Behind the Headlines 2016 Quiz of the Year

In 2016, Behind the Headlines covered more than 300 health stories that made it into the mainstream media. If you've been paying attention you should find this quiz easy and fun.

Answers are at the foot of the page (no peeking!).

In January 2016's health news...

In a controversial study, monkeys were genetically engineered to develop what condition?

1. Sex addiction
2. Bipolar disorder
3. Autism

In a similarly controversial study, what psychological condition was dismissed as a "myth"?

1. Seasonal affective disorder
2. Agoraphobia
3. Social anxiety disorder

In February 2016's health news...

Brain scans were used to see if what activity was addictive?

1. Shopping online
2. Checking your emails
3. Using Facebook

Exercise in middle age was claimed to stop what from shrinking?

1. Your brain
2. Your penis (assuming you have one)
3. Your height

In March 2016's health news...

What could possibly "break your heart" (or at least damage your heart muscles)?

1. Moments of joy
2. A sudden shock
3. The loss of a much loved pet

Why should you always be polite to your doctor?

1. Well-liked patients are often pushed to the front of the waiting list
2. You are more likely to get an appointment when you want
3. Rude patients are "more likely to be misdiagnosed"  

In April 2016's health news...

What was said to put off bedbugs from making a nest in your mattress?

1. Making sure your bed sheets were either yellow or green
2. Burning a scented candle every evening
3. Regularly playing opera (or any other music that contains high-pitched noises)

What group leisure activity was found to boost immunity in people recovering from cancer?

1. Line dancing
2. Singing in a choir
3. Amateur dramatics  

In May 2016's health news...

What psychoactive substance was tested as a treatment for depression?

1. Peyote
2. Psilocybin
3. DMT

What was said to help babies sleep better?

1. A massage
2. A bath before bedtime
3. Leaving them to cry  

In June 2016's health news...

Researchers claimed one of the following proverbs about food could actually be evidenced-based?

1. All happiness depends on a leisurely breakfast
2. Beer after wine and you'll feel fine; wine after beer and you'll feel queer
3. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper

What was said to be a bad influence on young girls?

1. Disney Princess culture
2. Selfies
3. YouTube "vloggers"  

In July 2016's health news...

What could millions of people have without realising it?

1. A parasite inside their digestive system
2. A "secret ginger gene"
3. An extra bone inside their foot

What increasingly popular activity was linked to blood clots?

1. Zumba dancing
2. Binge-watching box sets
3. "Screen walking" – checking your phone screen while walking  

In August 2016's health news...

What popular types of summer venues were said to be becoming measles hotspots 

1. Beaches
2. Water parks
3. Music festivals

A decline in the quality of what could have potential human implications?

1. Bee pollen
2. Dog sperm
3. Ant eggs  

In September 2016's health news...

What skin condition could delay the signs of ageing?

1. Acne
2. Eczema
3. Psoriasis

What activity could help you pass a kidney stone?

1. Paragliding
2. Riding a roller coaster 
3. Snowboarding

In October 2016's health news...

What did we describe as "lukewarm at best"?

1. Claims coffee prevented dementia
2. Claims that hot baths prevented high blood pressure
3. Claims that electric heating blankets prevented erectile dysfunction

What was reported as putting people off making appointments to see their GP?

1. Receptionists asking questions about symptoms
2. Sitting in a waiting room full of sick people
3. Having to take time off work  

In November 2016's health news...

Adults who spent time doing what activity in childhood were reported as having better mental health?

1. Going to regular religious services
2. Eating a vegan diet
3. Belonging to the Scouts or Girl Guides

Using what type of sporting equipment was said to help you live longer?

1. Golf clubs
2. Exercise bikes
3. Racquets  

In December 2016's health news...

What type of exercise was said to be best for sperm quality?

1. No exercise
2. Moderate exercise
3. Intense exercise

Regular pubic hair grooming was linked to what?

1. Increased risk of sexually transmitted infections
2. Triggering acne on the skin of the inner thighs 
3. In men – shrinkage of the scrotum

Answers

January

In a controversial study, monkeys were genetically engineered to develop what disorder?

• 3) Autism – monkeys were genetically engineered to develop problems with social interaction and behaviour

In a similarly controversial study, what psychological condition was dismissed as a "myth"?

• 1) Seasonal affective disorder – US researchers, carrying out a survey, found no association between season, latitude and sunlight exposure and reported symptoms of depression

February 

Brain scans were used to see if what activity was addictive?

• 3) Using Facebook – the scans found "impulsive" patterns of activities also seen in people with substance addictions

Exercise in middle age was claimed to stop what from shrinking?

• 1) Your brain – a study found people with good fitness levels in their 40s had larger brains than their unfit peers when measured 20 years later

March

What could possibly "break your heart" (or at least damage your heart muscles)?

