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Public Health

University of Massachusetts Amherst

Theses/Dissertations

Inflammation

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A Cross-Sectional Study Of Phthalate Exposure And Inflammation Biomarker Levels Among Postmenopausal Women, Avery Trim Jul 2020

A Cross-Sectional Study Of Phthalate Exposure And Inflammation Biomarker Levels Among Postmenopausal Women, Avery Trim

Masters Theses

Phthalates are industrial chemicals added to plastics found in products such as children’s toys, cosmetics, and household items, and some laboratory studies suggest phthalates may increase levels of inflammation. Chronic inflammation is associated with many chronic health conditions, such as diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis. Although research is limited, recent studies suggest a strong positive relationship between mono-butyl phthalate (MBP), mono-isobutyl phthalate (MiBP), and monocarboxynonyl phthalate (MCNP) and c-reactive protein (CRP), as well as monoethyl phthalate (MEP) and mono-3-carboxypropyl phthalate (MCPP) and interleukin-6 (IL-6). Additionally, this relationship has not been examined among postmenopausal women, a population that is at higher risk …


Micronutrients, Inflammation And Depression Among Women Of Reproductive Age From The National Health And Nutrition Examination Survey 2005-2008, Joycelyn M. Faraj Jul 2017

Micronutrients, Inflammation And Depression Among Women Of Reproductive Age From The National Health And Nutrition Examination Survey 2005-2008, Joycelyn M. Faraj

Doctoral Dissertations

Depression is the leading cause of disease burden among women. Recent evidence indicates that inflammation is associated with depression, and factors that contribute to inflammation can be addressed through nutritional and lifestyle interventions. Vitamins B6 and D have been linked with depression and have established roles in inflammation, yet their associations with depression in the presence of low-grade inflammation remain unknown. The purpose of this research was to investigate how high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), a biomarker of inflammation, contributes to different dimensions of depression and to determine to what degree inflammation affects the association between vitamins B6 …


Associations Between Vitamin D Status, Adiposity, And Inflammatory Biomarkers In Young Women (18 – 30 Years), Adolphina Addo-Lartey Nov 2014

Associations Between Vitamin D Status, Adiposity, And Inflammatory Biomarkers In Young Women (18 – 30 Years), Adolphina Addo-Lartey

Doctoral Dissertations

We conducted a cross-sectional analysis among 270 (18- to 30-year old) female participants in the UMass Amherst Vitamin D Status Study (n = 270) to assess the extent to which dietary intakes of calcium and vitamin D are associated with obesity markers. We also evaluated the association between serum 25-OHD concentrations and both adiposity and inflammatory biomarkers. Study participants were mostly Caucasians (84.5%) with normal BMI, although about half of women had high adiposity (total body fat ‘TBF’≥ 32%). Women reporting adequate intakes of calcium (≥ 1000 mg/day) but low intakes of vitamin D (< 600 IU/day) were more than twice as likely to have a high percentage of TBF compared to women with adequate intakes of both calcium and vitamin D. In addition, women with lower calcium intake from supplements were twice as likely to have a waist circumference ≥ 80 cm (OR = 2.04; 95% CI: 1.04 – 3.99) compared to women in the highest tertile of calcium intake. The magnitude of this association is important since among young women 18-30 years old, a waist circumference greater than 80 cm indicates central obesity and suggests increased visceral adiposity, which contributes to hyperlipidemia and other obesity-related chronic conditions. Among all women, total vitamin D, food vitamin D, and supplemental vitamin D intake were not associated with serum 25-OHD concentration (P > 0.05). However, among supplement …