Pub Date : 2023-12-01Epub Date: 2023-12-06DOI: 10.1007/s40572-023-00421-8
Jonathan González-Ruíz, Andrea A Baccarelli, David Cantu-de-Leon, Diddier Prada
Purpose of review: This review addresses the pressing issue of air pollution's threat to human health, focusing on its connection to non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) development. The aim is to explore the role of extracellular vesicles (EVs) as potential pathogenic mechanisms in lung cancer, including NSCLC, induced by air pollutants.
Recent findings: Recent research highlights EVs as vital mediators of intercellular communication and key contributors to cancer progression. Notably, this review emphasizes the cargo of EVs released by both cancerous and non-cancerous lung cells, shedding light on their potential role in promoting various aspects of tumor development. The review underscores the importance of comprehending the intricate interplay between air pollution, biological damage mechanisms, and EV-mediated communication during NSCLC development. Major takeaways emphasize the significance of this understanding in addressing air pollution-related lung cancer. Future research avenues are also highlighted, aiming to enhance the applicability of EVs for diagnosis and targeted therapies, ultimately mitigating the inevitable impact of air pollution on NSCLC development and treatment.
{"title":"Air Pollution and Lung Cancer: Contributions of Extracellular Vesicles as Pathogenic Mechanisms and Clinical Utility.","authors":"Jonathan González-Ruíz, Andrea A Baccarelli, David Cantu-de-Leon, Diddier Prada","doi":"10.1007/s40572-023-00421-8","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s40572-023-00421-8","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose of review: </strong>This review addresses the pressing issue of air pollution's threat to human health, focusing on its connection to non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) development. The aim is to explore the role of extracellular vesicles (EVs) as potential pathogenic mechanisms in lung cancer, including NSCLC, induced by air pollutants.</p><p><strong>Recent findings: </strong>Recent research highlights EVs as vital mediators of intercellular communication and key contributors to cancer progression. Notably, this review emphasizes the cargo of EVs released by both cancerous and non-cancerous lung cells, shedding light on their potential role in promoting various aspects of tumor development. The review underscores the importance of comprehending the intricate interplay between air pollution, biological damage mechanisms, and EV-mediated communication during NSCLC development. Major takeaways emphasize the significance of this understanding in addressing air pollution-related lung cancer. Future research avenues are also highlighted, aiming to enhance the applicability of EVs for diagnosis and targeted therapies, ultimately mitigating the inevitable impact of air pollution on NSCLC development and treatment.</p>","PeriodicalId":10775,"journal":{"name":"Current Environmental Health Reports","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":7.4,"publicationDate":"2023-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10822800/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138486921","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-12-01Epub Date: 2023-08-28DOI: 10.1007/s40572-023-00408-5
Rodrigo Ugalde-Resano, Brenda Gamboa-Loira, Ángel Mérida-Ortega, Alma Rincón-Rubio, Gisela Flores-Collado, Maricela Piña-Pozas, Lizbeth López-Carrillo
Purpose of review: Organochlorine pesticides (OCP) have been proposed as potential mammary carcinogens since they interact with steroid signaling pathways. However, the epidemiological results are not conclusive. Most studies have evaluated breast cancer (BC) as a single entity without considering the different molecular expressions, including estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), and HER2, that could differ in their association with these contaminants. Hence, we assessed the association between biological concentration of OCP and BC, according to its molecular receptor expression, based on a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Recent findings: Of the 141 articles eligible for full-text review, nine met the inclusion criteria. The way in which molecular expression was reported was heterogeneous; therefore, the inclusion of studies in the meta-analysis was limited to eight articles. A negative association was identified for β-hexachlorocyclohexane and trans-nonachlor with ER + tumors and between hexachlorobenzene and ER - tumors. No associations were observed for p,p'-dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene, cis-nonachlor, and dieldrin, and it was not possible to evaluate the associations between OCP with HER2 expression or triple-negative tumors due to lack of data. The results suggest that some OCP might be associated with BC depending on the expression of ER. However, the evidence is not conclusive due to the scarce data. We identified several methodological aspects to fill the gaps in knowledge and increase the comparability among studies.
