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Incorporating Resilience When Assessing Pandemic Risk In The Arctic: A Case Study Of Alaska, Sweta Tiwari, Andrey Petrov, Nino Mateshvili, Michele Devlin, Nikolay Golosov, Marya Rozanova-Smith, Mark Welford, John Degroote, Tatiana Degai, Stanislav Ksenofontov

Faculty Publications

The discourse on vulnerability to COVID-19 or any other pandemic is about the susceptibility to the effects of disease outbreaks. Over time, vulnerability has been assessed through various indices calculated using a confluence of societal factors. However, categorising Arctic communities, without considering their socioeconomic, cultural and demographic uniqueness, into the high and low continuum of vulnerability using universal indicators will undoubtedly result in the underestimation of the communities' capacity to withstand and recover from pandemic exposure. By recognising vulnerability and resilience as two separate but interrelated dimensions, this study reviews the Arctic communities' ability to cope with pandemic risks. In …

Area Deprivation Index And Segregation On The Risk Of Hiv: A Us Veteran Case-Control Study, Abiodun O Oluyomi, Angela L Mazul, Yongquan Dong, Donna L White, Christine M Hartman, Peter Richardson, Wenyaw Chan, Jose M Garcia, Jennifer R Kramer, Elizabeth Chiao

Student and Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Preventing HIV infection remains a critically important tool in the continuing fight against HIV/AIDS. The primary aim is to evaluate the effect and interactions between a composite area-level social determinants of health measure and an area-level measure of residential segregation on the risk of HIV/AIDS in U.S. Veterans.

METHODS: Using the individual-level patient data from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, we constructed a case-control study of veterans living with HIV/AIDS (VLWH) and age-, sex assigned at birth- and index date-matched controls. We geocoded patient's residential address to ascertain their neighborhood and linked their information to two measures of …

The Incidence Of Psychotic Disorders And Area-Level Marginalization In Ontario, Canada: A Population-Based Retrospective Cohort Study, Martin Rotenberg, Andrew Tuck, Kelly K. Anderson, Kwame Mckenzie

Paediatrics Publications

Background: There is limited Canadian evidence on the impact of socio-environmental factors on psychosis risk. We sought to examine the relationship between area-level indicators of marginalization and the incidence of psychotic disorders in Ontario. Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of all people aged 14 to 40 years living in Ontario in 1999 using health administrative data and identified incident cases of psychotic disorders over a 10-year follow-up period. Age-standardized incidence rates were estimated for census metropolitan areas (CMAs). Poisson regression models adjusting for age and sex were used to calculate incidence rate ratios (IRRs) based on CMA and …

Pubh 8133 – Advanced Epidemiology, Yelena Tarasenko

Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health Syllabi

An in-depth integration of advanced epidemiology concepts designed to reinforce epidemiological principles, as well as build a foundation for epidemiologic research in public health practice. Specific course content includes theory, methods, and applications for epidemiologic studies including random and systematic error, confounding, counterfactuals, causal inference, effect modification, internal and external validity and advanced study design. Emphasis will also be placed on choosing and performing appropriate analytic techniques necessary for biostatistical inference, including estimation and interpretation of effect measures.

Global Trends In Adolescents' Road Traffic Injury Mortality, 1990-2019, Uzma Rahim Khan, Junaid A. Razzak, Martin Gerdin Wärnberg

Department of Emergency Medicine

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the trends of road traffic injury (RTI) mortality among adolescents aged 10-14 years and 15-19 years across different country income levels with respect to the type of road users from 1990 to 2019.
Methods: We conducted an ecological study. Adolescents' mortality rates from RTIs at the level of high-income countries (HICs), upper-income to middle-income countries (UMICs), lower-income to middle-income countries and low-income countries were extracted from the Global Burden of Disease study. Time series were plotted to visualise the trends in mortality rates over the years. We also conducted Poisson regression …

An Exploration Of Colorectal Cancer Incidence Rates In North Dakota, Usa, Via Structural Equation Modeling, Gary G. Schwartz, Marilyn G. Klug, Bradley C. Rundquist

Geography & Geographic Information Science Faculty Publications

Purpose The state of North Dakota has one of the highest incidence rates for colorectal cancer in the USA. Its high incidence rate, coupled with a large variation in incidence rates among counties within the state, makes North Dakota a “natural laboratory” in which to investigate environmental clues to colorectal cancer. We conducted a hypothesis-generating study to explore potential determinants of colorectal cancer in North Dakota.

