Epidemiology

Nosology expansion: not always for health's sake

Prevalence of overweight and obesity in Western countries: discrepancies in published estimates Abstract Two papers were extracted and pooled data from published sources were used to estimate the distribution of BMI values for adults living in many countries around the world. The NCD Risk Factor Collaboration and the Global Burden of Disease Study 2013 presented data for 200 and 188 countries, respectively. We extracted estimates from the two datasets for the prevalences of overweight and obesity in 28 Western countries. The two studies used similar methodology for extracting and pooling data, however the papers show serious discrepancies in several countries. Our analysis reveals the need for increased standardization of the identification and analysis of surveys of BMI distribution. This is necessary in order to facilitate comparability of study results and accurate global monitoring of obesity trends. Our findings also indicate that if findings from Western countries contain serious discrepancies, then findings from middle-income and low-income countries will likely have a poor level of accuracy as far fewer surveys of BMI distribution have been carried out.

Maternal nut intake in pregnancy and child neuropsychological development up to 8 years old: a population-based cohort study in Spain Abstract There is scientific evidence on the protective effects of nut intake against cognitive decline in the elderly; however, this effect has been less explored in child neurodevelopment and no studies have explored the potential longitudinal association with nut intake during pregnancy. We aimed to analyze the association of maternal nut intake during pregnancy with child neuropsychological outcomes. We included 2208 mother–child pairs from a population-based birth cohort in four regions of Spain. The follow up settings were during pregnancy (first and third trimesters), birth, 1.5, 5 and 8 years. Neuropsychological examinations were based on Bayley Scales of Infant Development (1.5 years), McCarthy scales of Children's Abilities (5 year), Attention Network Test (ANT, 8 year) and N-Back test (8 year). Nut intake in pregnancy was reported through a validated food frequency questionnaire during the first and the third trimester. Multivariable regressions analyzed associations after controlling for priori selected confounders notably maternal education, social class, body mass index, energy intake, fish intake, omega-3 supplements, alcohol consumption and smoking habits during pregnancy. Children within the highest tertile of maternal nut consumption during first pregnancy trimester (> 32 g/week) had a decrease of 13.82 ms [95% confidence interval (CI) − 23.40, − 4.23] in the ANT—hit reaction time standard error, compared to the first tertile (median 0 g/w). A similar protective association pattern was observed with the other cognitive scores at the different child ages. After correcting for multiple testing using Bonferroni familywise error rate (FWER), Hochberg FWER and Simes false discovery rate, ANT—hit reaction time standard error remained significant. Final model estimates by inverse probability weighting did not change results. Third pregnancy trimester nut intake showed weaker associations. These data indicate that nut intake during early pregnancy is associated with long-term child neuropsychological development. Future cohort studies and randomized clinical trials are needed to confirm this association pattern in order to further extend nutrition guidelines among pregnant women.

Expanding disease and undermining the ethos of medicine Abstract The expansion of the concept of disease poses problems for epidemiology. Certainly, new diseases are discovered and more people are treated earlier and better. However, the historically unprecedented expansion is criticised for going too far. Overdiagnosis, overtreatment, and medicalization are some of the challenges heatedly debated in medicine, media, and in health policy making. How are we to analyse and handle the vast expansion of disease? Where can we draw the line between warranted and unwarranted expansion? To address this issue, which has wide implications for epidemiology, we need to understand how disease is expanded. This article identifies six ways that our conception of disease is expanded: by increased knowledge (epistemic), making more phenomena count as disease (ontological), doing more (pragmatic), defining more (conceptual), and by encompassing the bad (ethic) and the ugly (aesthetic). Expanding the subject matter of medicine extends its realm and power, but also its responsibility. It makes medicine accountable for ever more of human potential dis-eases. At the same time it blurs the borders and undermines the demarcation of medicine. Six specific advices can guide our action clarifying the subject matter of medicine in general and epidemiology in particular. To avoid unlimited responsibility and to keep medicine on par with its end, we need to direct the expansion of disease to what effectively identifies or reduces human suffering. Otherwise we will deplete medicine and undermine the greatest asset in health care: trust.

