...we anticipate that the COVID-19 pandemic will likely double out-of-school time this year for many children in the United States and will exacerbate the risk factors for weight gain associated with ...summer recess. While parks and playgrounds remain open in some cities, there is widespread appreciation that it is not possible to keep the playgrounds clean and children will have difficulty maintaining social distance. ...urban families may, understandably, elect not to use these spaces, exacerbating the disparity between those who can/ cannot remain physically active outdoors. ...the National Institutes of Health's Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes program (ECHO; https://www.nih.gov/research-training/environmentalinfluences-child-health-outcomes-echo-program) includes 70 cohorts that are studying childhood obesity and is a resource that can be used to study the obesity-related consequences of extended school closure.O Funding agencies: Wang is funded by National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute of National Institutes of Health (grant R01HL141427 "Assessment of Policies Through Prediction of Long-Term Effects on Cardiovascular Disease Using Simulation APPLE CDS").
Using Google Street View to Audit Neighborhood Environments Rundle, Andrew G., DrPH; Bader, Michael D.M., PhD; Richards, Catherine A., MPH ...
American journal of preventive medicine,
2011, 2011-Jan, 2011-1-00, 20110101, Letnik:
40, Številka:
1
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
Background Research indicates that neighborhood environment characteristics such as physical disorder influence health and health behavior. In-person audit of neighborhood environments is costly and ...time-consuming. Google Street View may allow auditing of neighborhood environments more easily and at lower cost, but little is known about the feasibility of such data collection. Purpose To assess the feasibility of using Google Street View to audit neighborhood environments. Methods This study compared neighborhood measurements coded in 2008 using Street View with neighborhood audit data collected in 2007. The sample included 37 block faces in high-walkability neighborhoods in New York City. Field audit and Street View data were collected for 143 items associated with seven neighborhood environment constructions: aesthetics, physical disorder, pedestrian safety, motorized traffic and parking, infrastructure for active travel, sidewalk amenities, and social and commercial activity. To measure concordance between field audit and Street View data, percentage agreement was used for categoric measures and Spearman rank-order correlations were used for continuous measures. Results The analyses, conducted in 2009, found high levels of concordance (≥80% agreement or ≥0.60 Spearman rank-order correlation) for 54.3% of the items. Measures of pedestrian safety, motorized traffic and parking, and infrastructure for active travel had relatively high levels of concordance, whereas measures of physical disorder had low levels. Features that are small or that typically exhibit temporal variability had lower levels of concordance. Conclusions This exploratory study indicates that Google Street View can be used to audit neighborhood environments.
One strategy for increasing physical activity is to create and enhance access to park space. We assessed the literature on the relationship of parks and objectively measured physical activity in ...population-based studies in the United States (US) and identified limitations in current built environment and physical activity measurement and reporting. Five English-language scholarly databases were queried using standardized search terms. Abstracts were screened for the following inclusion criteria: 1) published between January 1990 and June 2013; 2) US-based with a sample size greater than 100 individuals; 3) included built environment measures related to parks or trails; and 4) included objectively measured physical activity as an outcome. Following initial screening for inclusion by two independent raters, articles were abstracted into a database. Of 10,949 abstracts screened, 20 articles met the inclusion criteria. Five articles reported a significant positive association between parks and physical activity. Nine studies found no association, and six studies had mixed findings. Our review found that even among studies with objectively measured physical activity, the association between access to parks and physical activity varied between studies, possibly due to heterogeneity of exposure measurement. Self-reported (vs. independently-measured) neighborhood park environment characteristics and smaller (vs. larger) buffer sizes were more predictive of physical activity. We recommend strategies for further research, employing standardized reporting and innovative study designs to better understand the relationship of parks and physical activity.
•We reviewed research on parks and objectively measured physical activity.•Measurement and reporting of park density and proximity is not standardized.•The association of parks and physical activity was inconsistent across studies.•Standardized measurement and reporting are needed for future meta-analyses.
Individual matching in case-control studies improves statistical efficiency over random selection of controls but can lead to selection bias if cases are excluded due to the lack of appropriate ...controls or residual confounding with less strict matching criteria. We introduce flex matching, an algorithm using multiple rounds of control selection with successively relaxed matching criteria to select controls for cases.
