Digital Commons Network^™

Changing Corporate Practices To Reduce Cancer Disparities, Nicholas Freudenberg, Sandro Galea, Marianne Fahs

Publications and Research

While reducing racial/ethnic and socioeconomic disparities in cancer mortality has been identified as a national goal, current policies are unlikely to achieve it. In order to advance the development of policies for the primary prevention of cancer and cancer disparities, we propose that the practices of the tobacco, alcohol, and food industries be considered as modifiable social determinants of health. We review evidence that the practices of these industries in product design, marketing, retail distribution, and pricing contribute to cancer risk behavior, incidence, and disparities, then examine public health strategies designed to reduce health-damaging practices of these industries and encourage …

Does Economic Development Contribute To Sex Differences In Ischaemic Heart Disease Mortality? Hong Kong As A Natural Experiment Using A Case-Control Study, Mary Schooling, Tai Hing Lam, Sai Yin Ho, Kwok Hang Mak, Gabriel M. Leung

Publications and Research

Background
The male excess risk of premature ischemic heart disease (IHD) mortality may be partially due to an unknown macro-environmental influence associated with economic development. We examined whether excess male risk of IHD mortality was higher with birth in an economically developed environment.

Methods
We used multivariable logistic regression in a population-based case-control study of all adult deaths in Hong Kong Chinese in 1998 to compare sex differences in IHD mortality (1,189 deaths in men, 1,035 deaths in women and 20,842 controls) between Hong Kong residents born in economically developed Hong Kong or in contemporaneously undeveloped Guangdong province in China. …

Urban Containment Policies And Physical Activity A Time–Series Analysis Of Metropolitan Areas, 1990–2002, Semra Aytur, Daniel A. Rodriguez, Kelly R. Evenson, Diane J. Catellier

Health Management & Policy

Background: Urban containment policies attempt to manage the location, character, and timing of growth to support a variety of goals such as compact development, preservation of greenspace, and efficient use of infrastructure. Despite prior research evaluating the effects of urban containment policies on land use, housing, and transportation outcomes, the public health implications of these policies remain unexplored. This ecologic study examines relationships among urban containment policies, state adoption of growthmanagement legislation, and population levels of leisure and transportation-related physical activity in 63 large metropolitan statistical areas from 1990 to 2002. Methods: Multiple data sources were combined, including surveys of …

Midwest Alcoholism Research Center: An Overview, Andrew C. Heath

Posters

No abstract provided.

An Hsus Report: Human Health Implications Of Intensive Poultry Production And Avian Influenza, The Humane Society Of The United States

Impact of Animal Agriculture

The high stocking density, stress, unhygienic conditions, lack of sunlight, and breeding practices typical of industrial poultry and egg production systems may facilitate the emergence and spread of diseases, including highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses with public health implications such as H5N1.

An Hsi Report: Human Health Implications Of Intensive Poultry Production And Avian Influenza, Humane Society International

HSI REPORTS

The high stocking density, stress, unhygienic conditions, lack of sunlight, and breeding practices typical of industrial poultry and egg production systems may facilitate the emergence and spread of diseases, including highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses with public health implications such as H5N1.

An Ecological Investigation Of Hangover Symptoms The Morning After Drinking Alcohol: Preliminary Results From Marc Project Six, Erin E. Hunt-Carter, Amee J. Epler, Alison E. Richardson, Philip K. Wood, Kenneth J. Sher, Thomas M. Piasecki

Posters

No abstract provided.

Animal-Side Serologic Assay For Rapid Detection Of Mycobacterium Bovis Infection In Multiple Species Of Free-Ranging Wildlife, K.P. Lyashchenko, R. Greenwald, J. Esfandiari, M.A. Chambers, J. Vicente, C. Gortazar, N. Santos, M. Correia-Neves, B.M. Buddle, R. Jackson, D.J. O’Brien, S. Schmitt, M. V. Palmer, R.J. Delahay, W.R. Waters

Michigan Bovine Tuberculosis Bibliography and Database

Numerous species of mammals are susceptible to Mycobacterium bovis, the causative agent of bovine tuberculosis (TB). Several wildlife hosts have emerged as reservoirs of M. bovis infection for domestic livestock in different countries. In the present study, blood samples were collected from Eurasian badgers (n = 1532), white-tailed deer (n = 463), brushtail possums (n = 129), and wild boar (n = 177) for evaluation of antibody responses to M. bovis infection by a lateral-flow rapid test (RT) and multiantigen print immunoassay (MAPIA). Magnitude of the antibody responses and antigen recognition patterns varied among the animals as determined by …