Being born in the aftermath of World War II increases the risk for health deficit accumulation in older age: results from the KORA-Age study Abstract Morbidity trends may result from cohort experiences in critical developmental age. Our objective was to compare the health status of 65–71 year-olds who were in critical developmental age before (1937–June 1945), during (June 1945–June 1948) and after (June 1948–1950) the early reconstruction and food crisis (ERFC) period in Germany following World War II. Data originate from the KORA (Cooperative Health Research in the Region of Augsburg)-Age study in Southern Germany. We used the 2008 baseline sample born 1937–1943 and the 2015 enrichment sample born 1944–1950. Health status was assessed as the number of accumulated health deficits using a Frailty Index (FI). Cohorts were defined based on co-occurrence of critical developmental age (gestation and the first 2 years of life) and the ERFC period. Cohort, age and sex effects on older-age health status were analyzed using generalized linear models. We included 590 (53% male) pre-war and war (PWW), 475 (51% male) ERFC and 171 post-currency reform (PCR) cohort participants (46% male). Adjusted for covariates, FI levels were significantly higher for the ERFC (Ratio 1.14, CL [1.06, 1.23]) but not for the PCR (Ratio 1.06, CL [0.94, 1.20]) as compared to the PWW cohort. Being in critical developmental age during the ERFC period increased FI levels in adults aged 65–71 years. Covariates did not explain these effects, suggesting a direct detrimental effect from being in critical developmental age during the ERFC period on older-age health. This expansion of morbidity in Germany was not detected in the PCR cohort.

Smoking in pregnancy, cord blood cotinine and risk of celiac disease diagnosis in offspring Abstract Ecological observations suggest an inverse relationship between smoking in pregnancy and celiac disease (CD) in offspring. While individual-level analyses have been inconsistent, they have mostly lacked statistical power or refined assessments of exposure. To examine the association between pregnancy-related smoking and CD in the offspring, as well as its consistency across data sets, we analyzed: (1) The Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort (MoBa) of 94,019 children, followed from birth (2000–2009) through 2016, with 1035 developing CD; (2) a subsample from MoBa (381 with CD and 529 controls) with biomarkers; and (3) a register-based cohort of 536,861 Norwegian children, followed from birth (2004–2012) through 2014, with 1919 developing CD. Smoking behaviors were obtained from pregnancy questionnaires and antenatal visits, or, in the MoBa-subsample, defined by measurement of cord blood cotinine. CD and potential confounders were identified through nationwide registers and comprehensive parental questionnaires. Sustained smoking during pregnancy, both self-reported and cotinine-determined, was inversely associated with CD in MoBa (multivariable-adjusted [a] OR = 0.61 [95%CI, 0.46–0.82] and aOR = 0.55 [95%CI, 0.31–0.98], respectively); an inverse association was also found with the intensity of smoking. These findings differed from those of our register-based cohort, which revealed no association with sustained smoking during pregnancy (aOR = 0.97 [95%CI, 0.80–1.18]). In MoBa, neither maternal smoking before or after pregnancy, nor maternal or paternal smoking in only early pregnancy predicted CD. In a carefully followed pregnancy cohort, a more-detailed smoking assessment than oft-used register-based data, revealed that sustained smoking during pregnancy, rather than any smoking exposure, predicts decreased likelihood of childhood-diagnosed CD.

Maternal proximity to extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields and risk of birth defects Abstract Causes of birth defects are unclear, and the association with electromagnetic fields is inconclusive. We assessed the relationship between residential proximity to extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields from power grids and risk of birth defects. We analyzed a population-based sample of 2,164,246 infants born in Quebec, Canada between 1989 and 2016. We geocoded the maternal residential postal code at delivery and computed the distance to the nearest high voltage electrical transmission line or transformer station. We used log-binomial regression to estimate risk ratios (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for the association of residential proximity to transmission lines and transformer stations with birth defects, adjusting for maternal and infant characteristics. The prevalence of birth defects within 200 m of a transmission line (579.4 per 10,000 per live births) was only slightly higher compared with distances further away (568.7 per 10,000). A similar trend was seen for transformer stations. Compared with 200 m, a distance of 50 m was not associated with the risk of birth defects for transmission lines (RR 1.00, 95% CI 1.00–1.01) and transformer stations (RR 1.01, 95% CI 1.00–1.03). There was no consistent association when we examined birth defects in different organ systems. We found no compelling evidence that residential proximity to extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields from electrical power grids increases the risk of birth defects. Women residing near electrical grids can be reassured that an effect on the risk of birth defects is unlikely.

