Little Evidence Of Association Research Articles

Associations between use of chemical hair products and epigenetic age: Findings from the Sister Study

Background: Hair products may be a source of harmful chemicals and have been linked to age-related health outcomes. We investigated whether the use of hair products is related to epigenetic age in a sample of Black (both Hispanic and non-Hispanic) and non-Hispanic White women. Methods: In a subset of 4358 participants aged 35–74 years from the Sister Study, we estimated cross-sectional associations between self-reported use of four chemical hair products (permanent dye, semipermanent dye, straighteners/relaxers, and hair permanents/body waves) in the year before enrollment (2003–2009) and three DNA methylation-based measures of epigenetic age (DunedinPACE, GrimAge age acceleration [GrimAgeAccel], and PhenoAge age acceleration [PhenoAgeAccel]) using survey-weighted multivariable linear regressions. Associations were estimated both overall and by self-identified race and ethnicity, adjusting for chronological age, socioeconomic and lifestyle factors, body mass index, menopausal status, and DNA methylation platform. Results: Associations between the use of hair products and the three epigenetic age measures were largely null. Use of hair permanents/body waves was modestly associated with higher DunedinPACE among all participants (β ever-never = 0.010; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.001, 0.019) and with lower PhenoAgeAccel among Black women (β ever-never = −1.53; 95% CI = −2.84, −0.21). Conclusion: In this US-based study, we found little evidence of associations between chemical hair product use and epigenetic age in Black and non-Hispanic White women. Observed associations were modest and largely not supported by dose–response relationships or were inconsistent across epigenetic age measures. Previously observed associations between chemical hair product use and aging-related health outcomes may not be explained by the biological aging pathways captured by DunedinPACE, GrimAgeAccel, or PhenoAgeAccel. Alternative biological pathways are worth investigating in racially diverse samples.

Prospective associations of leucocyte subtypes and obesity with the risk of developing cutaneous malignant melanoma in the UK Biobank cohort

BackgroundObesity is associated with chronic low-grade inflammation, which is linked to cancer development. Abdominal obesity (a body mass index, ABSI), however, has unusually been associated inversely with cutaneous malignant melanoma (CMM), while general obesity (body mass index, BMI) is associated positively. Leucocytes participate in inflammation and are higher in obesity, but prospective associations of leucocytes with cutaneous malignant melanoma are unclear.MethodsWe examined the prospective associations of neutrophil, lymphocyte, and monocyte counts (each individually), as well as the prospective associations of ABSI and BMI, with cutaneous malignant melanoma in UK Biobank. We used multivariable Cox proportional hazards models and explored heterogeneity according to sex, menopausal status, age (≥ 50 years at recruitment), smoking status, ABSI (dichotomised at the median: ≥73.5 women; ≥79.8 men), BMI (normal weight, overweight, obese), and time to diagnosis.ResultsDuring a mean follow-up of 10.2 years, 2174 CMM cases were ascertained in 398,450 participants. There was little evidence for associations with neutrophil or lymphocyte counts. Monocyte count, however, was associated inversely in participants overall (HR = 0.928; 95%CI: 0.888–0.971; per one standard deviation increase; SD = 0.144*109/L women; SD = 0.169*109/L men), specifically in older participants (HR = 0.906; 95%CI: 0.862–0.951), and more clearly in participants with low ABSI (HR = 0.880; 95%CI: 0.824–0.939), or with BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2 (HR = 0.895; 95%CI: 0.837–0.958 for overweight; HR = 0.923; 95%CI: 0.848–1.005 for obese). ABSI was associated inversely in pre-menopausal women (HR = 0.810; 95%CI: 0.702–0.935; SD = 4.95) and men (HR = 0.925; 95%CI: 0.867–0.986; SD = 4.11). BMI was associated positively in men (HR = 1.148; 95%CI: 1.078–1.222; SD = 4.04 kg/m2). There was little evidence for heterogeneity according to smoking status. The associations with monocyte count and BMI were retained to at least 8 years prior to diagnosis, but the association with ABSI was observed up to 4 years prior to diagnosis and not for longer follow-up time.ConclusionsMonocyte count is associated prospectively inversely with the risk of developing CMM in older individuals, while BMI is associated positively in men, suggesting a mechanistic involvement of factors related to monocytes and subcutaneous adipose tissue in melanoma development. An inverse association with ABSI closer to diagnosis may reflect reverse causality or glucocorticoid resistance.

