Medical practice

Behind the Headlines 2017 Quiz of the Year

2017 was another busy year for health news.

In the last 12 months, Behind the Headlines has 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's news...

What ancient practice was said to be useful for lower back pain?:

  • a) Yoga
  • b) Meditation
  • c) Tai Chi

What activity was said to age your DNA?:

  • a) Sitting down all day
  • b) Using a sunbed
  • c) Standing close to a working microwave

In February's news...

What traditional type of sweet was linked to ADHD?:

  • a) Toffee
  • b) Turkish delight
  • c) Liquorice

A study called for what to be added to food to prevent colds and flu?:

  • a) Zinc
  • b) Vitamin D
  • c) Echinacea

In March's news...

Playing what game was reported as helping prevent PTSD?:

  • a) Tetris
  • b) Solitaire
  • c) Backgammon

What was described as a "dangerous cocktail"? Mixing:

  • a) Sugars and fats
  • b) Alcohol and energy drinks
  • c) Binge eating with binge watching a box set

In April's news...

British babies were (wrongly) reported to be?:

  • a) The world's worst criers
  • b) The world's cutest babies
  • c) The world's fattest babies

What hipster essential was linked to heat stroke?:

  • a) Tattoos
  • b) Skinny jeans
  • c) Bulletproof coffee

In May's news...

What social media app was reported to be most harmful for teen mental health?:

  • a) Instagram
  • b) Snapchat
  • c) WhatsApp

What popular diet trend may be doing "more harm than good"?:

  • a) Juicing
  • b) Gluten-free food
  • c) Coconut oil

In June's news...

What group of people was reported to spend more time sitting down than the average person over 75?:

  • a) Millennials
  • b) Middle-aged office workers
  • c) Schoolchildren

What kitchen essential got blamed for spreading "toxic spores"?:

  • a) Toaster
  • b) Kettle
  • c) Washing-up bowl

In July's news...

What type of farmyard animal was vaccinated against HIV?:

  • a) Cows
  • b) Sheep
  • c) Chickens

What was said to have halved in the last 40 years?:

  • a) Average sperm count in Western men
  • b) STIs rates in UK teenagers
  • c) Christmas-associated food poisoning cases

In August's news...

What cosmetic practice was reported to be leading to accidental injury?:

  • a) Hair dyeing
  • b) Using eyelash extensions
  • c) Shaving pubic hair

What "old wives' tale" may have an element of truth in it?:

  • a) Carrots help you see better in the dark
  • b) You lose most of your body heat through your head
  • c) Kissing a cut or graze will help it heal faster

In September's news...

What was reported to be "hitchhiking" on dirty holiday laundry?:

  • a) Head lice
  • b) Bedbugs
  • c) Cat and dog fleas

Going to what type of institution may cut your risk of heart disease?:

  • a) Prison
  • b) University
  • c) Boarding school

In October's news...

What was described as a "waste of time and money"?:

  • a) DNA analysis
  • b) Telomere measuring
  • c) Hormonal fertility testing

What dietary habit could lead to hardening of the arteries?:

  • a) Cutting down on your carbs
  • b) Putting ketchup on your chips
  • c) Regularly skipping breakfast

In November's news...

What could be potentially bad for children's health?:

  • a) Fidget spinners
  • b) Grandparents
  • c) Pokémon Go

What type of wound may heal faster?:

  • a) Wounds sustained during the daytime
  • b) Wounds sustained during the night-time
  • c) Wounds sustained at a high altitude

In December's news...

Eating 40g of what per day may bring some health benefits?:

  • a) Nuts
  • b) Prunes
  • c) Cheese

We were told there is "proof" that smoking makes you less what?:

  • a) Physically attractive
  • b) Intelligent
  • c) Co-ordinated

And the answers are...

In January's news...

What ancient practice was said to be useful for lower back pain?:

  • a) Yoga – a review found that yoga may have some benefits when compared to a wait and see approach

What activity was said to age your DNA?:

  • a) Sitting down all day – researchers found evidence that suggests that women who spend most of the day sitting down have faster-ageing cells compared to more active women

In February's news...