Parasite Pathoecology Of Salmon Pueblo And Other Chacoan Great Houses: The Healthiest And Wormiest Ancestral Puebloans, Karl Reinhard

Karl Reinhard Publications

Two fields of paleopathological investigation originated in the Southwest. Archaeoparasitology is the study of ancient parasite infection (Reinhard 1990, 1992b). It includes comparisons between time periods of single societies as well as comparisons of parasitism between different, contemporaneous cultures. For example, Fry (1980) compared Fremont and Anasazi parasitism, and also Archaic hunter-gatherer and ancestral Pueblo parasitism. All of these studies fall into the definition of archaeoparasitology.

By contrast, pathoecology is the reconstruction of relationships among behavior, environment, and disease organisms in the development of illness (Martinson et al. 2003; ReinhardandBuikstra2003; Reinhardet al. 2003; Santoro et al. 2003).1his field developed from …

Pengaruh Iklim Terhadap Kasus Demam Berdarah Dengue, Margareta Maria Sintorini

Kesmas

Penyakit demam berdarah dengue (DBD) telah menjadi penyakit endemik di kota-kota besar di Indonesia. Ramalan Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change tahun 1996 menyebutkan insidens DBD di Indonesia dapat meningkat tiga kali lipat pada tahun 2070. Tujuan penelitian ini untuk membuat model dinamika sistem dengan analisis ekologi untuk mengetahui dinamika kejadian DBD dalam kaitan dengan pola variablitas iklim di DKI Jakarta. Rancangan penelitian digunakan adalah ecologic study dengan uji hipotesis, permodelan, simulasi, dan intervensi. Wawancara terhadap 844 responden untuk mengetahui tingkat pengetahuan, sikap, dan perilaku (PSP) masyarakat. Pengukuran faktor iklim meliputi curah hujan, suhu, kelembaban, intensitas cahaya, dan kadar CO2. Aspek …

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 …

Midwest Alcoholism Research Center: An Overview, Andrew C. Heath

Posters

No abstract provided.

Association Between The Exposure To Aflatoxin And Micronutrient Status Of Hiv Infected Adults In Ghana, Francis Ayodele Obuseh

All ETDs from UAB

Aflatoxins, found naturally in some foods are toxic metabolites of some Aspergillus species.They constitute the most potent hepatocarcinogens known and are also mutagenic and hepatotoxic. The preponderance of evidence indicates that aflatoxin is the major cause of hepatocellular cancer. In studies conducted in Africa, food-borne aflatoxin exposure is common (Oyelami et al. 1996; Egal et al. 2005). There is a critical need for additional information on health outcomes associated with exposure to aflatoxin in humans, especially in developing countries with a higher degree of malnutrition and likelihood of HIV infections. We sought to test the hypothesis that aflatoxin B1 and …

The Association Between Adult Self-Reported Asthma & Potential Exposures To Asthma Triggers In Virginia Workplaces: An Ecological Study, Jeanette R. Bowman

Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Work-related asthma (WRA) is thought to be the most common occupational lung disease in the U.S., but there is no standard case definition of WRA. Most states, including Virginia, do not require WRA diagnoses to be reported to health departments. At present, there is too little epidemiological data on WRA in Virginia to direct public health planning efforts. Objectives: The first objective of this study was to estimate potential exposure to workplace asthma triggers in each of Virginia's 35 health districts. The second objective was to examine associations at the health district level between workplace asthma triggers, other asthma …

Prevalensi Dan Determinan Hipertensi Di Pulau Jawa, Tahun 2004, Zamhir Setiawan

Kesmas

Hipertensi merupakan faktor risiko utama kardiovaskuler yang merupakan penyebab utama kematian di seluruh dunia. Peningkatan umur harapan hidup dan perubahan gaya hidup meningkatkan faktor risiko hipertensi di berbagai negara. Tujuan penelitian ini (1) Mengetahui prevalensi hipertensi dan penyebarannya di Pulau Jawa tahun 2004. (2) Mengetahui faktor-faktor sosiodemografi yang berhubungan dengan kejadian hipertensi. (3) Mengetahui kontribusi dan dampak potensial masing masing faktor tersebut. Penelitian dengan rancangan studi Ekologi Multilevel ini menggabungkan variabel tingkat pengukuran individu dengan tingkat pengukuran ekologi dalam analisis bersama, dengan unit analisis individu. Analisis kontekstual dilakukan melalui kerangka konsep hipertensi, menggunakan metode analisis regresi logistik ganda, dengan status …