The effects of the expanded child tax credit on mental health of home renters and homeowners

The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 expanded the Child Tax Credits (CTC) by increasing the maximum amount of credit, making the credit fully refundable, and providing advanced monthly credit payments from July to December 2021. We evaluated the impact of the expanded CTC in 2021 on mental health of home renters compared to homeowners within the income range eligible for maximum credit. The study included nationally representative data from the 2019–2022 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. Outcomes were the number of days not in good mental health in the past 30 days, and an indicator for having 14 or more such days. The study employed regression models examining mental health changes of adults before and after the CTC expansion by number of children (which determines the overall CTC payment). We find that the CTC expansion was associated with improved mental health among renters. A $100 monthly CTC payment was associated with 0.096 fewer days not in good mental health among renters in the past 30, with associations concentrated in the last quarter of 2021. There was little evidence of associations of CTC payments with mental health among homeowners. The findings suggest that cash support programs such as the CTC are associated with improved mental health of adults in low-income renting households.

Neighborhood deprivation in relation to ovarian reserve and outcomes of ovarian stimulation among oocyte donors

ObjectiveTo study the relation of neighborhood deprivation index (NDI) and markers of ovarian reserve and outcomes of controlled ovarian stimulation among young, healthy oocyte donors. DesignRetrospective cohort study Subjects547 oocyte donors who underwent 905 oocyte retrieval cycles (2008-2020) at a private fertility center in Sandy Springs, Georgia, USA. ExposureNDI was calculated using principal component analysis applied to census-level measures of poverty, employment, household composition, and public assistance, which was then standardized and linked to donor information based on donor residence. Main Outcome MeasuresMarkers of ovarian reserve, including antral follicle count (AFC) and anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) levels, and outcomes of controlled ovarian stimulation including number of total and mature oocytes retrieved and ovarian sensitivity index (OSI) (defined as the number of oocytes retrieved ÷ total gonadotropin dose × 1,000). Multivariable generalized estimating equations with Poisson and normal distribution were used to model the relationship between NDI and outcome measures adjusting for age, BMI, and year of retrieval. ResultsThe mean (standard deviation) age of donors was 25.0 (2.8) years and 29% of the donors were racial/ethnic minorities. There were no associations between donor NDI and ovarian reserve markers. For every interquartile range increase in NDI, there was a reduction of -1.5% (95% CI -5.3, 2.4%) in total oocytes retrieved although the effect estimate was imprecise. Associations of NDI with number of mature oocytes retrieved and OSI were in a similar direction. We observed evidence for effect modification of the NDI and OSI association by donor race. There was a suggestive positive association between NDI and OSI in Black donors but no association in White donors. Conclusion and relevanceIn this cohort of young, healthy, racially diverse oocyte donors, we found little evidence of associations between NDI and markers of ovarian reserve or outcomes of ovarian stimulation.

Schizophrenia and Types of Stroke: AMendelian Randomization Study.

Previous studies suggest an association between schizophrenia and stroke, but no studies have investigated stroke subtypes. We examined potential causal associations between schizophrenia and a range of atherosclerotic, embolic, and hemorrhagic stroke outcomes. Two-sample Mendelian randomization analyses were conducted. The summary-level data (restricted to European ancestry) were obtained for schizophrenia and stroke: ischemic stroke, large-artery stroke, small-vessel stroke, cardioembolic stroke, and intracerebral hemorrhage. The associations between schizophrenia and each outcome were analyzed by an inverse variance weighting method primarily and Mendelian randomization Egger, weighted median, and weighted mode subsequently. The presence of pleiotropy was also tested by Cochran Q statistic, I2 index, and Mendelian randomization Egger intercept with scatter and funnel plots. We found associations between schizophrenia and cardioembolic stroke (odds ratio [OR], 1.070 [95% CI, 1.023-1.119]) and intracerebral hemorrhage (OR, 1.089 [95% CI, 1.005-1.180]) using inverse variance weighting. Little evidence of associations with the other stroke subtypes was found. Different Mendelian randomization methods corroborated the association with cardioembolic stroke but not intracerebral hemorrhage. We have provided evidence of a potentially causal association between schizophrenia and cardioembolic stroke. Our findings suggest that cardiac evaluation should be considered for those with schizophrenia.

