Participant's Home Address Research Articles

The influence of the local food environment on diet following residential relocation: longitudinal results from RESIDential Environments (RESIDE).

To examine the associations of changes in the local food environment, individual behaviours and perceptions with changes in dietary intake, following relocation from an established neighbourhood to a new residential development. Spatial food environment exposure measures were generated relative to each participant's home address using the locations of food outlets at baseline (before moving house) and follow-up (1-2 years after relocation). Self-reported data on socio-demographics, self-selection, usual dietary intake, individual behaviours and perceptions of the local food environment were sourced from the RESIDential Environments (RESIDE) Project. Changes in spatial exposure measures, individual behaviours and perceptions with changes in dietary outcomes were examined using mixed linear models. Perth, Western Australia, 2003-2007. Adults (n 1200) from the RESIDE Project. Moving to a new residential development with more convenience stores and café restaurants around the home was significantly associated with an increase in unhealthy food intake (β = 0·049, 95 % CI 0·010, 0·089; β = 0·020, 95 % CI 0·007, 0·033) and was partially mediated by individual behaviours and perceptions. A greater percentage of healthy food outlets around the home following relocation was significantly associated with an increase in healthy food (β = 0·003, 95 % CI 0·001, 0·005) and fruit/vegetable intake (β = 0·002, 95 % CI 0·001, 0·004). Policy and planning may influence dietary intakes by restricting the number of convenience stores and other unhealthy food outlets and increasing the relative percentage of healthy food outlets.

Longitudinal effects of urban green space on walking and cycling: A fixed effects analysis.

This study examined whether changes in green space within the living environment were associated with changes in walking and cycling frequencies in a cohort of 3,220 Dutch adults between 2004, 2011 and 2014. Data on self-reported weekly time spent walking and cycling for active commute and leisure were linked to geographic information system (GIS) measures of total green areas within 1000m buffer zones around each participant's home address, and distance to the nearest green space. First, cross-sectional linear regression models showed no statistically significant associations between green space measures and walking and cycling. Second, fixed effects (FE) models were used to analyze whether changes in green space were associated with changes in walking and cycling, using longitudinal data from respondents who did not relocate over time. As distance to the nearest green area increased by 100m, individuals spent 22.76 fewer (95% CI: -39.92, -5.60) minutes walking for leisure per week and 3.21 more (95% CI: 0.46, 5.96) minutes walking for active commute. Changes in distance to green space were not significantly related to changes in cycling measures. No clear associations between changes in green areas within 1000m buffers and changes in walking and cycling were observed. Overall, there was weak evidence of an effect of changes in green space area on changes in walking, and no evidence for cycling.

Associations between long-term ambient PM2·5 exposure and prevalence of chronic kidney disease in China: a national cross-sectional study

