Childhood obesity represents one of the most significant public health and educational challenges of the modern era. The prevalence of overweight and obesity among children and adolescents has risen substantially worldwide over recent decades, affecting a large number of young people. In the United Kingdom, childhood obesity remains highly prevalent and is disproportionately concentrated in socioeconomically deprived communities. While cardiometabolic and psychosocial consequences are well established, evidence is accumulating that obesity also compromises neurocognitive development and academic achievement. This link has major implications for lifelong well-being and social mobility. This review was conducted to systematically evaluate contemporary evidence (2015-2025) exploring the relationship between childhood overweight or obesity and academic outcomes, including test performance, grades, attendance, and cognitive function, and to synthesize mechanistic explanations across biological, psychological, and social domains. Following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) 2020 guidelines, PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus were searched for English-language studies from January 2015 to July 2025. Eligible designs included cross-sectional, longitudinal, and interventional studies that measured overweight or obesity via BMI or equivalent anthropometric indices and reported at least one academic or cognitive outcome. Study quality was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) for observational studies and the Cochrane RoB 2.0 tool for randomized trials. Twenty studies (seven cross-sectional, ten longitudinal, and three interventional) met the inclusion criteria. Across diverse contexts, elevated BMI was consistently associated with poorer academic performance. Longitudinal analyses confirmed directionality: persistent overweight predicted slower progress in literacy and numeracy, independent of parental education or socioeconomic status (SES). Proposed mediators included inflammatory neuromodulation, sleep disturbance, stigma, and deprivation. School-based interventions integrating physical activity, nutrition education, and psychosocial support improved engagement and executive function despite modest BMI change. A modest but consistent inverse association exists between childhood obesity and academic achievement. The relationship is multidimensional, reflecting interactions between biology, behavior, and social context, and highlights the need for school-centered, equity-focused prevention strategies. Addressing obesity as both a health and educational issue could yield dual benefits in cognitive development and long-term well-being.

Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory papulosquamous skin disease whose psychological and interpersonal effects are underrecognized. This study aimed to evaluate dyadic adjustment and sexual functioning in patients with psoriasis and their spouses, in comparison with healthy controls.

The study included three groups: psoriasis patients (n=47), their spouses (n=40), and healthy controls (HC) (n=42). The Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) and the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) were administered to the patient group, while the Family Dermatology Life Quality Index (FDLQI) was administered to the spouse group. The Short Form-12 Health Survey (SF-12), the Dyadic Adjustment Scale-Revised (RDAS), the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), and the Arizona Sexual Experiences Scale (ASEX) were administered to all three groups.

Sexual dysfunction was observed in 83% of patients, 65% of spouses, and 50% of healthy controls. RDAS total and subscale scores (consensus, cohesion, satisfaction) were significantly lower in patients and spouses compared with healthy controls (p<0.001). Patients had significantly higher BDI scores than both spouses (p=0.016) and controls (p=0.002), and significantly lower physical and mental SF-12 scores. In spouses, FDLQI scores positively correlated with BDI (r=0.369, p=0.021) and negatively with SF-12 mental scores (r=-0.505, p=0.001). Regression analysis revealed that depressive symptoms (p=0.004) and disease duration (p=0.049) significantly predicted sexual dysfunction.

Psoriasis exerts a substantial psychosocial burden not only on patients but also on their spouses. Addressing relational and sexual well-being in clinical care may improve overall quality of life for affected couples.

The United States has one of the highest cesarean section (c-sections) rates among high-income countries. Birthing people who self-report as Black women in the United States are not only are three to four times more likely to die from preventable prenatal challenges, but also are the most prevalent racial group to receive either planned or unplanned c-sections.

Our initial aim focused on the lived experiences of prenatal care and the variety of birth types among Black women that was analyzed for a prior publication. In this secondary analysis, we noticed there was a large portion of study participants who discussed their perceptions of cesarean births.

In this specific analysis and due to c-section prevalence among Black women, we solely focused on the perceptions of c-sections, whether of planned or unplanned mode of delivery.

We analyzed interviews from 25 women in the South Florida region of the United States who had at least one recent pregnancy and/or birth of a living child (<24 months) at the time of data collection. Data were thematically analyzed and coded using NVIVO 12 software by our research team.

Nineteen Black women had high-risk prenatal status, with n = 15 of the 25 Black women having c-sections. Regardless of whether c-sections were planned or unplanned, perceptions of c-sections were expressed as traumatizing and coercive. We also noticed how participants described their experiences with intergenerational trauma from the collective memory and triggers of their familial social groups who also had adverse experiences with c-sections. Participants who desired vaginal-births-after-cesarean sections or wanted to incorporate approaches with midwives or doulas further experienced constrained choices due to their high-risk prenatal diagnosis and limited insurance coverage. Based on our results, we designed a conceptual model to illustrate how our findings can be applied to better understand the overlap between medical racism and obstetric racism, which has implications for the perpetuation of unwarranted c-sections, high-risk pregnancies, negative mental health issues, and racial birth trauma.

Social factors, including medical racism, contribute to obstetric racism and racial birth trauma throughout postpartum and impact mental health.

Unemployment is high among individuals with schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSDs) and substance use disorders (SUDs). Vocational rehabilitation (VR) programs have demonstrated effectiveness on occupational outcomes for both groups. The aim of this study is to compare characteristics of individuals with SSD and SUD seeking VR.

This study draws on data from two independent projects: the Job Management Program (JUMP) for individuals with SSD and the IPS in SUD (IPS-SUD) study, comprising a total of 341 participants. Baseline demographic, occupational, and diagnostic characteristics are described, with group comparisons.

The groups differed significantly in age, employment history, and benefit status. Restricting the sample to participants aged 18-49, differences in prior employment remained but were attenuated. Overall, SUD participants were older and more frequently received full disability benefits, whereas JUMP participants were younger and more often received partial disability benefits.

These findings highlight the heterogeneity of populations targeted by VR interventions and underscore the need for tailored program adaptations. Demographic and clinical differences should guide the design, implementation, and evaluation of VR services to enhance their relevance and effectiveness.