审查目的:有机氯杀虫剂(OCP)与类固醇信号通路相互作用,因此被认为是潜在的乳腺致癌物。然而,流行病学研究结果并不确凿。大多数研究将乳腺癌(BC)作为一个单一实体进行评估,而没有考虑不同的分子表达,包括雌激素受体(ER)、孕酮受体(PR)和 HER2,它们与这些污染物的关系可能有所不同。因此,我们在系统综述和荟萃分析的基础上,根据OCP的分子受体表达,评估了OCP的生物浓度与BC之间的关联:在符合全文综述条件的 141 篇文章中,有 9 篇符合纳入标准。报告分子表达的方式不尽相同;因此,纳入荟萃分析的研究仅限于 8 篇文章。研究发现,β-六氯环己烷和反式壬氯与ER+肿瘤呈负相关,六氯苯与ER-肿瘤呈负相关。p,p'-二氯二苯基二氯乙烯、顺式壬草胺和狄氏剂之间没有关联,由于缺乏数据,无法评估 OCP 与 HER2 表达或三阴性肿瘤之间的关联。结果表明,某些 OCP 可能与 BC 有关,这取决于 ER 的表达。然而,由于数据稀少,证据并不确凿。我们确定了几个方法学方面的问题,以填补知识空白并提高研究之间的可比性。
{"title":"Exposure to Organochlorine Pesticides and Female Breast Cancer Risk According to Molecular Receptors Expression: a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Epidemiological Evidence.","authors":"Rodrigo Ugalde-Resano, Brenda Gamboa-Loira, Ángel Mérida-Ortega, Alma Rincón-Rubio, Gisela Flores-Collado, Maricela Piña-Pozas, Lizbeth López-Carrillo","doi":"10.1007/s40572-023-00408-5","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s40572-023-00408-5","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose of review: </strong>Organochlorine pesticides (OCP) have been proposed as potential mammary carcinogens since they interact with steroid signaling pathways. However, the epidemiological results are not conclusive. Most studies have evaluated breast cancer (BC) as a single entity without considering the different molecular expressions, including estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), and HER2, that could differ in their association with these contaminants. Hence, we assessed the association between biological concentration of OCP and BC, according to its molecular receptor expression, based on a systematic review and meta-analysis.</p><p><strong>Recent findings: </strong>Of the 141 articles eligible for full-text review, nine met the inclusion criteria. The way in which molecular expression was reported was heterogeneous; therefore, the inclusion of studies in the meta-analysis was limited to eight articles. A negative association was identified for β-hexachlorocyclohexane and trans-nonachlor with ER + tumors and between hexachlorobenzene and ER - tumors. No associations were observed for p,p'-dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene, cis-nonachlor, and dieldrin, and it was not possible to evaluate the associations between OCP with HER2 expression or triple-negative tumors due to lack of data. The results suggest that some OCP might be associated with BC depending on the expression of ER. However, the evidence is not conclusive due to the scarce data. We identified several methodological aspects to fill the gaps in knowledge and increase the comparability among studies.</p>","PeriodicalId":10775,"journal":{"name":"Current Environmental Health Reports","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":7.9,"publicationDate":"2023-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"10088243","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-12-01Epub Date: 2023-11-27DOI: 10.1007/s40572-023-00413-8
Jingyuan Xiao, Anushka Jain, Giselle Bellia, Kate Nyhan, Zeyan Liew
Purpose of review: The multigenerational effects of grandparental exposures on their grandchildren's mental health and neurodevelopment are gaining research attention. We conducted a scoping review to summarize the current epidemiological studies investigating pregnancy-related and environmental factors that affected grandparental pregnancies and mental health outcomes in their grandchildren. We also identified methodological challenges that affect these multigenerational health studies and discuss opportunities for future research.
