Commentary: Obstetric oxytocin exposure and risk of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and autism spectrum disorder in offspring —case closed
Synthetic oxytocin has been used in clinical practice for over 40  years to prevent maternal and perinatal mortality and morbidity. It is indicated for the augmentation and induction of labour in the antenatal setting, and for the prevention and treatment of uterine atony and haemorrhage in the postpartum setting.1 Endogenous oxytocin is involved in the regulation of stress, anxiety, social cognition and behaviours in humans. For years individuals have been debating whether oxytocin has potential harmful effects on child neurodevelopment, either directly by disrupting the oxytocinergic system or indirectly through uterin...
Source: International Journal of Epidemiology - May 15, 2021 Category: Epidemiology Source Type: research

Interactions between SARS-CoV-2 and influenza, and the impact of coinfection on disease severity: a test-negative design
ConclusionsCoinfection of these viruses could have a significant impact on morbidity, mortality and health-service demand. (Source: International Journal of Epidemiology)
Source: International Journal of Epidemiology - May 3, 2021 Category: Epidemiology Source Type: research

Rounding up the usual suspects: confirmation bias in epidemiological research
Investigators performing epidemiological research frequently form hypotheses based on data availability. One might ask how it could be otherwise. After all, what is the point of forming hypotheses if they can ’t be tested? But when questions are identified to suit available data rather than data being identified to suit important questions, commonalities in measured and unmeasured variables extend across multiple studies and lead to a confirmation bias. Expected relationships are confirmed, and unexpec ted relationships remain undiscovered, even when their unveiling would have important informational value. We argue that...
Source: International Journal of Epidemiology - April 30, 2021 Category: Epidemiology Source Type: research

Seroprevalence of COVID-19 infection in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates: a population-based cross-sectional study
ConclusionsThe majority of household populations in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi remained unexposed to SARS-CoV-2. In labour camps, SARS-CoV-2 transmission was high. Effective public health measures should be maintained. (Source: International Journal of Epidemiology)
Source: International Journal of Epidemiology - April 24, 2021 Category: Epidemiology Source Type: research

BMI is unlikely to be a plausible intervention target for reducing the incidence of dementia
Ma and colleagues investigated the relationship between body mass index (BMI) in midlife (n = 6582; average age, 62.5 years) and risk of dementia using data from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing. They report that those who were obese had a 34% [95% confidence interval (CI), 7–61%] increased risk of being diagnosed with dementia over a 15-year follow-up of the study compare d with those who were non-obese at baseline.1 Associations were adjusted for a range of baseline covariates including age, sex, apolipoprotein E- ε4 allele status, education, marital status, current smoking, physical activities, hyperten...
Source: International Journal of Epidemiology - April 13, 2021 Category: Epidemiology Source Type: research

Meta Salud Diabetes for cardiovascular disease prevention in Mexico: a cluster-randomized behavioural clinical trial
ConclusionsMSD contributed to a positive trend in reducing CVD risk in a low-resource setting. This study introduced an evidence-based curriculum that provides T2D self-management strategies for those with controlled T2D (i.e. HbA1c  <  8.0) and may improve quality of life. (Source: International Journal of Epidemiology)
Source: International Journal of Epidemiology - April 11, 2021 Category: Epidemiology Source Type: research

Hello! How are we doing after one year of COVID-19?
Although prophecies of a new viral pandemic were common in infectious disease circles, SARS-CoV-2 was an unpleasant surprise for most epidemiologists. Its worldwide impact has been existential for many —and economic, social and psychological for all. ‘Epidemiology’ has entered the vernacular. (Source: International Journal of Epidemiology)
Source: International Journal of Epidemiology - April 11, 2021 Category: Epidemiology Source Type: research

In memoriam: Professor Adetokunbo Oluwole Lucas, OFR, MD, DSc, FRCPH, FFPH, FRCOG, FUI (1931 –2020)
The Council of the International Epidemiological Association (IEA) mourns the passing of a towering luminary of public health and epidemiology, Professor Adetokunbo Oluwole Lucas, OFR, MD, DSc, FRCPH, FFPH, FRCOG, FUI. (Source: International Journal of Epidemiology)
Source: International Journal of Epidemiology - April 10, 2021 Category: Epidemiology Source Type: research

