This year from June 16 to 22, the world observed the World Continence Week. This is an annual global awareness campaign that is dedicated to raising awareness about bowel and bladder issues, including incontinence and promoting better continence care.

History of World Continence Day

It was first organized by the World Federation for Incontinence and Pelvic Problems (WFIPP). The aim was to raise awareness about bladder and bowel incontinence, which has affected many people, yet continues to remain stigmatized.

Theme for World Continence Day 2025

This year, the theme is 'Shared Decision Making, Incontinence and Mental Health, Overactive Bladder, Faecal Incontinence, Sustainability, and Menopause.'

This year's theme, thus, in many ways, advocates for raising awareness of the many and individual effects of disorders that are associated to continence, globally.

Why Is It Important?

As per the Urology Foundation, 14 million people in the UK experience bladder problems , the data comes directly from NHS. This means 1 in 5 people in UK is experiencing this disorder. This is also an issue many people do not wish to talk about and thus remains a hidden condition.

Many people feel hesitant or embarrassed to talk about their toilet habits, often choosing to put up with uncomfortable symptoms in silence. But urinary incontinence is more common than we think, and there are several effective ways to manage it. That’s why it’s important to speak to a GP or healthcare professional to explore suitable treatment options.

Living with incontinence can affect a person’s emotional and social wellbeing. Feelings of embarrassment or isolation are not uncommon, especially if the condition limits day-to-day activities, strains relationships, or interferes with intimacy. In more severe cases, it may even affect job performance or reduce one’s ability to live independently. Over time, this can lead to a significant drop in self-esteem and confidence.

The importance of this week also lies in understanding that continence health, especially urinary and fecal incontinence, significantly impacts physical, emotional ad social well-being, globally.

It affects individuals of all ages, with a notable increase in prevalence among older adults. Beyond the physical discomfort and potential complications like skin irritation and infections, incontinence leads to social isolation, anxiety, depression, and reduced quality of life.

Physical Health:

Incontinence can lead to several health issues, including skin irritation, urinary tract infections, and disrupted sleep. For older adults, the urgency to reach the toilet can also increase the risk of falls and injuries.

Emotional and Psychological Impact:

The condition often brings emotional distress, including feelings of embarrassment, shame, anxiety, and depression. It can lower self-esteem and cause individuals to withdraw from social settings due to the fear of accidents.

Social Impact:

Many people reduce or completely avoid participating in social events, work, or recreational activities. Over time, this can lead to isolation, loneliness, and a decline in overall quality of life.

‘71.3 years’ was the average life expectancy globally, according to the World Health Organization in 2021. When a certain number of people die in a year, that number adds to the mortality rate of a county. There are big differences in death rates depending on where people live, especially between different counties. Mortality rates of counties can reflect a lot about them, how well their healthcare system is, what diseases are more prevalent, and what resources they are lacking. These things show the quality of life led by people in that particular county.

So, what is stopping a county whose mortality rates are high from decreasing these deaths?

The difference in how many people die is often tied to things like education and income. Studies have already shown that areas with higher average incomes tend to see the biggest jumps in life expectancy and have lower death rates from all causes. But until now, few studies have specifically looked at death rates from particular diseases across counties based on how rich or poor they are.

Linking Poverty to Leading Causes of Death

Researchers at the American Cancer Society (ACS) recently studied how death rates in U.S. counties (not including Alaska and Hawaii) are connected to how much poverty exists in those counties. They examined death rates for all causes of death and for the 10 diseases that cause the most deaths in the county. These top 10 causes were responsible for almost all deaths in 2020.

• Heart diseases (like heart attacks, heart failure, artery blockages)
• Cancer
• Stroke and other brain blood flow issues
• Pneumonia/influenza
• Unintentional injuries (like falls, car accidents, poisoning, drug overdose)
• Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), a serious lung disease
• Alzheimer's disease
• Type 2 diabetes
• Suicide
• Kidney disease

The researchers looked at changes in death rates over two time periods: from 1990 to 1994, and from 2016 to 2020 (they avoided the main COVID-19 years). They defined the poorest counties as those where 20% or more residents lived below the federal poverty line (for example, a family of four earning less than $26,200 a year in 2020). The richest counties had less than 10% of residents below this line.

Have The Death Rates Improved?