Statistical Analysis Of Air Pollution Panel Studies: An Illustration, Holly Janes, Lianne Sheppard, Kristen Shepherd

UW Biostatistics Working Paper Series

The panel study design is commonly used to evaluate the short-term health effects of air pollution. Standard statistical methods for analyzing longitudinal data are available, but the literature reveals that the techniques are not well understood by practitioners. We illustrate these methods using data from the 1999 to 2002 Seattle panel study. Marginal, conditional, and transitional approaches for modeling longitudinal data are reviewed and contrasted with respect to their parameter interpretation and methods for accounting for correlation and dealing with missing data. We also discuss and illustrate techniques for controlling for time-dependent and time-independent confounding, and for exploring and summarizing …

Examining The Structural Covariates Of Methamphetamine Use: A Social Disorganization Perspective, Justin Smith

Masters Theses

There have been many anecdotal accounts describing the characteristics of individuals involved in methamphetamine use, trafficking and production. However, prior to the current study there was yet to be a macro-level analysis of methamphetamine use. The extant macro-level literature on drug use has suggested that areas with high levels of social disorganization experience high rates of drug use. It was expected that school-districts with low SES and high rates of ethnic heterogeneity, residential instability and family disruption will experience high rates of methamphetamine use. In addition, it was expected that rural school districts would show higher rates than urban and …

Hierarchical Models For Combining Ecological And Case-Control Data, Sebastien Haneuse, Jon Wakefield

UW Biostatistics Working Paper Series

The ecological study design suffers from a broad range of biases that result from the loss of information regarding the joint distribution of individual-level outcomes, exposures and confounders. The consequent non-identifiability of individual-level models cannot be overcome without additional information; we combine ecological data with a sample of individual-level case-control data. The focus of this paper is hierarchical models to account for between-group heterogeneity. Estimation and inference pose serious compu- tational challenges. We present a Bayesian implementation, based on a data augmentation scheme where the unobserved data are treated as auxiliary variables. The methods are illustrated with a dataset of …

Disease Mapping And Spatial Regression With Count Data, Jon Wakefield

UW Biostatistics Working Paper Series

In this paper we provide critical reviews of methods suggested for the analysis of aggregate count data in the context of disease mapping and spatial regression. We introduce a new method for picking prior distributions, and propose a number of refinements of previously-used models. We also consider ecological bias, mutual standardization, and choice of both spatial model and prior specification. We analyze male lip cancer incidence data collected in Scotland over the period 1975–1980, and outline a number of problems with previous analyses of these data. A number of recommendations are provided. In disease mapping studies, hierarchical models can provide …

Conservation Medicine On The Galápagos Islands: Partnerships Among Behavioral, Population, And Veterinary Scientists, Patricia Parker, Noah Whiteman, R. Miller

Biology Department Faculty Works

No abstract provided.

A Geographic Study Of Childhood Cancers Near Hazardous Waste Sites In Florida., Gregory D. Kearney

All ETDs from UAB

No abstract provided.

Intimate Partner Violence Among Low -Income Pregnant Women: Multi-Level Analysis., Qing Li

All ETDs from UAB

No abstract provided.

The Epidemiology Of West Nile Virus In Louisiana, Karen Ruth Gruszynski

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

West Nile virus (WNV), a member of the genus Flavivirus transmitted by mosquitoes, first appeared in the New York in 1999. Within five years WNV was detected throughout the contiguous 48 states causing disease in reservoirs and accidental hosts alike. In Louisiana, WNV was first detected in 2001 with one human case, ten equine cases, and six dead birds reported. The introduction of WNV into Louisiana presented an unique opportunity to observe an emerging disease unfold, so a study was launched to gain insight into the epidemiology of WNV in Louisiana. The first component, an environmental predictive model for West …

