Dating Partners Lessen Likelihood of Teen Substance Abuse

If the thought of your daughter dating inspires fears of more danger that you want to think about, this post may just make your day.

Young people who are in romantic relationships when they are 19 and 20 years old are less likely to drink, abuse drugs or smoke cigarettes, according to a study from the University of Washington.

Researchers tracked 909 students from first grade until age 20 and found that having a romantic partner in the first two years after high school somehow protected people from substance abuse, as long as the partners were not heavy users of drugs, alcohol, or cigarettes.

The authors of the study speculated that romantic relationships provide social support, make people happy, and cause them to spend less time at bars and with drinking friends.

Women Who Join Sports Teams Benefit More Than Those Who Take Up Running

A study that compared women who run to women who play soccer has determined that the soccer players do better in a variety of categories.

Team players had a higher degree of motivation, were more likely to stick to their exercise, and achieved better levels of physical fitness than did the runners.

• Researchers at the University of Copenhagen divided 100 adult women into three groups.
• The first group played soccer, the second group ran on a regular basis, and the third group did no particular exercise.
• They were tested after one month and then again after four months.
• To the surprise of the researchers, the soccer players did the best.

The women who played soccer have continued their training as a group. Some in the running group actually joined teams with the soccer group after the project finished, said Professor Peter Krustup, the study's leader.