scholarly journals Identifying the Temporal Causal Relationship Between Alcohol and Tobacco Consumption with Aggregate Cancer Mortality over Alternative Time Horizons

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. p24
Author(s):  
Zahra N. Masih

Identifying the causal role of tobacco and alcohol has long been acknowledged as a critical area for developing preventative strategies in particular and public policy in general. This study utilizes a unique time series method in an effort to determine the strength of causal relationships between tobacco consumption, alcohol consumption and cancer mortality. By analysing tobacco expenditure, alcohol expenditure, while controlling for health expenditures and aggregate cancer data observed annually over an 80-year period fin the US population, we consider the relevant factors explaining and potentially guiding public health concerns going forward. Our results found that while tobacco and alcohol consumption (individually) causally impact cancer mortality, alcohol consumption maintains a stronger, bidirectional impact in comparison to tobacco consumption. From this, we consider explanations from an economic, biological and epidemiological front, gauging the strength of alcohol consumption on societal wellbeing. We find alcohol consumption to be a notable causal factor in cancer mortality that has been neglected from a public policy perspective in comparison to its more mediated tobacco counterpart.

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 170 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohsen Mazidi ◽  
Niki Katsiki ◽  
Dimitri P. Mikhailidis ◽  
Dina Radenkovic ◽  
Daniel Pella ◽  
...  

Background: There is a lack of evidence regarding the link between apolipoproteins and cancer mortality. By using two nationally representative samples of US adults, we prospectively evaluated the associations between apolipoprotein B (apoB) levels and apoB/apoA-I ratio with cancer mortality. We also examined the role of C-reactive protein (CRP) in these associations. Materials and Methods: Adults aged ≥20 years, enrolled in the 3rd National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III, 1988–1994) and continuous NHANES (2005–2010), and followed up to 31 December 2011, were included in the analysis. Multiple Cox regressions were applied to evaluate the associations between the variables of interest and cancer mortality. Results: Overall, 7695 participants were included (mean age: 49.2 years; 50.4% men, median follow-up: 19.1 years). In the fully adjusted model, participants in the highest quartile (Q4) of apoB/apoA-I had a significantly greater risk for cancer mortality (hazard ratio (HR): 1.40; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.25–1.93) compared with those in the first quartile (Q1). In the same model, a positive and significant association between apoB levels and cancer mortality was observed for individuals in Q3 (HR: 1.12; 95% CI: 1.09–1.16) and Q4 (HR: 1.17; 95% CI: 1.09–1.25) compared with those in Q1. When CRP levels were added in the analysis, the apoB/apoA-I ratio, but not apoB levels, remained significantly related to cancer mortality (Q4 = HR: 1.17; 95% CI: 1.09–1.25). In contrast, CRP levels were not able to predict cancer death after correction for apoB/apoA-I ratio. Conclusions: In a large representative sample of the US adult population, the apoB/apoA-I ratio and apoB levels significantly predicted cancer mortality, independently of several cardiometabolic risk factors. The predictive value of apoB/apoA-I, but not apoB levels, remained significant after taking into account CRP, whereas CRP was not associated with cancer mortality after adjustment for apoB/apoA-I ratio. If further evidence supports our findings, apoA-I and apoB measurements could be considered in general healthcare policies.


2007 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 175-181 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruth Etzioni ◽  
Alex Tsodikov ◽  
Angela Mariotto ◽  
Aniko Szabo ◽  
Seth Falcon ◽  
...  

Author(s):  
Eileen Keller

This chapter takes stock of the previous chapters and discusses the findings. It summarizes the book’s main argument and examines the nature of social learning with respect to true learning, the institutional dispositions in place, the role of politics, and contingency. The validity of the argument is discussed using Bayesian updating, presenting additional evidence that confirms the findings in a comparative perspective and in the light of competing hypotheses. The relevance of the social learning framework is demonstrated by applying it to the British and the US-American crisis responses and to differing outcomes on bank structural reform. The chapter closes with a brief discussion of the theoretical merits of social learning for ideational scholarship in institutional analysis, public policy-making, and economic sociology.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document