Invited Commentary: Ionizing Radiation and Future Reproductive Health —Old Cohorts Still Deserve Attention
AbstractRadiation from nuclear weapons or power plants has caused great concern among the public —concern that needs to be addressed with the best available data. Among the concerns associated with ionizing radiation are possible serious and far-reaching effects on reproductive health. Relevant data that can be used to address these concerns are scarce. The Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings of World War II and the 1986 Chernobyl disaster in Ukraine are probably among the most dramatic and important sources of information on health effects, but much of the information is historical, and the exposed cohorts are getting old. ...
Source: American Journal of Epidemiology - May 22, 2021 Category: Epidemiology Source Type: research
Yamada et al. Respond to “Radiation and Reproductive Health”
We thank Dr. Lie (1) for his interest in our study (2) and appreciate his comments and recognition that the primary data were collected 7 decades ago. We respond to his main points as follows. (Source: American Journal of Epidemiology)
Source: American Journal of Epidemiology - May 22, 2021 Category: Epidemiology Source Type: research
The Challenge of Achieving Immunity Through Multiple-Dose Vaccines in Madagascar
AbstractAdministration of many childhood vaccines requires that multiple doses be delivered within a narrow time window to provide adequate protection and reduce disease transmission. Accurately quantifying vaccination coverage is complicated by limited individual-level data and multiple vaccination mechanisms (routine and supplementary vaccination programs). We analyzed 12,541 vaccination cards from 6 districts across Madagascar for children born in 2015 and 2016. For 3 vaccines —pentavalent diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis-hepatitis B-Haemophilus influenzae type b vaccine (DTP-HB-Hib; 3 doses), 10-valent pneumococcal c...
Source: American Journal of Epidemiology - May 22, 2021 Category: Epidemiology Source Type: research
Clarifying the Trade-Offs of Risk-Stratified Screening for Prostate Cancer: A Cost-Effectiveness Study
AbstractCancer risk prediction is necessary for precision early detection, which matches screening intensity to risk. However, practical steps for translating risk predictions to risk-stratified screening policies are not well established. We used a validated population prostate-cancer model to simulate the outcomes of strategies that increase intensity for men at high risk and reduce intensity for men at low risk. We defined risk by the Prompt Prostate Genetic Score (PGS) (Stratify Genomics, San Diego, California), a germline genetic test. We first recalibrated the model to reflect the disease incidence observed within ri...
Source: American Journal of Epidemiology - May 22, 2021 Category: Epidemiology Source Type: research
Maternal Medication Use and Childhood Cancer in Offspring —Systematic Review and Considerations for Researchers
AbstractCancer is an important cause of childhood mortality, yet the etiology is largely unknown. A combination of pre- and postnatal factors is thought to be implicated, including maternal medication use. We aimed to provide: 1) a systematic review of peer-reviewed publications on associations between maternal medication use and childhood cancer, with a focus on study design and methodology; and 2) suggestions for how to increase transparency, limit potential biases, and improve comparability in studies on maternal medication use and childhood cancer. We conducted a systematic search in the PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Cochran...
Source: American Journal of Epidemiology - May 21, 2021 Category: Epidemiology Source Type: research
The Association Between Cytomegalovirus and Disability by Race/Ethnicity and Sex: Results From the Health and Retirement Study
AbstractRecent studies have documented a decline in the overall prevalence of disability in the United States; however, racial/ethnic and sex disparities continue to persist. Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection, a socially patterned exposure, may be a key mechanism in understanding these previously documented disparities. Using data from a nationally representative study, the 2016 Health and Retirement Study, we employed Poisson log-binomial models to estimate the prevalence of disability in a comparison of CMV-seropositive and -seronegative adults and investigated effect modification by race/ethnicity and sex. Among the 9,029...
Source: American Journal of Epidemiology - May 21, 2021 Category: Epidemiology Source Type: research
On the use of nonparametric bounds for causal effects in null randomized trials
The goal of randomized experiments is to estimate the causal effect of an intervention on a clinically relevant outcome. When study subjects are missing outcome information due to factors related to the intervention, compliance, or the outcome, the causal effect is not identifiable from the observed data alone (1). When there is no missing data, randomization allows identification of the effect of assignment to the intervention, sometimes called the intent-to-treat effect; this is only equivalent to the intervention effect if subjects comply with their assigned intervention as directed. When this is not the case, the inter...
Source: American Journal of Epidemiology - May 21, 2021 Category: Epidemiology Source Type: research
Differences in Perinatal Outcomes of Birthing People in Same-Sex and Different-Sex Marriages
AbstractIt is unknown whether people in same-sex relationships who give birth have different perinatal outcomes than people in different-sex relationships, despite differences in risk factors such as use of assisted reproductive technologies, obesity, smoking, and poor mental health. Marriage equality has established birth certificates as a promising new source of population-based data on births to same-sex married parents. We used birth certificate data from Massachusetts for 201,873 singletons born to married parents from 2012 to 2016. We estimated the associations of several birth outcomes with having a birth parent in ...
