Patti Neighmond

In NPR's most recent poll, a majority of American adults say they played sports in their youth. Many say they encourage their kids to play, too, and see health benefits as well as lifelong lessons.

A federal health advisory committee now says everyone aged 16 to 23 should talk to a doctor about whether they need to get immunized against a rare but dangerous strain of meningitis.

A report finds mixed results when it comes to how well medical marijuana works to calm pain and control symptoms. And, an editorial says states legalizing pot for medical use may be jumping the gun.

For many Americans, an NPR poll suggests, walking is their most consistent exercise. But how much can a moderately paced walk really help your health?

Music can energize, soothe or relax us. And it can also help reduce pain. Researchers found that listening to a favorite song or story helped children manage pain after major surgery.

A Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, NPR and Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health poll finds that while most adults played team sports when they were kids, the vast majority no longer play sports.

Even after the psychological pain is effectively treated, damage from long years of depression may linger. It seems to double the risk of stroke among adults over age 50, research suggests.

Each year more than 12 million Americans go to the doctor because of severe, chronic headaches. Many are sent for expensive tests. Researchers say all this testing isn't doing people much good.

We know that sitting all day is hazardous to our health, increasing the risk of obesity, diabetes, hypertension, inflammation and atherosclerosis. It all sounds pretty dismal, since many of today's jobs require us to be nearly glued to our computer screens. But a tiny two-minute break may help offset that ...

You don't have to be out running marathons to get health benefits from leisure activities. Engaging pastimes like reading, sewing or listening to music improved health markers, a study finds.

Each year the U.S. spends billions of dollars on unnecessary tests and treatments that result from inaccurate mammograms, some scientists say. They're calling for more selective screening.

Treadmill desks were the hot new trend in exercising a few years ago. The idea was to get moving and lose weight at work. But a new study suggests people don't use them enough to make a difference.

Suicide rates in the U.S. have gone up considerably in recent years, claiming an average of 36,000 lives annually.

Most people take their lives in or near home. But suicide on the job is also increasing and, according to federal researchers, suicide risk changes depending on the type of work ...

Living in substandard housing can make health problems like asthma much worse. Two mothers tell of their families' struggles to stay healthy in poor housing and their efforts to improve their lot.

People with household incomes of less than $25,000 a year say in a new poll that the lack of cash really hurts their health. Low-quality food and dangerous housing are two reasons why.

As California's measles outbreak continues to spread beyond state borders, many doctors nationwide are grappling with how best to convince parents to have their children vaccinated. Inviting a collaborative conversation doesn't work all that well, many are finding. Recent research suggests that being more matter-of-fact can work a lot better.

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The pressure, doctors say, is mostly coming from other parents who don't want their infants exposed to measles, whooping cough or other serious illness in the pediatric waiting room.

California is grappling with an outbreak of measles. In Alameda County, health officials have told parents whose babies have been exposed to the virus to keep their children at home for 21 days.

California health officials say more than 4 dozen cases of measles have been diagnosed in the state — a result of an outbreak that started at Disneyland. Most who got sick were not vaccinated.

Bariatric surgery works for severely obese patients because it shrinks the size of the stomach. But years later, the stomach starts to expand and some patients regain the weight they lost.