scholarly journals A Systematic Review and Appraisal of Epidemiological Studies on Household Fuel Use and Its Health Effects Using Demographic and Health Surveys

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 1411
Author(s):  
Daniel B. Odo ◽  
Ian A. Yang ◽  
Luke D. Knibbs
Keyword(s):  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Exposure Assessment ◽  
Health Effects ◽  
Low Birthweight ◽  
Respiratory Infections ◽  
Epidemiological Studies ◽  
The Body ◽  
Demographic And Health Surveys ◽  
Fuel Use ◽  
Cooking Fuel

The domestic combustion of polluting fuels is associated with an estimated 3 million premature deaths each year and contributes to climate change. In many low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), valid and representative estimates of people exposed to household air pollution (HAP) are scarce. The Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) is an important and consistent source of data on household fuel use for cooking and has facilitated studies of health effects. However, the body of research based on DHS data has not been systematically identified, nor its strengths and limitations critically assessed as a whole. We aimed to systematically review epidemiological studies using DHS data that considered cooking fuel type as the main exposure, including the assessment of the extent and key drivers of bias. Following PRISMA guidelines, we searched PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus and the DHS publication portal. We assessed the quality and risk of bias (RoB) of studies using a novel tool. Of 2748 records remaining after removing duplicates, 63 were read in full. A total of 45 out of 63 studies were included in our review, spanning 11 different health outcomes and representing 50 unique analyses. In total, 41 of 45 (91%) studies analysed health outcomes in children <5 years of age, including respiratory infections (n = 17), death (all-cause) (n = 14), low birthweight (n = 5), stunting and anaemia (n = 5). Inconsistencies were observed between studies in how cooking fuels were classified into relatively high- and low-polluting. Overall, 36/50 (80%) studies reported statistically significant adverse associations between polluting fuels and health outcomes. In total, 18/50 (36%) of the analyses were scored as having moderate RoB, while 16/50 (32%) analyses were scored as having serious or critical RoB. Although HAP exposure assessment is not the main focus of the DHS, it is the main, often only, source of information in many LMICs. An appreciable proportion of studies using it to analyse the association between cooking fuel use and health have potential for high RoB, mostly related to confounder control, exposure assessment and misclassification, and outcome ascertainment. Based on our findings, we provide some suggestions for ways in which revising the information collected by the DHS could make it even more amenable to studies of household fuel use and health, and reduce the RoB, without being onerous to collect and analyse.

scholarly journals Household cooking fuel use and its health effects among rural women in southern India—A cross-sectional study

PLoS ONE ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. e0231757 ◽  
Author(s):  
Beulah Sarah James ◽  
Ranjitha S. Shetty ◽  
Asha Kamath ◽  
Avinash Shetty
Keyword(s):  
Health Effects ◽  
Rural Women ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Southern India ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Fuel Use ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Cooking Fuel

scholarly journals Smoking and COVID-19: A Scoping Review

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 ◽  
pp. 1179173X2199461
Author(s):  
Chadia Haddad ◽  
Sandrella Bou Malhab ◽  
Hala Sacre ◽  
Pascale Salameh
Keyword(s):  
Smoking Prevalence ◽  
Respiratory Infections ◽  
Epidemiological Studies ◽  
The Body ◽  
Innate Immune ◽  
Disease Spread ◽  
Airway Epithelial ◽  
Risk Of Death ◽  
Worse Prognosis

