile usage, most of what we have on electronic devices do not contribute to productivity. In fact, only 4% of what we have on those devices is devoted to productivity. 'nuff said.

January 14, 2015 - Age of Distractions

Graphic source: http://infospace.ischool.syr.edu/files/2012/02/Distraction-Graphic-600x300.jpeg

January 13, 2015 - 90:10 The Single Most Important Thing You Can Do For Your Stress

January 12, 2015 - The Status of New Year Resolutions

See New Year's Res-Illusions: Food Shopping in the New Year Competes with Healthy Intentions Plosone.org 12/2014

January 9, 2015 - New Year Resolutions Statistics

Graphic source: http://brandongaille.com/24-fabulous-new-years-resolution-statistics/

January 8, 2015 - CNN: The top New Year's resolution - "It's not the destination, it's a journey"

January 7, 2015 - The start of a new year is a good time to make a change!

January 6, 2015 - New Year's Resolutions? Annual revisions?

Graphic source: http://smartypantsvitamins.com/healthy-habits-15-strategies-to-keep-them/#more-4162

January 5, 2015 - Resolutions?

Graphic source: http://yogaspy.com/2012/01/03/pranayama-sleep-and-other-new-years-resolutions/

January 2, 2015 - Happy New Year!

Graphic source: TKC December 2014 newsletter

January 1, 2015 - Happy New Year!

Graphic source: http://www.allnewyearwallpapers.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Happy-New-Year-Banner-2015-Blue-1.jpg

October 17, 2014 - October is Health Literacy Month

Graphic source: http://www.healthliteracymonth.org/ Be a Health Literacy Hero! I am!
For Health Literacy Month, the Healthliteracymonth.org is accepting stories from any person who or organization that addresses health literacy in their work. There is a listing of those who have submitted their stories.
Read my story of how I am teaching my students to be saavy about the health information that is found outline!
If you are interested, check out my

August 25, 2014 - www.bettycjung.net is now 15 Years Old!

It is hard to believe that it has been 15 years since I published the first webpages that turned into this Web site. Many thanks to the thousands of visitors who contributed millions of hits during the past 15 years, and for all the nice comments along the way. I will continue to strive to make this Web site a worthwhile place to spend your time and find credible public health and health information. Thank you so much!

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Published on the Web: May 4, 2014
Updated: 12/11/2022 R883
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