Association between Urinary Haloacetic Acid Concentrations and Liver Injury among Women: Results from the Tongji Reproductive and Environmental (TREE) Study.

Experimental studies have shown that disinfection byproducts (DBPs) including haloacetic acids (HAAs) can cause liver toxicity, but evidence linking this association in humans is sparse. We aimed to explore the associations between HAA exposures and liver injury. We included 922 women between December 2018 and January 2020 from the Tongji Reproductive and Environmental (TREE) cohort study in Wuhan, China. Urinary HAA concentrations including trichloroacetic acid (TCAA) and dichloroacetic acid (DCAA) and serum indicators of liver function, including alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT) were measured. Liver injury was defined as if any of serum indicator levels were above the 90th percentile. Multivariate logistic and linear regression models were fitted to assess the associations of urinary HAA concentrations with the risk of liver injury and liver function indicators. Stratified analyses by age, body mass index (BMI), alcohol use, and passive smoking were also applied to evaluate the potential effect modifiers. There is little evidence of associations of urinary TCAA concentrations with liver injury risk and liver function indicators. However, urinary DCAA concentrations were associated with a higher risk of liver injury [odds ratios (OR) for 1-interquartile range (IQR) increase in natural log (ln) transformed DCAA concentrations: 1.45; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.07, 1.98]. This association was observed only among nondrinkers (). We also found that a 1-IQR increase in ln-transformed DCAA concentrations was positively associated with ALT levels (percentage ; 95% CI: 0.48%, 11.95%) and negatively associated with AST/ALT (percentage ; 95% CI: , ). In addition, urinary DCAA concentrations in relation to higher GGT levels was observed only among passive smokers (). Our findings suggest that exposure to DCAA but not TCAA is associated with liver injury among women undergoing assisted reproductive technology. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP13386.

Association of tea and coffee consumption and biliary tract cancer risk: The Biliary Tract Cancers Pooling Project.

Tea and coffee are widely consumed beverages worldwide. We evaluated their association with biliary tract cancer (BTC) incidence. We pooled data from 15 studies in the Biliary Tract Cancers Pooling Project to evaluate associations between tea and coffee consumption and biliary tract cancer development. We categorized participants as nondrinkers (0 cup/day), moderate drinkers (>0 and <3 cups/day), and heavy drinkers (≥3 cups/day). We estimated multivariable HRs and 95% CIs using Cox models. During 29,911,744 person-years of follow-up, 851 gallbladder, 588 intrahepatic bile duct, 753 extrahepatic bile duct, and 458 ampulla of Vater cancer cases were diagnosed. Individuals who drank tea showed a statistically significantly lower incidence rate of gallbladder cancer (GBC) relative to tea nondrinkers (HR=0.77; 95% CI, 0.64-0.91), and intrahepatic bile duct cancer (IHBDC) had an inverse association (HR=0.81; 95% CI, 0.66-1.00). However, no associations were observed for extrahepatic bile duct cancer (EHBDC) or ampulla of Vater cancer (AVC). In contrast, coffee consumption was positively associated with GBC, with a higher incidence rate for individuals consuming more coffee (HR<3 cups/day =1.29; 95% CI, 1.01-1.66; HR≥3 cups/day =1.49; 95% CI, 1.11-1.99, Ptrend=0.01) relative to coffee nondrinkers. However, there was no association between coffee consumption and GBC when restricted to coffee drinkers. There was little evidence of associations between coffee consumption and other biliary tract cancers. Tea consumption was associated with a lower incidence of GBC and possibly IHBDC. Further research is warranted to replicate the observed positive association between coffee and GBC.

Leisure time television watching, computer use and risks of breast, colorectal and prostate cancer: A Mendelian randomisation analysis.