Smoking affects a person’s overall health and damages nearly every organ of the body. Since smoking tobacco affects and damages the lungs, it increases the risk of respiratory infections and makes it easier for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) to invade the lung tissue, causing more severe symptoms and increasing the risk of death. However, debates are still ongoing as to the effect of cigarette smoking on vulnerability to COVID-19. Some studies, where active smokers were underrepresented among patients with COVID-19, claimed that a “smoker’s paradox” may exist in COVID-19 and that smokers are protected from infection and severe complications of COVID-19. However, other studies reported the opposite trend. The objective of this study is to review the findings of epidemiological and in vitro studies about the association between smoking and the risk of contracting COVID-19, taking into account disease severity. Several epidemiological studies have found a higher smoking prevalence among COVID-19 infected patients. Also, studies had shown that people with respiratory diseases caused by tobacco use are at higher risk of developing severe COVID-19 symptoms. Studies have shown that in vitro, the acute exposure allows for more severe proximal airway epithelial disease from SARS-CoV-2 by reducing the mucosal innate immune response and the proliferation of airway basal stem cells and has implications for disease spread and severity in people exposed to cigarette smoke, with a more severe viral infection and cell death. Smoker patients with different comorbidities are at higher risk of contracting the COVID-19 virus and have a worse prognosis for the virus as well as for their comorbidities. Further investigations of the interaction between smoking and COVID-19 are warranted to accurately assess the risk of contracting COVID-19 among smokers, and the progression to mechanical ventilation or death in patients who suffer from it.

Cannabis Associated “High” Cardiovascular Morbidity and Mortality: Marijuana Smoke Like Tobacco Smoke? A Déjà Vu/Déjà Vécu Story?

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (11) ◽  
pp. 870-879 ◽  
Author(s):  
Theodora A. Manolis ◽  
Antonis A. Manolis ◽  
Antonis S. Manolis
Keyword(s):  
Health Effects ◽  
Tobacco Use ◽  
Tobacco Smoking ◽  
English Literature ◽  
The Body ◽  
Cannabis Use ◽  
Cardiovascular Morbidity And Mortality ◽  
Cannabis Smoking ◽  
Deja Vu ◽  
Déjà Vu

Background: Cannabis use has increased over the past several years as some countries have legalized its use for the treatment of certain medical conditions and/or for recreational use. Thus, concerns have risen about potential adverse health effects. Increasing number of reports have associated cannabis use with serious cardiovascular (CV) complications. Furthermore, there appears to be a likeness in the harmful health effects, especially on the CV and respiratory systems, of cannabis smoking to those of tobacco smoking. Objective: To review the CV effects of cannabis use and compare them with those of tobacco use. Methods: Articles were reviewed that were published in English literature reporting on cannabis and cannabinoid pharmacology and their effects on the CV system and their consequences. Emphasis was also placed on articles reporting on cannabis use in adolescents, exposure to secondhand smoke, its effect on exercise and finally its inter-relationship and similarities with tobacco use. Results: With growing cannabis use, an increasing number of reports have emerged associating marijuana use with serious and life-threatening CV complications, including acute coronary syndromes, potentially lethal cardiac arrhythmias and ischemic strokes. There are certain similarities of the deleterious CV and respiratory effects of cannabis smoking with those of tobacco smoking. Despite the difference in the active ingredients (tetrahydrocannabinol vs. nicotine), each substance produces a plethora of chemicals when smoked and these are largely identical; furthermore, due to different modes of smoking, cannabis chemicals are retained in the body for a longer time. Of course, concomitant tobacco and cannabis smoking is a perplexing factor in isolating damages specifically pertaining to cannabis use, while the health risk is additive. Although the mechanisms producing CV harm may be somewhat different between these two substances, the outcome appears similar, or even worse, as the effects may emerge at a younger age. Conclusion: There is an increasing concern that, apart from the mental health problem with cannabis smoking, societies may be facing another wave of a déjà vu/déjà vécu phenomenon similar to the tobacco smoking story.

scholarly journals Assessing the indirect effects of COVID-19 on healthcare delivery, utilization and health outcomes: a scoping review

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charlotte M Roy ◽  
E Brennan Bollman ◽  
Laura M Carson ◽  
Alexander J Northrop ◽  
Elizabeth F Jackson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Health Effects ◽  
Scoping Review ◽  
Cardiovascular Health ◽  
Healthcare Delivery ◽  
Final Analysis ◽  
High Income ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Published Data ◽  
Local Health

