Environmental Exposure Measurements Research Articles

Implementation of a Radiation Safety Management System in Conventional Spaces in the Radiology Installation

Klungkung Regional General Hospital is one of the health services owned by the Klungkung district government in the form of a hospital, managed by the Klungkung district government and recorded as a type B hospital. At the Klungkung Regional General Hospital, there are several things that are not in accordance with the radiation safety management system determined by BAPETEN. Some of these things that are not suitable such as the lack of compliance of radiation workers with the standard operating procedures (SOPs) of radiation work in conventional rooms which are often found things outside the provisions, the use of equipment such as aprons and there are doors in the radiological examination room that have leaks, because environmental exposure measurements have been made in the area and leaks were found, and also monitoring the health of radiation workers who have not been optimal. This type of research uses descriptive qualitative research methods with an observational approach from the routine activities of radiation workers at the Radiology Installation of the Klungkung Regional General Hospital. The Radiology Installation of the Klungkung Regional General Hospital has met the BAPETEN Perka standard No.4 of 2020 but there are still some that have not met the standards for the Implementation of the Radiation Safety Management System in the Conventional Room at the Radiology Installation of the Klungkung Regional General Hospital, including the conventional room inspection door to the operator room experiencing a leak, it has been reported to the relevant party in this case for follow-up so that the detected radiation leak can Dealt with immediately.

Somatic mutations in aging and disease.

Time always leaves its mark, and our genome is no exception. Mutations in the genome of somatic cells were first hypothesized to be the cause of aging in the 1950s, shortly after the molecular structure of DNA had been described. Somatic mutation theories of aging are based on the fact that mutations in DNA as the ultimate template for all cellular functions are irreversible. However, it took until the 1990s to develop the methods to test if DNA mutations accumulate with age in different organs and tissues and estimate the severity of the problem. By now, numerous studies have documented the accumulation of somatic mutations with age in normal cells and tissues of mice, humans, and other animals, showing clock-like mutational signatures that provide information on the underlying causes of the mutations. In this review, we will first briefly discuss the recent advances in next-generation sequencing that now allow quantitative analysis of somatic mutations. Second, we will provide evidence that the mutation rate differs between cell types, with a focus on differences between germline and somatic mutation rate. Third, we will discuss somatic mutational signatures as measures of aging, environmental exposure, and activities of DNA repair processes. Fourth, we will explain the concept of clonally amplified somatic mutations, with a focus on clonal hematopoiesis. Fifth, we will briefly discuss somatic mutations in the transcriptome and in our other genome, i.e., the genome of mitochondria. We will end with a brief discussion of a possible causal contribution of somatic mutations to the aging process.

Examining the relationship between active transport and exposure to streetscape diversity during travel: A study using GPS data and street view imagery

Active transport (AT)—physical activity (PA) during travel—can promote human health. Among built environment factors related to travel research, design refers to the street network features encouraging AT. The advent of street view images (SVIs) presents the potential to measure design during travel by capturing the eye-level built environments. Benefited by SVIs, this study innovatively introduces streetscape diversity—the interconnection of street view-derived built environment factors—during travel as the proxy to measure design from the street view perspective. Exposures to higher streetscape diversity could provide increased access to potential destinations and therapeutic landscapes, thereby promoting AT. Through integrating SVIs and young adults’ Global Positioning System (GPS) trajectories, this study utilized negative binomial regression models to assess the relationship between streetscape diversity and time spent in AT. Results indicate that the inclusion of streetscape diversity improves the model performance, and there is a positive relationship between streetscape diversity and AT. This finding indicates that increased access to travel routes with diverse streetscapes could increase the probability of participating in AT. Furthermore, integrating individual GPS data and SVIs allows more precise space-time measurement of individual environmental exposures.