Sedentary behaviours have been associated with increased risks of some common cancers in epidemiological studies; however, it is unclear if these associations are causal. We used univariable and multivariable two-sample Mendelian randomisation (MR) to examine potential causal relationships between sedentary behaviours and risks of breast, colorectal and prostate cancer. Genetic variants associated with self-reported leisure television watching and computer use were identified from a recent genome-wide association study (GWAS). Data related to cancer risk were obtained from cancer GWAS consortia. A series of sensitivity analyses were applied to examine the robustness of the results to the presence of confounding. A 1-standard deviation (SD: 1.5 h/day) increment in hours of television watching increased risk of breast cancer (OR per 1-SD: 1.15, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.05-1.26) and colorectal cancer (OR per 1-SD: 1.32, 95% CI: 1.16-1.49) while there was little evidence of an association for prostate cancer risk (OR per 1-SD: 0.94, 95% CI: 0.84-1.06). After adjusting for years of education, the effect estimates for television watching were attenuated (breast cancer, OR per 1-SD: 1.08, 95% CI: 0.92-1.27; colorectal cancer, OR per 1-SD: 1.08, 95% CI: 0.90-1.31). Post hoc analyses showed that years of education might have a possible confounding and mediating role in the association between television watching with breast and colorectal cancer. Consistent results were observed for each cancer site according to sex (colorectal cancer), anatomical subsites and cancer subtypes. There was little evidence of associations between genetically predicted computer use and cancer risk. Our univariable analysis identified some positive associations between hours of television watching and risks of breast and colorectal cancer. However, further adjustment for additional lifestyle factors especially years of education attenuated these results. Future studies using objective measures of exposure can provide new insights into the possible role of sedentary behaviour in cancer development.

Associations of self-forgiveness processes with distress and well-being outcomes: Evidence from a longitudinal study of Indonesian adults.

To date, few empirical studies have examined the benefits of the processes involved in self-forgiveness-value reorientation and esteem restoration-for individual well-being using longitudinal data from non-Western samples. In this study, we take a step toward addressing this gap by analysing three waves of data collected among 595 Indonesians (Mage = 21.95, SD = 4.39). Applying the analytic templates for lagged exposure-wide and outcome-wide longitudinal designs, we performed a series of linear regressions to estimate associations of value reorientation and esteem restoration in Wave 2 with three indicators of distress and 10 indicators of well-being in Wave 3, adjusting for Wave 1 covariates. Value reorientation and esteem restoration were each associated with improvements in several well-being outcomes (six for value reorientation and three for esteem restoration), but both showed little evidence of associations with the distress outcomes. In a secondary analysis, those who scored higher on both value reorientation and esteem restoration (i.e., self-forgiveness group) in Wave 2 reported higher well-being on five outcomes in Wave 3 compared to those who scored lower on value reorientation, esteem restoration, or both (i.e., no or partial self-forgiveness group). We discuss some implications of the findings for conceptualising self-forgiveness and promoting well-being.

Within-person personality variability in the work context: A blessing or a curse for job performance?

Only recently, the question whether within-person personality variability is a blessing or a curse for job performance has reached the agendas of industrial and organizational (I-O) psychology researchers. Yet, this limited stream of research resulted in inconsistent findings, and only little understanding exists about the role of rater source and mean-level personality in this relationship. Broadly following socioanalytic theory, the present study examined the extent to which self- and other-rated within-person personality variability predicts self- and other-rated job performance, and whether this is moderated by mean-level personality. Within-person personality variability indices and job performance evaluations were obtained from an experience sampling study including N = 166 teachers, N = 95 supervisors, and N = 69 classes (including 1,354 students). Results showed that-above and beyond the effects of mean-level personality-self-rated within-person variability was positively associated with self-rated job performance, while other-rated within-person variability was negatively associated with other-ratings of performance. Many interactions with mean-level personality were found, mainly demonstrating negative effects of variability for those with a less adaptive personality profile (cf. variability as a "curse"), while showing positive effects of variability for those with a more adaptive trait profile (cf. variability as a "blessing"). Importantly, however, additional analyses provided little evidence for associations across type of rater source. These findings contribute to the field of I-O psychology by highlighting that perceptions of within-person personality variability may impact performance evaluations beyond personality traits, although its desirability seems to depend on individuals' personality trait level. Implications and limitations are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Evaluation of the Effect of Sodium-Glucose Cotransporter 2 Inhibition on Fracture Risk: Evidence From Mendelian Randomization and Genetic Association Study.