Recent findings: We performed a literature search using PubMed and Embase and included 18 articles for this review. The most investigated grandparental pregnancy-related factors were the grandparental age of pregnancy (N = 6), smoking during pregnancy (N = 4), and medication intake (N = 3). The most frequently examined grandchild outcomes were autism spectrum disorder (N = 6) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (N = 4). Among these studies, grandparental smoking and the use of diethylstilbestrol were more consistently reported to be associated with neurodevelopmental disorders, while the findings for grandparental age vary across the maternal or paternal line. Grandmaternal weight, adverse delivery outcomes, and other spatial-temporal markers of physical and social environmental stressors require further scrutiny. The current body of literature has suggested that mental and neurodevelopmental disorders may be outcomes of unfavorable exposures originating from the grandparental generation during their pregnancies. To advance the field, we recommend research efforts into setting up multigenerational studies with prospectively collected data that span through at least three generations, incorporating spatial, environmental, and biological markers for exposure assessment, expanding the outcome phenotypes evaluated, and developing a causal analytical framework including mediation analyses specific for multigenerational research.
{"title":"A scoping review of multigenerational impacts of grandparental exposures on mental health in grandchildren.","authors":"Jingyuan Xiao, Anushka Jain, Giselle Bellia, Kate Nyhan, Zeyan Liew","doi":"10.1007/s40572-023-00413-8","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s40572-023-00413-8","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose of review: </strong>The multigenerational effects of grandparental exposures on their grandchildren's mental health and neurodevelopment are gaining research attention. We conducted a scoping review to summarize the current epidemiological studies investigating pregnancy-related and environmental factors that affected grandparental pregnancies and mental health outcomes in their grandchildren. We also identified methodological challenges that affect these multigenerational health studies and discuss opportunities for future research.</p><p><strong>Recent findings: </strong>We performed a literature search using PubMed and Embase and included 18 articles for this review. The most investigated grandparental pregnancy-related factors were the grandparental age of pregnancy (N = 6), smoking during pregnancy (N = 4), and medication intake (N = 3). The most frequently examined grandchild outcomes were autism spectrum disorder (N = 6) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (N = 4). Among these studies, grandparental smoking and the use of diethylstilbestrol were more consistently reported to be associated with neurodevelopmental disorders, while the findings for grandparental age vary across the maternal or paternal line. Grandmaternal weight, adverse delivery outcomes, and other spatial-temporal markers of physical and social environmental stressors require further scrutiny. The current body of literature has suggested that mental and neurodevelopmental disorders may be outcomes of unfavorable exposures originating from the grandparental generation during their pregnancies. To advance the field, we recommend research efforts into setting up multigenerational studies with prospectively collected data that span through at least three generations, incorporating spatial, environmental, and biological markers for exposure assessment, expanding the outcome phenotypes evaluated, and developing a causal analytical framework including mediation analyses specific for multigenerational research.</p>","PeriodicalId":10775,"journal":{"name":"Current Environmental Health Reports","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":7.9,"publicationDate":"2023-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138440363","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-12-01Epub Date: 2023-12-13DOI: 10.1007/s40572-023-00419-2
J S Litt, L Coll-Planas, A L Sachs, M Masó Aguado, M Howarth
Purpose of review: Social prescribing (SP) is defined as a non-medical community referral program to support well-being and health. This review explores the current evidence about the effectiveness of SP.
Recent findings: This review examined existing SP models that have been or are being tested to connect people to these opportunities through direct and indirect referral schemes. The review identified a fifth model that facilitates a group-based approach used to mental well-being and resilience. While the development of SP largely originates from the UK, the global interest in SP has increased, with over 31 nations reporting elements of SP. The main goal of SP is to better integrate care between the traditional medical setting and resources available in the community and voluntary sectors. Although this review found widespread optimism around SP, there remain concerns about its effectiveness and demands for high-quality evaluations to strengthen the evidence base for SP.