Overall, death rates got better in all types of counties for general deaths and for four of the main causes: heart diseases, cancer, stroke-related diseases, and pneumonia/influenza.

However, the improvements were much bigger in counties with less poverty. Because the poorest counties saw less improvement, the gap in death rates actually grew wider between the richest and poorest areas.

These improvements also varied a lot by location. The biggest drops in death rates happened on the East and West coasts and in some northern parts of the U.S. The smallest improvements were in the Midwest, Appalachia, and parts of the South—areas that often have higher poverty levels. Heart disease and cancer death rates improved the least in the South and Midwest.

Where Have Death Rates Worsened?

Unfortunately, death rates actually increased across the nation from other leading causes of death: accidents/injuries, COPD, Alzheimer's disease, Type 2 diabetes, suicide, and kidney disease. The effect of poverty on these conditions was mixed. For COPD and Type 2 diabetes, death rates improved in the richest counties but got worse in the poorest ones.

Overall, death rates worsened the most for accidents/injuries (likely due to the ongoing drug crisis) and Alzheimer's disease (partly because people are living longer and doctors are better at diagnosing it). Interestingly, for women, Type 2 diabetes death rates improved in all income levels studied. For men, COPD death rates improved across all income levels.

Why These Gaps Exist?

Some health differences are getting bigger than others. The largest increases in the gap in death rates between rich and poor counties were for Type 2 diabetes, pneumonia/influenza, COPD, kidney diseases, and heart diseases.

Factors like smoking and obesity are more common in certain areas, particularly the South. These are big risk factors for many of the diseases studied. Also, some Southern states haven't expanded their Medicaid programs, which help low-income people get healthcare. Access to Medicaid has been linked to better health outcomes and lower death rates.

If you're a parent feeling overwhelmed by your kids' sports schedules and expenses, you're not alone. A new study confirms that today's parents are indeed spending significantly more time, money, and effort on their children's sports activities compared to previous generations.

This idea that parents are going "all in" to their kids' sports events, spending more money and time, has been a common story. Now, research confirms that this isn't just talk; things have genuinely changed.

Proof is in the Data

Researchers looked at information from nearly 4,000 adults across the U.S. who shared details about their parents' involvement and spending on their sports when they were growing up. The survey was conducted between 2018 and 2019. The results clearly show a growing trend of parents getting more involved in youth sports, especially those with higher education. For example:

Most people born in the 1950s said their parents went to their sports events only a few times a year.

But for those born in the 1990s, parents with a college degree attended games about once a week on average, while those with less education attended about once a month.

Similar trends were also seen in how much money parents spent on sports and how much they helped out with things like coaching or driving. These changes really started to pick up speed for children born in the 1980s.

Intensive Parenting and Changing Systems

Researchers explained that recent shifts in youth sports and parenting cultures have pushed parents to invest more. He noted that since the 1980s, supporting a child's athletic growth seems to demand a level of involvement that previous generations didn't experience.

Positive And Negative Impact of Youth Sports

According to the Open Access Journal Of Sports Medicine journal, youth sports are incredibly popular in the U.S., with about 45 million children and teenagers taking part. In fact, 75% of American families with school-aged kids have at least one child in organized sports.

Positive Side

When done right, youth sports offer fantastic benefits. They can help kids develop physical fitness, improve their mental well-being, and teach lifelong lessons that encourage an active and healthy lifestyle. The key is to keep the focus on fun and strike a good balance in these areas.

Negative Side

Despite the popularity, there are some concerning issues in youth sports. Surprisingly, even with so many kids playing sports, we're seeing a childhood obesity epidemic, with one in three children now overweight. Most kids and teens are leading increasingly inactive lives outside of their organized sports.

Why Parents Are More Involved Now

Experts suggest that recent changes in youth sports and parenting styles have pushed parents to invest more. Since the 1980s, supporting a child's athletic development seems to demand a level of involvement that wasn't expected of parents in earlier times.

This shift is part of a larger trend called "intensive parenting." Over the last 50 years or so, parents have moved from being casual supporters to actively managing their children's extracurricular lives.

One reason for this increased involvement is that schools have cut back on sports spending. This has led better-off families to pour more of their own resources into their children's athletic success. Parents often see this as a way to boost their kids' chances when applying for college or looking for jobs.