This study aims to evaluate the causal effect of sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibition on bone mineral density (BMD), osteoporosis, and fracture risk using genetics. Two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analyses were performed utilizing two sets of genetic variants as instruments (six and two single-nucleotide polymorphisms [SNPs]) associated with SLC5A2 gene expression and glycated hemoglobin A1c levels. Summary statistics of BMD from the Genetic Factors for Osteoporosis consortium (BMD for total body, n = 66,628; femoral neck, n = 32,735; lumbar spine, n = 28,498; forearm, n = 8143) and osteoporosis (6303 cases, 325,717 controls) and 13 types of fracture (≤17,690 cases, ≤328,382 controls) data from the FinnGen study were obtained. One-sample MR and genetic association analyses were conducted in UK Biobank using the individual-level data of heel BMD (n = 256,286) and incident osteoporosis (13,677 cases, 430,262 controls) and fracture (25,806 cases, 407,081 controls). Using six SNPs as the instrument, genetically proxied SGLT2 inhibition showed little evidence of association with BMD of total body, femoral neck, lumbar spine, and forearm (all p ≥ 0.077). Similar results were observed using two SNPs as instruments. Little evidence was found for the SGLT2 inhibition effect on osteoporosis (all p ≥ 0.112) or any 11 major types of fracture (all p ≥ 0.094), except for a nominal significance for fracture of lower leg (p = 0.049) and shoulder and upper arm (p = 0.029). One-sample MR and genetic association analysis showed that both the weighted genetic risk scores constructed from the six and two SNPs were not causally associated with heel BMD, osteoporosis, and fracture (all p ≥ 0.387). Therefore, this study does not support an effect of genetically proxied SGLT2 inhibition on fracture risk. © 2023 The Authors. Journal of Bone and Mineral Research published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Society for Bone and Mineral Research (ASBMR).

Associations between air pollution, residential greenness, and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) in three prospective cohorts of U.S. adults

BackgroundWhile studies suggest impacts of individual environmental exposures on type 2 diabetes (T2D) risk, mechanisms remain poorly characterized. Glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) is a biomarker of glycemia and diagnostic criterion for prediabetes and T2D. We explored associations between multiple environmental exposures and HbA1c in non-diabetic adults. MethodsHbA1c was assessed once in 12,315 women and men in three U.S.-based prospective cohorts: the Nurses' Health Study (NHS), Nurses' Health Study II (NHSII), and Health Professionals Follow-up Study (HPFS). Residential greenness within 270 m and 1,230 m (normalized difference vegetation index, NDVI) was obtained from Landsat. Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) were estimated from nationwide spatiotemporal models. Three-month and one-year averages prior to blood draw were assigned to participants’ addresses. We assessed associations between single exposure, multi-exposure, and component scores from Principal Components Analysis (PCA) and HbA1c. Fully-adjusted models built on basic models of age and year at blood draw, BMI, alcohol use, and neighborhood socioeconomic status (nSES) to include diet quality, race, family history, smoking status, postmenopausal hormone use, population density, and season. We assessed interactions between environmental exposures, and effect modification by population density, nSES, and sex. ResultsBased on HbA1c, 19% of participants had prediabetes. In single exposure fully-adjusted models, an IQR (0.14) higher 1-year 1,230 m NDVI was associated with a 0.27% (95% CI: 0.05%, 0.49%) lower HbA1c. In basic component score models, a SD increase in Component 1 (high loadings for 1-year NDVI) was associated with a 0.19% (95% CI: 0.04%, 0.34%) lower HbA1c. CI's crossed the null in multi-exposure and fully-adjusted component score models. There was little evidence of associations between air pollution and HbA1c, and no evidence of effect modification. ConclusionsAmong non-diabetic adults, environmental exposures were not consistently associated with HbA1c. More work is needed to elucidate biological pathways between the environment and prediabetes.

Lipoprotein Characteristics and Incident Coronary Heart Disease: Prospective Cohort of Nearly 90 000 Individuals in UK Biobank.