Abstract Background The COVID-19 pandemic and global efforts to contain its spread, such as stay-at-home orders and transportation shutdowns, have created new barriers to accessing healthcare, resulting in changes in service delivery and utilization globally. The purpose of this study is to provide an overview of the literature published thus far on the indirect health effects of COVID-19 and to explore the data sources and methodologies being used to assess indirect health effects. Methods A scoping review of peer-reviewed literature using three search engines was performed. Results One hundred and seventy studies were included in the final analysis. Nearly half (46.5%) of included studies focused on cardiovascular health outcomes. The main methodologies used were observational analytic and surveys. Data were drawn from individual health facilities, multicentre networks, regional registries, and national health information systems. Most studies were conducted in high-income countries with only 35.4% of studies representing low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Conclusion Healthcare utilization for non-COVID-19 conditions has decreased almost universally, across both high- and lower-income countries. The pandemic’s impact on non-COVID-19 health outcomes, particularly for chronic diseases, may take years to fully manifest and should be a topic of ongoing study. Future research should be tied to system improvement and the promotion of health equity, with researchers identifying potentially actionable findings for national, regional and local health leadership. Public health professionals must also seek to address the disparity in published data from LMICs as compared with high-income countries.

scholarly journals Exposure to Atmospheric Particulate Matter-Bound Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons and Their Health Effects: A Review

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 2177
Author(s):  
Lu Yang ◽  
Hao Zhang ◽  
Xuan Zhang ◽  
Wanli Xing ◽  
Yan Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons ◽  
Particulate Matter ◽  
Real Time ◽  
Health Effects ◽  
Aromatic Hydrocarbons ◽  
Anthropogenic Activities ◽  
Personal Exposure ◽  
Epidemiological Studies ◽  
Atmospheric Particulate Matter ◽  
Polycyclic Aromatic

Particulate matter (PM) is a major factor contributing to air quality deterioration that enters the atmosphere as a consequence of various natural and anthropogenic activities. In PM, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) represent a class of organic chemicals with at least two aromatic rings that are mainly directly emitted via the incomplete combustion of various organic materials. Numerous toxicological and epidemiological studies have proven adverse links between exposure to particulate matter-bound (PM-bound) PAHs and human health due to their carcinogenicity and mutagenicity. Among human exposure routes, inhalation is the main pathway regarding PM-bound PAHs in the atmosphere. Moreover, the concentrations of PM-bound PAHs differ among people, microenvironments and areas. Hence, understanding the behaviour of PM-bound PAHs in the atmosphere is crucial. However, because current techniques hardly monitor PAHs in real-time, timely feedback on PAHs including the characteristics of their concentration and composition, is not obtained via real-time analysis methods. Therefore, in this review, we summarize personal exposure, and indoor and outdoor PM-bound PAH concentrations for different participants, spaces, and cities worldwide in recent years. The main aims are to clarify the characteristics of PM-bound PAHs under different exposure conditions, in addition to the health effects and assessment methods of PAHs.

scholarly journals Health Effects and Exposure Assessment to Bioaerosols in Indoor and Outdoor Environments

Atmosphere ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 359
Author(s):  
Ewa Brągoszewska
Keyword(s):  
Exposure Assessment ◽  
Health Effects ◽  
Special Issue ◽  
Outdoor Environments ◽  
Indoor And Outdoor Environments ◽  
Indoor And Outdoor

The Atmosphere Special Issue entitled “Health Effects and Exposure Assessment to Bioaerosols in Indoor and Outdoor Environments” comprises five original papers [...]

scholarly journals Subjective Probabilistic Expectations, Household Air Pollution, and Health: Evidence from Cooking Fuel Use Patterns in West Bengal, India