Methods We obtained county-specific incidence rates for North Dakota’s 53 counties from the statewide cancer registry and corresponding data on county demographic, agricultural, and geophysical features from population-based sources. Candidate demographic/agricultural variables included median …

Epilepsy Diagnosis And Management Of Children In Kenya: Review Of Current Literature, Pauline Samia, Jane Hassell, Jessica-Anne Hudson, Symon M. Kariuki, Charles R. Newton, Jo M. Wilmshurst

Paediatrics and Child Health, East Africa

Introduction: The growing impact of non-communicable diseases in low- to middle-income countries makes epilepsy a key research priority. We evaluated peer-reviewed published literature on childhood epilepsy specific to Kenya to identify knowledge gaps and inform future priorities.

Methodology: A literature search utilizing the terms “epilepsy” OR “seizure” as exploded subject headings AND “Kenya” was conducted. Relevant databases were searched, generating 908 articles. After initial screening to remove duplications, irrelevant articles, and publications older than 15 years, 154 papers remained for full-article review, which identified 35 publications containing relevant information. Data were extracted from these reports on epidemiology, etiology, clinical features, …

Distribution Of Pulmonary Tuberculosis In Rio De Janeiro (Brazil): A Spatial Analysis, Nadia Christina Rodrigues, Monica Kramer Andrade, Gisele O'Dwyer, Matthew B. Flynn, Jose Ueleres Braga, Andrea Sobral De Almeida, Leonardo Soares Bastos, Valeria Teresa Saraiva Lino

Department of Political Science and International Studies Faculty Publications

The aim of this study was to analyze the spatial distribution of the tuberculosis endemic in Rio de Janeiro State from 2002 to 2011. A retrospective study was conducted in the state of Rio de Janeiro from 2002 to 2011. Spatial analysis techniques were used to describe the distribution of tuberculosis incidence in the state. Multilevel Poisson regression model was used to access the relationship of tuberculosis and the following factors: “sex”, “age-group” and “diagnostic year” (individual-level factors). Demographic density and municipality were also included in the model as contextual-level factors. A reduction in endemic tuberculosis was observed over the …

The Increase In Domestic Violence In Brazil From 2009-2014, Nadia Christina Rodrigues, Gisele O'Dwyer, Monica Kramer Andrade, Matthew B. Flynn, Denise Leite Maia Monteiro, Valeria Teresa Saraiva Lino

Department of Political Science and International Studies Faculty Publications

In recent decades, the rise violent phenomena in Brazil has reached epidemic proportions. However, the prevalence of domestic violence (DV) across different states in the country is not well established. The objective of this study was to describe the distribution of DV across Brazilian states from 2009 to 2014. An ecological study based on spatial analysis techniques was performed using Brazilian states as geographical units of analysis. A multilevel Poisson model was used to explain the risk of DV in Brazil according to age, sex, period (fixed effects), the Human Developing Index, and the victim’s residence state (random effects). The …

Ebola Virus - Epidemiology, Diagnosis, And Control: Threat To Humans, Lessons Learnt, And Preparedness Plans - An Update On Its 40 Year's Journey, Raj Kumar Singh, Kuldeep Dhama, Yashpal Singh Malik, Muthannan Andavar Ramakrishnan, Kumaragurubaran Karthik, Rekha Khandia, Ruchi Tiwari, Ashok Munjal, Mani Saminathan, Perumal Arumugam, Sunil Kumar Joshi

Bioelectrics Publications

Ebola virus (EBOV) is an extremely contagious pathogen and causes lethal hemorrhagic fever disease in man and animals. The recently occurred Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreaks in the West African countries have categorized it as an international health concern. For the virus maintenance and transmission, the non-human primates and reservoir hosts like fruit bats have played a vital role. For curbing the disease timely, we need effective therapeutics/prophylactics, however, in the absence of any approved vaccine, timely diagnosis and monitoring of EBOV remains of utmost importance. The technologically advanced vaccines like a viral-vectored vaccine, DNA vaccine and virus-like particles are …

Ecological Correlations Of Dietary Food Intake And Mental Health Disorders, Jordan Hoerr, Joshua Fogel, Benjamin Van Voorhees