Background Associations of coronary heart disease (CHD) with plasma lipids are well described, but the associations with characteristics of lipoproteins (which transport lipids) remain unclear. Methods and Results UK Biobank is a prospective study of 0.5 million adults. Analyses were restricted to 89 422 participants with plasma lipoprotein and apolipoprotein measures from Nightingale nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and without CHD at baseline. CHD risk was positively associated with concentrations of very-low-density lipoproteins, intermediate-density lipoproteins, and low-density lipoproteins (LDL), and inversely associated with high-density lipoproteins. Hazard ratios (99% CIs) per SD were 1.22 (1.17-1.28), 1.16 (1.11-1.21), 1.20 (1.15-1.25), and 0.90 (0.86-0.95), respectively. Larger subclasses of very-low-density lipoproteins were less strongly associated with CHD risk, but associations did not materially vary by size of LDL or high-density lipoprotein. Given lipoprotein particle concentrations, lipid composition (including cholesterol) was not strongly related to CHD risk, except for triglyceride in LDL particles. Apolipoprotein B was highly correlated with LDL concentration (r=0.99), but after adjustment for apolipoprotein B, concentrations of very-low-density lipoprotein and high-density lipoprotein particles remained strongly related to CHD risk. Conclusions This large-scale study reliably quantifies the associations of nuclear magnetic resonance-defined lipoprotein characteristics with CHD risk. CHD risk was most strongly related to particle concentrations, and separate measurements of lipoprotein concentrations may be of greater value than the measurement by apolipoprotein B, which was largely determined by LDL concentration alone. Furthermore, there was strong evidence of positive association with mean triglyceride molecules per LDL particle but little evidence of associations with total triglycerides or other lipid and lipoprotein fractions after accounting for lipoprotein concentrations.

Inequality in uptake of bowel cancer screening by deprivation, ethnicity and smoking status: cross-sectional study in 86850 citizens.

Survival from colorectal cancer depends on stage at detection. In England, bowel cancer mortality has historically been highest in deprived areas. During the initial stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, it was necessary to temporarily halt many screening programmes, which may have led to inequalities in uptake since screening restarted. Cross-sectional data from the Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire Systemwide Dataset were analyzed. Associations of baseline characteristics with uptake of bowel screening were examined using logistic regression. Amongst 86850 eligible adults aged 60-74years, 5261 had no screening record. There was little evidence of association between no screening and sex (adjusted odds ratio 0.95 (95% confidence interval 0.90, 1.02)). Absence of screening record was associated with deprivation (1.26 (1.14, 1.40) for the most compared with the least deprived groups), smoking (1.11 (1.04, 1.18)) compared with no smoking record and black (1.36 (1.09, 1.70)) and mixed (1.08 (1.01, 1.15)) ethnicity compared with white ethnicity. In a data set covering a whole NHS Integrated Care Board, there was evidence of lower uptake of bowel cancer screening in adults living in more deprived areas, of minority ethnic groups and who smoked. These findings may help focus community engagement work and inform research aimed at reducing inequalities.

Intake of polyphenols from cereal foods and colorectal cancer risk in the Melbourne Collaborative Cohort Study.

Cereal-derived polyphenols have demonstrated protective mechanisms in colorectal cancer (CRC) models; however, confirmation in human studies is lacking. Therefore, this study examined the association between cereal polyphenol intakes and CRC risk in the Melbourne Collaborative Cohort Study (MCCS), a prospective cohort study in Melbourne, Australia that recruited participants between 1990 and 1994 to investigate diet-disease relationships. Using food frequency questionnaire diet data matched to polyphenol data, dietary intakes of alkylresorcinols, phenolic acids, lignans, and total polyphenols from cereals were estimated. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals for CRC risk were estimated for quintiles of intake with the lowest quintile as the comparison category, using multivariable adjusted Cox proportional hazards models with age as the time axis adjusted for sex, socio-economic status, alcohol consumption, fibre intake, country of birth, total energy intake, physical activity and smoking status. From 35,245 eligible adults, mean (SD) age 54.7 (8.6) years, mostly female (61%) and Australian-born (69%), there were 1394 incident cases of CRC (946 colon cancers and 448 rectal cancers). Results for total cereal polyphenol intake showed reduced HRs in Q2 (HR: 0.80; 95% CI, 0.68-0.95) and Q4 (HR: 0.75; 95% CI, 0.62-0.90), and similar for phenolic acids. Alkylresorcinol intake showed reduced HR in Q3 (HR: 0.80; 95% CI, 0.67-0.95) and Q4 (HR: 0.79; 95% CI, 0.66-0.95). Overall, the present study showed little evidence of association between intakes of cereal polyphenols and CRC risk. Future investigations may be useful to understand associations between cereal-derived polyphenols and additional cancers in different populations.