{"title":"Current Trends and Future Directions in Urban Social Prescribing.","authors":"J S Litt, L Coll-Planas, A L Sachs, M Masó Aguado, M Howarth","doi":"10.1007/s40572-023-00419-2","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s40572-023-00419-2","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose of review: </strong>Social prescribing (SP) is defined as a non-medical community referral program to support well-being and health. This review explores the current evidence about the effectiveness of SP.</p><p><strong>Recent findings: </strong>This review examined existing SP models that have been or are being tested to connect people to these opportunities through direct and indirect referral schemes. The review identified a fifth model that facilitates a group-based approach used to mental well-being and resilience. While the development of SP largely originates from the UK, the global interest in SP has increased, with over 31 nations reporting elements of SP. The main goal of SP is to better integrate care between the traditional medical setting and resources available in the community and voluntary sectors. Although this review found widespread optimism around SP, there remain concerns about its effectiveness and demands for high-quality evaluations to strengthen the evidence base for SP.</p>","PeriodicalId":10775,"journal":{"name":"Current Environmental Health Reports","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":7.9,"publicationDate":"2023-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138799563","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-09-01Epub Date: 2023-07-29DOI: 10.1007/s40572-023-00407-6
Sara LoTemplio, Joanna E Bettmann, Emily Scott, Ellison Blumenthal
Purpose of review: Given the global burden of mental health issues, new solutions are needed to promote mental health. Nature exposure represents a promising option to promote mental health, but the mechanisms are poorly understood. Recent frameworks have argued that changes in mental health in nature are caused by activity changes in the vagus nerve, which connects the heart and the brain, and that these changes also improve executive functioning (EF) abilities. This suggests that changes in mental health symptomology in nature should be accompanied by changes in vagus nerve activity, as well as changes in executive functioning. Yet, little work has systematically examined co-variation of these outcomes in empirical studies. The present manuscript systematically examines whether changes in mental health in nature are accompanied by changes in vagus nerve activity (approximated by heartrate variability) and changes in executive functioning.
Recent findings: There is compelling evidence that spending time in nature can increase heartrate variability, improve mental health, and improve executive functioning. However, despite strong theoretical claims that these three outcomes should be linked after spending time in nature settings, few studies directly examine such co-occurrence. The study systematically examines whether studies that considered both mental health and executive functioning (n = 6) showed co-occurring effects in response to nature exposure. Similarly, the study also considers if studies examining mental health and heartrate variability (n = 6) showed similarly directional effects following nature exposure. This systematic review concludes with discussion about the limited number of studies (n =1) that include all three measures. We find mixed results of co-occurrence with these variables, suggesting that the relationship between these three constructs in nature may be more nuanced than current theory suggests. Perhaps more importantly, our results demonstrate that there is very little existing work linking changes in mental health to changes in EF and vagal tone. We conclude with justification for why it may be beneficial for researchers to include all three metrics as well as guidance on how to do so.
{"title":"Do Mental Health Changes in Nature Co-occur with Changes in Heartrate Variability and Executive Functioning? A Systematic Review.","authors":"Sara LoTemplio, Joanna E Bettmann, Emily Scott, Ellison Blumenthal","doi":"10.1007/s40572-023-00407-6","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s40572-023-00407-6","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose of review: </strong>Given the global burden of mental health issues, new solutions are needed to promote mental health. Nature exposure represents a promising option to promote mental health, but the mechanisms are poorly understood. Recent frameworks have argued that changes in mental health in nature are caused by activity changes in the vagus nerve, which connects the heart and the brain, and that these changes also improve executive functioning (EF) abilities. This suggests that changes in mental health symptomology in nature should be accompanied by changes in vagus nerve activity, as well as changes in executive functioning. Yet, little work has systematically examined co-variation of these outcomes in empirical studies. The present manuscript systematically examines whether changes in mental health in nature are accompanied by changes in vagus nerve activity (approximated by heartrate variability) and changes in executive functioning.</p><p><strong>Recent findings: </strong>There is compelling evidence that spending time in nature can increase heartrate variability, improve mental health, and improve executive functioning. However, despite strong theoretical claims that these three outcomes should be linked after spending time in nature settings, few studies directly examine such co-occurrence. The study systematically examines whether studies that considered both mental health and executive functioning (n = 6) showed co-occurring effects in response to nature exposure. Similarly, the study also considers if studies examining mental health and heartrate variability (n = 6) showed similarly directional effects following nature exposure. This systematic review concludes with discussion about the limited number of studies (n =1) that include all three measures. We find mixed results of co-occurrence with these variables, suggesting that the relationship between these three constructs in nature may be more nuanced than current theory suggests. Perhaps more importantly, our results demonstrate that there is very little existing work linking changes in mental health to changes in EF and vagal tone. We conclude with justification for why it may be beneficial for researchers to include all three metrics as well as guidance on how to do so.</p>","PeriodicalId":10775,"journal":{"name":"Current Environmental Health Reports","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":7.9,"publicationDate":"2023-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"10280545","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-09-01Epub Date: 2023-07-16DOI: 10.1007/s40572-023-00404-9
Pernille Jul Clemmensen, Jörg Schullehner, Nis Brix, Torben Sigsgaard, Leslie Thomas Stayner, Henrik Albert Kolstad, Cecilia Høst Ramlau-Hansen
Purpose of review: Recently, several epidemiological studies have investigated whether prenatal exposure to nitrate from drinking water may be harmful to the fetus, even at nitrate levels below the current World Health Organization drinking water standard. The purpose of this review was to give an overview of the newest knowledge on potential health effects of prenatal exposure to nitrate.