BackgroundChronic kidney disease is a serious global public health challenge, for which PM2·5 is suggested to be a potential environmental risk factor. However, little evidence is available on the associations between PM2·5 exposure and the prevalence of chronic kidney disease in the general Chinese population. We investigated the associations between long-term exposure to ambient PM2·5 and the prevalence of chronic kidney disease on the basis of data from the China National Survey of Chronic Kidney Disease. MethodsWe did this cross-sectional survey in a nationally representative sample of 47 204 Chinese adults aged 18 years or older and recruited at 13 provinces from different Chinese provinces. A multistage, stratified sampling method was used to obtain a representative population sample. Annual exposure to PM2·5 before the survey date was estimated at each participant's home address using a validated satellite-based spatiotemporal model with 10 km × 10 km resolution. Participants with estimated glomerular filtration rate of less than 60 mL/min per 1·73 m2 or with albuminuria were assessed as having chronic kidney disease according to the K/DOQI clinical practice guidelines. Generalised additive mixed-effects models were used to estimate the associations between PM2·5 exposure and prevalence of chronic kidney disease, and the influence of potential modifiers including smoking, age, and comorbid diseases were also explored using stratified analysis. All participants gave written informed consent before data collection, and the ethics committee of Peking University First Hospital approved the study. FindingsWe recruited all participants (20 148 men and 27 056 women) between Jan 1, 2007, and Oct 30, 2010. The overall prevalence of chronic kidney disease was 10·8% (95% CI 10·2–11·3). The overall two-year average PM2·5 concentration was 57·41 μg/m3 (SD 15·85; range 31·25–87·49 μg/m3). Every 10 μg/m3 increase in PM2·5 was positively associated with the prevalence of chronic kidney disease (odds ratio [OR] 1·33, 95% CI 1·25–1·41, p<0·001). Sex-stratified analyses showed that risk in men (OR 1·42, 95% CI 1·29–1·57) was slightly higher than in women (1·26, 1·17–1·36). Risk associations were also stronger in smokers (1·44, 1·27–1·63) than in non-smokers (1·29, 1·21–1·39), and in people younger than 65 years (1·45, 1·35–1·56) than in older people (0·98, 0·87–1·09). In participants with comorbidities, those without comorbid diseases were at increased risk than those with comorbid diseases; measured comorbidities included diabetes (OR 0·93, [95% CI 0·81–1·08] vs 1·40 [1·31–1·50]), hypertension (1·03 [0·95–1·11] vs 1·59 [1·46–1·74]), obesity (1·10 [1·01–1·19] vs 1·54 [1·41–1·68]), and cardiovascular history (0·89 [0·71–1·11] vs 1·36 [1·28–1·45]). InterpretationOur study showed a significant association between long-term PM2·5 exposure with broad concentration ranges and increased prevalence of chronic kidney disease in a representative general Chinese population. The findings provide important evidence to inform clinical and public health practices on reducing exposure to PM2·5, such as avoiding outdoor events and activities, wearing respirators when outdoors, and using air purifiers in days when PM2·5 is high to decrease the disease burden of chronic kidney disease related to ambient PM2·5 pollution. FundingThe National Natural Science Foundation of China.

Associations between air pollution and sperm quality, a prospective study in a Barcelona fertility clinic

TPS 743: Health effects in pregnancy, Exhibition Hall, Ground floor, August 26, 2019, 3:00 PM - 4:30 PM Background/Aim: Prevalence of infertility has increased in recent years. In parallel, a decrease in sperm quality has been observed among men. Sperm quality is associated with several chronic disease, lifestyle and environmental factor. Among them, air pollution is a growing problematic, but the study results are inconsistent due to differences in study design, and exposition measures. The objective of this study is to evaluate association between air pollution exposure and sperm quality. Methods: A prospective study was conducted in a fertility clinic in Barcelona between 2015 and 2018, recruiting males from infertile couples. At inclusion, the participant completed a questionnaire including demographic and lifestyle data (including education, drugs consumption, dietetics and physical activity). Volume, concentration, motility, morphology and DNA fragmentation from multiples seminograms were collected for each participant, including previous to enrolment. Long term exposure to NO2, NOx, PM10, PMcoarse, PM2.5 and PM2.5-absorbance at the participant home address was assessed using LUR ESCAPE models. Association between long term air pollution exposure and the averaged sperm quality parameters by participant was studied using linear regressions adjusted on age, body mass index, study level and smoking status. Results: 322 men were included contributing with 1009 (from 1 to 20 samples per participants). Mean age at seminograms was 37.7 years. A third of participants were non smokers (34%), more than half were overweight or obese (55%) and half of them had at least a graduate degrees (52%). No associations were found between long term exposure to any of the air pollutants included and any of the sperm parameters studied. Conclusions: Our study does not reveal an association between pollution and sperm quality. Our results are coherent with existing the existing literature that has shown inconsistent results. There is a need for further research using specific windows of exposure.