Ambient Air Pollutants and Olfaction among Women 50-79 Years of Age from the Sister Study.

Poor olfaction is common in older adults and may have profound adverse implications on their health. However, little is known about the potential environmental contributors to poor olfaction. We investigated ambient fine particulate matter [PM in aerodynamic diameter ()] and nitrogen dioxide () in relation to poor olfaction in middle-aged to older women. The Sister Study is a nationwide cohort of 50,884 women in the United States with annual average air pollutant exposures estimated based on participants' residences from enrollment (2003-2009) through 2017. This analysis was limited to 3,345 women, 50-79 years of age as of January 2018, who completed the Brief Smell Identification Test (B-SIT) in 2018-2019. Poor olfaction was defined as a B-SIT score of in the primary analysis. We conducted multivariable logistic regressions, accounting for covariates and study sampling design. Overall, we found little evidence for associations of air pollutants with poor olfaction. The odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) of poor olfaction for each interquartile range (IQR) increment of air pollutants in 2006 were 1.03 (95% CI: 0.91, 1.17) for (per ) and 1.08 (95% CI: 0.96, 1.22) for (per ). Results were similar in the analyses using the most recent (2017) or the cumulative average (2006-2017) air pollutant exposure data. Secondary analyses suggested potential association in certain subgroups. The OR per IQR was 1.35 (95% CI: 1.11, 1.65) for among younger participants ( years of age) and 1.87 (95% CI: 1.29, 2.71) for among current smokers. This study did not find convincing evidence that air pollutants have lasting detrimental effects on the sense of smell of women 50-79 years of age. The subgroup analyses are exploratory, and the findings need independent confirmation. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP12066.

Associations of Social Support with Sexual Practices, Health Behaviours, and Health Outcomes Among Adolescent Girls and Young Women: Evidence From a Longitudinal Study in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

BackgroundSeveral studies have reported on the benefits of social support for health behaviour, including risky sex. Social support may thus be an important resource for promoting individual health and well-being, particularly in regions where HIV rates are high and healthcare resources are scarce. However, prior research on the implications of social support for the health behaviour of young women has yielded mixed and inconclusive findings. Using prospective data from young women in South Africa, this study examines the associations of social support with subsequent sexual practices, health behaviour, and health outcomes.MethodWe used two rounds of longitudinal data from a sample of n = 1446 HIV-negative emerging adult women, aged 18 to 29 years, who participated in a population-based HIV study in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Applying the analytic template for outcome-wide longitudinal designs, we estimated the associations between combinations of social support (i.e. tangible, educational, emotional) and ten HIV risk–related outcomes.ResultsCombinations of tangible, educational, and emotional support, as well as tangible support by itself, were associated with lower risk for several outcomes, whereas educational and emotional support, by themselves or together, showed little evidence of association with the outcomes.ConclusionThis study highlights the protective role of tangible support in an environment of widespread poverty, and the additional effect of combining tangible support with non-tangible support. The findings strengthen recent evidence on the benefits of combining support in the form of cash and food with psychosocial care in mitigating risk behaviours associated with HIV and negative health outcomes among young women.

Informal Helping and Subsequent Health and Well-Being in Older U.S. Adults.