Recent findings: We included 13 epidemiological studies conducted since 2017. Nine studies investigated outcomes appearing around birth, and four studies investigated health outcomes appearing in childhood and young adulthood. The reviewed studies showed some indications of higher risk of preterm delivery, lower birth weight, birth defects, and childhood cancer related to prenatal exposure to nitrate. However, the numbers of studies for each outcome were sparse, and some of the results were conflicting. We suggest that there is a need for additional studies and particularly for studies that include information on water consumption patterns, intake of nitrate from diet, and intake of nitrosatable drugs.
{"title":"Prenatal Exposure to Nitrate in Drinking Water and Adverse Health Outcomes in the Offspring: a Review of Current Epidemiological Research.","authors":"Pernille Jul Clemmensen, Jörg Schullehner, Nis Brix, Torben Sigsgaard, Leslie Thomas Stayner, Henrik Albert Kolstad, Cecilia Høst Ramlau-Hansen","doi":"10.1007/s40572-023-00404-9","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s40572-023-00404-9","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose of review: </strong>Recently, several epidemiological studies have investigated whether prenatal exposure to nitrate from drinking water may be harmful to the fetus, even at nitrate levels below the current World Health Organization drinking water standard. The purpose of this review was to give an overview of the newest knowledge on potential health effects of prenatal exposure to nitrate.</p><p><strong>Recent findings: </strong>We included 13 epidemiological studies conducted since 2017. Nine studies investigated outcomes appearing around birth, and four studies investigated health outcomes appearing in childhood and young adulthood. The reviewed studies showed some indications of higher risk of preterm delivery, lower birth weight, birth defects, and childhood cancer related to prenatal exposure to nitrate. However, the numbers of studies for each outcome were sparse, and some of the results were conflicting. We suggest that there is a need for additional studies and particularly for studies that include information on water consumption patterns, intake of nitrate from diet, and intake of nitrosatable drugs.</p>","PeriodicalId":10775,"journal":{"name":"Current Environmental Health Reports","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":7.9,"publicationDate":"2023-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10504112/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"10304152","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-09-01Epub Date: 2023-07-28DOI: 10.1007/s40572-023-00405-8
Shabnam Abdollahi, E Owen D Waygood, Zeinab Aliyas, Marie-Soleil Cloutier
Purpose of review: Explore the varied pathways between the built environment and children's health. The review begins by describing how the built environment and transport infrastructure relate to conditions that lead to health outcomes. The review examines emissions, noise, and traffic dangers in relation to children's physical, mental, and social health.
Recent findings: Evidence is increasing for walkable neighborhoods and health-related behavior such as physical activity. However, diverse land uses (often supporting walkability) were also found to increase traffic injuries. Cognitive impacts of motorways on children at schools were found. Finally, the relationships between social activities and built environment are beginning. The built environment's influence on various physical health outcomes is increasingly clear and is often through a transport pathway. However, the links with mental and social health are less developed, though recent findings show significant results. Having accessible child-relevant destinations is an important consideration for children's health.