Part of the reason for this increased involvement is that schools have cut back on sports funding. This means wealthier families are now putting more money into their children's athletic success.

How any times have you watched a true crime documentary and wondered, “What kind of person could actually do that?” Well, science may have just brought us a step closer to the answer—and the location. A new eye-opening study has mapped out where in the United States you're most likely to encounter people with dark personality traits like narcissism, psychopathy, and sadism. And no, it’s not just Hollywood dramatizing the ‘evil neighbor’ narrative, some states really do have higher concentrations of individuals with what psychologists call the “Dark Factor of Personality,” or “D.”

Turns out, the environment we live in marked by things like poverty, corruption, inequality, and violence could actually shape how likely we are to exploit or harm others for personal gain. So, if you’ve ever felt like your city breeds a little more chaos than kindness, you might not be imagining it. The results? Both fascinating and unnerving.

A groundbreaking study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) analyzed data from nearly 1.8 million respondents worldwide—including over 144,000 Americans—to identify where "dark" personality traits like psychopathy, narcissism, and Machiavellianism are most prevalent. The researchers found that horrid societal conditions—high poverty, inequality, corruption, and violence are closely linked to these darker traits.

What Are Some Dark Personality Traits?

Psychologists refer to these harmful traits collectively as the “Dark Factor of Personality”, or “D”. This umbrella concept captures the underlying tendency toward aversive behavior manipulation, exploitation, even enjoyment of others' suffering. Unlike the well-known “dark triad” (psychopathy, narcissism, Machiavellianism), “D” integrates these tendencies into a single measurable dimension.

Researchers linked high D scores with self-serving behaviors and the belief that self-interest often superseeds moral or societal responsibilities. Crucially, they discovered that social and economic hardships tend to foster these personality traits over time

While analyzing data at the U.S. state level and correlating it with FBI homicide rates, Justice Department corruption convictions, and Census Bureau statistics, the researchers revealed stark geographical patterns. States with higher crime, corruption, and economic disparity tend to have higher average D scores. Among the highest-ranked states:

1. Nevada tops the list with a D score of 2.26/5
2. New York (2.24)
3. Texas (2.22)
4. South Dakota (2.22)

In contrast, the safest states in terms of low dark personality prevalence include:

1. Vermont (1.96)
2. Utah (2.03)
3. Maine (2.04)
4. New Hampshire, Oregon, and Alaska

Though differences may seem minor numerically, they are statistically significant across large populations.

Role of Sociocultural Environments in Shaping Personality

One of the study’s most compelling insights is how personality is not merely inherited. Lead co-author Ingo Zettler explains that living under corrupt, unequal, or violent conditions teaches people to look after themselves first.

This adaptation may serve as a survival mechanism in harsh environments, distrust, aggression, and self-centeredness offer competitive advantages. Urban areas like New York and Las Vegas, with extreme resource competition, often amplify these traits.

State Profiles

Nevada, New York, Texas, South Dakota

Nevada’s D score of 2.26 tops the nation with analysts suggesting that both systemic issues and the transient, high-stakes nature of urban hubs like Las Vegas amplify dark traits. New York and Texas closely follow both states face stark inequality and urban density.

South Dakota’s inclusion challenges stereotypes, showing that inequality and lack of resources, not just urban stress, can drive 'darker' behavioral tendencies.

Vermont, Utah, Maine, New Hampshire, Oregon, Alaska

Vermont’s low score (1.96) positions it as the least likely to harbor dark personalities. These states share lower poverty rates, strong community cohesion and fewer corruption issues, creating environments that foster trust and cooperation.

While the link between adverse conditions and dark traits is moderate, its social cost is substantial. Traits like aggression, exploitation and cheating contribute to systemic challenges from governance issues to workplace toxicity .

Zettler emphasizes that small improvements in reducing corruption and inequality can yield large societal benefits by stemming the growth of dark personality traits

Researchers acknowledge limitations. The study doesn't account for migration—a psychopath in New York may have grown up elsewhere. Also, while personality evolves, genetic factors and early childhood experiences play significant roles. The findings highlight personality as malleable, shaped significantly by social context.

This extensive data reveals that the "dark factor" is not a rarity it lingers in communities shaped by inequality, corruption and violence but the study also offers hope.