Epidemiology Commons^™

Metabolomic Profiles In Breast Cancer: A Pilot Case-Control Study In The Breast Cancer Family Registry, Marcelle Dougan, Yuqing Li, Lisa Chu, Robert Haile, Alice Whittemore, Summer Han, Steven Moore, Joshua Sampson, Irene Andrulis, Esther John, Ann Hsing

Faculty Publications

Background Metabolomics is emerging as an important tool for detecting differences between diseased and non-diseased individuals. However, prospective studies are limited. Methods We examined the detectability, reliability, and distribution of metabolites measured in pre-diagnostic plasma samples in a pilot study of women enrolled in the Northern California site of the Breast Cancer Family Registry. The study included 45 cases diagnosed with breast cancer at least one year after the blood draw, and 45 controls. Controls were matched on age (within 5 years), family status, BRCA status, and menopausal status. Duplicate samples were included for reliability assessment. We used a liquid …

Sleep, Shiftwork Adaptation, Autonomic Dysfunction, And Metabolic Syndrome, Torrance Torrance

Theses and Dissertations

Background: Sleep is considered a physiological necessity and its disruption is associated with a wide variety of adverse mental and physical health outcomes including increased incidence of obesity, cancer, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes mellitus, stroke, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), work-related and vehicle accidents, and aberration of the autonomic nervous system.

Methods: Three studies were conducted from three separate populations. The first study examined the latent trajectories of self-reported sleep quality in active duty Army soldiers over a 3-year period using data from the Global Assessment 2.0 survey and Repeated Measures Latent Class Analysis (RMCLA) procedures. Generalized Estimating …

Chronic Conditions Profiles And Cardiometabolic Risk Factor Control Among A Diverse Sample Of Older Adults With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, Tsion Kidanie

Theses and Dissertations

Background: Multiple chronic condition is common in older adults with diabetes. Several prior studies have shown that having multiple chronic condition impact cardiometabolic risk factor controls (i.e., blood pressure, High-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol level, and high glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c). However, it is not clear whether these results extend to a multiethnic sample of older adults.

Objectives: 1). Examine the association between Comorbidity profile and ABCs goals achievement. 2). Examine whether the association between comorbidity profile and ABCs goals achievement is moderated by race/ethnicity.

Methods: A sample of 3532 participants from Health and Retirement Study (HRS) years 2010 and 2012 and …

Food Acquisition And Shopping Patterns And Associations With Body Mass Index, Xiaonan Ma

Theses and Dissertations

Background: Obesity is a big public health concern in the US. Previous studies examined its association with food shopping practices measured by distance to the food store, shopping frequency, and type of store selected. However, not much is known about the actual food acquisition and shopping habits integrating multi-dimensional aspects. The purpose of this study was to identify distinct food acquisition and shopping patterns in populations primarily residing in food deserts in South Carolina (SC) and a general population in the US and characterize these patterns with respect to socioeconomic status (SES), nutritional knowledge, and perceptions and store selection …

Economic Burden Of Renal Cell Carcinoma (Rcc) And Treatment Patterns, Overall Survival And Healthcare Costs Among Older Metastatic Rcc Patients, Hrishikesh P. Kale

Theses and Dissertations

Background

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is the most common type of kidney cancer. Patients diagnosed with metastatic RCC (mRCC) have shorter overall survival compared to those diagnosed at earlier stages. Several targeted therapies, which cost from $7,000 - $16,000 per month have been approved since 2005 to treat mRCC. In addition, there is a growing interest in the use of cytoreductive nephrectomy (CN) with targeted therapies among mRCC patients. However, little is known regarding the economic burden of RCC and role of CN and prescribing patterns of targeted therapies among older mRCC patients.

Objectives

1) To assess the economic burden …

The Impact Of Mother–Father Relationship, Social Support And Neighborhood Context On Preterm Birth, Timothy O. Ihongbe

Theses and Dissertations

Background: Preterm birth is a major public health concern in the US. Previous studies have suggested that quality of the mother-father relationship, social support, and neighborhood violence may be associated with preterm birth; however, findings are equivocal.

