Latest news with #UQ
RNZ News
3 days ago
- Health
- RNZ News
Study finds link between low Vitamin D in babies
Babies born with low vitamin D levels are more likely to develop mental disorders like ADHD, schizophrenia, and autism later in life, according to a new study from the University of Queensland. Researchers analysed data from over 71,000 people, many of whom had a mental health disorder diagnosed during childhood and early adulthood. Professor John McGrath from UQ's Queensland Brain Institute led the study and says they found evidence that people with lower vitamin D concentration as a baby had an increased risk of schizophrenia, ASD and ADHD. To embed this content on your own webpage, cut and paste the following: See terms of use.
Epoch Times
23-05-2025
- General
- Epoch Times
Study Finds Aussies Swear Less Online Than Americans and Brits
Despite their reputation for colourful language, Australians are more restrained than their American and British counterparts when it comes to swearing online, according to new research led by the University of Queensland. The study analysed over 1.7 billion words of digital content across 20 English-speaking countries. Researchers sifted through blogs, forums, and social media to examine how often vulgar words appeared in written online communication. Using a comprehensive list of 597 offensive terms, including misspellings and variations, the research team combined computational tools with linguistic analysis to explore how culture influences the use of profanities in digital spaces. More Conservative Behind the Keyboard Martin Schweinberger from UQ's School of Languages and Cultures suggested one possible reason is that Australians moderate their tone more in written settings. 'Australians are more conservative when they write online but not so much when they are face-to-face,' he said. Schweinberger added that while swearing, slang, and informal expressions are embedded in Australian culture, the way people choose to express themselves often depends on context. 'Australians really see vulgarity, swearing, and slang as part of our culture—we're very invested in it,' he said. 'It's not just about speaking correctly—it's about speaking appropriately.' Related Stories 12/10/2024 1/14/2024 Monash University's Kate Burridge co-led the study using data from the Language Data Commons of Australia, a project backed by federal research funding. Public Language, Private Filters While Australians may tone it down online, they maintain a global reputation for creative use of profanity in public settings, Burridge said. 'Our study suggests Australians might still live up to our popular image of having unusually rich and inventive 'bad' language, especially thanks to our very public and colourful airing of swear words—this is something that's often remarked upon by overseas visitors to the country,' she said. Examples include the famous 'So where the bloody hell are you?' tourism campaign in 2006, which was banned in Canada, censored in Singapore, and pulled from UK media. Another is the long-running government road safety campaign slogan: 'If You Drink, Then Drive, You're a Bloody Idiot.' A History of Swearing This latest research builds on earlier work by Amanda Laugesen, Director of the Australian National Dictionary Centre, who has traced profanity in Australian English from convict slang to modern vernacular. In her book Rooted, she argues that Australia's penal colony origins helped shape a more casual relationship with coarse language, noting that such words often signified class, status, and race in early settler society.
ABC News
23-05-2025
- Climate
- ABC News
Push for greater action on mitigating extreme weather threats
UQ Professor Paula Jarzabkowski says there's an urgent need to prepare for more frequent and severe weather events.
Arab Times
21-05-2025
- Health
- Arab Times
Low vitamin D at birth may raise risk of ADHD, autism, and Schizophrenia: study
NEW YORK, May 21: A large study involving The University of Queensland has found that newborn babies with low vitamin D levels are more likely to develop mental health conditions such as ADHD, schizophrenia, and autism later in life. Researchers looked at the vitamin D levels of 71,793 people, many of whom were diagnosed with mental disorders during childhood or early adulthood. This is the biggest study of its kind. Professor John McGrath from UQ's Queensland Brain Institute led the research, which was done in partnership with Aarhus University and the State Serum Institute in Denmark. The team studied six mental health conditions: major depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, ADHD, autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and anorexia. 'We found that babies with lower levels of vitamin D had a higher risk of developing schizophrenia, ADHD, and autism,' Professor McGrath said. Previous studies had already suggested a link between low vitamin D at birth and both schizophrenia and autism. This new research looked at more mental health conditions and also used two vitamin D-related markers and genetic data for a deeper analysis. Professor McGrath said the findings support the idea that giving vitamin D supplements to pregnant women and babies might help lower the chances of mental illness later in life. 'Vitamin D is very important for a baby's brain development, and many pregnant women around the world have low levels of it,' he said. 'That's why vitamin D supplements are already recommended during pregnancy in many countries.' He compared this to the way folate supplements are used during pregnancy to prevent birth defects like spina bifida. 'In the same way, our study suggests that making sure babies have enough vitamin D could reduce the risk of several mental health problems.' The research used data from the iPSYCH study, which began in Denmark in 2012 to explore mental health issues. Vitamin D comes mainly from sunlight, but it can also be found in some foods and supplements. The study results were published in The Lancet Psychiatry. Funding came from the Danish National Research Foundation, the Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research, and the University of Queensland.
Scoop
15-05-2025
- Health
- Scoop
Newborn Vitamin D Deficiency Linked To Higher Risk Of ADHD, Schizophrenia, Autism
Newborn babies with a vitamin D deficiency have a higher chance of later developing mental disorders such as ADHD, schizophrenia and autism, a major study involving The University of Queensland has found. In the largest population study of its kind, researchers examined vitamin D status of 71,793 people, many of whom had a mental health disorder diagnosed during childhood and early adulthood. Professor John McGrath from UQ's Queensland Brain Institute, led the study that was based at the National Centre for Register-Based Research, Aarhus University, and the State Serum Institute in Denmark. He said they examined 6 mental disorders: major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and anorexia nervosa. 'We found evidence that people with lower vitamin D concentration as a baby had an increased risk of schizophrenia, ASD and ADHD,' Professor McGrath said. 'Previous research had linked neonatal vitamin D deficiency with an increased risk of schizophrenia and autism, but this study examined a wider range of mental disorders, and included evidence based on two vitamin D-related biomarkers and related genetics.' Professor McGrath said their research suggested that vitamin D supplements during pregnancy and early life could help reduce the risk of mental disorders in adulthood. 'Vitamin D is important for a baby's brain development, and low vitamin D levels are common in pregnant women across the globe,'' he said. 'This is why many countries recommended the use of vitamin D supplements during pregnancy. 'Similar to how folate supplements are recommended during pregnancy to prevent spina bifida, our research suggest that optimising vitamin D levels in early life may reduce the risk of several neurodevelopmental disorders.' The researchers analysed data from the iPSYCH study, which was founded in 2012 to investigate mental disorders in Denmark. Vitamin D usually comes from sun exposure but can also be found in some foods and supplements. The research is published in The Lancet Psychiatry. Professor McGrath's work is funded by the Danish National Research Foundation, the Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research and The University of Queensland. The iPSYCH project is funded by the Lundbeck Foundation.