Proximity to major roadways and asthma symptoms in the School Inner-City Asthma Study

Traffic proximity has been associated with adverse respiratory health outcomes. Less is known about the combined impact of residential and school exposures on pediatric asthma. We sought to use spatial analysis methodology to analyze residential and school proximity to major roadways and pediatric asthma morbidity. The School Inner-City Asthma Study (n=350) recruited school-aged children with asthma. Each participant's school and home addresses were geocoded, and distances from major roadways were measured to calculate a composite measure accounting for both home and school traffic exposure. Generalized estimating equation models were clustered by subject and adjusted for age, race/ethnicity, sex, income, environmental tobacco smoke, controller medication, upper respiratory tract infections, and seasonality. The majority of participants (62%) attended schools within 100m from major roadways, and 40% also resided within 100m of major roadways. In multivariate analyses major roadway proximity was independently associated with increased asthma symptom days. At greater than the threshold of 100m, children had 29% less odds of a symptom day over the past 2weeks for each 100-m increase in distance from a major roadway (odds ratio, 0.71; 95% CI, 0.58-0.87; P<.01). Children farther from a major roadway also had significantly less reported health care use (odds ratio, 0.63; 95% CI, 0.47-0.85; P<.01) and were significantly less likely to have poor asthma control (odds ratio, 0.80; 95% CI, 0.69-0.94; P<.01). There was not a meaningful association between distance to a major roadway and lung function outcomes. Proximity to a major roadway, a composite measure of home and school exposure but primarily driven by home exposure, was associated with greater asthma morbidity. More studies are needed to evaluate the independent effect of school distance to a roadway on asthma morbidity.

Long-term Exposure to Low Air Pollutant Concentrations and the Relationship with All-Cause Mortality and Stroke in Older Men.

Long-term air pollution exposure has been associated with increased risk of mortality and stroke. Less is known about the risk at lower concentrations. The association of long-term exposure to PM2.5, PM2.5 absorbance, NO2, and NOx with all-cause mortality and stroke was investigated in a cohort of men aged ≥ 65 years who lived in metropolitan Perth, Western Australia. Land use regression models were used to estimate long-term exposure to air pollutants at participant's home address (n = 11,627) over 16 years. Different metrics of exposure were assigned: baseline; year before the outcome event; and average exposure across follow-up period. The Mortality Register and Hospital Morbidity Data from the Western Australia Data Linkage System were used to ascertain mortality and stroke cases. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals were estimated using Cox proportional hazard models, adjusting for age, smoking, education, and body mass index for all-cause mortality. For fatal and hospitalized stroke, the models included variables controlled for all-cause mortality plus hypertension. Fifty-four percent of all-participants died, 3% suffered a fatal stroke, and 14% were hospitalized stroke cases. PM2.5 absorbance increased the risk of all-cause mortality with adjusted HR of 1.12 (1.02-1.23) for baseline and average exposures, and 1.14 (1.02-1.24) for past-year exposure. There were no associations between PM2.5 absorbance, NO2, and NOx and stroke outcomes. However, PM2.5 was associated with reduced risks of fatal stroke. Long-term exposure to PM2.5 absorbance was associated with all-cause mortality among older men exposed to low concentrations; and exposure to PM2.5 was associated with reduced risk of fatal stroke.

Effects of short- and long-term exposures to particulate matter on inflammatory marker levels in the general population.

The effect of particulate matter (PM) on health increases with exposure duration but the change from short to longer term is not well studied. We examined the exposure to PM smaller 10μm (PM10) from short to longer duration and their associations with levels of inflammatory markers in the population-based CoLaus cohort in Lausanne, Switzerland. Baseline and follow-up CoLaus data were used to study the associations between PM10 exposure and inflammatory markers, including the high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (CRP), as well as interleukin 1-beta (IL-1β), interleukin 6 (IL-6), and tumor-necrosis-factor alpha (TNF-α) using mixed models. Exposure was determined for each participant's home address from hourly air quality simulations at a 5-m resolution. Short-term exposure intervals were 1day, 1week, and 1month prior to the hospital visit (blood withdrawal); long-term exposure intervals were 3 and 6months prior to the visit. In most time windows, IL-6, IL-1β, and TNF-α were positively associated with PM10. No significant associations were identified for CRP. Adjusted associations with long-term exposures were stronger and more significant than those for short-term exposures. In stratified models, gender, age, smoking status, and hypertension only led to small modifications in effect estimates, though a few of the estimates for IL-6 and TNF-α became non-significant. In this general adult cohort exposed to relatively low average PM10 levels, clear associations with markers of systemic inflammation were observed. Longer duration of elevated exposure was associated with an exacerbated inflammatory response. This may partially explain the elevated disease risk observed with chronic PM10 exposure. It also suggests that reducing prolonged episodes of high PM exposure may be a strategy to reduce inflammatory risk.