Publications and Research

This paper examines the ecological association of dietary food intake with mental health outcomes on the group level across countries. Published data from the World Mental Health Survey were used to compare lifetime prevalence of four categories of mental health disorders (anxiety disorders, mood disorders, impulse control disorders, and substance use disorders) with a country’s fish/seafood and sugar/sweetener supply quantity using the Spearman rank correlation. Data were compared for 17 countries across the world. Sugar and sweetener supply quantity was significantly and positively associated with anxiety disorders (rho = 0.75, p = 0.001), mood disorders (rho = 0.75, p = …

Review: Epidemiological Evidence Of Groundwater Contribution To Global Enteric Disease, 1948–2015, Heather Murphy, Morgan Prioleau, Mark Borchardt, Paul Hynds

Articles

Globally, approximately 2.2 billion people rely on groundwater for daily consumption. It is widely accepted that groundwater is more pristine than surface water but while this assumption is frequently the case, groundwater is not ubiquitously free of contaminants; accordingly, this presumption can result in an unfounded and potentially hazardous sense of security among owners, operators and users. The current paper presents a review of published literature providing epidemiological evidence of the contribution of groundwater to global human enteric infection. An emphasis is placed on enteric pathogens transmitted via the faecal-oral route, and specifically those associated with acute gastrointestinal illness (AGI). …

Antibiotic Resistance In Animal And Environmental Samples Associated With Small-Scale Poultry Farming In Northwestern Ecuador, Nikolay Braykov, Joseph Eisenberg, Marissa Grossman, Lixin Zhang, Karla Vasco, William Cevallos, Diana Munoz, Andres Acevedo, Kara Moser, Carl Marrs, Betsy Foxman, James A. Trostle, Gabriel Trueba, Karen Levy

Faculty Scholarship

The effects of animal agriculture on the spread of antibiotic resistance (AR) are cross-cutting and thus require a multidisciplinary perspective. Here we use ecological, epidemiological, and ethnographic methods to examine populations of Escherichia coli circulating in the production poultry farming environment versus the domestic environment in rural Ecuador, where small-scale poultry production employing nontherapeutic antibiotics is increasingly common. We sampled 262 “production birds” (commercially raised broiler chickens and laying hens) and 455 “household birds” (raised for domestic use) and household and coop environmental samples from 17 villages between 2010 and 2013. We analyzed data on zones of inhibition from Kirby-Bauer …

Consumption Of Sugar-Sweetened Beverages Associated With Increased Odds Of Depression, Chad E. Burleson, Kendall Anderson, Z. Copeland, Kelly L. Sullivan

Epidemiology Faculty Publications

Objective: To evaluate the association between depression and sugary drink intake using participant data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey (BRFSS).

Design: Cross-sectional data from the 2012 and 2013 BRFSS were examined (N=44,603). Depression was based on self-report of symptoms within the past 30 days. Covariates included age, sex, race, employment status, body mass index (BMI), education level, and exercise in the past 30 days.

Setting: Data from a national telephone survey (BRFSS) were used to assess risk factors associated with health of the participants.

Subjects: Participants in the 2012 and 2013 BRFSS were included in this analysis (N=44,603). …

Finding Them Before They Find Us: Informatics, Parasites, And Environments In Accelerating Climate Change, Daniel R. Brooks, Eric P. Hoberg, Walter A. Boeger, Scott Lyell Gardner, Kurt E. Galbreath, David Herczeg, Hugo H. Mejía-Madrid, S. Elizabeth Rácz, Altangerel Tsogtsaikhan Dursahinhan

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Faculty and Staff Publications

Parasites are agents of disease in humans, livestock, crops, and wildlife and are powerful representations of the ecological and historical context of the diseases they cause. Recognizing a nexus of professional opportunities and global public need, we gathered at the Cedar Point Biological Station of the University of Nebraska in September 2012 to formulate a cooperative and broad platform for providing essential information about the evolution, ecology, and epidemiology of parasites across host groups, parasite groups, geographical regions, and ecosystem types. A general protocol, documentation–assessment–monitoring–action (DAMA), suggests an integrated proposal to build a proactive capacity to understand, anticipate, and respond …

Two Boundaries Separate Borrelia Burgdorferi Populations In North America, Gabriele Margos, Jean I. Tsao, Santiago Castillo-Ramirez, Yvette A. Girard, Anne G. Hoen