Objectives: The main objectives of this dissertation were: 1) to determine the modifying effect of perceived residential environment on the association between quality of mother–father relationship and preterm birth in a sample of African-American women, 2) to examine whether the receipt of social support modifies the association between neighborhood violence exposure and preterm birth in a nationally representative sample of US women, and …

Spatial Modelling And Wildlife Health Surveillance: A Case Study Of White Nose Syndrome In Ontario, Lauren Yee

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Wildlife data is often limited by survey effort, small sample sizes, and spatial biases associated with collection and missing data. These factors can create unique challenges from a surveillance perspective when trying to extract spatial patterns of habitat suitability and disease distributions for conservation and management purposes. This thesis examined data quality from a wildlife health database in the context of spatial analysis of wildlife disease. Spatial analysis of the data to predict habitat suitability of bats and white nose syndrome afflicted bats was examined by using the MaxEnt modelling method. Methods to reduce spatial bias were examined and specific …

Epidemiology News, Georgia Southern University

Biostatistics, Epidemiology & Environmental Health Sciences: News & Publications (2011-2018)

• Georgia Southern Examines Cervical Screening Interventions for Rural Latina Immigrant Women

Metabolic Dysregulation And Cancer Mortality In A National Cohort Of Blacks And Whites, Tomi Akinyemiju, Justin Xavier Moore, Suzanne Judd, Susan Lakoski, Michael Goodman, Monika M. Safford, Maria Pisu

Epidemiology and Environmental Health Faculty Publications

Background: We examined the association between metabolic dysregulation and cancer mortality in a prospective cohort of Black and White adults.

Methods: A total of 25,038 Black and White adults were included in the analysis. Metabolic dysregulation was defined in two ways: 1) using the joint harmonized criteria for metabolic syndrome (MetS) and 2) based on factor analysis of 15 variables characterizing metabolic dysregulation. We estimated hazards ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the association of MetS and metabolic dysregulation with cancer mortality during follow-up using Cox proportional hazards models.

Results: About 46% of Black and 39% of White …

A Novel Model Of “Remedy And Elimination Of Tuberculosis”, Akanksha Mishra

Master's Theses

Tuberculosis (TB), is one of the top ten causes of death worldwide. TB is commonly linked to poverty and creates poverty as it is the single largest cause of death in the 15-49-year-old age group in South-East Asia (WHO, 2017). It is also linked to the HIV population, and its leading cause of death. TB is effected by socio-economic factors, cultural factors, and health policy. My goal of this dissertation is to identify systematic approaches that shall support the mission set by World Health Organization (WHO): to eliminate TB globally by the year 2050. Measures might include addressing social barriers …

Relationships Between Complex Pediatric Health Conditions And The Built, Physical And Social Environments, Brittany Corley

Theses & Dissertations

The relationship between human health and the environment is complex and overall poorly understood. The environment has a lasting impact on health, and the processes appear to start at conception. Thus, this dissertation examines the potential relationship between pediatric health and the environment.

The first relationship examined was between the built environment and comorbid Attention Deficient Hyperactivity Disorder and Autism Spectrum Disorder. Many publications have reported the relationship between socioeconomic disadvantage, Attention Deficient Hyperactivity Disorder, and Autism Spectrum Disorder. However, the link between the built environment and Attention Deficient Hyperactivity Disorder and Autism Spectrum Disorder symptom severity is poorly understood. …

Prevalence Of And Trends In Diabetes Among Veterans, United States, 2005–2014, Ying Liu, Sonica Sayam, Xiaonan Shao, Kesheng Wang, Shimin Zheng, Ying Li, Liang Wang

ETSU Faculty Works

Diabetes is a highly prevalent chronic disease among US adults, and its prevalence among US veterans is even higher. This study aimed to examine the prevalence of and trends in diabetes in US veterans by using data from the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 2005 through 2014. The overall prevalence of diabetes and undiagnosed diabetes was 20.5% and 3.4%, respectively, and increased from 15.5% in 2005–2006 to 20.5% in 2013–2014 (P = .04). Effective prevention and intervention approaches are needed to lower diabetes prevalence among US veterans and ultimately improve their health status.

Antibiotic Resistance In Escherichia Coli Iron Transport Mutants, Madeline Brandt

Honors Projects

Studies previously completed on Escherichia coli mutants suggested the possibility of iron uptake as an influence on the antibiotic resistance seen in different strains. The research focused on the TonB energy transduction system and its contributions to efflux-mediated antibiotic resistance. To test the hypothesis that iron uptake has an influence on antibiotic resistance in Escherichia coli, the sensitivity to a variety of antibiotics was evaluated in strains of E. coli lacking genes that relate to the uptake of iron or the efflux system that is necessary for the uptake of iron. To test the efflux systems TolC and TonB …