How Mobility and Temporal Contexts May Affect Environmental Exposure Measurements: Using Outdoor Artificial Light at Night (ALAN) and Urban Green Space as Examples

Temporal contexts are essential for the derivation of causally relevant environmental exposure in environmental and public health studies. We argue that the proper temporal contexts need further emphasis in the mobility-oriented research paradigm and articulate this issue using a study in Hong Kong. We use people’s exposure to outdoor artificial light at night (ALAN) and green space as two essential examples. We recruited 208 participants from two representative communities in Hong Kong and derived their mobility-oriented environmental exposures from high-resolution remote sensing data and Google Street View imagery. We employed one-standard-deviational ellipses to quantitatively represent participants’ activity spaces, and we further used participants’ seven-day Global Positioning System trajectories to derive their spatiotemporally weighted exposures to green space and outdoor ALAN in different temporal contexts. Multiple t tests were used to examine the disparities in activity spaces and measured exposures in different temporal contexts, and these exposure measurements were then used to predict people’s health outcomes. We found that people’s activity spaces are significantly different in size between day and night, for both weekdays and weekends, and in both geographic contexts. We further observed that improper temporal contexts could lead to significantly different environmental exposure levels and causally irrelevant modeling results.

Does the built environment influence location- and trip-based sedentary behaviors? Evidence from a GPS-based activity space approach of neighborhood effects on older adults

ObjectiveEvidence on the influence of built environments on sedentary behaviors remains unclear and is often contradictory. The main limitations encompass the use of self-reported proxies of sedentary time (ST), the scarce consideration of the plurality of sedentary behaviors, and environmental exposures limited to the residential neighborhood. We investigated the relationships between GPS-based activity space measures of environmental exposures and accelerometer-based ST measured in total, at the place of residence, at all locations, and during trips. MethodsThis study is part of the CURHA project, based on 471 older adults residing in Luxembourg, who wore a GPS receiver and a tri-axial accelerometer during 7 days. Daily ST was computed in total, at the residence, at all locations and during trips. Environmental exposures included exposure to green spaces, walking, biking, and motorized transportation infrastructures. Associations between environments and ST were examined using linear and negative binomial mixed models, adjusted for demographics, self-rated health, residential self-selection, weather conditions and wear time. ResultsParticipants accumulated, on average, 8 h and 14 min of ST per day excluding sleep time. ST spent at locations accounted for 83 % of the total ST. ST spent at the residence accounted for 87 % of the location-based ST and 71 % of the total ST. Trip-based ST represents 13 % of total ST, and 4 % remained unclassified. Higher street connectivity was negatively associated with total ST, while the density of parking areas correlated positively with total and location-based ST. Stronger associations were observed for sedentary bouts (uninterrupted ST over 20 and 30 min). ConclusionImproving street connectivity and controlling the construction of new parking, while avoiding the spatial segregation of populations with limited access to public transport, may contribute to limit ST. Such urban planning interventions may be especially efficient in limiting the harmful uninterrupted bouts of ST among older adults.

Construction, evaluation, and AOP framework-based application of the EpPRS as a genetic surrogate for assessing environmental pollutants

BackgroundEnvironmental pollutant measurement is essential for accurate health risk assessment. However, the detection of humans’ internal exposure to pollutants is cost-intensive and consumes time and energy. Polygenic risk scores (PRSs) have been widely applied in genetic studies of complex trait diseases. It is important to construct a genetically relevant environmental surrogate for pollutant exposure and to explore its utility for disease prediction and risk assessment. ObjectivesThis study enrolled 714 individuals with complete genomic data and exposomic data on 22 plasma-persistent organic pollutants (POPs). MethodsWe first conducted 22 POP genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and constructed the corresponding environmental pollutant-based PRS (EpPRS) by clumping and P value thresholding (C + T), lassosum, and PRS-CS methods. The best-fit EpPRS was chosen by its regression R2. An adverse outcome pathway (AOP) framework was developed to assess the effects of contaminants on candidate diseases. Furthermore, Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis was performed to explore the causal association between POPs and cancer risk. ResultsThe C + T method produced the best-performing EpPRSs for 7 PCBs and 4 PBDEs. EpPRSs replicated the correlations of environmental exposure measurements based on consistent patterns. The diagnostic performance of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) PRS was improved by the combined model of T2DM-EpPRS of PCB126/BDE153. Finally, the AKT1-mediated AOP framework illustrated that PCB126 and BDE153 may increase the risk of T2DM by decreasing AKT1 phosphorylation through the cGMP-PKG pathway and promoting abnormal glucose homeostasis. MR analysis showed that digestive system tumors, such as colorectal cancer and biliary tract cancer, are more sensitive to POP exposure. ConclusionsEpPRSs can serve as a proxy for assessing pollutant internal exposure. The application of the EpPRS to disease risk assessment can reveal the toxic pathway and mode of action linking exposure and disease in detail, providing a basis for the development of environmental pollutant control strategies.

