scholarly journals The Establishment of the Household Air Pollution Consortium (HAPCO)

Atmosphere ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 422
Author(s):  
H. Dean Hosgood ◽  
Madelyn Klugman ◽  
Keitaro Matsuo ◽  
Alexandra J. White ◽  
Atsuko Sadakane ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Air Pollution ◽  
Smoking Status ◽  
Household Air Pollution ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Lung Cancer Death ◽  
Specific Effects ◽  
Carcinogenic Potential ◽  
The Us ◽  
Disease Specific Mortality

Household air pollution (HAP) is of public health concern, with ~3 billion people worldwide (including >15 million in the US) exposed. HAP from coal use is a human lung carcinogen, yet the epidemiological evidence on carcinogenicity of HAP from biomass use, primarily wood, is not conclusive. To robustly assess biomass’s carcinogenic potential, prospective studies of individuals experiencing a variety of HAP exposures are needed. We have built a global consortium of 13 prospective cohorts (HAPCO: Household Air Pollution Consortium) that have site- and disease-specific mortality and solid fuel use data, for a combined sample size of 587,257 participants and 57,483 deaths. HAPCO provides a novel opportunity to assess the association of HAP with lung cancer death while controlling for important confounders such as tobacco and outdoor air pollution exposures. HAPCO is also uniquely positioned to determine the risks associated with cancers other than lung as well as nonmalignant respiratory and cardiometabolic outcomes, for which prospective epidemiologic research is limited. HAPCO will facilitate research to address public health concerns associated with HAP-attributed exposures by enabling investigators to evaluate sex-specific and smoking status-specific effects under various exposure scenarios.

A Preliminary Report on Alcohol-Associated DNA Methylation Changes and Suicidal Behavior: Evidence Using Mendelian Randomization

2021 ◽  
pp. 105413732095224
Author(s):  
Charleen D. Adams
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Dna Methylation ◽  
Suicidal Behavior ◽  
Genome Wide Association Study ◽  
Mendelian Randomization ◽  
Causal Effect ◽  
Economic Stress ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
The Us

Suicide is a major public health concern. In 2015, it was the 10th leading cause of death in the US. The number of suicides increased by 30% in the US from 1999 to 2016, and a greater uptick in suicides is predicted to occur as a result of the COVID-19 crisis, for which the primary public-health strategy is physical distancing and during which alcohol sales have soared. Thus, current strategies for identifying at-risk individuals and preventing suicides, such as relying on self-reported suicidal ideation, are insufficient, especially under conditions of physical distancing, which exacerbate isolation, loneliness, economic stress, and possibly alcohol consumption. New strategies are urgent now and into the future. To that aim, here, a two-sample Mendelian randomization (an instrumental variables technique using public genome-wide association study data as data sources) was performed to determine whether alcohol-associated changes in DNA methylation mediate risk for suicidal behavior. The results suggest that higher alcohol-associated DNA methylation levels at cg18120259 confer a weak causal effect. Replication and triangulation of the results, both experimentally and with designs other than Mendelian randomization, are needed. If the findings replicate, the information might be utilized to raise awareness about the biological links between alcohol and suicide and possibly explored as a biomarker of risk, perhaps especially for early detection of those who may not self-report suicidal intent.

Long-Acting Reversible Contraception (LARC) and Teen Pregnancy

2021 ◽  
pp. 159-163
Author(s):  
Jaclyn Grentzer
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Teen Pregnancy ◽  
Induced Abortion ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Intrauterine Devices ◽  
The Us ◽  
Economic Barriers ◽  
Contraceptive Choice ◽  
Contraceptive Implants ◽  
Long Acting

Long-acting, reversible contraception (LARC), including intrauterine devices (IUDs) and contraceptive implants, are associated with higher contraceptive efficacy and continuation rates. Teen pregnancy rates have declined over the past 2 decades but continue to be a public health concern. Only 10% of teen girls elect to use LARC, likely due to educational, logistical, and economic barriers. The Contraceptive CHOICE Project enrolled 1404 girls aged 14 to 19. Of these teens, more than 70% chose LARC when given standardized contraceptive counseling and barriers to receiving LARC were removed. Pregnancy, live birth, and induced abortion rates in this cohort were lower than rates for the US population of sexually active teen girls. Failure rates were lower for LARC users, as compared to users of other reversible contraceptive methods.

scholarly journals The Effects of Air Pollution on COVID-19 Infection and Mortality—A Review on Recent Evidence

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nurshad Ali ◽  
Farjana Islam
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Air Pollution ◽  
Nitrogen Dioxide ◽  
Air Pollutants ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Public Health Concern ◽  
Short Term ◽  
The World ◽  
Harmful Effects