Assessment of Town and Park Characteristics Related to Physical Activity in the Lower Mississippi Delta.

IntroductionOur objective was to determine aspects of the built environment that may have contributed to the low levels of physical activity reported in both the gestational and postnatal periods by women participating in a diet and physical activity intervention in the rural Lower Mississippi Delta.MethodsThe built environments of 12 towns were measured by using the Rural Active Living Assessment tools and the Community Park Audit Tool. Correlations between town assessment scores and town size variables were computed by using Kendall τ coefficient. The street distance from a participant’s home address to the nearest park was computed by using network analysis in ArcGIS.ResultsRural Active Living Assessment scores were low with mean values between 0% (town policy) and 68% (parks and playgrounds) of the highest possible scores. The mean (standard deviation) number of parks per town was 2.6 (3.2), and 55% of the 31 parks were in the 2 largest towns. Most parks (87%) had a single amenity while 1 park had more than 4 amenities. Distance from a participant’s home to the nearest park ranged from less than 0.1 to 8.8 miles (mean [standard deviation], 1.2 [1.8]).ConclusionThese 12 Lower Mississippi Delta towns scored low on assessments of physical environment features and amenities, town characteristics, and programs and policies associated with physical activity in rural communities. To increase the physical activity levels of rural residents, it may be necessary to first improve the built environment in which they live.

Geographic and Social Factors Associated With Chronic Disease Self-Management Program Participation: Going the "Extra-Mile" for Disease Prevention.

IntroductionWe examined geographic and social factors associated with participation in the Chronic Disease Self-Management Program (CDSMP) and the Diabetes Self-Management Program (DSMP) implemented at 144 sites in Illinois.MethodsPrograms were delivered by trained facilitators, once per week, during 6 weeks to 1,638 participants aged 50 or older. Of the 1,638 participants, we included in our analysis 1,295 participants with complete geographic information and baseline data on demographic characteristics, health history, and health behaviors. We assessed the following program data: program type (CDSMP or DSMP), workshop location, class size, and number of sessions attended by participants. We geocoded each participant’s home address, classified the home address as rural or urban, and calculated the distance traveled from the home address to a workshop. We used linear and logistic regression analyses to examine the associations between participant and program factors with number of sessions attended and odds of program completion by whether participants lived in an urban or rural county.ResultsAverage program attendance was 4.2 sessions; 71.1% (1,106 of 1,556) completed 4 or more sessions. Most participants enrolled in CDSMP (59.6% [954 of 1,600]), but DSMP had greater completion rates. Less than 7% (85 of 1,295) of our sample lived in a rural county; these participants had better completion rates than those living in urban counties (89.4% [76 of 85] vs 75.6% [890 of 1,178]). Traveling shorter distances to attend a workshop was significantly associated with better attendance and program completion rates among urban but not rural participants. The number of sessions attended was significantly higher when class size exceeded 16 participants. Not having a high school diploma was significantly associated with lower levels of attendance and program completion.ConclusionParticipation in CDSMP and DSMP was associated with distance traveled, program type, class size, and education. Increasing participation in self-management programs is critical to ensure participants’ goals are met.

Racial discrimination and cortisol in African American emerging adults: The role of neighborhood racial composition.

African American (AA) emerging adults may become more vulnerable to the consequences of racial discrimination (discrimination) as many begin to occupy racially mixed contexts. Little is known, however, about whether the effect of discrimination on cortisol concentration varies by neighborhood racial composition. We evaluated whether the percentage of White neighbors qualified the association between discrimination and overall cortisol concentration. We used self-report data from the Flint Adolescent Study and block-level census data linked to the participant's home address. Our sample consisted of 241 AA emerging adults (56.8% Female; 19-22 year olds). We used multilevel regression analyses to evaluate whether the percentage of White neighbors modified the association between discrimination and overall cortisol concentration. Discrimination experienced in the past year, but not chronic discrimination was linked to lower cortisol concentrations among AA emerging adults living in neighborhoods with a high concentration of White neighbors. Specifically, past year discrimination was negatively associated among AAs residing in neighborhoods with 46.9% of White residents or higher. Our results lay the foundation for future research on racial health disparities by suggesting that contextual factors such as neighborhood racial composition can shape the influence race-based discrimination has on health. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Ambient Air Pollution and Chronic Bronchitis in a Cohort of U.S. Women.