The Contribution of Environmental Science to Mental Health Research: A Scoping Review.

Mental health is influenced by multiple complex and interacting genetic, psychological, social, and environmental factors. As such, developing state-of-the-art mental health knowledge requires collaboration across academic disciplines, including environmental science. To assess the current contribution of environmental science to this field, a scoping review of the literature on environmental influences on mental health (including conditions of cognitive development and decline) was conducted. The review protocol was developed in consultation with experts working across mental health and environmental science. The scoping review included 202 English-language papers, published between 2010 and 2020 (prior to the COVID-19 pandemic), on environmental themes that had not already been the subject of recent systematic reviews; 26 reviews on climate change, flooding, air pollution, and urban green space were additionally considered. Studies largely focused on populations in the USA, China, or Europe and involved limited environmental science input. Environmental science research methods are primarily focused on quantitative approaches utilising secondary datasets or field data. Mental health measurement was dominated by the use of self-report psychometric scales. Measures of environmental states or exposures were often lacking in specificity (e.g., limited to the presence or absence of an environmental state). Based on the scoping review findings and our synthesis of the recent reviews, a research agenda for environmental science's future contribution to mental health scholarship is set out. This includes recommendations to expand the geographical scope and broaden the representation of different environmental science areas, improve measurement of environmental exposure, prioritise experimental and longitudinal research designs, and giving greater consideration to variation between and within communities and the mediating pathways by which environment influences mental health. There is also considerable opportunity to increase interdisciplinarity within the field via the integration of conceptual models, the inclusion of mixed methods and qualitative approaches, as well as further consideration of the socio-political context and the environmental states that can help support good mental health. The findings were used to propose a conceptual model to parse contributions and connections between environmental science and mental health to inform future studies.

Associations between Environmental Exposure, Urban Environment Parameters and Meteorological Conditions, during Active Travel in Montevideo, Uruguay

Introduction: Active transport is encouraged by the Uruguayan authorities; however, the criteria for expanding the cycling routes are unclear. This article presents a research project aiming to examine statistically significant links between environmental exposure during active travel in Montevideo (Uruguay) and urban environment parameters. Methods: Two monitoring routes were defined by working with cycling groups, and their urban environments were characterized. PM10, PM2.5 and NO2 concentrations and doses, and noise exposure doses, were measured. Simultaneously, meteorological parameters were recorded. The minimum required sample size was defined based on a statistical procedure: 30 samples were needed. Results: 31 environmental exposure measurements were performed on each route. The monitoring showed high temporal and spatial variability of the environmental parameters. The PM and NO2 hot spots were not the same. Moreover, while Route N°1 presented higher PM10 and NO2 potential inhaled doses and higher NO2 concentrations, the noise exposure doses were higher in Route N°2, with more traffic flow and a lower street aspect ratio. Discussion and conclusions: To our best knowledge, this is the first study of this kind in Montevideo. The results were statistically analyzed and discussed regarding the routes’ characteristics. However, the prevailing weather conditions had a strong influence on them. The latter implies a challenge to define public spaces’ design parameters, in order to achieve a more sustainable city. This study accomplishes a first approach for posing recommendations in this direction for Montevideo and a contribution for further research in the matter.