Growing evidence suggests that informal helping (unpaid volunteering not coordinated by an organization or institution) is associated with improved health and well-being outcomes. However, studies have not investigated whether changes in informal helping are associated with subsequent health and well-being. This study evaluated if changes in informal helping (between t0;2006/2008 and t1;2010/2012) were associated with 35 indicators of physical, behavioral, and psychosocial health and well-being (at t2;2014/2016) using data from 12,998 participants in the Health and Retirement study - a national cohort of US adults aged > 50. Over the four-year follow-up period, informal helping ≥ 100 (versus 0) hours/year was associated with a 32% lower mortality risk (95% CI [0.54, 0.86]), and improved physical health (e.g., 20% reduced risk of stroke (95% CI [0.65, 0.98])), health behaviors (e.g., 11% increased likelihood of frequent physical activity (95% CI [1.04, 1.20])), and psychosocial outcomes (e.g., higher purpose in life (β = 0.15, 95% CI [0.07, 0.22])). However, there was little evidence of associations with various other outcomes. In secondary analyses, this study adjusted for formal volunteering and a variety of social factors (e.g., social network factors, receiving social support, and social participation) and results were largely unchanged. Encouraging informal helping may improve various aspects of individuals' health and well-being and also promote societal well-being.

Species diversity and molecular characterization of Alternaria section Alternaria isolates collected mainly from cereal crops in Canada.

Alternaria is often one on the most abundant fungal genera recovered from a wide array of plant hosts and environmental substrates. Many species within the sub-generic Alternaria section Alternaria are common plant pathogens that cause pre-harvest losses due to reduced productivity and post-harvest losses due to spoilage and contamination with mycotoxins. As certain species of Alternaria may have distinct mycotoxin profiles, and very broad host ranges, understanding the distribution of species by geography and host is critical for disease prediction, toxicological risk assessment, and guiding regulatory decisions. In two previous reports, we performed phylogenomic analyses to identify highly informative molecular markers for Alternaria section Alternaria, and validated their diagnostic ability. Here, we perform molecular characterization of 558 section Alternaria strains, collected from 64 host genera in 12 countries, using two of these section-specific loci (ASA-10 and ASA-19) along with the RNA polymerase II second largest subunit (rpb2) gene. The majority of strains (57.4%) originated from various cereal crops in Canada, which formed the main focus of our study. Phylogenetic analyses were used to classify strains into section Alternaria species/lineages, demonstrating that the most common species on Canadian cereal crops are Alternaria alternata and A. arborescens. Further population genetic analyses were consistent with A. alternata being a widely distributed species with relatively low levels of geographic isolation (i.e., Canadian isolates did not form distinct clades when compared to other regions). Our expanded sampling of A. arborescens has greatly increased the known diversity of this group, with A. arborescens isolates forming at least three distinct phylogenetic lineages. Proportionally, A. arborescens is more prevalent in Eastern Canada than in Western Canada. Sequence analyses, putative hybrids, and mating-type distributions provided some evidence for recombination events, both within and between species. There was little evidence for associations between hosts and genetic haplotypes of A. alternata or A. arborescens.

Causal associations between serum amino acid levels and osteoarthritis: a Mendelian randomization study

The association between serum amino acid (AA) levels and osteoarthritis (OA) risk remains unclear. We performed a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis to analyze the causal effects of. serum AA levels on the OA risk by using summary-level genome-wide association study (GWAS) data. Inverse variance weighted (IVW) and Wald ratio were used as the main analysis.We also applied MR-Egger, Weighted median and Robust Adjusted Profile Score (MR.RAPS) methods. Heterogeneity and horizontally pleiotropic outliers were checked. The causal effects of AAs on early-onset all OA were explored. We also performed multivariable MR (MVMR) and conducted the bidirectional MR. The results suggested that genetically predicted alanine (Ala), tyrosine (Tyr) and isoleucine (Ile) levels were significantly associated with OA risk (e.g., association between Ala and hip/knee OA risk: OR = 0.82, 95% CI = 0.75 ∼ 0.90, p = 1.54E-05). The study yielded little evidence of associations between genetically predicted AA levels with early-onset all OA risk. When adjusting the BMI in the MVMR model, suggestive causal effects of Ala and Tyr were also identified, while the effects of Ile substantially attenuated with OA risk. No significant associations between OA and AA levels were observed after testing for bidirectionality. Some AAs, such as Ala, Tyr and Ile likely affects the OA risk especially at hip or knee joints. The findings highlight the important role that serum AAs might play in the development of OA and provided new treatment approaches to OA.