Background:Limited evidence links air pollution exposure to chronic cough and sputum production. Few reports have investigated the association between long-term exposure to air pollution and classically defined chronic bronchitis.Objectives:Our objective was to estimate the association between long-term exposure to particulate matter (diameter , ; , ), nitrogen dioxide , and both incident and prevalent chronic bronchitis.Methods:We estimated annual average , , and concentrations using a national land-use regression model with spatial smoothing at home addresses of participants in a prospective nationwide U.S. cohort study of sisters of women with breast cancer. Incident chronic bronchitis and prevalent chronic bronchitis, cough and phlegm, were assessed by questionnaires.Results:Among 47,357 individuals with complete data, 1,383 had prevalent chronic bronchitis at baseline, and 647 incident cases occurred over 5.7-y average follow-up. No associations with incident chronic bronchitis were observed. Prevalent chronic bronchitis was associated with [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) per interquartile range (IQR) difference ; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.01, 1.13]. In never-smokers, was associated with prevalent chronic bronchitis ( per IQR difference; 95% CI: 1.04, 1.34), and was associated with prevalent chronic bronchitis (; ), cough (; 95% CI: 1.05, 1.16), and phlegm (; 95% CI: 1.01, 1.14); interaction p-values (nonsmokers vs. smokers) .Conclusions: exposure was related to chronic bronchitis prevalence. Among never-smokers, and exposure was associated with chronic bronchitis and component symptoms. Results may have policy ramifications for regulation by providing evidence for respiratory health effects related to long-term exposure. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP2199

Comparing residence-based to actual path-based methods for defining adolescents’ environmental exposures using granular spatial data

This paper uses data from a population-based case control study of daily activities and assault injury to examine residence-based versus actual path-based approaches to measuring environmental exposures that pose risks for violence among adolescents. Defining environmental exposures based on participant home address resulted in significant misclassification compared to gold standard daily travel path measures. Dividing participant daily travel paths into origin-destination segments, we explore a method for defining spatial counterfactuals by comparing actual trip path exposures to shortest potential trip path exposures. Spatial methods explored herein can be utilized in future research to more accurately quantify environmental exposures and associations with health outcomes.

A Population-Based Study on Nighttime Road Traffic Noise and Insomnia.

The aims of the present study were to investigate how nighttime road traffic noise relates to self-reported symptoms of insomnia and sleep medication use. We used questionnaire data from the population-based study Health and Environment in Oslo (HELMILO) (2009-2010; n = 13019). The insomnia symptoms difficulties falling asleep, awakenings during the night, and waking up too early in the morning as well as self-reported sleep medication use were included as outcomes. Modeled noise levels (Lnight) were assigned to each participant's home address. For selecting covariates to the statistical model, we used a directed acyclic graph. The associations between noise and sleep were analyzed using logistic regression models. After adjustment for potential confounders, we found an odds ratio (OR) of 1.05 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.01-1.09) for the association between traffic noise and difficulties falling asleep, in the total study population. For the association between traffic noise and awakenings during the night, the OR was 1.04 (95% CI: 1.00-1.08) and for waking up too early, the OR was 1.06 (95% CI: 1.02-1.11). The effect estimates are given per 5-dB increase in traffic noise level (Lnight). Self-reported sleep medication use was not statistically significantly associated with traffic noise exposure. In an adult population from Oslo, traffic noise was associated with difficulties falling asleep and waking up too early. These findings indicate that sleep quantity may be compromised for individuals living in areas highly exposed to nighttime traffic noise.