Linking the Urban Environment and Health: An Innovative Methodology for Measuring Individual-Level Environmental Exposures.

Environmental exposures (EE) are increasingly recognised as important determinants of health and well-being. Understanding the influences of EE on health is critical for effective policymaking, but better-quality spatial data is needed. This article outlines the theoretical and technical foundations used for the construction of individual-level environmental exposure measurements for the population of a northern English city, Bradford. The work supports 'Connected Bradford', an entire population database linking health, education, social care, environmental and other local government data over a period of forty years. We argue that our current understanding of environmental effects on health outcomes is limited both by methodological shortcomings in the quantification of the environment and by a lack of consistency in the measurement of built environment features. To address these shortcomings, we measure the environmental exposure for a series of different domains including air quality, greenspace and greenness, public transport, walkability, traffic, buildings and the built form, street centrality, land-use intensity, and food environments as well as indoor dwelling qualities. We utilise general practitioners' historical patient information to identify the precise geolocation and duration of a person's residence. We model a person's local neighbourhood, and the probable routes to key urban functions aggregated across the city. We outline the specific geospatial procedure used to quantify the environmental exposure for each domain and use the example of exposure to fast-food outlets to illustrate the methodological challenges in the creation of city and nationwide environmental exposure databases. The proposed EE measures will enable critical research into the relationship and causal links between the built environment and health, informing planning and policy-making.

Abstract C095: Deconstructing the link between neighborhood disadvantage and triple negative breast cancer: Preliminary evidence in support of cumulative exposure to area-level risk factors

Abstract Background: Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive subtype of invasive breast cancer that disproportionately affects Black women and contributes to racial disparities in breast cancer mortality. Prior research has found evidence of a link between TNBC risk and neighborhood/area-level measures of disadvantage, including socioeconomic status and racial segregation. This study evaluated additional area-level exposures as potential mediators of the relationship between neighborhood disadvantage and TNBC risk in New Castle County, DE, a region with elevated rates of TNBC. Methods: The study population included 3,316 Black and White adult female residents of New Castle County who were diagnosed with invasive breast cancer at the Helen F. Graham Cancer Center & Research Institute (HFGCCRI) in Newark, DE from 2012-2020. Patient addresses were geocoded, and demographic and clinical measures were abstracted from the HFGCCRI cancer registry. Neighborhood and environmental exposure measures were generated from electronic health records (EHR), the US Census Bureau American Community Survey, and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Risk-Screening Environmental Indicator (RSEI) data; these measures were aggregated to the census tract and linked to patient geocodes. Included neighborhood exposure measures were factors that may influence patient-level exposure to well-known breast cancer risk factors, including alcohol use disorder (AUD) and diabetes prevalence, breastfeeding (assessed with the proxy measure ‘% single female-headed households with children’), and toxic environmental indicators (e.g., toxic release inventory sites). The relationships between these exposures and the odds of TNBC (relative to other subtypes of invasive breast cancer) were first evaluated on a univariate basis. Next, to estimate the relationship between cumulative exposure and TNBC odds, census tract risk scores were calculated by dichotomizing each exposure into low- and high-risk categories and summing the total of high-risk exposures. A multilevel logistic regression model was used to test the association between this risk score and TNBC odds while adjusting for patient-level age and race.Results: TNBC cases accounted for 14% (n = 453) of invasive breast cancer cases. Significantly higher odds of TNBC were observed for patients who reside in census tracts characterized by higher rates of AUD, diabetes, % single female-headed households with children, and RSEI scores. In the multilevel logistic regression model that adjusted for patient demographics, the cumulative exposure risk score was significantly associated with greater odds of TNBC. Conclusion: Results provide preliminary support for a link between TNBC odds and cumulative, area-level exposure to disordered alcohol use, metabolic disorders, lower breastfeeding rates, and toxic environmental indicators. Additional research evaluating the cumulative exposure risk score as a potentially modifiable mediator of the relationship between neighborhood disadvantage and TNBC risk will be presented. Citation Format: Scott D. Siegel, Madeline M. Brooks, Jesse D. Berman, Shannon M. Lynch, Jennifer Sims-Mourtada, Zachary T. Schug, Frank C. Curriero. Deconstructing the link between neighborhood disadvantage and triple negative breast cancer: Preliminary evidence in support of cumulative exposure to area-level risk factors [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 15th AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2022 Sep 16-19; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2022;31(1 Suppl):Abstract nr C095.