• 1) Moments of joy – researchers found that Takotsubo syndrome – where negative emotional events, such as grief, cause the chambers of the heart to balloon – can also be triggered by positive emotional events, such as a wedding

Why should you always be polite to your doctor?

• 3) Rude patients are "more likely to be misdiagnosed" – a study found that patients who are rude may lead doctors to lose focus when trying to come to a diagnosis

April

What was said to put off bedbugs from making a nest in your mattress?

• 1) Making sure your bed sheets were either yellow or green – researchers found bedbugs strongly preferred red and black, but tended to avoid colours such as green and yellow

What group leisure activity was found to boost immunity in people recovering from cancer?

• 2) Singing in a choir – researchers found that people allocated to choir singing had higher levels of cytokines; proteins involved in the immune response

May

What psychoactive substance was tested as a treatment for depression?

• 2) Psilocybin – the active ingredient in "magic mushrooms" was given to 12 volunteers 

What was said to help babies sleep better?

• 3) Leaving them to cry – a small study found "graduated extinction" – better known as controlled crying in this country – increased sleep length and reduced the number of times babies woke up during the night

June

Researchers claimed what following proverb about food could actually be evidenced-based?

• 3) "Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper" – a review into "chrono-nutrition", which involves seeing if when we eat is as important as what we eat, suggested there may be some truth in the old adage

What was said to be a bad influence on young girls?

• 1) Disney Princess culture – researchers argued that the Princess ideal may lead girls to "believe that their opportunities in life are limited because of preconceived notions regarding gender"

July

What could millions of people have without realising it? 

• 2) A "secret ginger gene" – the gene, while not affecting hair colour, could make peoples' skin more vulnerable to skin damage

What increasingly popular activity was linked to blood clots?

• 2) Binge-watching box sets – researchers estimated that people who regularly watched more than five hours of TV a day had an increased risk of dying from a blood clot

August

What popular types of summer venues were said to be becoming measles hotspots?

• 3) Music festivals – children who missed out on the MMR vaccine due to a discredited health scare, were now old enough to attend festivals

A decline in the quality of what could have potential human implications?

• 2) Dog sperm – researchers reported a decline in dogs' sperm quality; the concern is that this may be due to environmental reasons that may also affect humans 

September

What skin condition could delay the signs of ageing?

• 1) Acne – researchers found that women who'd had acne had, on average, longer telomeres; caps at the end of chromosomes that may protect against ageing

What activity could help you pass a kidney stone?

• 2) Riding a roller coaster – results suggested that riding on Walt Disney World's Big Thunder Mountain Railroad ride (other roller coasters are available) helped pass kidney stones  

October

What did we describe as "lukewarm at best"?

• 1) Claims coffee prevented dementia – the main result of the study, in terms of dementia prevention, only scraped the level required for statistical significance

What was reported as putting people off making appointments to see their GP?

• 1) Receptionists asking questions about symptoms – a survey of around 2,000 people in the UK found that many felt uneasy describing symptoms to receptionists

November

Adults who spent time doing what activity in childhood were reported as having better mental health?

• 3) Belonging to the Scouts or Girl Guides – adults who reported being Scouts or Guides were less likely to report a mood or anxiety disorder

Using what type of sporting equipment was said to help you live longer?

• 3) Racquets – a study looking at the impact of individual sports on mortality found racquet sports reduced the risk of death by around 47%

December

What type of exercise was said to be best for sperm quality?

• 2) Moderate exercise – walking or jogging a few times a week appeared to be the best option

Regular pubic hair grooming was linked to what?

• 1) Increased risk of sexually transmitted infections – frequent groomers also reported having more frequent infections

Scores:

• 0-2: Carry on Again Doctor (1969): Dr Nookey is disgraced and sent to a remote island hospital...
• 3-5: Dr. Dolittle 2 (2001): Dolittle must save a forest and a bear's life...
• 6-8: The Return of Doctor X (1939): A hotshot reporter and a young doctor team up to investigate a series of grisly murders and a mysterious sample of synthetic blood...
• 9-11: The Fiendish Plot of Dr. Fu Manchu (1980): Fu Manchu's 168th birthday celebration is dampened when a hapless flunky spills Fu's age-regressing elixir vitae...
• 12-15: The Island of Dr. Moreau (1977): A shipwrecked survivor discovers a remote island with a mad scientist...
• 16-19: Doctor Strange (2016): A former neurosurgeon embarks on a journey of healing only to be drawn into the world of the mystic arts...
• 20-23: Dr. Who and the Daleks (1965): An eccentric inventor and his companions travel in his TARDIS to the Planet Skaro and battle the evil menace of the Daleks...
• 24: Doctor Zhivago (1965): The life of a Russian physician and poet who, although married to another, falls in love with a political activist's wife and experiences hardship...

Thanks for taking part and we hope you had fun and have a happy and healthy 2017.