Source: American Journal of Epidemiology - May 20, 2021 Category: Epidemiology Source Type: research
Influential Periods in Longitudinal Clinical Cardiovascular Health Scores
AbstractThe prevalence of ideal cardiovascular health (CVH) among adults in the United States is low and decreases with age. Our objective was to identify specific age windows when the loss of CVH accelerates, to ascertain preventive opportunities for intervention. Data were pooled from 5 longitudinal cohorts (Project Heartbeat!, Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study, The Bogalusa Heart Study, Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults, Special Turku Coronary Risk Factor Intervention Project) from the United States and Finland from 1973 to 2012. Individuals with clinical CVH factors (i.e., body mass index, blood p...
Source: American Journal of Epidemiology - May 20, 2021 Category: Epidemiology Source Type: research
Perceived Stress and Molecular Bacterial Vaginosis in the National Institutes of Health Longitudinal Study of Vaginal Flora
AbstractVaginal microbiota provide the first line of defense against urogenital infections primarily through protective actions ofLactobacillus species Perceived stress increases susceptibility to infection through several mechanisms, including suppression of immune function. We investigated whether stress was associated with deleterious changes to vaginal bacterial composition in a subsample of 572 women in the Longitudinal Study of Vaginal Flora, sampled from 1999 through 2002. Using Cox proportional hazards models, both unadjusted and adjusted for sociodemographic factors and sexual behaviors, we found that participants...
Source: American Journal of Epidemiology - May 19, 2021 Category: Epidemiology Source Type: research
Comparison of Relative Survival and Cause-Specific Survival in Men With Prostate Cancer According to Age and Risk Category: A Nationwide, Population-Based Study
AbstractNet survival, estimated in a relative survival (RS) or cause-specific survival (CSS) framework, is a key measure of the effectiveness of cancer management. We compared RS and CSS in men with prostate cancer (PCa) according to age and risk category, using Prostate Cancer data Base Sweden, including 168,793 men younger than age 90 years, diagnosed 1998 –2016 with PCa. RS and CSS were compared according to age and risk category based on TNM (tumor, nodes, and metastases) stage, Gleason score, and prostate-specific antigen level. Each framework requires assumptions that are unlikely to be appropriate for PCa. Ten-yea...
Source: American Journal of Epidemiology - May 19, 2021 Category: Epidemiology Source Type: research
Unemployment Insurance and Mortality Among the Long-Term Unemployed: A Population-Based Matched-Cohort Study
AbstractUnemployment insurance is hypothesized to play an important role in mitigating the adverse health consequences of job loss. In this prospective cohort study, we examined whether receiving unemployment benefits is associated with lower mortality among the long-term unemployed. Census records from the 2006 Canadian Census Health and Environment Cohort (n = 2,105,595) were linked to mortality data from 2006–2016. Flexible parametric survival analysis and propensity score matching were used to model time-varying relationships between long-term unemployment (≥20 weeks), unemployment-benefit recipiency, and all-cau...
Source: American Journal of Epidemiology - May 14, 2021 Category: Epidemiology Source Type: research
The 3D-Transition Study: Objectives, Methods, and Implementation of an Innovative Planned Missing-Data Design
AbstractThe prevalence of mental health problems represents a significant burden on school and community health resources as early as preschool. Reducing this burden requires a better understanding of the developmental mechanisms linking children ’s early vulnerabilities with mental health after the transition to formal schooling. The 3D-Transition Study (2017–2021) follows 939 participants from a pregnancy cohort in the province of Québec, Canada, as they transition to kindergarten and first grade to examine these mechanisms. Biannual assessments include completed questionnaires from 2 parents as well as teachers, pa...
Source: American Journal of Epidemiology - May 12, 2021 Category: Epidemiology Source Type: research
Outcome-Stratified Analysis of Biomarker Trajectories for Patients Infected With Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2
AbstractLongitudinal trajectories of vital signs and biomarkers during hospital admission of patients with COVID-19 remain poorly characterized despite their potential to provide critical insights about disease progression. We studied 1884 patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection from April 3, 2020, to June 25, 2020, within 1 Maryland hospital system and used a retrospective longitudinal framework with linear mixed-effects models to investigate relevant biomarker trajectories leading up to 3 critical outcomes: mechanical ventilation, discharge, and death. Trajectories of 4 vital signs (respir...
Source: American Journal of Epidemiology - May 12, 2021 Category: Epidemiology Source Type: research
Urban Densification and Physical Activity Change: A 12-Year Longitudinal Study of Australian Adults
We examined associations of population density changes in urban areas with adults’ physical activity changes over 12 years using data from the Australian Diabetes, Obesity and Lifestyle Study (1999–2012). The analytical sample contained 2,35 4 participants who remained at the same residential address throughout the study period in metropolitan cities and regional cities (42 study areas). Census-based population density measures were calculated for 1-km–radius buffers around their homes. Population density change was estimated using li near growth models. Two-level linear regression models were used to assess associat...
Source: American Journal of Epidemiology - May 12, 2021 Category: Epidemiology Source Type: research
