scholarly journals An Overview of Environmental Risk Factors for Food Allergy

Author(s):  
Rachel L. Peters ◽  
Suzanne Mavoa ◽  
Jennifer J. Koplin

IgE-mediated food allergy is an increasing public health concern in many regions around the world. Although genetics play a role in the development of food allergy, the reported increase has occurred largely within a single generation and therefore it is unlikely that this can be accounted for by changes in the human genome. Environmental factors must play a key role. While there is strong evidence to support the early introduction of allergenic solids to prevent food allergy, this is unlikely to be sufficient to prevent all food allergy. The purpose of this review is to summarize the evidence on risk factors for food allergy with a focus the outdoor physical environment. We discuss emerging evidence of mechanisms that could explain a role for vitamin D, air pollution, environmental greenness, and pollen exposure in the development of food allergy. We also describe the recent extension of the dual allergen exposure hypothesis to potentially include the respiratory epithelial barrier in addition to the skin. Few existing studies have examined the relationship between these environmental factors with objective measures of IgE-mediated food allergy and further research in this area is needed. Future research also needs to consider the complex interplay between multiple environmental factors.

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  

Abstract Autism is a set of heterogeneous neurodevelopmental conditions, characterised by early-onset difficulties in social communication and restricted, repetitive behaviour and interests. The worldwide population prevalence is about 1% with an increasing incidence and prevalence rates. Autism affects more male than female individuals, and comorbidity is common (>70% have concurrent conditions). Determinants of these changes in incidence and prevalence rates may also be related to exposure to environmental factors and to modifications in diagnostic concepts and criteria. In spite of the uncertainty in determinants of incidence of autisms, there is evidence that environmental characteristics play a significant role both as autism risk factors and as potential obstacles that influence the capabilities of autonomously and fully “using” everyday spaces. The workshop aims to provide a framework on risk factors of autism and explore the relationship with the built environment, focusing on the quality of the everyday spaces and projecting the effects that it could have in the long term on achieving a desirable level of quality of life. The 11th Sustainable Development Goals of United Nations “Make cities inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable” underlines the necessity of designing policies and projects acting to enhance and promote healthy cities and communities by addressing the needs of the most vulnerable groups of inhabitants. Herewith we bring together the discipline of Public Health and Urban Design to promote an interdisciplinary debate on a little explored topic investigating how the approaches adopted during childhood to promote the wellbeing of people with ASD can be related or strengthen by focusing also on built environment design intervention to pursue and reach the same objectives even during adulthood. The workshop will consist of four presentations. The first focuses on giving an overview on current knowledge of intervention for people with autism, presenting also criteria for evidence-based interventions. The second explores the relationship between autism and built environment by providing an exhaustive framework of the available research literature in order to identify a first set of spatial requirements for autism friendly cities. The third examines the impact of built environment on ASD users with the aim of developing a specific evaluation tool for healthcare spaces and best practices formulation according to the specific sensorial hypo- or hyper-activation of people with autism. Finally, the fourth reports the results of a two years Research & Development project called “GAP REDUCE” finalized at developing an Assistive Technology tool to support people with ASD, adult and high-functioning, to plan urban itineraries towards daily destinations. Key messages World's incidence of autism is about 1% with an increasing incidence whose determining rates may also be related to environmental factors and to modifications in diagnostic concepts and criteria. Environmental characteristics play a significant role also as potential obstacles that influence the capabilities of people with autism of autonomously and fully “using” everyday spaces.


Circulation ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 130 (suppl_2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kelly L Adams ◽  
Rebecca L Dekker ◽  
Terry A Lennie ◽  
Misook L Chung ◽  
Kathleen Dracup ◽  
...  