We simulated exposure-disease relationships in multiple cohort data sets with a range of confounding scenarios and conducted 16,800,000 nested case-control studies, comparing random selection of controls, strict matching, and flex matching. We computed average bias and statistical efficiency in estimates of exposure-disease relationships under each matching strategy.
On average, flex matching produced the least biased estimates of exposure-disease associations with the smallest standard errors. Strict matching algorithms that excluded cases for whom matched controls could not be identified produced biased estimates with larger standard errors. Estimates from studies with random assignment of controls were relatively unbiased, but the standard errors were larger than from studies using flex matching.
Flex matching should be considered for case-control designs, especially for biomarker studies where matching on technical artifacts is necessary and maximizing efficiency is a priority.
Systemic inflammation may increase risk for prostate cancer progression, but the role it plays in prostate cancer susceptibility is unknown. From a cohort of over 10,000 men who had either a prostate ...biopsy or transurethral resection that yielded a benign finding, we analyzed 517 incident prostate cancer cases identified during follow-up and 373 controls with one or more white blood cell tests during a follow-up period between one and 18 years. Multilevel, multivariable longitudinal models were fit to two measures of systemic inflammation, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio (MLR), to determine NLR and MLR trajectories associated with increased risk for prostate cancer. For both measures, we found no significant differences in the trajectories by case/control status, however in modeling NLR trajectories there was a significant interaction between race (white or Black and case-control status. In race specific models, NLR and MLR values were consistently higher over time among white controls than white cases while case-control differences in NLR and MLR trajectories were not apparent among Black men. When cases were classified as aggressive as compared to non-aggressive, the case-control differences in NLR and MLR values over time among white men were most apparent for non-aggressive cases. For NLR among white men, significant case-control differences were observed for the entire duration of observation for men who had inflammation in their initial prostate specimen. It is possible that, among white men, monitoring of NLR and MLR trajectories after an initial negative biopsy may be useful in monitoring prostate cancer risk.
Phthalate exposures are hypothesized to increase obesity; however, prior research has been largely cross-sectional.
We evaluated associations between prenatal phthalate exposures and body mass index ...(BMI) at child ages 5 and 7 years.
Nine metabolites of six phthalates-di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), di-n-octyl-, di-iso-butyl-, di-n-butyl-, butylbenzyl-, and diethyl phthalates-were measured in spot urine samples collected from pregnant African-American and Dominican women during their third trimester, and from their children at ages 3 and 5 years. To reduce multiple comparison issues, we initially used principal component analysis (PCA) to identify major patterns of natural log (ln)-transformed metabolite concentrations. Height and weight were assessed at ages 5 and 7 years, and fat mass and waist circumference at age 7. Linearized generalized estimating equation analyses related maternal component scores to child anthropometric outcomes at ages 5 (n = 326) and 7 (n = 330) years.
PCA identified a DEHP component and a non-DEHP component. In boys, higher maternal non-DEHP, but not DEHP, component scores were associated with lower BMI z-score (β = -0.30; 95% CI: -0.50, -0.10, n = 156), lower fat percentage (β = -1.62; 95% CI: -2.91, -0.34, n = 142), and smaller waist circumference (β = -2.02; 95% CI: -3.71, -0.32, n = 124). No significant associations with anthropometric outcomes were seen in girls (for BMI z-score, β = 0.07; 95% CI: -0.18, 0.31, n = 181). Interactions between sex and non-DEHP component association with outcomes were statistically significant (p < 0.01).
Contrary to hypotheses, prenatal non-DEHP phthalate exposures were associated with lower BMI z-score, waist circumference, and fat mass in boys during early childhood.
Maresca MM, Hoepner LA, Hassoun A, Oberfield SE, Mooney SJ, Calafat AM, Ramirez J, Freyer G, Perera FP, Whyatt RM, Rundle AG. 2016. Prenatal exposure to phthalates and childhood body size in an urban cohort. Environ Health Perspect 124:514-520; http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1408750.
