Sarcoidosis is a granulomatous inflammatory disease with unknown etiology. Epidemiological studies have contributed greatly to our knowledge about sarcoidosis, providing critical information on the ...determinants and distribution of the disease. In this review, we summarize recently published findings from epidemiological studies on sarcoidosis. We review the epidemiological tools used, the incidence and prevalence of disease, mortality and cancer risk after sarcoidosis and nongenetic risk factors for sarcoidosis. Genetics studies have not been included as they deserve a separate review. Leveraging existing epidemiological data to conduct etiological studies aimed towards understanding and preventing disease is critical for future sarcoidosis research.
PURPOSE OF REVIEWThe aim of this review is to describe the latest studies on sarcoidosis incidence, prevalence and risk factors with a special focus on reports in the last 2 years. The potential ...biases affecting these studies are discussed.
RECENT FINDINGSThe prevalence and incidence of sarcoidosis vary greatly depending on region of the world. Variations in data sources and settings can affect estimates of the burden of sarcoidosis, sometimes making them difficult to compare across countries. It is not well understood how the distribution of sarcoidosis phenotypes differs across populations. Age, sex and race are the most important sources of variation in incidence and prevalence. Recent epidemiological studies provide new insights on the role of genetic and nongenetic risk factors for sarcoidosis.
SUMMARYHigh-quality and systematically collected data, with depth (detailed information per individual) and breadth (many individuals), is needed to further understand the complexity and heterogeneity of sarcoidosis.
Abstract
The American Journal of Epidemiology has been a platform for findings from the Black Women’s Health Study (BWHS) that are relevant to health disparities. Topics addressed have included ...methods of follow-up of a large cohort of Black women, disparities in health-care delivery, modifiable risk factors for health conditions that disproportionately affect Black women, associations with exposures that are highly prevalent in Black women, and methods for genetic research. BWHS papers have also highlighted the importance of considering social context, including perceived experiences of racism, in understanding health disparities. In the future, BWHS investigators will contribute to documentation of the role that structural racism plays in health disparities.
Objective
Limited evidence suggests that higher levels of serum vitamin D (25(OH)D) protect against SARS-CoV-2 virus (COVID-19) infection. Black women commonly experience 25(OH)D insufficiency and ...are overrepresented among COVID-19 cases. We conducted a prospective analysis of serum 25(OH)D levels in relation to COVID-19 infection among participants in the Black Women’s Health Study.
Methods
Since 1995, the Black Women’s Health Study has followed 59,000 U.S. Black women through biennial mailed or online questionnaires. Over 13,000 study participants provided a blood sample in 2013–2017. 25(OH)D assays were performed in a certified national laboratory shortly after collection of the samples. In 2020, participants who had completed the online version of the 2019 biennial health questionnaire were invited to complete a supplemental online questionnaire assessing their experiences related to the COVID-19 pandemic, including whether they had been tested for COVID-19 infection and the result of the test. We used logistic regression analysis to estimate odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for the association of 25(OH)D level with COVID-19 positivity, adjusting for age, number of people living in the household, neighborhood socioeconomic status, and other potential confounders.
Results
Among 5,081 eligible participants whose blood sample had been assayed for 25(OH)D, 1,974 reported having had a COVID-19 test in 2020. Relative to women with 25(OH)D levels of 30 ng/mL (75 nmol/l) or more, multivariable-adjusted ORs for COVID-19 infection in women with levels of 20–29 ng/mL (50–72.5 nmol/l) and <20 ng/mL (<50 nmol/l) were, respectively, 1.48 (95% CI 0.95–2.30) and 1.69 (95% CI 1.04–2.72) (p trend 0.02).
Conclusion
The present results suggest that U.S. Black women with lower levels of 25(OH)D are at increased risk of infection with COVID-19. Further work is needed to confirm these findings and determine the optimal level of 25(OH)D for a beneficial effect.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
In public health, it has long been observed that "place"-specifically, where one lives-affects individual health, with the main research question distinguishing between the effects of "context" ...(defined as area characteristics) and "composition" (the characteristics of inhabitants) on health outcomes. There have been many studies in which the spatial patterning of disease has been explored, but they were often ecological in design, used broad census geographic levels, lacked individual-level data, or when available, did not simultaneously analyze community- and individual-level risk factors using appropriate modeling techniques. The paper by Diez-Roux et al. (Am J Epidemiol. 1997;146(1):48-63) represents an important expansion of the literature in terms of analytic methods used and level of geography studied. The authors demonstrated that both neighborhood- and individual-level measures of socioeconomic status work together to play an important role in shaping disease risk. Analyses incorporating both levels of data have the potential to provide epidemiologists with a deeper understanding of the divergent pathways via which neighborhood affects health.
Sarcoidosis in a time of pandemic Govender, Praveen; Cozier, Yvette C
The European respiratory journal,
09/2020, Letnik:
56, Številka:
3
Journal Article
Little remains known about both Asian and Asian American (A/AA) and non-Asian young adults' experiences and affective reactions regarding COVID-19 anti-Asian discrimination. To our knowledge, this is ...the first study that explores the nature and impact of COVID-19 anti-Asian discrimination within a multi-racial sample.
This study uses qualitative open-ended responses from a sub-sample of Wave I of the COVID-19 Adult Resilience Experiences Study (CARES) data collected between March to September 2020. Thematic analysis was used to explore two open-ended questions: "Are there experiences we missed in the survey so far that you wish to describe?" and "What are your thoughts about the current social climate?" The data analysis for this study focused on 113 discrimination or racism-related comments.
A total of 1331 young adults completed an online survey of which 611 provided comments; a multi-racial sample of 95 individuals (65.3% non-Asians, 24.7% A/AA) contributed 113 COVID-19 anti-Asian discrimination or racism-related comments. Two overarching themes were: types of discrimination (societal, interpersonal, intrapersonal) and affective reactions to discrimination (fear, anxiety/distress, hopelessness/depression, and avoidance). Not only did both A/AA and non-Asian participants report witnessing or hearing reports of anti-Asian discrimination, but both groups described having negative affective reactions to anti-Asian discrimination.
Anti-Asian discrimination in the face of COVID may be more widespread than initial reports indicate. Our finding suggests that anti-Asian discrimination is a societal illness that impacts all populations in the U.S. This calls for cross-racial coalitions and solidarity in the fight against discrimination and racism.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
This study assessed the relation of BMI and waist circumference to the risk of death among black women participating in the Black Women's Health Study. The risk of death from any cause increased with ...increasing BMI above 25.0, a pattern similar to that observed in whites.
The prevalence of overall and abdominal obesity has increased rapidly in the United States, with the greatest increases reported among black women.
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By 2020, overall obesity (body-mass index BMI, the weight in kilograms divided by the square of the height in meters ≥30.0) and abdominal obesity (waist circumference >35 in. >88.0 cm) are projected to affect up to 70% and 90% of black women, respectively, in the United States.
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Although overall obesity has been clearly associated with an increased risk of death,
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the association of overweight (BMI, 25.0 to 29.9) with risk of death has been inconsistent.
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