Introduction: Health outcomes such as event-free survival (cumulative end-point in time to first health event) in heart failure (HF) patients is worse in African American than Caucasians. While the direct impact of traditional risk factors on outcomes are recognized, it is unknown how sociodemographic and psychosocial variables, disease, and treatment factors may alter the relationship between race and event-free survival. Hypothesis: Sociodemographics (age, gender, economic status), psychosocial factors (anxiety, depression), disease factors (smoking, functional status, diabetes) and treatments (beta blockers, ACE inhibitors) moderate the relationship between race and shorter event-free survival among patients with HF. Methods: Data were analyzed from 993 outpatients in a multicenter HF registry who were followed for a median of 1.9 years (37% female, 11.3% African American, 64±13 years, 44% NYHA Class III/IV). Data were collected via chart review and interview. Potential proposed moderators were analyzed with race as the predictor and the outcome event-free survival. Regressions were conducted on event-free survival using race and each proposed moderator, and the product of race and each moderator. Results: A primary analysis showed that African American patients are 1.54 times more likely to experience a cardiac event within this data set (p=.003). Further regression analyses indicate event-free survival in African American patients with HF is not moderated by the proposed moderators (all p>.05). Although an incomplete moderation, interactions with medication and race demonstrated better outcomes in African Americans than Caucasians not on ACE inhibitors, but Caucasians on prescribed ACE inhibitors have better comparative outcomes. Conclusions: Although many modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors may be associated with event free survival in African American HF patients, sociodemographic, psychosocial, disease, and treatment factors do not moderate the relationship between race and event-free survival. Future research is needed to better understand what factors contribute to and moderate evident disparities in the event-free survival of African American patients with HF.


Author(s):  
Naser A. Alsharairi

Asthma is a chronic respiratory disease which is associated with higher levels of systemic inflammation. The causes of asthma remain poorly understood. Unhealthy diet and food allergy are potential risk factors for developing asthma. The prevalence of asthma in the Arabian Gulf region (AGR), and Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Qatar in particular, is higher than in other Eastern Mediterranean countries. In the AGR, diets tend to be of low nutritional value due to high levels of total energy, cholesterol, sodium, added sugars and saturated fat, and low levels of fiber, fruit and vegetables. A few studies that include children and adults in the AGR have suggested a potential link between unhealthy diets/specific food allergens and increased risk of asthma, however, the association of food allergy with asthma is still a controversial issue. The aim of this commentary is to consider the evidence from the AGR regarding the effects of diet/food allergy on asthma risk that may be used to make recommendations for future research.


Author(s):  
Laura Delgado-Lobete ◽  
Rebeca Montes-Montes ◽  
Alba Vila-Paz ◽  
José-Manuel Cruz-Valiño ◽  
Berta Gándara-Gafo ◽  
...  

Substance abuse is a major and prevalent public health concern among university students. Tobacco smoking, risky alcohol behavior, and illegal drug consumption may lead to health problems and behavioral and academic issues. Several individual and environmental factors associate with substance abuse in this population, and the mediating effect of alcohol abuse in the relationship between tobacco smoking and drug consumption is yet to be explored. The purposes of this study were to evaluate the association of individual and environmental factors and substance use, and to analyze the relationship between tobacco smoking, alcohol abuse, and drug consumption, considering alcohol abuse as a possible mediator. A total of 550 Spanish undergraduate and postgraduate students completed several questionnaires regarding their smoking status, alcohol use, and drug consumption during the last six months. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were conducted to explore associations between factors. Direct, indirect and mediating effects were tested using a partial least squares approach (PLS-SEM). The results indicated that substance abuse is associated with being male, living with other students, and combined substance consumption. PLS-SEM showed a significant effect of tobacco smoking and alcohol abuse on drug consumption. Alcohol abuse plays a mediating role in the relationship between tobacco smoking and drug use.


Animals ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 1443
Author(s):  
Emma L. Mellor ◽  
Innes C. Cuthill ◽  
Christoph Schwitzer ◽  
Georgia J. Mason ◽  
Michael Mendl

Excessive body mass, i.e., being overweight or obese, is a health concern associated with issues such as reduced fertility and lifespan. Some lemur species are prone to extreme weight gain in captivity, yet others are not. To better understand species- and individual-level effects on susceptibility to captive weight gain, we use two complementary methods: phylogenetic comparative methods to examine ecological explanations for susceptibility to weight gain across species, and epidemiological approaches to examine demographic and environment effects within species. Data on body masses and living conditions were collected using a survey, yielding useable data on 675 lemurs representing 13 species from 96 collections worldwide. Data on species-typical wild ecology for comparative analyses came from published literature and climate databases. We uncovered one potential ecological risk factor: species adapted to greater wild food resource unpredictability tended to be more prone to weight gain. Our epidemiological analyses on the four best-sampled species revealed four demographic and one environmental risk factors, e.g., for males, being housed with only fixed climbing structures. We make practical recommendations to help address weight concerns, and describe future research including ways to validate the proxy we used to infer body condition.