Interplay of takeaway food outlet exposure and income on diet and obesity: a cross-sectional study in UK Biobank

BackgroundThe proliferation of takeaway food outlets has been called a public health problem by Public Health England and the Chief Medical Officer for England. Evidence indicates that the density of takeaway outlets in neighbourhoods can promote unhealthy eating and obesity. But takeaway outlets tend to cluster in deprived areas, and vulnerability to unhealthy food environments might vary across social groups. This study examined the interplay between exposure to takeaway outlets and individual-level socioeconomic position in relation to diet and obesity. MethodsThis cross-sectional study included UK Biobank participants based in Greater London (n=51 361) aged 38–72 years with valid height and weight data, food frequency data, and food environment exposures. Food environment exposures were estimated using geographic information systems and food outlet data from UKMap, as counts of outlets by type, within one-mile radius Euclidean (circular) buffers centred on each participant's home address. Our primary exposure was the number of takeaway outlets as a proportion of all food outlets. Participants were jointly classified on the basis of household income (four groups) and quartile of neighbourhood takeaway outlet proportion to create 16 exposure groups. Regression models estimated the odds of frequent processed meat consumption and obesity. We calculated relative excess risk due to interaction (RERI), relative to a single reference group. Participant data were collected during 2005–13 and analysed in 2016. FindingsBoth income and takeaway exposure were systematically associated with frequent consumption of processed meat and obesity. In mutually adjusted models, lowest-income participants were more likely than highest-income participants to be obese (odds ratio 1·53, 95% CI 1·38–1·69); and relative to those least exposed, highest takeaway exposure was also associated with obesity (1·76, 1·61–1·91). In additive models, the combination of lowest income and highest takeaway exposure was associated with substantially increased odds of obesity (2·75, 2·33–3·24), with the RERI indicating significant interaction. Results were similar in diet analyses. InterpretationWe have confirmed the findings of earlier work showing independent associations between income, neighbourhood takeaway outlet exposure, and diet and adiposity. Moreover, we provide evidence of the double burden of low income and an unhealthy neighbourhood food environment, resulting in higher rates of unhealthy diet and obesity. FundingBritish Heart Foundation, Cancer Research UK, Economic and Social Research Council, Medical Research Council, National Institute for Health Research, and the Wellcome Trust, under the auspices of the UK Clinical Research Collaboration.

Does aircraft noise exposure increase the risk of hypertension in the population living near airports in France?

ObjectivesThe largest study until now around 6 major European airports, the HYENA (HYpertension and Exposure to Noise near Airports) study, reported an excess risk of hypertension related to long-term aircraft...

Long-Term Air Pollution Exposure And Lung Function In 15 Year-Old Adolescents Living In An Urban And Rural Area In Germany

Introduction: The impact of outdoor air pollution exposure on long-term lung development and potential periods of increased lung susceptibility remain unknown. This study assessed associations between early-life and current residential exposure to air pollution and lung function at 15-years of age in two German birth cohorts. Methods: Fifteen year-old participants underwent spirometry before and after bronchodilation (N=2266). Annual average (long-term) exposure to nitrogen dioxide (NO2), particles with aerodynamic diameters less than 2.5 µg/m3 (PM2.5) mass and less than 10 µg/m3 (PM10) mass and ozone were estimated to each participant's birth, ten- and 15-year home addresses using land-use regression and kriging modelling. Associations between lung function variables and long-term pollutant concentrations were assessed using linear regression models adjusted for host and environmental covariates and recent short-term air pollution exposures. Results: All pooled and area-specific associations between lung function variables and long-term air pollution concentrations assessed to the birth, ten and 15-year home addresses were null. However, several lung function variables were associated with long-term pollutant concentrations among asthmatics. For example, NO2 estimated to the 15-year address was associated with the ratio of forced expiratory volume in one second to forced vital capacity (FEV1/FVC) and the mean flow rate between 25% and 75% of FVC (-3.5%, 95% confidence interval [-6.0%, -1.0%] and -297.3 ml/s [-592.6 ml/s, -2.1 ml/s] per 6 µg/m3 increase, respectively). In the complete population, nearly all effect estimates for the associations between lung function variables and short-term PM2.5 mass, PM10 mass and ozone concentrations were negative. Conclusions: Early-life and current long-term air pollution exposure and lung function at the age of 15 years were not associated in the complete study population. Asthmatics may represent a vulnerable group.