2021 ◽  
pp. 101262
Author(s):  
Mriduchhanda Chattopadhyay ◽  
Toshi H. Arimura ◽  
Hajime Katayama ◽  
Mari Sakudo ◽  
Hide-Fumi Yokoo
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
West Bengal ◽  
Household Air Pollution ◽  
Fuel Use ◽  
Cooking Fuel ◽  
Use Patterns

scholarly journals Pleiotropic Effects of Biguanides on Mitochondrial Reactive Oxygen Species Production

2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 ◽  
pp. 1-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alena Pecinova ◽  
Zdenek Drahota ◽  
Jana Kovalcikova ◽  
Nikola Kovarova ◽  
Petr Pecina ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Reactive Oxygen Species ◽  
Respiratory Chain ◽  
Reactive Oxygen Species Production ◽  
Reactive Oxygen ◽  
Epidemiological Studies ◽  
The Body ◽  
Oxygen Species ◽  
Brown Adipose ◽  
First Choice ◽  
Species Production

Metformin is widely prescribed as a first-choice antihyperglycemic drug for treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus, and recent epidemiological studies showed its utility also in cancer therapy. Although it is in use since the 1970s, its molecular target, either for antihyperglycemic or antineoplastic action, remains elusive. However, the body of the research on metformin effect oscillates around mitochondrial metabolism, including the function of oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) apparatus. In this study, we focused on direct inhibitory mechanism of biguanides (metformin and phenformin) on OXPHOS complexes and its functional impact, using the model of isolated brown adipose tissue mitochondria. We demonstrate that biguanides nonspecifically target the activities of all respiratory chain dehydrogenases (mitochondrial NADH, succinate, and glycerophosphate dehydrogenases), but only at very high concentrations (10−2–10−1 M) that highly exceed cellular concentrations observed during the treatment. In addition, these concentrations of biguanides also trigger burst of reactive oxygen species production which, in combination with pleiotropic OXPHOS inhibition, can be toxic for the organism. We conclude that the beneficial effect of biguanides should probably be associated with subtler mechanism, different from the generalized inhibition of the respiratory chain.

ANALYSIS OF THE REASONS FOR THE REFUSAL OF THE POPULATION FROM VACCINES

Vestnik ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 280-284
Author(s):  
Х. Б. Сарсенбай ◽  
А. Н. Турсынханова ◽  
Б. А. Конысов
Keyword(s):  
Preschool Children ◽  
Young Children ◽  
Disease Prevention ◽  
Infectious Diseases ◽  
Respiratory Infections ◽  
Epidemiological Studies ◽  
Recurrent Respiratory Infections ◽  
High Level ◽  
Mandatory Vaccination

Согласно данным ВОЗ, современные эпидемиологические исследования показали, что рецидивирующие респираторные инфекции у детей раннего и дошкольного возраста сохраняются на высоком уровне 10-50% в течение более 40 лет. Конец вакцинации может спровоцировать массовые инфекционные заболевания. Врачи бьют тревогу, что число отказников от обязательной вакцинации растет. Только в каждой поликлинике Алматы 30-40 родителей в год говорят о готовности к профилактике заболеваний. Среди тех, кто категорически отказывается трогать своих детей иголками, - те, кто идет по пути религии. Они считают, что прививка противоречит убеждениям. В последнее время список недовольных групп пополняют и простые жители, которые скептически относятся к квалификации белых. According to WHO, current epidemiological studies have shown that recurrent respiratory infections in young children and preschool children persist at a high level of 10-50% for more than 40 years. The end of vaccination can provoke mass infectious diseases. Doctors are sounding the alarm that the number of refusers from mandatory vaccination is growing. Only in every polyclinic in Almaty, 30-40 parents a year talk about their readiness for disease prevention. Among those who categorically refuse to touch their children with needles are those who follow the path of religion. They believe that vaccination is contrary to their beliefs. Recently, the list of discontented groups has been supplemented by ordinary residents who are skeptical about the qualifications of whites.

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