{"title":"An Overview of How the Built Environment Relates to Children's Health.","authors":"Shabnam Abdollahi, E Owen D Waygood, Zeinab Aliyas, Marie-Soleil Cloutier","doi":"10.1007/s40572-023-00405-8","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s40572-023-00405-8","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose of review: </strong>Explore the varied pathways between the built environment and children's health. The review begins by describing how the built environment and transport infrastructure relate to conditions that lead to health outcomes. The review examines emissions, noise, and traffic dangers in relation to children's physical, mental, and social health.</p><p><strong>Recent findings: </strong>Evidence is increasing for walkable neighborhoods and health-related behavior such as physical activity. However, diverse land uses (often supporting walkability) were also found to increase traffic injuries. Cognitive impacts of motorways on children at schools were found. Finally, the relationships between social activities and built environment are beginning. The built environment's influence on various physical health outcomes is increasingly clear and is often through a transport pathway. However, the links with mental and social health are less developed, though recent findings show significant results. Having accessible child-relevant destinations is an important consideration for children's health.</p>","PeriodicalId":10775,"journal":{"name":"Current Environmental Health Reports","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":7.9,"publicationDate":"2023-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"10646940","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-09-01Epub Date: 2023-08-15DOI: 10.1007/s40572-023-00406-7
Joan A Casey, Misbath Daouda, Ryan S Babadi, Vivian Do, Nina M Flores, Isa Berzansky, David J X González, Yoshira Ornelas Van Horne, Tamarra James-Todd
Purpose of review: The volume of public health environmental justice (EJ) research produced by academic institutions increased through 2022. However, the methods used for evaluating EJ in exposure science and epidemiologic studies have not been catalogued. Here, we completed a scoping review of EJ studies published in 19 environmental science and epidemiologic journals from 2018 to 2021 to summarize research types, frameworks, and methods.
Recent findings: We identified 402 articles that included populations with health disparities as a part of EJ research question and met other inclusion criteria. Most studies (60%) evaluated EJ questions related to socioeconomic status (SES) or race/ethnicity. EJ studies took place in 69 countries, led by the US (n = 246 [61%]). Only 50% of studies explicitly described a theoretical EJ framework in the background, methods, or discussion and just 10% explicitly stated a framework in all three sections. Among exposure studies, the most common area-level exposure was air pollution (40%), whereas chemicals predominated personal exposure studies (35%). Overall, the most common method used for exposure-only EJ analyses was main effect regression modeling (50%); for epidemiologic studies the most common method was effect modification (58%), where an analysis evaluated a health disparity variable as an effect modifier. Based on the results of this scoping review, current methods in public health EJ studies could be bolstered by integrating expertise from other fields (e.g., sociology), conducting community-based participatory research and intervention studies, and using more rigorous, theory-based, and solution-oriented statistical research methods.
