About 900,000 Kiwis experience food insecurity. It's a quiet crisis that needs urgent attention

Any evidence of lice was once a reason for immediate dismissal from school, not to return until the student's head was lice-free. But what are known as "no-nit" policies have been dropped in favor of "nonexclusion" rules, prioritizing class time over any nuisance caused by parasites the size of sesame seeds. That leniency, of late, is coming back to bite some schools.

Housing is a key determinant of physical health. Housing conditions can increase or reduce the risk of problems including respiratory illness, heart disease and injury.

Feeding blueberries to infants as one of their first solid foods may help strengthen their immune systems, reduce allergy symptoms and support healthy gut development, according to new research from the University of Colorado Anschutz.

Older patients susceptible to chronic neurological conditions are willing to use wearables for remote monitoring to support their health and well-being at home. A recent study conducted at the University of Eastern Finland found that older patients are open to using wearable smart rings and view themselves as active contributors to their own care. The possibility for caregivers to access patient data collected was seen as reassuring and motivating, providing a sense of safety and guidance.

New research from the University of Copenhagen shows that team sports are a highly effective and potentially life-extending form of exercise for patients with high blood pressure and COPD. Even after a relatively short training period involving team sports, participants showed significantly improved blood pressure.

In May 2025, the White House proposed reducing the budget of the National Institutes of Health by roughly 40%—from about US$48 billion to $27 billion. Such a move would return NIH funding to levels last seen in 2007. Since NIH budget records began in 1938, NIH has seen only one previous double-digit cut: a 12% reduction in 1952.

Have you ever woken up after a night of poor sleep, glanced in the mirror and thought, "I look tired?"

Large pictorial warning labels on smoked tobacco products typically feature confronting images of the harmful health outcomes of smoking. Pictures of diseased lungs, gangrene and mouth decay aim to elicit strong emotional responses that reduce the appeal and acceptability of smoking, particularly among young people.

Parents play an important role in teaching their children about sex and relationships. But our new report shows many parents—fathers in particular—find it mortifying.

The link between diabetes and dementia is becoming increasingly clear. New research shows how blood sugar problems affect brain health and vice versa. Here are ten evidence-based insights into how the two conditions are related.

The term "microdosing" originally meant taking tiny amounts of psychedelics (such as mushrooms) to enhance mood or performance, with fewer side effects.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has declared a new Ebola outbreak in Kasai Province. It's caused by the most severe strain: Zaire Ebola virus.

Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS), an optical tool that leverages light-tissue interaction to measure changes in hemoglobin concentration and oxygenation, has been used in a variety of fields due to its ability to measure tissue oxygenation and blood flow noninvasively. In a new study led by Carnegie Mellon University and University of Pittsburgh researchers, NIRS was investigated as a screening tool for adults with sickle cell disease to assess not only oxygenation changes, but also the underlying mechanisms associated with aging with the disease.

Sales of the overdose reversal medication naloxone increased after it was made available to the public without a prescription but then dipped quickly in the period following the debut of over-the-counter sales, according to a new RAND study.

A new human challenge trial under way in Melbourne aims to advance research into Strep A, accelerating efforts toward the development of a vaccine.

Sharing how you're feeling can be frightening. Friends and family can judge, and therapists can be expensive and hard to come by, which is why some people are turning to ChatGPT for help with their mental health.

Republicans insist that President Donald Trump's cuts to Medicaid were aimed at reducing fraud and getting more of its adult beneficiaries into jobs. But the side effects may include less care for sick kids.

Mothers are more likely than fathers to discuss sex and relationships with their children, raising concerns that many boys are missing out on gender-specific guidance at a critical time in their lives.