Accounting for space, time, and behavior using GPS derived dynamic measures of environmental exposure.

Time-weighted spatial averaging approaches (TWSA) are an increasingly utilized method for calculating exposure using global positioning system (GPS) mobility data for health-related research. They can provide a time-weighted measure of exposure, or dose, to various environments or health hazards. However, little work has been done to compare existing methodologies, nor to assess how sensitive these methods are to mobility data inputs (e.g., walking vs driving), the type of environmental data being assessed as the exposure (e.g., continuous surfaces vs points of interest), and underlying point-pattern clustering of participants (e.g., if a person is highly mobile vs predominantly stationary). Here we contrast three TWSA approaches that have been previously used or recently introduced in the literature: Kernel Density Estimation (KDE), Density Ranking (DR), and Point Overlay (PO). We feed GPS and accelerometer data from 602 participants through each method to derive time-weighted activity spaces, comparing four mobility behaviors: all movement, stationary time, walking time, and in-vehicle time. We then calculate exposure values derived from the various TWSA activity spaces with four environmental layer data types (point, line, area, surface). Similarities and differences across TWSA derived exposures for the sample and between individuals are explored, and we discuss interpretation of TWSA outputs providing recommendations for researchers seeking to apply these methods to health-related studies.

The Impact of Greenhouse Density on Cognitive Function in Primary School Children Using the WISC Method

Exposure to pesticides is associated with various health concerns and may also be related to impaired cognitive function. This study investigated the relationship between greenhouse density and cognitive function in primary school children using Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Fourth Edition (WISC-IV) and environmental sampling. This study was conducted on 128 children (6–9 years old) in Ebrahimabad village, Ashkezar, Yazd, Iran in 2019, and 10 students were excluded from the study after filling consent form. The WISC-IV measured children’s cognitive function, and a flame ionization detector for gas chromatography (GC-FID) instrument was used to detect environmental exposure to pesticides. There was a significant inverse relationship between greenhouse density in children’s homes and cognitive function scores with verbal thinking scores (P value=0.003) and the total scale (P value=0.0001) on the WISC. Further, the results showed that the obtained verbal thinking scores are significantly related to their fathers’ education (P value=0.008) and occupation (P value=0.014). Moreover, the results of environmental exposure measurement confirmed the presence of malathion, ethion, chlorpyrifos, dieldrin, and oxadiazine with a maximum concentration of 183 µg/m3 in response to malathion. The present study indicated that increasing the density of the greenhouse reduces children’s cognitive functions. The results of ambient air analysis confirmed the environmental exposure to pesticides as well. Due to long-term chemical effects, management measures such as public education, substituting crop types, and the use of eco-friendly methods are unavoidable.

A Description of the Imaging Innovations for Placental Assessment in Response to Environmental Pollution Study.