2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 115-122
Author(s):  
Olga Domínguez ◽  
Ana María Plaza ◽  
Montserrat Alvaro

Consistent evidence has been found on the relationship between food allergy (FA) and atopic dermatitis (AD) in some children. Food sensitization can be often found in these patients. Allergy should be confirmed, though, with a food challenge test (FC) before advising a restrictive diet which could be harmful for the patient. Younger children with AD frequently show sensitization to egg, milk or peanut, while older ones and adults are more often sensitized to environmental allergens such as house dust mites, moulds, animal dander or pollens. It is well known that a barrier disturbance plays a main role in the development of sensitization and allergy. Therefore, due to the early appearance of AD, preventive newborn skincare with emollients and early introduction of food appear to be very important to determine food tolerance.


2019 ◽  
Vol 125 ◽  
pp. 04001
Author(s):  
Blego Sedionoto ◽  
Sueptrakool Wasessombat ◽  
Chuchard Punsawad ◽  
Witthaya Anamnart

The prevalence of hookworm infection and strongyloidiasis is serious public health concern globally. In rural East Kalimantan, Indonesia has high-risk environmental factors of the prevalence of hookworm infection and strongyloidiasis. In this study would show the infection rates, correlation analysis between environmental risk factors and prevalence of hookworm infection with statistical analysis. We performed a cross-sectional study among 213 participants from rural community of East Kalimantan Province, Indonesia. In this study used two diagnostic methods: Kato Katz and Koga agar plate culture/KAP culture for diagnosing of hookworm and Strongyloides infections. Chi-square analysis was used for study correlation between environmental factors and hookworm infection. Hookworm, strongyloides, and ascaris infections were found in this study; 44.1%, 16.4%, and 7.5% respectively. Environmental risk factors such as; rainy season, quality of soil and infection hookworm and strongyloides in pet have significant correlation (p-value < 0.05) with hookworm infection and strongyloidiasis. The prevalence of hookworm infection and strongyloidiasis has correlation with environmental factors, and the finding in this research could be contributed to decreasing program of hookworm infection and strongyloidiasis especially in rural community area.


2000 ◽  
Vol 34 (5) ◽  
pp. 829-835 ◽  
Author(s):  
Teresa K. Hamilton ◽  
Robert D. Schweitzer

Objective: The aim of the study was to assess the relationship between dimensions of perfectionism and suicide ideation in a tertiary student population in Australia. Method: The methodology involved 405 students completing the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28) which includes a subset of questions which can be used to assess suicide ideation, and the Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale. Results: The presence of suicide ideation was associated with higher scores on total perfectionism and two perfectionism dimensions, and total GHQ scores. There were significant differences between participants with high levels of perfectionism and participants with moderate to low levels of perfectionism on a measure of suicide ideation. Neither gender nor age were associated with differences in the scores, with results indicating high levels of perfectionism may indicate a vulnerability to suicide ideation. Conclusions: Perfectionism is a valued attribute in high-achieving populations. The question needs to be asked, however, at what cost? The findings indicate that high levels of perfectionism may be associated with an increased vulnerability to suicide ideation. Future research is needed to gain a better understanding of the complex interrelationship between personality and temperament, environmental factors and self-destructive behaviour.


2021 ◽  
Vol 100 (3) ◽  
pp. 223-228
Author(s):  
Aleksey M. Chaulin ◽  
Dmitry V. Duplyakov

Introduction. New advances in the diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular diseases (CVD), as practice shows, are not able to significantly improve the statistical indicators of morbidity and mortality of CVD. This fact indicates that there are additional factors and mechanisms that are important to consider, both for prevention and for the most optimal management of patients. Recently, the relationship between environmental and lifestyle factors with CVD has been actively studied. However, despite understanding the relationship between environmental factors and various diseases, including CVD, the mechanisms by which specific factors increase or decrease the risk of developing CVD are not yet fully understood, and a number of studies are contradictory. The aim of our work was to generalize existing data on the impact of such critical environmental factors as air pollution and solar insolation on the cardiovascular system, as well as to comprehensively discuss the mechanisms by which these environmental factors can participate in the development and progression of CVD. To achieve our work’s goal, we analyzed modern foreign literature using the PubMed database. Conclusion. According to numerous experimental and clinical studies, air pollution and solar insolation deficiency play an essential role in developing CVD and the aggravation of patients with various CVD (atherosclerosis, hypertension, coronary heart disease, heart failure, myocardial infarction, and stroke). Thus, air pollution and lack of solar insolation can be considered as critical risk factors for CVD. Future research should focus on the study and establishment of specific pathogenetic mechanisms by which environmental factors affect the cardiovascular system’s health to develop effective treatment and prevention measures.


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