Methylation marks of prenatal exposure to maternal smoking and risk of cancer in adulthood
ConclusionsWe found that methylation marks of prenatal exposure to maternal smoking are associated with increased risk of urothelial cancer. Our study demonstrates the potential for using DNA methylation to investigate the impact of early-life, unmeasured exposures on later-life cancer risk. (Source: International Journal of Epidemiology)
Source: International Journal of Epidemiology - November 10, 2020 Category: Epidemiology Source Type: research

Chronic medical conditions and late effects after acute myeloid leukaemia in adolescents and young adults: a population-based study
ConclusionsOur findings underscore the need for long-term surveillance for the prevention, early detection and treatment of late effects, and can inform the development of AYA-focused consensus-based guidelines that will ultimately improve the quality of life and survival of these young vulnerable patients. (Source: International Journal of Epidemiology)
Source: International Journal of Epidemiology - November 9, 2020 Category: Epidemiology Source Type: research

The effect of the Mediterranean Diet on lifespan: a treatment-effect survival analysis of a population-based prospective cohort study in Southern Italy
ConclusionsWe observed an important benefit in additional years of survival from adherence to MedDiet in this southern Italian cohort. Further investigation corroborating our findings in other population groups in other geographic regions will be an important contribution to promoting health and longevity. (Source: International Journal of Epidemiology)
Source: International Journal of Epidemiology - November 6, 2020 Category: Epidemiology Source Type: research

Examining the robustness of observational associations to model, measurement and sampling uncertainty with the vibration of effects framework
ConclusionSampling, model and measurement uncertainty can have important consequences for the stability of observational associations. We recommend systematically studying and reporting these types of uncertainty, and comparing them in a common framework. (Source: International Journal of Epidemiology)
Source: International Journal of Epidemiology - November 5, 2020 Category: Epidemiology Source Type: research

Epidemiological characteristics of patients with severe COVID-19 infection in Wuhan, China: evidence from a retrospective observational study
ConclusionAdvanced age, male sex and a history of chronic disease were associated with COVID-19 critical illness and death. Identifying these risk factors could help in the clinical monitoring of susceptible populations. (Source: International Journal of Epidemiology)
Source: International Journal of Epidemiology - November 5, 2020 Category: Epidemiology Source Type: research

Commentary: Responding to hazardous heat: think climate not weather
In this issue, Sunet al. report on heat waves and mortality in 130 Chinese counties from 2013 –15.1 Heat waves are defined as ≥2 days with average temperatures ≥99th percentile for the location. Distinctive features of the study are: the number of study sites, the consistency of data collections and reporting, and the attention paid to confounding and modifying factors. Major findings are: surprisingly similar effect s in different climatic zones (about 16% increase in non-accidental deaths, 22% increase in cardiovascular mortality); greater impacts following the first heat wave of the season than later events; and...
Source: International Journal of Epidemiology - November 4, 2020 Category: Epidemiology Source Type: research

Erratum to: COVID-19 epidemic: disentangling the re-emerging controversy about medical facemasks from an epidemiological perspective
Under “Question 2”, the sentence beginning “There has been largely consistent randomized controlled trial (RCT) evidence in health care…” did not acknowledge observational studies and should have read “There has been largely consistent evidence from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and obse rvational studies in health care…”. (Source: International Journal of Epidemiology)
Source: International Journal of Epidemiology - November 4, 2020 Category: Epidemiology Source Type: research

Association of prenatal maternal blood lead levels with birth outcomes in the Japan Environment and Children ’s Study (JECS): a nationwide birth cohort study
ConclusionsEven at a maternal BLL below 1.0  µg/dL, prenatal lead exposure was associated with decreased birthweight and increased risk of SGA and LBW, but not preterm delivery. The adverse effect estimates of prenatal lead exposure on birth outcomes were quantitatively small and clinically limited at this low level. (Source: International Journal of Epidemiology)
Source: International Journal of Epidemiology - November 3, 2020 Category: Epidemiology Source Type: research

G-computation for policy-relevant effects of interventions on time-to-event outcomes
ConclusionsAs analytic methods such as parametric g-computation become more accessible, epidemiologists will be able to estimate policy-relevant effects of interventions to better inform clinical and public health practice and policy. (Source: International Journal of Epidemiology)
Source: International Journal of Epidemiology - November 3, 2020 Category: Epidemiology Source Type: research

Changes in residential greenness between pregnancies and birth outcomes: longitudinal evidence from Michigan births 1990--2012
ConclusionsResidential greenness does not predict birth outcomes, after controlling for time-invariant maternal characteristics, using longitudinal evidence. Future research should explore residential selection factors, spatial and individual heterogeneity and experimental study designs. (Source: International Journal of Epidemiology)
Source: International Journal of Epidemiology - November 1, 2020 Category: Epidemiology Source Type: research

Filling the gaps in the characterization of the clinical management of COVID-19: 30-day hospital admission and fatality rates in a cohort of 118  150 cases diagnosed in outpatient settings in Spain
ConclusionCOVID-19 infections were widespread in the community, including all age –sex strata. However, severe forms of the disease clustered in older men and nursing-home residents. Although initially managed in outpatient settings, 15% of cases required hospitalization and 4% died within a month of first symptoms. These data are instrumental for designing deconfinement strate gies and will inform healthcare planning and hospital-bed allocation in current and future COVID-19 outbreaks. (Source: International Journal of Epidemiology)
Source: International Journal of Epidemiology - October 29, 2020 Category: Epidemiology Source Type: research

Reflection on modern methods: a common error in the segmented regression parameterization of interrupted time-series analyses
AbstractInterrupted time-series (ITS) designs are a robust and increasingly popular non-randomized study design for strong causal inference in the evaluation of public health interventions. One of the most common techniques for model parameterization in the analysis of ITS designs is segmented regression, which uses a series of indicators and linear terms to represent the level and trend of the time-series before and after an intervention. In this article, we highlight an important error often presented in tutorials and published peer-reviewed papers using segmented regression parameterization for the analyses of ITS desig...
Source: International Journal of Epidemiology - October 23, 2020 Category: Epidemiology Source Type: research

Universal COVID-19 screening of 4040 health care workers in a resource-limited setting: an Egyptian pilot model in a university with 12 public hospitals and medical centers
ConclusionsThe high rate of asymptomatic infections among HCWs reinforces the need for expanding universal regular testing. The infection rate among symptomatic HCWs in this study is comparable with the national rate detected through symptom-based testing. This suggests that infections among HCWs may reflect community rather than nosocomial transmission during the early phase of the COVID-19 epidemic in Egypt. (Source: International Journal of Epidemiology)
Source: International Journal of Epidemiology - October 23, 2020 Category: Epidemiology Source Type: research

Can the implementation of electronic surveys with quick response (QR) codes be useful in the COVID-19 era?
The world is facing a health crisis with the outbreak of a novel coronavirus-caused respiratory disease (COVID-19). Strong measures (e.g. lockdown) and restrictions to limit the spread of infection have been adopted worldwide. Hand washing, maintaining physical distance (1 –2 m) and using protective masks are the main measures recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO)1 and seem to be effective,2 but they cannot be maintained forever. (Source: International Journal of Epidemiology)
Source: International Journal of Epidemiology - October 23, 2020 Category: Epidemiology Source Type: research

Cohort Profile: The Hazelwood Health Study Latrobe Early Life Follow-Up (ELF) Study
(Source: International Journal of Epidemiology)
Source: International Journal of Epidemiology - October 21, 2020 Category: Epidemiology Source Type: research