What traditional type of sweet was linked to ADHD?:

  • c) Liquorice – Researchers found eating liquorice in pregnancy is linked to a range of developmental issues, including ADHD

A study called for what to be added to food to prevent colds and flu?:

  • b) Vitamin D – a review estimated that supplementing food with vitamin D would prevent millions of cold and flu cases

In March's news

Playing what game was reported to help prevent PTSD?:

  • a) Tetris – researchers speculated that playing the visually demanding game may help prevent the brain from storing upsetting visual memories after a traumatic event

What was described as a "dangerous cocktail"? Mixing:

  • b) Alcohol and energy drinks – put simply the alcohol can make you think of doing something stupid and the energy drink then gives you the energy to go out and do it

In April's news...

British babies were (wrongly) reported to be?:

  • a) The world's worst criers – but the review that prompted the claim only found reliable data from a handful of nations

What hipster essential was linked to heat stroke?:

  • a) Tattoos – a small study found tattooed skin produced less sweat, which could lead to overheating

In May's news...

What social media app was reported to be most harmful for teen mental health?:

  • a) Instagram – the photo sharing app was linked to anxiety, depression, loneliness, bullying, body image and FOMO (fear of missing out) – where your social media peers seem to be enjoying a better quality of life

What popular diet trend may be doing "more harm than good"?:

  • b) Gluten-free food – a study found that going gluten-free may increase your risk of heart disease

In June's news...

What group of people was reported to spend more time sitting down than the average person over 75?:

  • b) Middle-aged office workers – a Scottish survey found people who worked reported a longer amount of time sitting down compared to those aged 75 and above

What kitchen essential got blamed for spreading "toxic spores"?:

  • b) Kettle – steam released by a kettle, as well as coffee machines and showers, was reported as creating the perfect conditions for fungi to grow

In July's news...

What type of farmyard animal was vaccinated against HIV?:

  • a) Cows – 4 cows were immunised against HIV

What was said to have halved in the last 40 years?:

In August's news...

What cosmetic practice was reported to be leading to accidental injury?:

  • c) Shaving pubic hair – a US survey found around 1 in 4 people who regularly shaved their pubic hair had experienced a minor injury as a result of their "grooming"

What "old wives' tale" may have an element of truth in it?:

In September's news...

What was reported to be "hitchhiking" on dirty holiday laundry?:

  • b) Bedbugs – dirty laundry left lying around in holiday hotel rooms may attract the bugs, who then "fly back home" along with the laundry

Going to what type of institution may cut your risk of heart disease?:

  • b) University – a gene study found people with genes associated with spending longer in education had around a 33% reduced risk of developing heart disease

In October's news...

What was described as a "waste of time and money"?:

  • c) Hormonal fertility testing – researchers in the US found hormones tested in "ovarian reserve" fertility test kits bear no relation to how likely women were to get pregnant

What dietary habit could lead to hardening of the arteries?:

  • c) Regularly skipping breakfast – researchers from Spain found that people who regularly skipped breakfast were more likely to have atherosclerosis – hardening and thickening of the arteries

In November's news...

What could be potentially bad for children's health?:

  • b) Grandparents – an international review found evidence that children cared for by grandparents were more likely to be overweight, and that parents often complained grandparents "undermined" their efforts to provide healthy meals

What type of wound may heal faster?:

  • a) Wounds sustained during the daytime – Fibroblasts – specialist cells that help repair damaged tissue – were found to be most active during the "daytime cycle" of the body clock

In December's news...

Eating 40g of what per day may bring some health benefits?:

  • c) Cheese – a daily portion of around 40g (around the size of a matchbox) was linked to a lower risk of heart disease and strokes

We were told there is "proof" that smoking makes you less what?:

  • a) Physically attractive – a twin study looked at how people perceived indentical twins – one a smoker, the other not – but the evidence was far from conclusive

Scores:

  • 1-5 Girlfriend in a Coma – The Smiths
  • 6-10 Achy Breaky Heart – Billy Ray Cyrus
  • 11-15 Night Nurse – Gregory Isaacs
  • 16-20 Rock 'n' Roll Doctor – Black Sabbath
  • 21-23 I Will Survive – Gloria Gaynor
  • 24 Stayin' Alive – Bee Gees

Hope you all have a happy new year and see you back in 2018.


NHS Attribution