The aim of Placental Assessment in Response to Environmental Pollution Study (PARENTs) was to determine whether imaging of the placenta by novel multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques in early pregnancy could help predict adverse pregnancy outcomes (APOs) due to ischemic placental disease (IPD). Additionally, we sought to determine maternal characteristics and environmental risk factors that contribute to IPD and secondary APOs. Potential patients in their first trimester of pregnancy, who agreed to MRI of the placenta and measures of assessment of environmental pollution, were recruited into PARENTs, a prospective population-based cohort study. Participants were seen at three study visits during pregnancy and again at their delivery from 2015 to 2019. We collected data from interviews, chart abstractions, and imaging. Maternal biospecimens (serum, plasma, and urine) at antepartum study visits and delivery specimens (placenta, cord, and maternal blood) were collected, processed, and stored. The primary outcome was a composite of IPD, which included any of the following: placental abruption, hypertensive disease of pregnancy, fetal growth restriction, or a newborn of small for gestational age. In this pilot cohort, of the 190 patients who completed pregnancy to viable delivery, 50 (26%) developed IPD. Among demographic characteristics, having a history of prior IPD in multiparous women was associated with the development of IPD. In the multiple novel perfusion measurements taken of the in vivo placenta using MRI, decreased high placental blood flow (mL/100 g/min) in early pregnancy (between 14 and 16 weeks) was found to be significantly associated with the later development of IPD. Successful recruitment of the PARENTs prospective cohort demonstrated the feasibility and acceptability of the use of MRI in human pregnancy to study the placenta in vivo and at the same time collect environmental exposure data. Analysis is ongoing and we hope these methods will assist researchers in the design of prospective imaging studies of pregnancy. · MRI was acceptable and feasible for the study of the human placenta in vivo.. · Functional imaging of the placenta by MRI showed a significant decrease in high placental blood flow.. · Measures of environmental exposures are further being analyzed to predict IPD..

Genetics of myopia: Gene finding and beyond

AbstractThe knowledge on the genetic background of refractive error and myopia has expanded dramatically in the past few years. To date, over 500 genetic loci have been identified for refractive error and myopia, and risk variants mostly carry low risk but are highly prevalent in the general population. Several genes for secondary syndromic myopia overlap with those for common myopia. Polygenic risk scores show overrepresentation of high myopia in the higher deciles of risk. However, also patients with low scores can develop myopia and vice versa. Annotated genes have a wide variety of functions, and all retinal layers appear to be sites of expression. The current genetic findings offer a world of new molecules involved in myopiagenesis. As the missing heritability is still large, further genetic advances including large‐scale, in‐depth genetic studies using complementary big data analytics, consideration of gene–environment effects by thorough measurement of environmental exposures, and focus on subgroups with extreme phenotypes and high familial occurrence are needed. Functional characterization of associated variants is simultaneously needed to bridge the knowledge gap between sequence variance and consequence for eye growth.

Quantum Healthy Longevity for healthy people, planet, and growth

Quantum Healthy Longevity for healthy people, planet, and growth

Methods for development and application of data standards in an ontology-driven information model for measuring, managing, and computing social determinants of health for individuals, households, and communities evaluated through an example of asthma

ObjectiveTo describe methods to approach application of data standards to integrate social determinants of health (SDoH) into EHRs through evaluation of a case of clinical decision support for pediatric asthma. Materials and MethodsWe identified a list of environmental factors important for managing pediatric asthma. We identified and integrated data from local outdoor air quality monitors with elements available from the clinic’s EHR and self-reported indoor air quality questionnaire data. We assessed existing SDoH frameworks, assessment tools, and terminologies to identify representative data standards for these environmental SDoH measures. ResultsWe found many-to-many relationships between the multiple framework domains, the environmental exposure measures collected, and existing standards. The majority of concepts did not accurately align with environmental exposure measurements. We propose an ontology-driven information framework methodology to apply standards for SDoH measurements to support measuring, managing, and computing SDoH data. DiscussionTo support methods of integrating SDoH data in the EHR via an ontology-driven information framework, a common SDoH ecosystem should be developed descriptively and prescriptively integrating framework domains, assessment tools, and standard ontologies to support future data sharing, aggregation, and interoperability. A hierarchical object-oriented information model should be adopted to manage SDoH to extend beyond patient-centered orientation of EHRs to orient to households and communities. ConclusionSDoH data pose unique challenges and opportunities in collecting, measuring, and managing health information. Future work is needed to define data standards for implementing SDoH in a hierarchical, object-oriented information model representing multiple units of orientation including individuals, households, and communities.