{"title":"Methods in Public Health Environmental Justice Research: a Scoping Review from 2018 to 2021.","authors":"Joan A Casey, Misbath Daouda, Ryan S Babadi, Vivian Do, Nina M Flores, Isa Berzansky, David J X González, Yoshira Ornelas Van Horne, Tamarra James-Todd","doi":"10.1007/s40572-023-00406-7","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s40572-023-00406-7","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose of review: </strong>The volume of public health environmental justice (EJ) research produced by academic institutions increased through 2022. However, the methods used for evaluating EJ in exposure science and epidemiologic studies have not been catalogued. Here, we completed a scoping review of EJ studies published in 19 environmental science and epidemiologic journals from 2018 to 2021 to summarize research types, frameworks, and methods.</p><p><strong>Recent findings: </strong>We identified 402 articles that included populations with health disparities as a part of EJ research question and met other inclusion criteria. Most studies (60%) evaluated EJ questions related to socioeconomic status (SES) or race/ethnicity. EJ studies took place in 69 countries, led by the US (n = 246 [61%]). Only 50% of studies explicitly described a theoretical EJ framework in the background, methods, or discussion and just 10% explicitly stated a framework in all three sections. Among exposure studies, the most common area-level exposure was air pollution (40%), whereas chemicals predominated personal exposure studies (35%). Overall, the most common method used for exposure-only EJ analyses was main effect regression modeling (50%); for epidemiologic studies the most common method was effect modification (58%), where an analysis evaluated a health disparity variable as an effect modifier. Based on the results of this scoping review, current methods in public health EJ studies could be bolstered by integrating expertise from other fields (e.g., sociology), conducting community-based participatory research and intervention studies, and using more rigorous, theory-based, and solution-oriented statistical research methods.</p>","PeriodicalId":10775,"journal":{"name":"Current Environmental Health Reports","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":7.9,"publicationDate":"2023-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10504232/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"10650837","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-09-01Epub Date: 2023-06-10DOI: 10.1007/s40572-023-00400-z
Rebecca Ramsing, Raychel Santo, Brent F Kim, Daphene Altema-Johnson, Alyssa Wooden, Kenjin B Chang, Richard D Semba, David C Love
Purpose of review: Dairy milk products are dominant in the market; however, plant-based milks are gaining prominence among USA consumers. Many questions remain about how plant-based milk products compare to dairy milk from a nutrition, public health, and planetary health perspective. Here, we compare the retail sales, nutrient profiles, and known health and environmental impacts of the production and consumption of dairy and plant-based milks and identify knowledge gaps for future studies. For our plant-based milk comparisons, we reviewed almond, soy, oat, coconut, rice, pea, cashew, and other plant-based milks as data were available.
Recent findings: The retail unit price of plant-based milks was generally higher than that of cow's milk, making it less accessible to lower-income groups. Many plant-based milks are fortified to match the micronutrient profile of dairy milk more closely. Notable differences remained, especially in protein, zinc, and potassium, depending on the base ingredient and individual product. Some plant-based milks contain added sugar to improve flavor. Plant-based milks were generally associated with lower environmental impacts (e.g., greenhouse gas emissions, water use) than cow's milk, with the notable exception of the higher water footprint of almond milk. This review of recent studies and consumer purchases confirmed that retail sales of plant-based milks are increasing and shifting among products. Further research is needed to better characterize the environmental impacts of newer plant-based milks, such as cashew, hemp, and pea milks; consumer attitudes and behavior towards plant-based milks; and the safety and potential health effects related to their long-term and more frequent consumption.
{"title":"Dairy and Plant-Based Milks: Implications for Nutrition and Planetary Health.","authors":"Rebecca Ramsing, Raychel Santo, Brent F Kim, Daphene Altema-Johnson, Alyssa Wooden, Kenjin B Chang, Richard D Semba, David C Love","doi":"10.1007/s40572-023-00400-z","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s40572-023-00400-z","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose of review: </strong>Dairy milk products are dominant in the market; however, plant-based milks are gaining prominence among USA consumers. Many questions remain about how plant-based milk products compare to dairy milk from a nutrition, public health, and planetary health perspective. Here, we compare the retail sales, nutrient profiles, and known health and environmental impacts of the production and consumption of dairy and plant-based milks and identify knowledge gaps for future studies. For our plant-based milk comparisons, we reviewed almond, soy, oat, coconut, rice, pea, cashew, and other plant-based milks as data were available.</p><p><strong>Recent findings: </strong>The retail unit price of plant-based milks was generally higher than that of cow's milk, making it less accessible to lower-income groups. Many plant-based milks are fortified to match the micronutrient profile of dairy milk more closely. Notable differences remained, especially in protein, zinc, and potassium, depending on the base ingredient and individual product. Some plant-based milks contain added sugar to improve flavor. Plant-based milks were generally associated with lower environmental impacts (e.g., greenhouse gas emissions, water use) than cow's milk, with the notable exception of the higher water footprint of almond milk. This review of recent studies and consumer purchases confirmed that retail sales of plant-based milks are increasing and shifting among products. Further research is needed to better characterize the environmental impacts of newer plant-based milks, such as cashew, hemp, and pea milks; consumer attitudes and behavior towards plant-based milks; and the safety and potential health effects related to their long-term and more frequent consumption.</p>","PeriodicalId":10775,"journal":{"name":"Current Environmental Health Reports","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":7.9,"publicationDate":"2023-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10504201/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"10298911","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-09-01Epub Date: 2023-07-25DOI: 10.1007/s40572-023-00403-w
Drew R Michanowicz, Olivia M Leventhal, Jeremy K Domen, Samuel R Williams, Eric D Lebel, Lee Ann L Hill, Jonathan J Buonocore, Curtis L Nordgaard, Aaron S Bernstein, Seth B C Shonkoff
Purpose of review: Organosulfur compounds are intentionally added to natural gas as malodorants with the intent of short-term nasal inhalation to aid in leak detection. Regulatory exposure limits have not been established for all commonly used natural gas odorants, and recent community-level exposure events and growing evidence of indoor natural gas leakage have raised concerns associated with natural gas odorant exposures. We conducted a scoping review of peer-reviewed scientific publications on human exposures and animal toxicological studies of natural gas odorants to assess toxicological profiles, exposure potential, health effects and regulatory guidelines associated with commonly used natural gas odorants.