A Hybrid Model For Reducing Ecological Bias, Ruth Salway, Jon Wakefield

UW Biostatistics Working Paper Series

A major drawback of epidemiological ecological studies, in which the association between area-level summaries of risk and exposure are used to make inference about individual risk, is the difficulty in characterising within-area variability in exposure and confounder variables. To avoid ecological bias, samples of individual exposure/confounder data within each area are required. Unfortunately these may be difficult or expensive to obtain, particularly if large samples are required. In this paper we propose a new approach suitable for use with small samples. We combine a Bayesian non-parametric Dirichlet process prior with an estimating functions approach, and show that this model gives …

Health-Exposure Modelling And The Ecological Fallacy, Jon Wakefield, Gavin Shaddick

UW Biostatistics Working Paper Series

Recently there has been increased interest in modelling the association between aggregate disease counts and environmental exposures measured, for example via air pollution monitors, at point locations. This paper has two aims: first we develop a model for such data in order to avoid ecological bias; second we illustrate that modelling the exposure surface and estimating exposures may lead to bias in estimation of health effects. Design issues are also briefly considered, in particular the loss of information in moving from individual to ecological data, and the at-risk populations to consider in relation to the pollution monitor locations. The approach …

The Effects Of Usda Farm-Bill Restoration Programs On Prairie Voles (Microtus Ochrogaster) In The Barrens Region Of Kentucky, Jestin Clark

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Much of the area that is now west-central Kentucky historically existed as grass dominated ecosystems. Unfortunately, most of those grasslands are gone due mostly to disturbance suppression and conversion to agricultural lands. Federal, state, and nongovernmental agencies have, particularly within the last several decades, undertaken the responsibility and goal of preserving and attempting to restore many of North America's lost grasslands. The USDA in conjunction with local landowners has initiated the CRP (Conservation Reserve Program) and the CREP (Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program); two popular farm bill-based conservation programs. Among the many conservation practices that these programs fund is grassland restoration. …

Implications Of Spatial Autocorrelation And Dispersal For The Modeling Of Species Distributions, Volker Bahn

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Modeling the geographical distributions of wildlife species is important for ecology and conservation biology. Spatial autocorrelation in species distributions poses a problem for distribution modeling because it invalidates the assumption of independence among sample locations. I explored the prevalence and causes of spatial autocorrelation in data from the Breeding Bird Survey, covering the conterminous United States, using Regression Trees, Conditional Autoregressive Regressions (CAR), and the partitioning of variance. I also constructed a simulation model to investigate dispersal as a process contributing to spatial autocorrelation, and attempted to verify the connection between dispersal and spatial autocorrelation in species’ distributions in empirical …

Diets And Coexistence Of The Sea Urchins Lytechinus Variegatus And Arbacia Punctulata (Echinodermata) Along The Central Florida Gulf Coast, Janessa Cobb, John M. Lawrence

Integrative Biology Faculty and Staff Publications

The basis for coexistence of similar species is fundamental in community ecology. One mechanism for coexistence is differentiation of diets. Lytechinus variegatus and Arbacia punctulata coexist in different microhabitats along the Florida gulf coast. Their great difference in morphology might affect their choice of microhabitats and diet. We analyzed diets of both species at 1 offshore and 1 nearshore site where both occurred in relatively equal numbers, an offshore site dominated by A. punctulata and an offshore site dominated by L. variegatus. Gut contents were analyzed to determine the diet. A. punctulata prim. consumed sessile invertebrates except on dates …

Update - June 2005, Loma Linda University Center For Christian Bioethics

Update

In this issue:

-- Universal Access to Health Care and Religious Basis of Human Rights

Primary Prevention Healthcare Among Black American Men: Social Ecological Factors Predictive Of Prostate Cancer Early Detection Access, Virginia Diane Bush Agbonkhese Woods

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Access to healthcare requires individuals to have a place to go, a healthcare provider to see them, resources to obtain proper care, and the appropriate health services given in an appropriate timeframe. Non-Hispanic Black American men have the highest incidence rate of prostate cancer in the world, 180.6 per 100,000 (NCI, 2004). It is not clear as to why high rates persist, but higher death rates are associated with late detection. This mixed-methods ecological study was to investigate physician and Black male perceptions and practices regarding prostate cancer early detection with prostate specific antigen (PSA) blood test, and the digital …