The outbreak of COVID-19 has created a serious public health concern worldwide. Although, most of the regions around the globe have been affected by COVID-19 infections; some regions are more badly affected in terms of infections and fatality rates than others. The exact reasons for such variations are not clear yet. This review discussed the possible effects of air pollution on COVID-19 infections and mortality based on some recent evidence. The findings of most studies reviewed here demonstrate that both short-term and long-term exposure to air pollution especially PM2.5 and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) may contribute significantly to higher rates of COVID-19 infections and mortalities with a lesser extent also PM10. A significant correlation has been found between air pollution and COVID-19 infections and mortality in some countries in the world. The available data also indicate that exposure to air pollution may influence COVID-19 transmission. Moreover, exposure to air pollution may increase vulnerability and have harmful effects on the prognosis of patients affected by COVID-19 infections. Further research should be conducted considering some potential confounders such as age and pre-existing medical conditions along with exposure to NO2, PM2.5 and other air pollutants to confirm their detrimental effects on mortalities from COVID-19.

Air pollution and asthma: how can a public health concern inform the care of individual patients?

2014 ◽  
Vol 113 (4) ◽  
pp. 343-346 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michelle L. North ◽  
Neil E. Alexis ◽  
Anne K. Ellis ◽  
Chris Carlsten
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Air Pollution ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Public Health Concern

scholarly journals Exploring Related Factors of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Based on Elastic Net and Bayesian Network

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dichen Quan ◽  
Jiahui Ren ◽  
Hao Ren ◽  
Liqin Linghu ◽  
Xuchun Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Family History ◽  
Bayesian Networks ◽  
Smoking Status ◽  
Elastic Net ◽  
Household Air Pollution ◽  
Shanxi Province ◽  
Targeted Prevention ◽  
Related Factors ◽  
Network Relationship

Abstract Objective This study aimed to construct Bayesian networks to analyze the network relationship between COPD and its related factors, and to explore the influencing intensity on COPD through network reasoning. Method Firstly Elastic Net and MMHC hybrid algorithm were adopted to screen the variables of the data of COPD in Shanxi Province from 2014 to 2015 and construct Bayesian networks respectively, and the parameters were estimated by maximum likelihood estimation. Results After feature selection by Elastic Net, 10 variables closely related to COPD finally entered the model. The COPD Bayesian networks constructed by MMHC algorithm showed that smoking status, household air pollution, family history, cough, air hunger or dyspnea were directly related to COPD, in which smoking status, household air pollution and family history were the parent nodes of COPD, and cough, air hunger or dyspnea represented the child nodes of COPD. In other words, smoking status, household air pollution, family history were related to the occurrence of COPD, and COPD would affect cough, air hunger or dyspnea. Gender was indirectly linked to COPD through smoking status. Conclusion Using Elastic Net to knock out some weakly-associated influencing factors of COPD in the variable screening stage, Bayesian networks could reveal the complex network relationship between COPD and its relevant factors well, making it more convenient to carry out targeted prevention and control of COPD. As such, Bayesian networks enjoyed a good prospect of application in analyzing disease-related factors.

scholarly journals Exploring Influencing Factors of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Based on Elastic Net and Bayesian Network

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dichen Quan ◽  
Jiahui Ren ◽  
Hao Ren ◽  
Liqin Linghu ◽  
Xuchun Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Family History ◽  
Influencing Factors ◽  
Smoking Status ◽  
Elastic Net ◽  
Household Air Pollution ◽  
Shanxi Province ◽  
Chronic Obstructive ◽  
Targeted Prevention ◽  
Network Relationship

Abstract This study aimed to construct Bayesian networks(BNs) to analyze the network relationship between those influencing factors and COPD, and to explore their intensity of effect on COPD through network reasoning. Elastic Net and Max-Min Hill-Climbing(MMHC) hybrid algorithm were adopted to screen the variables on the monitoring data of COPD among residents in Shanxi Province, China from 2014 to 2015, and construct BNs respectively. After variables selection by Elastic Net, 10 variables closely related to COPD were selected finally. The BNs constructed by MMHC showed that smoking status, household air pollution, family history, cough, air hunger or dyspnea were directly related to COPD, and Gender was indirectly linked to COPD through smoking status. Moreover, smoking status, household air pollution and family history were the parent nodes of COPD, and cough, air hunger or dyspnea represented the child nodes of COPD. In other words, smoking status, household air pollution and family history were related to the occurrence of COPD, and COPD would make patients’ cough, air hunger or dyspnea worse. Generally speaking, BNs could reveal the complex network relationship between COPD and its relevant factors well, making it more convenient to carry out targeted prevention and control of COPD.

scholarly journals Effects of policy-driven hypothetical air pollutant interventions on childhood asthma incidence in southern California