Recent findings: We identified only 22 studies which met inclusion criteria for full review. Overall, there is limited evidence of both transient nonspecific health symptoms and clinically diagnosed causative neurotoxic effects associated with prolonged odorant exposures. Across seven community-level exposure events and two occupational case reports, consistent symptom patterns included: headache, ocular irritation, nose and throat irritation, respiratory complaints such as shortness of breath and asthma attacks, and skin irritation and rash. Of these, respiratory inflammation and asthma exacerbations are the most debilitating, whereas the high prevalence of ocular and dermatologic symptoms suggest a non-inhalation route of exposure. The limited evidence available raises the possibility that organosulfur odorants may pose health risks at exposures much lower than presently understood, though additional dose-response studies are needed to disentangle specific toxicologic effects from nonspecific responses to noxious organosulfur odors. Numerous recommendations are provided including more transparent and prescriptive natural gas odorant use practices.
{"title":"Natural gas odorants: A scoping review of health effects.","authors":"Drew R Michanowicz, Olivia M Leventhal, Jeremy K Domen, Samuel R Williams, Eric D Lebel, Lee Ann L Hill, Jonathan J Buonocore, Curtis L Nordgaard, Aaron S Bernstein, Seth B C Shonkoff","doi":"10.1007/s40572-023-00403-w","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s40572-023-00403-w","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose of review: </strong>Organosulfur compounds are intentionally added to natural gas as malodorants with the intent of short-term nasal inhalation to aid in leak detection. Regulatory exposure limits have not been established for all commonly used natural gas odorants, and recent community-level exposure events and growing evidence of indoor natural gas leakage have raised concerns associated with natural gas odorant exposures. We conducted a scoping review of peer-reviewed scientific publications on human exposures and animal toxicological studies of natural gas odorants to assess toxicological profiles, exposure potential, health effects and regulatory guidelines associated with commonly used natural gas odorants.</p><p><strong>Recent findings: </strong>We identified only 22 studies which met inclusion criteria for full review. Overall, there is limited evidence of both transient nonspecific health symptoms and clinically diagnosed causative neurotoxic effects associated with prolonged odorant exposures. Across seven community-level exposure events and two occupational case reports, consistent symptom patterns included: headache, ocular irritation, nose and throat irritation, respiratory complaints such as shortness of breath and asthma attacks, and skin irritation and rash. Of these, respiratory inflammation and asthma exacerbations are the most debilitating, whereas the high prevalence of ocular and dermatologic symptoms suggest a non-inhalation route of exposure. The limited evidence available raises the possibility that organosulfur odorants may pose health risks at exposures much lower than presently understood, though additional dose-response studies are needed to disentangle specific toxicologic effects from nonspecific responses to noxious organosulfur odors. Numerous recommendations are provided including more transparent and prescriptive natural gas odorant use practices.</p>","PeriodicalId":10775,"journal":{"name":"Current Environmental Health Reports","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":7.9,"publicationDate":"2023-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10504204/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"10648866","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}