Pivotal role of environmental toxicants on developing infectious diseases in LMICs: a protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis

IntroductionEnvironmental toxicants such as chemical pollution have an enormous impact on the health of people and the planet. Emerging findings suggest that non-communicable diseases are linked to early and chronic...

GPS-based activity space exposure to greenness and walkability is associated with increased accelerometer-based physical activity.

Built and natural environments may provide opportunities for physical activity. However, studies are limited by primarily using residential addresses to define exposure and self-report to measure physical activity. We quantified associations between global positioning systems (GPS)-based activity space measures of environmental exposure and accelerometer-based physical activity. Using a nationwide sample of working female adults (N=354), we obtained seven days of GPS and accelerometry data. We created Daily Path Area activity spaces using GPS data and linked these activity spaces to spatial datasets on walkability (EPA Smart Location Database at the Census block group level) and greenness (satellite vegetation at 250m resolution). We utilized generalized additive models to examine nonlinear associations between activity space exposures and accelerometer-derived physical activity outcomes adjusted for demographic characteristics, socioeconomic factors, and self-rated health. Higher activity space walkability was associated with higher levels of moderate-vigorous physical activity, and higher activity space greenness was associated with greater numbers of steps per week. No strong relationships were observed for sedentary behavior or light physical activity. Highest levels of moderate-vigorous physical activity were observed for participants with both high walkability and high greenness in their activity spaces. This study contributes evidence that higher levels of physical activity occur in environments with more dense, diverse, and well-connected built environments, and with higher amounts of vegetation. These data suggest that urban planners, landscape architects, and policy makers should implement and evaluate environmental interventions to encourage higher levels of physical activity.

Modeling environment through a general exposome factor in two independent adolescent cohorts.

Exposures to perinatal, familial, social, and physical environmental stimuli can have substantial effects on human development. We aimed to generate a single measure that capture's the complex network structure of the environment (ie, exposome) using multi-level data (participant's report, parent report, and geocoded measures) of environmental exposures (primarily from the psychosocial environment) in two independent adolescent cohorts: The Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study (ABCD Study, N = 11 235; mean age, 10.9 years; 47.7% females) and an age- and sex-matched sample from the Philadelphia Neurodevelopmental Cohort (PNC, N = 4993). We conducted a series of data-driven iterative factor analyses and bifactor modeling in the ABCD Study, reducing dimensionality from 348 variables tapping to environment to six orthogonal exposome subfactors and a general (adverse) exposome factor. The general exposome factor was associated with overall psychopathology (B = 0.28, 95% CI, 0.26-0.3) and key health-related outcomes: obesity (odds ratio [OR] , 1.4; 95% CI, 1.3-1.5) and advanced pubertal development (OR, 1.3; 95% CI, 1.2-1.5). A similar approach in PNC reduced dimensionality of environment from 29 variables to 4 exposome subfactors and a general exposome factor. PNC analyses yielded consistent associations of the general exposome factor with psychopathology (B = 0.15; 95% CI, 0.13-0.17), obesity (OR, 1.4; 95% CI, 1.3-1.6), and advanced pubertal development (OR, 1.3; 95% CI, 1-1.6). In both cohorts, inclusion of exposome factors greatly increased variance explained in overall psychopathology compared with models relying solely on demographics and parental education (from <4% to >38% in ABCD; from <4% to >18.5% in PNC). Findings suggest that a general exposome factor capturing multi-level environmental exposures can be derived and can consistently explain variance in youth's mental and general health.

Cohort profile: the vitamin A and D and nitric oxide (AD-ON) observational cohort on lung development and symptoms in premature and mature children in North Zealand, Denmark

PurposeThe risk of developing asthma-like symptoms and asthma in childhood is influenced by genetics, environmental exposures, prenatal and early postnatal events, and their interactions. The cohort name refers to vitamins...