2019 ◽  
Vol 116 (32) ◽  
pp. 15883-15888 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erika Garcia ◽  
Robert Urman ◽  
Kiros Berhane ◽  
Rob McConnell ◽  
Frank Gilliland
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Air Pollution ◽  
Childhood Asthma ◽  
Southern California ◽  
Health Benefit ◽  
Incidence Rates ◽  
Air Pollutant ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Asthma Incidence ◽  
Pollutant Reduction

Childhood asthma is a major public health concern and has significant adverse impacts on the lives of the children and their families, and on society. There is an emerging link between air pollution, which is ubiquitous in our environment, particularly in urban centers, and incident childhood asthma. Here, using data from 3 successive cohorts recruited from the same 9 communities in southern California over a span of 20 y (1993 to 2014), we estimated asthma incidence using G-computation under hypothetical air pollution exposure scenarios targeting nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and particulate matter <2.5 μm (PM2.5) in separate interventions. We reported comparisons of asthma incidence under each hypothetical air pollution intervention with incidence under the observed natural course of exposure; results that may be more tangible for policymakers compared with risk ratios. Model results indicated that childhood asthma incidence rates would have been statistically significantly higher had the observed reduction in ambient NO2 in southern California not occurred in the 1990s and early 2000s, and asthma incidence rates would have been significantly lower had NO2 been lower than what it was observed to be. For example, compliance with a hypothetical standard of 20 ppb NO2 was estimated to result in 20% lower childhood asthma incidence (95% CI, −27% to −11%) compared with the exposure that actually occurred. The findings for hypothetical PM2.5 interventions, although statistically significant, were smaller in magnitude compared with results for the hypothetical NO2 interventions. Our results suggest a large potential public health benefit of air pollutant reduction in reduced incidence of childhood asthma.

Podiatric Health Needs of Homeless Populations as a Public Health Concern

2012 ◽  
Vol 102 (1) ◽  
pp. 54-56 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bright Chen ◽  
Analiza Mitchell ◽  
David Tran
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Needs ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Foot And Ankle ◽  
Foot Care ◽  
Public Health Concern ◽  
Important Public Health ◽  
Medical Needs ◽  
The Us ◽  
Health Need

Background: Foot and ankle health among the homeless is an important public health concern. There are limited studies done thus far on foot and ankle conditions and the podiatric medical needs of homeless populations. A literature review was undertaken to evaluate any studies published about the lower-extremity health needs among the homeless. Methods: We did a literature search through PubMed, the US National Library of Medicine’s database of biomedical citations and abstracts for relevant publications from 1988 through 2008. We also searched the references cited in the articles found for any studies relevant to podiatric needs for homeless populations. Results: We found three relevant articles that addressed the needs of podiatric care for the homeless. The articles highlighted the community health importance of foot care for homeless populations, especially in helping prevent potentially limb-threatening pathologies. Conclusions: The small number of studies published so far all emphasize the major public health need for podiatric care among homeless populations. More studies are needed to help address this important public health concern. (J Am Podiatr Med Assoc 102(1): 54–56, 2012)

scholarly journals Emerging Public Health Concern and Air Pollution: A Case Study of Delhi’s Air Pollution Governance

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (5) ◽  
pp. 196-201
Author(s):  
Dr. Subhadra Rajpoot ◽  
Devang Pratap Singh
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Air Pollution ◽  
Good Governance ◽  
Integrated Approach ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Risk Governance ◽  
Healthy Environment ◽  
Pollution Levels ◽  
National Capital ◽  
Managing Risk

Air Pollution is a major concern in today’s scenarios as it is leading to serious health hazards and also retrograding our environment. In recent times there has been a rapid increase in various health factors which has affected lives at a very vast scale. Talking about air pollution in cities like Delhi and other metro cities where air pollution is at its peak. Talking about Delhi which is sometimes also referred as ‘Gas Chamber’ has been a research model for managing risk and controlling air pollution in mounting and towards making Delhi's environment healthy. In this research paper we are trying to understand air pollution governance as a means of risk management. Delhi which follows multi-level governance where public health emergencies in recent times, keeping public trust doctrine as the conceptual basis to look at governance. Delhi traversing as National Capital Territory can be considered as a victim of the Air Pollution and its consequent impacts. The lack of integrated approach in Delhi for risk governance has made this process multifaceted and a challenging task. This study can enlighten us on emergence of public health concerns due to air pollution and its governance, keeping in consideration it has not kept an equal balance even with the backing of legislative measures and intervention of court laws. Due to increasing air pollution levels in the city, right to Life and right to a Healthy Environment are being violated from which the levels of air quality continues to be poor. Lastly for which good governance is required in order to reduce the same at this pandemic.

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