Fetal Growth Restriction: Case Definition & Guidelines For Data Collection, Analysis, And Presentation Of Immunization Safety Data, Sarah Rae Easter, Linda O. Eckert, Nansi Boghossian, Rebecca Spencer, Eugene Oteng-Ntim, Christos Ioannou, Manasi Patwardhan, Margo S. Harrison, Asma Khalil, Michael Gravett, Robert Goldenberg, Alastair Mckelvey, Manish Gupta, Vitali Pool, Stephen C. Robson, Jyoti Joshi, Sonali Kochhar, Tom Mcelrath

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Small For Gestational Age: Case Definition & Guidelines For Data Collection, Analysis, And Presentation Of Maternal Immunisation Safety Data, Elizabeth P. Schlaudecker, Flor M. Munoz, Azucena Bardají, Nansi S. Boghossian, Asma Khalil, Hatem Mousa, Mirjana Nesin, Muhammad Imran Nisar, Vitali Pool, Hans M.L. Spiegel, Milagritos D. Tapia, Sonali Kochhar, Steven Black

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Effect Of Total Body Iron On Metabolic Dysfunction Among U.S. Females In The Nhanes 2003-2010, Aged 12-49., Joseph Michael Carhart

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Experimental and epidemiological studies have reported positive associations between iron parameters and metabolic dysfunction including: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) (1-6), metabolic syndrome (7-15), non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) (16-22) and insulin resistance (23,24) with a number of studies showing that reductions in total body iron via dietary modification (e.g., reducing red meat intake) or phlebotomy lead to increases in insulin sensitivity (25), decreases in insulin resistance (26), and reductions in the prevalence of complications associated with T2DM (5, 27), metabolic syndrome (28) and NAFLD (22, 29). Moreover, the risk associated with these outcomes and total body iron differ between …

Moving Mountains : A Study Examining Long-Term Impacts Of Mountaintop Removal Coal Mining On Mortality In The Appalachian Region Using Geographic Information Sciences Techniques., James Howard Kent Pugh

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Over the last hundred years, the Appalachian region has been dominated by the coal industry. It has also been and currently is one of the unhealthiest regions in the United States. Recent scholarship has examined the relationship between coal mining and health and mortality rates in the Appalachian region. The first study incorporates air quality and pollution data to examine if coal mining counties have higher levels of pollution and if this pollution contributes to mortality disadvantage. In the second study, I construct a population-based coal-exposure measure to better evaluate the relationship between coal mining and health I find that …

The Role Of Pre-Existing Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus In Colorectal Cancer Stage And Survival In Elderly Americans: A Seer-Medicare Population-Based Study 2002-~2011, Sanae El Ibrahimi

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Diabetes is a common comorbid condition among colorectal cancer (CRC) patients, yet its effects in CRC outcomes, particularly stage at diagnosis, risk of death and variations by diabetes severity (complications vs no complications) and Hispanic ethnicity have not been adequately studied. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between pre-existing T2DM and advanced stage at diagnosis in elderly patients with CRC; to examine whether diabetes is an independent predictor of poor survival from all-cause and CRC-specific mortality; to assess whether variations exist by diabetes severity and to analyze the outcomes for the Hispanic group.

The Surveillance Epidemiology …

The Impact Of Economic Recession On The Health Of Adult Nevadans, Ariana Goertz

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Recessions are generally considered to cause negative consequences, but recent studies have provided evidence that some health outcomes improve as the economy deteriorates. The relationship between economic downfalls and health is not straightforward; it is important to look at how health has been impacted in one of the areas hit hardest by the recession. Las Vegas, Nevada was previously considered recession-proof, seemingly unaffected by previous economic downturns exhibited by the rest of the country. However, during the Great Recession of 2007-2009, Las Vegas led the country in highest rates of unemployment and foreclosures. This was quite a collapse for a …

Quality Of Life: Socio-Demographic And Genetic Determinants As Well As Links With Cancer Outcomes, Jeanne Pierzynski

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Quality of life (QOL) is an independent prognostic factor for cancer. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death. Breast cancer is the most diagnosed. Bladder cancer is the most expensive cancer to treat because of its high recurrence rate. We set to perform comprehensive analyses of predictors of QOL in these cancer sites with the future goal of improving QOL and outcomes.

In 6,456 newly diagnosed lung cancer patients, we investigated the relationship between baseline patient characteristics and QOL to identify determinants of QOL. A QOL questionnaire (SF-12v1) measured patients’ physical component summary (PCS) and mental component summary …