A Systematic Review of Drink Specials, Drink Special Laws, and Alcohol-Related Outcomes
AbstractPurpose of ReviewThe adverse health and safety consequences of heavy alcohol consumption are a leading problem around the world. While many risk factors have been extensively studied and presented in comprehensive summaries, not all questions regarding risk factors for problematic drinking behaviors have been answered and presented in systematic reviews. As of March 2020, no review has summarized studies assessing the role of promotional price practices at on-premises alcohol outlets, known as drink specials. Also missing was systematic information of policies that regulated these promotional practices. We aimed to...
Source: Current Epidemiology Reports - October 31, 2020 Category: Epidemiology Source Type: research
Sex-Specific Neurotoxic Effects of Early-Life Exposure to Fluoride: a Review of the Epidemiologic and Animal Literature
AbstractPurpose of ReviewA growing body of evidence suggests adverse neurodevelopmental effects of early-life exposure to fluoride that may differ depending on timing of exposure and sex of the exposed. We conducted a literature search to identify the animal and human epidemiologic studies that examined sex-specific neurodevelopmental differences in response to prenatal and postnatal exposure to fluoride.Recent FindingsSix of 138 animal studies and 15 of 106 human epidemiologic studies tested for sex-specific effects. Prenatal exposure to fluoride was associated with a male susceptibility to adverse behavioural effects in ...
Source: Current Epidemiology Reports - October 30, 2020 Category: Epidemiology Source Type: research
Associations of Metals and Neurodevelopment: a Review of Recent Evidence on Susceptibility Factors
AbstractPurpose of ReviewEpidemiologic evidence exists that many metals are associated with adverse neurobehavioral effects in young children, including lead (Pb), methylmercury (meHg), manganese (Mn), and arsenic (As) (Antunes dos Santos et al. J Trace Elem Med Biol. 38:99 –107; Tolins et al. Ann Glob Health. 80(4):303–14; Vollet et al. Curr Environ Health Rep. 3(4):392–404; Bellinger Curr Opin Pediatr. 20(2):172–7). Importantly, chemical insult can vary depending on host factors and exposure circumstance. This systematic review summarizes the recent literatur e investigating modifying factors of the associations ...
Source: Current Epidemiology Reports - October 30, 2020 Category: Epidemiology Source Type: research
The Eternally Wounded Athlete: How Medical Professionals and Sports Injury Researchers Have Limited Female Athletes ’ Sport Participation and Biased the Interpretation of Sports Injury Research
AbstractPurpose of ReviewFemale sports participation has long been diminished compared to male sports participation. This review contextualizes current findings in historical implicit gender bias.Recent FindingsThe transition from the recognition of the Female Athlete Triad Syndrome to the Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport Syndrome (RED-S Syndrome) to the newly proposed Male Athlete Triad Syndrome demonstrates the power of implicit gender bias on sports injury research efforts, clinical practices, and policy decisions. Similarly, anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries have long been portrayed as a young female athlete...
Source: Current Epidemiology Reports - October 26, 2020 Category: Epidemiology Source Type: research
A Review of Alcohol Use Interventions on College Campuses and Sexual Assault Outcomes
AbstractPurpose of ReviewTo address whether and to what extent alcohol use interventions on college campuses are associated with reductions in sexual assault-related outcomes.Recent FindingsSeven studies evaluating five interventions were included; all showed positive impacts in at least one study. Positive impacts were seen across various intervention approaches, including web-based and in-person approaches, those including individual and group activities, and using content addressing alcohol only or alcohol and sexual assault. Some studies included only heavy drinkers, while others included general populations of student...
Source: Current Epidemiology Reports - October 19, 2020 Category: Epidemiology Source Type: research
A Review of Analytical Methods Used for Evaluating Clustering in Concussion-Related Symptoms
AbstractPurpose of ReviewClinicians often use symptom cluster presentations to inform concussion diagnosis and provision of care. The current review appraises the analytical methods used for the identification of clinically meaningful clusters based on symptom assessments.Recent FindingsSymptom clustering was commonly examined in relation to scores calculated using established assessment instruments. The majority of studies utilized Factor Analysis techniques for examining clustering, although statistical analyses were heterogeneously described by authors. Other techniques employed included time series network models, and ...
Source: Current Epidemiology Reports - October 15, 2020 Category: Epidemiology Source Type: research
A Selective Review of Negative Control Methods in Epidemiology
AbstractPurpose of ReviewNegative controls are a powerful tool to detect and adjust for bias in epidemiological research. This paper introduces negative controls to a broader audience and provides guidance on principled design and causal analysis based on a formal negative control framework.Recent FindingsWe review and summarize causal and statistical assumptions, practical strategies, and validation criteria that can be combined with subject-matter knowledge to perform negative control analyses. We also review existing statistical methodologies for the detection, reduction, and correction of confounding bias, and briefly ...
Source: Current Epidemiology Reports - October 15, 2020 Category: Epidemiology Source Type: research
Feasible but Not Yet Efficacious: a Scoping Review of Wearable Activity Monitors in Interventions Targeting Physical Activity, Sedentary Behavior, and Sleep
AbstractPurpose of ReviewThe use of wearable activity monitors (WAM) has burgeoned over recent years. The increasing use of WAM in research studies is not surprising given their commercial availability and improving reliability, which make them attractive alternatives to more expensive research-grade devices. However, the effects of WAM as an intervention or as part of the intervention are largely unknown. The present review aimed to explore the range and characteristics of interventions that utilize WAM and descriptively summarize the efficacy of these interventions.Recent FindingsA total of 65 articles (61 studies) were ...