Night shift work before and during pregnancy in relation to depression and anxiety in adolescent and young adult offspring Abstract We investigated the relationship between maternal history of nightshift work before and shift work during pregnancy and offspring risk of depression and anxiety, among mothers participating in the Nurses Health Study II and in their offspring enrolled in the Growing Up Today Study 2 between 2004 and 2013. Case definitions were based on offspring self-reports of physician/clinician-diagnosed depression and/or anxiety, regular antidepressant use and depressive symptoms assessed using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale. Multivariable-adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated using generalized estimating equation models. We found no associations between maternal nightshift work before pregnancy or during pregnancy and offspring mental health disorders (e.g., nightshift work before pregnancy: depression (based on physician/clinician diagnosis): ORever nightwork = 1.14; 95% CI, 0.88–1.47; either depression or anxiety: ORever nightwork = 0.93; 95% CI, 0.81–1.08; nightshift work during pregnancy: depression: ORever nightwork = 1.14; 95% CI, 0.68–1.94; depression or anxiety: ORever nightwork =1.17; 95% CI, 0.70–1.98) and no dose-response relationship with longer history of nightshift work (all PTrend  >0.10). Stratifying by maternal chronotype revealed a higher risk of depression for offspring whose mothers worked nightshifts before pregnancy and reported being definite morning chronotypes (a proxy for circadian strain) (ORever nightwork = 1.95; 95% CI, 1.17, 3.24 vs. ORever nightwork = 0.93; 95% CI, 0.68, 1.28 for any other chronotype; PInteraction = 0.03). Further studies replicating our findings and refined understanding regarding the interplay of nightshift work and chronotype and its potential influences on offspring mental health are needed.

Missing girls among deliveries from Indian and Chinese mothers in Spain 2007–2015 Abstract Deliveries from Indian and Chinese mothers present a higher than expected male:female ratio in their own countries, in northern Europe, EEUU and Canada. No studies have been carried out in southern European countries. We explored whether the high male-to-female ratio common in Indian and Chinese communities, also exists among families from those regions who live in Spain. For that purpose we designed a cross-sectional population-based study containing data on 3,133,908 singleton live births registered in the Spanish Vital Statistics Registry during the period 2007–2015. The ratio of male:female births by area of origin was calculated using binary intercept-only logistic regression models without reference category for the whole sample of births and taking into account a possible effect modification of birth order and sex of the previous males. Interaction effects of sociodemographic mothers' and fathers' characteristics was also assesed. In Spain, the ratio male:female is higher than expected for Indian-born mothers, especially for deliveries from mothers with no previous male births and, to a lesser extent, for Chinese-born women, specifically for third or higher order births and slightly influenced by the sex of the previous births. Therefore, the increased sex male:female ratio observed in other countries among Indian and Chinese mothers is also observed in Spain. This reinforces the notion that culture and values of the country of origin are more influential than the country of residence.

Preconceptional paternal antiepileptic drugs use and risk of congenital anomalies in offspring: a nationwide cohort study Abstract Recent studies have shown that certain pharmacological agents used by fathers before conception may increase the risk of adverse neonatal outcomes in offspring. However, little is known about the effect of paternal use of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) on congenital anomalies in children. Based on Danish national registers, we conducted a cohort study of 733, 282 singletons born from 1997 to 2008, with follow-up throughout 2013. The children whose fathers used AEDs during the 3 months before conception were categorized as the exposed. Logistic regression model was used to examine association between paternal AEDs use before conception and the risk of congenital anomalies in offspring. Compared with unexposed children, the exposed had a 23% increased risk of congenital anomalies (odds ratios (OR) 1.23, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.10–1.37) after adjusting for potential confounders. When extending the exposure window to 1 year before conception to the end of pregnancy, except for those using AEDs during 3 months before conception (the susceptible period of exposure), the increased risks were also observed in children whose fathers were former users (i.e., those using AEDs only from 1 year to 3 months before conception) (OR 1.29, 95%CI 1.03–1.61) and later users (i.e., those using AEDs only during pregnancy) (OR 1.35, 95%CI 1.12–1.65). This study suggested that the mildly increased risk of congenital anomalies in the offspring associated with paternal AEDs use before conception may be attributable to the underlying indications related to AEDs use.

Alexandros Sfakianakis
Anapafseos 5 . Agios Nikolaos
Crete.Greece.72100
2841026182

6948891480

alsfakia@gmail.com