Placental mitochondrial methylation and exposure to airborne particulate matter in the early life environment: An ENVIRONAGE birth cohort study

Most research to date has focused on epigenetic modifications in the nuclear genome, with little attention devoted to mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). Placental mtDNA content has been shown to respond to environmental exposures that induce oxidative stress, including airborne particulate matter (PM). Damaged or non-functioning mitochondria are specifically degraded through mitophagy, exemplified by lower mtDNA content, and could be primed by epigenetic modifications in the mtDNA. We studied placental mtDNA methylation in the context of the early life exposome. We investigated placental tissue from 381 mother-newborn pairs that were enrolled in the ENVIRONAGE birth cohort. We determined mtDNA methylation by bisulfite-pyrosequencing in 2 regions, i.e., the D-loop control region and 12S rRNA (MT-RNR1), and measured mtDNA content by qPCR. PM2.5 exposure was calculated for each participant's home address using a dispersion model. An interquartile range (IQR) increment in PM2.5 exposure over the entire pregnancy was positively associated with mtDNA methylation (MT-RNR1: +0.91%, P = 0.01 and D-loop: +0.21%, P = 0.05) and inversely associated with mtDNA content (relative change of −15.60%, P = 0.001) in placental tissue. mtDNA methylation was estimated to mediate 54% [P = 0.01 (MT-RNR1)] and 27% [P = 0.06 (D-loop)] of the inverse association between PM2.5 exposure and mtDNA content. This study provides new insight into the mechanisms of altered mitochondrial function in the early life environment. Epigenetic modifications in the mitochondrial genome, especially in the MT-RNR1 region, substantially mediate the association between PM2.5 exposure during gestation and placental mtDNA content, which could reflect signs of mitophagy and mitochondrial death.

Air Pollution and Biomarkers of Systemic Inflammation and Tissue Repair in COPD Patients

The origin(s) of systemic inflammation in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is unclear. We investigated the impact of exposure to ambient air pollution on systemic biomarkers of inflammation (C-reactive protein (CRP), tumour necrosis factor-α, interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8 and fibrinogen) and tissue repair (hepatocyte growth factor (HGF)) in 242 clinically stable COPD patients (mean age 67.8 years and forced expiratory volume in 1 s 71.3% predicted) in Barcelona, Spain, in 2004-2006. A spatiotemporal exposure assessment framework was applied to predict ambient nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and levels of particles with a 50% cut-off aerodynamic diameter of 2.5 μm (PM2.5) at each participant's home address during 10 periods of 24 h (lags 1-10) and 1 year prior to the blood sampling date. We used linear regression models to estimate associations between biomarkers and exposure levels. An interquartile range (IQR) increase in NO2 exposure in lag 5 was associated with 51%, 10% and 9% increases in CRP, fibrinogen and HGF levels respectively. We also observed 12% and 8% increases in IL-8 associated with an IQR increase in NO2 exposure in lag 3 and over the year before sampling, respectively. These increases were larger in former smokers. The results for PM2.5 were not conclusive. These results show that exposure to ambient NO2 increases systemic inflammation in COPD patients, especially in former smokers.

Spatial relationships between gay stigma, poverty, and HIV infection among black and white men who have sex with men in Atlanta.

