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MONDAY, March 15, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- As much of the world hunkered down at home over the past year, women shouldered most of the cleaning, laundry and child care -- and they are not happy about it.In a series of international surveys on "time use" during the pandemic, researchers found a clear gender divide when it came to chores and child care: Women were doing most of it, and the housework, in particular, took an emotional toll.Since the beginning of pandemic lockdowns, a number of studies have found a pattern that likely surprised no woman anywhere: They were doing the lion's share of domestic work, even with both partners working from home.The new study did not set out to examine housework specifically, said researcher Ashley Whillans, an assistant professor at Harvard...

MONDAY, March 15, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- Discriminatory housing practices from nearly a century ago continue to influence a person's risk of suffering a stroke, claims a new study that reveals the legacy of structural racism in the United States.Researchers found a 1.5% higher rate of stroke within census tracts in Columbus, Ohio, most heavily marked for "redlining," compared to neighborhoods in the city least affected by housing discrimination."These redlining practices that were established in the 1930s are still having health impacts almost a century later," said lead researcher Jeffrey Wing. He's an assistant professor of epidemiology with the Ohio State University's College of Public Health, in Columbus. "We need to take ownership of that and work toward dismantling the effects...

MONDAY, March 15, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- For someone suffering a severe stroke, every 10 minutes that goes by before treatment starts in the emergency room may cost eight weeks of a healthy life, Canadian researchers report. In fact, delays in the hospital may have worse consequences for recovery than delays in getting to the hospital, they noted."Our study confirmed that any delay in delivering appropriate stroke treatment is critical," said lead researcher Dr. Mohammed Almekhlafi. He is an assistant professor of clinical neurosciences, radiology and community health sciences at the University of Calgary's Cumming School of Medicine."Delays after arrival at the hospital are also important. It may not be enough to only be aware of stroke symptoms and the availability of hospitals...

MONDAY, March 15, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- Could the paws of assistance dogs be cleaner than the soles of your shoes?Yes, claims a new study that calls for allowing assistance dogs to accompany their owners in all public places. To prove their point, Dutch researchers tested the paws of 25 assistance dogs and the soles on the shoes of their owners for two types of bacteria, Enterobacteriaceae and a diarrheal bacteria called Clostridium difficile. For comparison, they also tested the paws of an equally large group of pet dogs and their owners. "The dogs' paws turned out to be cleaner than the soles of their shoes," said study author Jasmijn Vos, a master's student at Utrecht University. "This makes the hygiene argument that is often used to ban assistance dogs from public locations...