Source: Current Epidemiology Reports - October 13, 2020 Category: Epidemiology Source Type: research
Risk and Protective Factors for Child Maltreatment: a Review
AbstractPurpose of ReviewThe purpose of this review was to synthesize the empirical literature regarding key risk and protective factors for child maltreatment at each level of the socioecological model and to identify directions for future research and practice.Recent FindingsPrior research has largely focused on risk and protective factors at the individual and interpersonal levels of the socioecological model. More recently, research has begun to examine risk and protective factors at the community and societal levels, with results suggesting that programmatic and policy interventions that reduce risk and enhance protec...
Source: Current Epidemiology Reports - October 6, 2020 Category: Epidemiology Source Type: research
Estimating the Association Between Mental Health Disorders and Suicide: a Review of Common Sources of Bias and Challenges and Opportunities for US-Based Research
AbstractPurpose of ReviewThe purpose of this review is to (1) illuminate prevalent methodological approaches and estimates of association between mental health diagnoses and suicide from the meta-analytic literature; (2) discuss key internal and external validity concerns with these estimates; and (3) highlight some of the unique attributes and challenges in US-based suicide research and opportunities to move the evidence base forward.Recent FindingsGlobally, there is considerable variability in measures of association between mental health disorders and suicide and a growing debate over methodological approaches to this r...
Source: Current Epidemiology Reports - September 30, 2020 Category: Epidemiology Source Type: research
Systems Thinking in the Context of Road Safety: Can Systems Tools Help us Realize a True “Safe Systems” Approach?
AbstractPurpose of ReviewRoad traffic injuries are one of the leading causes of death in the USA and globally. We introduce the Safe Systems approach as a promising paradigm for road safety practice and describe how systems thinking tools can help bridge the gap between the current status quo and a Safe Systems approach.Recent FindingsSystems thinking tools can help us align with a Safe Systems approach by identifying latent risks in the transportation system, examining factors that coalesce to produce high travel speeds and kinetic energy transfer and supporting safety prioritization through goal alignment.SummaryThe Safe...
Source: Current Epidemiology Reports - September 30, 2020 Category: Epidemiology Source Type: research
Older Women ’s Perspectives Driving Mammography Screening Use and Overuse: a Narrative Review of Mixed-Methods Studies
AbstractPurpose of ReviewExamining what older women know and perceive about mammography screening is critical for understanding patterns of under- and overuse, and concordance with screening mammography guidelines in the USA. This narrative review synthesizes qualitative and quantitative evidence around older women ’s perspectives toward mammography screening.Recent FindingsThe majority of 43 identified studies focused on promoting mammography screening in women of different ages, with only four studies focusing on the overuse of mammography in women ≥ 70 years old. Older women hold positive attitudes around screeni...
Source: Current Epidemiology Reports - September 24, 2020 Category: Epidemiology Source Type: research
Difference-in-Difference in the Time of Cholera: a Gentle Introduction for Epidemiologists
AbstractPurpose of ReviewThe goal of this article is to provide an introduction to the intuition behind the difference-in-difference method for epidemiologists. We focus on the theoretical aspects of this tool, including the types of questions for which difference-in-difference is appropriate, and what assumptions must hold for the results to be causally interpretable.Recent FindingsWhile currently under-utilized in epidemiologic research, the difference-in-difference method is a useful tool to examine effects of population level exposures, but relies on strong assumptions.SummaryWe use the famous example of John Snow ’s...
Source: Current Epidemiology Reports - September 22, 2020 Category: Epidemiology Source Type: research
Environmental Risk Factors for Endometriosis: a Critical Evaluation of Studies and Recommendations from the Epidemiologic Perspective
AbstractPurpose of ReviewRecent studies of environmental chemicals and endometriosis were critically evaluated from the epidemiologic perspective to identify aspects of study design and analyses that may contribute to discrepant results across studies.Recent FindingsOf the 29 studies reviewed, 12 studies used new approaches to population-based sampling. The remaining studies were conducted primarily among patients undergoing pelvic surgery; controls may not represent the exposure experience of the underlying study base, resulting in biased estimates of associations. Most studies used biologic specimens collected near diagn...
Source: Current Epidemiology Reports - August 17, 2020 Category: Epidemiology Source Type: research
Trajectory Modeling with Latent Groups: Potentials and Pitfalls
AbstractPurpose of ReviewThe goal of this review is to provide a non-technical overview of trajectory modeling with latent groups. The paper will provide guidance to researchers seeking to use these methods with concrete recommendations on steps to follow and potential challenges.Recent FindingsTrajectory modeling with latent groups is a quickly evolving field with new findings on best practices. Without clear reporting of how models were created, they risk providing conflicting conclusions and irreproducible results.SummaryTrajectory models with latent groups provide a powerful way of understanding patterns of change in h...
Source: Current Epidemiology Reports - August 11, 2020 Category: Epidemiology Source Type: research