DNA methylation changes have been implicated in many common chronic diseases leading to the hypothesis that environmental and age-related DNA methylation changes within individuals are involved in ...disease etiology. Few studies have examined DNA methylation changes within an individual over time and all of these studies have been conducted in adults. Here, we aim to characterize how global DNA methylation changes from birth to age three within a longitudinal birth cohort study and to determine whether there are consistent predictors of DNA methylation levels measured three years apart. We measured global DNA methylation in the same children at birth (cord blood) and again at three years of age among 165 children, using an immunoassay. We found that on average, DNA methylation was significantly higher in blood at age 3-years than in cord blood (p<0.01). However, for any individual child, the difference was less than would be expected by chance. We found that pre-pregnancy BMI was negatively predictive of both cord and three-year DNA methylation, even after statistical adjustment to account for the correlation between cord blood and three-year DNA methylation. The biologic implications of small changes in global DNA methylation are unknown. However, the observation that global DNA methylation levels persist within an individual from birth to age three supports the belief that factors that influence global DNA methylation, including pre-pregnancy BMI, may confer long-term effects.
BackgroundEfforts to reduce socioeconomic inequities in cardiovascular disease include interventions to change the built environment. We aimed to explore whether socioeconomic inequities in coronary ...heart disease (CHD) incidence are ameliorated or exacerbated in environments supportive of physical activity (PA).MethodsWe used data from the Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke study, which recruited US residents aged 45 or older between 2003 and 2007. Our analyses included participants at risk for incident CHD (n=20 808), followed until 31 December 2014. We categorised household income and treated it as ordinal: (1) US$75 000+, (2) US$35 000–US$74 000, (3) US$20 000–US$34 000 and (4) <US$20 000. We operationalised PA-supportive environments using characteristics within a 1 km residential buffer: walkable destinations density, PA facility density and proportion green land cover. We used Cox proportional hazards models to estimate the adjusted association of income with incident CHD, and tested effect modification by PA-supportive environment variables.ResultsWe found a 25% (95% CI 1.17% to 1.34%) increased hazard of CHD per 1-category decrease in household income category. Adjusting for PA-supportive environments slightly reduced this association (HR=1.24). The income–CHD association was strongest in areas without walking destinations (HR=1.57), an interaction which reached statistical significance in analyses among men. In contrast, the income–CHD association showed a trend towards being strongest in areas with the highest percentage of green land cover.ConclusionsIndicators of a PA supportive environment show divergent trends to modify socioeconomic inequities in CHD . Built environment interventions should measure the effect on socioeconomic inequities.
Studies suggest that phthalate exposures may adversely affect child respiratory health.
We evaluated associations between asthma diagnosed in children between 5 and 11 years of age and prenatal ...exposures to butylbenzyl phthalate (BBzP), di-n-butyl phthalate (DnBP), di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), and diethyl phthalate (DEP).
Phthalate metabolites were measured in spot urine collected from 300 pregnant inner-city women. Children were examined by an allergist or pulmonologist based on the first parental report of wheeze, other respiratory symptoms, and/or use of asthma rescue/controller medication in the preceding 12 months on repeat follow-up questionnaires. Standardized diagnostic criteria were used to classify these children as either having or not having current asthma at the time of the physician examination. Children without any report of wheeze or the other asthma-like symptoms were classified as nonasthmatics at the time of the last negative questionnaire. Modified Poisson regression analyses were used to estimate relative risks (RR) controlling for specific gravity and potential confounders.
Of 300 children, 154 (51%) were examined by a physician because of reports of wheeze, other asthma-like symptoms, and/or medication use; 94 were diagnosed with current asthma and 60 without current asthma. The remaining 146 children were classified as nonasthmatic. Compared with levels in nonasthmatics, prenatal metabolites of BBzP and DnBP were associated with a history of asthma-like symptoms (p < 0.05) and with the diagnosis of current asthma: RR = 1.17 (95% CI: 1.01, 1.35) and RR = 1.25 (95% CI: 1.04, 1.51) per natural log-unit increase, respectively. Risk of current asthma was > 70% higher among children with maternal prenatal BBzP and DnBP metabolite concentrations in the third versus the first tertile.
Prenatal exposure to BBzP and DnBP may increase the risk of asthma among inner-city children. However, because this is the first such finding, results require replication.
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