Community-level factors, including homophobia, racism, and stigma, have been suggested as drivers of racial disparities in the HIV epidemic among men who have sex with men (MSM).1 As few analyses have focused on these associations across space, we mapped perceived gay stigma, poverty, and HIV status for black and white MSM in the metro Atlanta area (Fig. 1). FIG. 1. Perceived gay stigma, HIV status, and census-tract-level poverty by race among an Atlanta area cohort of men who have sex with men (MSM). The InvolveMENt study is a longitudinal cohort of black and white sexually active MSM aged 18–39 years in Atlanta, Georgia, recruited from community-based venues and social media from June 2010 through October 2012.2 At baseline, MSM were tested for HIV and completed a questionnaire that included an assessment of perceived gay stigma.3 Participant home addresses were geocoded and anonymized by randomly assigning points within a radius of the true point. We obtained the percent of the total population living in poverty in each census tract from the 2010 U.S. Census. Using kriging, perceived stigma was estimated across the Atlanta area for the entire population and stratified by race. Using stigma estimates for the entire population, stigma was approximately categorized into tertiles at ½ standard deviation above and below the mean for the entire population. Data were analyzed and mapped using ArcMap v10.1 (ESRI, Mountain View, CA). Of 454 and 349 enrolled black and white MSM, 448 black and 338 white participants had complete data. The spatial distribution of MSM in Atlanta differs by race, with white MSM being highly concentrated in the urban center and black MSM being more dispersed. The extreme racial disparity in HIV prevalence is also apparent. While, overall, black MSM perceived greater gay stigma than white MSM, observed relationships between poverty, stigma, and HIV prevalence differ both by race and spatially. Among MSM living in high poverty areas, black MSM reported greater gay stigma than white MSM. Additionally, black MSM living with HIV were highly concentrated in areas of both high stigma and high poverty, while white MSM living with HIV were concentrated primarily in areas of low stigma and low poverty. Interestingly, in Midtown (an area of Atlanta with a large gay presence), white MSM reported higher stigma than black MSM. Given the cross-sectional nature of these data, we cannot dismiss the possibility that an HIV diagnosis amplifies perceived gay stigma, rather than gay stigma increasing the risk of HIV acquisition. Alternatively, the observed association between stigma and HIV prevalence may be confounded by an unknown factor. Additionally, as a subjective value, for any given location stigma could differ among individuals, possibly by race. However, regardless of these limitations, our maps show that stigma remains a meaningful community-level factor in exploring health outcomes among MSM. Our observed relationships suggest the existence of an interaction between race, poverty, and stigma on HIV risk. These maps show the importance of considering spatial contexts in studies of HIV risk. To clarify these observations, future analyses may establish temporality by using incident cases of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and explore additional community and personal factors (such as perceived racism, depression, and risk behaviors).

A cross-sectional analysis of the effects of residential greenness on blood pressure in 10-year old children: results from the GINIplus and LISAplus studies.

BackgroundAccording to Ulrich’s psychoevolutionary theory, contact with green environments mitigates stress by activating the parasympathetic system, (specifically, by decreasing blood pressure (BP)). Experimental studies have confirmed this biological effect. However, greenness effects on BP have not yet been explored using an observational study design. We assessed whether surrounding residential greenness is associated with BP in 10 year-old German children.MethodsSystolic and diastolic BPs were assessed in 10 year-old children residing in the Munich and Wesel study areas of the German GINIplus and LISAplus birth cohorts. Complete exposure, outcome and covariate data were available for 2,078 children. Residential surrounding greenness was defined as the mean of Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) values, derived from Landsat 5 TM satellite images, in circular 500-m buffers around current home addresses of participants. Generalized additive models assessed pooled and area-specific associations between BP and residential greenness categorized into area-specific tertiles.ResultsIn the pooled adjusted model, the systolic BP of children living at residences with low and moderate greenness was 0.90 ± 0.50 mmHg (p-value = 0.073) and 1.23 ± 0.50 mmHg (p-value = 0.014) higher, respectively, than the systolic BP of children living in areas of high greenness. Similarly, the diastolic BP of children living in areas with low and moderate greenness was 0.80 ± 0.38 mmHg (p-value = 0.033) and 0.96 ± 0.38 mmHg (p-value = 0.011) higher, respectively, than children living in areas with high greenness. These associations were not influenced by environmental stressors (temperature, air pollution, noise annoyance, altitude and urbanisation level). When stratified by study area, associations were significant among children residing in the urbanised Munich area but null for those in the rural Wesel area.ConclusionsLower residential greenness was positively associated with higher BP in 10 year-old children living in an urbanised area. Further studies varying in participants’ age, geographical area and urbanisation level are required.