Cohort Profiles: what are they good for?
TheIJE editorial team asked me to write about my views of the Cohort Profiles published in the journal, in light of a pilot study of the longevity and utility of the series.1 In the early phase of co-editingIJE, George Davey Smith and I looked at ways of improving communication, strengthening skills and learning from the history of epidemiology. Our first innovations were Point-Counterpoint discussions of controversial topics and Reprints and Reflections —re-publication of ‘IJE classics ’ which soon ran out,2 –4 and articles of significance that were not widely known due to being published in non-English languages ...
Source: International Journal of Epidemiology - April 10, 2021 Category: Epidemiology Source Type: research

HOSTED —England’s Household Transmission Evaluation Dataset: preliminary findings from a novel passive surveillance system of COVID-19
Conclusions Children are less likely to acquire SARS-CoV-2 via household transmission, and consequently there was no difference in the risk of transmission in households with children. Households in which cases could isolate effectively, such as houses of multiple occupancy, had lower rates of household transmission. Policies to support the effective isolation of cases from their household contacts could lower the level of household transmission. (Source: International Journal of Epidemiology)
Source: International Journal of Epidemiology - April 9, 2021 Category: Epidemiology Source Type: research

Modelling intensive care unit capacity under different epidemiological scenarios of the COVID-19 pandemic in three Western European countries
ConclusionReductions in capacity deficits under different scenarios must be weighed against the feasibility and drawbacks of further lockdowns. Careful, continuous decision-making by national policymakers will be required across the winter period 2020 –2021. (Source: International Journal of Epidemiology)
Source: International Journal of Epidemiology - April 9, 2021 Category: Epidemiology Source Type: research

Cardiovascular morbidity and mortality associations with biomass- and fossil-fuel-combustion fine-particulate-matter exposures in Dhaka, Bangladesh
ConclusionBiomass burning was responsible for most PM2.5 air pollution in Dhaka, but fossil-fuel-combustion PM2.5 dominated the CVD adverse health impacts. Such by-source variations in the health impacts of PM2.5 should be considered in conducting ambient particulate-matter risk assessments, as well as in prioritizing air-pollution-mitigation measures and clinical advice. (Source: International Journal of Epidemiology)
Source: International Journal of Epidemiology - April 6, 2021 Category: Epidemiology Source Type: research

Authors ’ response to comments on: Higher risk of dementia in English older individuals who are overweight or obese
In their comments on our study,1 Davieset al. suggest that weight reduction is unlikely to be a plausible intervention target for reducing the incidence of dementia.2 Although we did not claim a causal link between obesity and dementia risk, the relationship reported in our study is observational, based on a longitudinal analysis of a large representative population sample of English adults aged 50  years or older,3 and our findings are not in isolation.4 One meta-analysis found that mid-life obesity was associated with an increased dementia risk [risk ratio (RR) = 1.91; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.4 –2.62] across ...
Source: International Journal of Epidemiology - April 5, 2021 Category: Epidemiology Source Type: research

Smoking and nasopharyngeal cancer: individual data meta-analysis of six prospective studies on 334  935 men
ConclusionsThis first IPD meta-analysis from six prospective cohorts in endemic regions has provided robust observational evidence that smoking increased NPC risk in men. NPC should be added to the 12 –16 cancer sites known to be tobacco-related cancers. Strong tobacco control policies, preventing young individuals from smoking, would reduce NPC risk in endemic regions. (Source: International Journal of Epidemiology)
Source: International Journal of Epidemiology - March 31, 2021 Category: Epidemiology Source Type: research

Correction of ‘Bias factor, maximum bias and the E-value’
We would like to correct an incorrect statement in the paper ‘Bias factor, maximum bias and the E-value: insight and extended applications’, recently published in theInternational Journal of Epidemiology by Cusson and Infante-Rivard.1 In the box of Key Messages, the authors state: (Source: International Journal of Epidemiology)
Source: International Journal of Epidemiology - March 29, 2021 Category: Epidemiology Source Type: research