Dartmouth Scholarship

Understanding the spread of infectious diseases is crucial for implementing effective control measures. For this, it is important to obtain information on the contemporary population structure of a disease agent and to infer the evolutionary processes that may have shaped it. Here, we investigate on a continental scale the population structure of Borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of Lyme borreliosis (LB), a tick-borne disease, in North America. We test the hypothesis that the observed d population structure is congruent with recent population expansions and that these were preceded by bottlenecks mostly likely caused by the near extirpation in the 1900s …

Genetic Measures Confirm Familial Relationships And Strengthen Study Design, Stacie J. Robinson, Ryan D. Walrath, Timonthy R. Vandeelen, Kurt C. Vercauteren

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Social structure and behavioral interactions between individuals shape basic biological processes, such as breeding; foraging and predator avoidance; movement and dispersal; and disease transmission. We used a targeted trapping strategy to capture kin groups of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) during 2007 and 2008 in Sandhill Wildlife Research Area, Wisconsin, USA, in order to observe social behaviors. Because inferring family relationships from observation of behavior is subjective, we usedmeasures of genetic relatedness and parentage assignment tests to determine that our capture strategy was efficient for capturing related pairs (78% of groups contained 1 dyad of related animals). The results of …

Assessing Syndromic Surveillance Of Cardiovascular Outcomes From Emergency Department Chief Complaint Data In New York City, Robert W. Mathes, Kazuhiko Ito, Thomas Matte

Publications and Research

Background Prospective syndromic surveillance of emergency department visits has been used for near-real time tracking of communicable diseases to detect outbreaks or other unexpected disease clusters. The utility of syndromic surveillance for tracking cardiovascular events, which may be influenced by environmental factors and influenza, has not been evaluated. We developed and evaluated a method for tracking cardiovascular events using emergency department free-text chief complaints. Methodology/Principal Findings There were three phases to our analysis. First we applied text processing algorithms based on sensitivity, specificity, and positive predictive value to chief complaint data reported by 11 New York City emergency departments for …

Lung Cancer In A U.S. Population With Low To Moderate Arsenic Exposure, Julia Heck

Dartmouth Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Childhood Lymphohematopoietic Cancer Incidence And Hazardous Air Pollutants In Southeast Texas, 1995–2004, Kristina W. Whitworth, Elaine Symanski, Ann L. Coker

CRVAW Faculty Journal Articles

BACKGROUND: Cancer is the second leading cause of death among U.S. children with few known risk factors. There is increasing interest in the role of air pollutants, including benzene and 1,3-butadiene, in the etiology of childhood cancers.

OBJECTIVE: Our goal was to assess whether census tracts with the highest benzene or 1,3-butadiene ambient air levels have increased childhood lymphohematopoietic cancer incidence.

METHODS: Our ecologic analysis included 977 cases of childhood lymphohematopoietic cancer diagnosed from 1995–2004. We obtained the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s 1999 modeled estimates of benzene and 1,3-butadiene for 886 census tracts surrounding Houston, Texas. We ran Poisson regression …

Polymorphisms In Nucleotide Excision Repair Genes, Arsenic Exposure, And Non-Melanoma Skin Cancer In New Hampshire, Katie M. Applebaum, Margaret R. Karagas, David J. Hunter, Paul J. Catalano, Steven H. Byler, Steve Morris, Heather H. Nelson

Dartmouth Scholarship

Background:

Arsenic exposure may alter the efficiency of DNA repair. UV damage is specifically repaired by nucleotide excision repair (NER), and common genetic variants in NER may increase risk for non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC).

Objective:

We tested whether polymorphisms in the NER genes XPA (A23G) and XPD (Asp312Asn and Lys751Gln) modify the association between arsenic and NMSC.

Methods:

Incident cases of basal and squamous cell carcinoma (BCC and SCC, respectively) were identified through a network of dermatologists and pathology laboratories across New Hampshire. Population-based controls were frequency matched to cases on age and sex. Arsenic exposure was assessed in toenail …

Mammalian Reservoirs And The Changing Epidemiology Of Rabies In The United States, James E. Childs, John W. Krebs, Charles E. Rupprecht

Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings: 18th (1998)

The epidemiology of rabies in the United States has changed dramatically over the past few decades. Greater than 90% of all animal rabies cases reported annually to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now occur in wildlife, whereas before 1960 the majority were domestic animals. The principal rabies reservoirs today are wild carnivores and bats, infected with many different types of rabies virus variants. Annual reporting of human deaths have fallen from more than 100 at the turn of the century to one to six per year, despite major outbreaks of animal rabies in several distinct geographic areas. Most …