1
|
Xiao Q, Heiss G, Kucharska-Newton A, Bey G, Love SAM, Whitsel EA. Life-Course Neighborhood Socioeconomic Status and Cardiovascular Events in Black and White Adults in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study. Am J Epidemiol 2022; 191:1470-1484. [PMID: 35419583 PMCID: PMC9989355 DOI: 10.1093/aje/kwac070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2021] [Revised: 03/24/2022] [Accepted: 04/05/2022] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
It has been reported that residents of low-socioeconomic-status (SES) neighborhoods have a higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, most of the previous studies focused on 1-time measurement of neighborhood SES in middle-to-older adulthood and lacked demographic diversity to allow for comparisons across different race/ethnicity and sex groups. We examined neighborhood SES in childhood and young, middle, and older adulthood in association with CVD risk among Black and White men and women in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study (1996-2019). We found that lower neighborhood SES in young, middle, and older adulthood, but not in childhood, was associated with a higher risk of CVD later in life. When compared with the highest quartile, the lowest quartile of neighborhood SES in young, middle, and older adulthood was associated with 18% (hazard ratio (HR) = 1.18, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.02, 1.36), 21% (HR = 1.21, 95% CI: 1.04, 1.39), and 12% (HR = 1.12, 95% CI: 0.99, 1.26) increases in the hazard of total CVD, respectively. The association between lower neighborhood SES in older adulthood and higher CVD hazard was particularly strong among Black women. Our study findings support the role of neighborhood SES in cardiovascular health in both Black and White adults.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Qian Xiao
- Correspondence to Dr. Qian Xiao, Department of Epidemiology, Human Genetics and Environmental Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77225 (e-mail: )
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
2
|
Bang H, Chiu YL, Kaufman JS, Patel MD, Heiss G, Rose KM. Bias Correction Methods for Misclassified Covariates in the Cox Model: comparison offive correction methods by simulation and data analysis. JOURNAL OF STATISTICAL THEORY AND PRACTICE 2013; 7:381-400. [PMID: 24072991 PMCID: PMC3780447 DOI: 10.1080/15598608.2013.772830] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Measurement error/misclassification is commonplace in research when variable(s) can notbe measured accurately. A number of statistical methods have been developed to tackle this problemin a variety of settings and contexts. However, relatively few methods are available to handlemisclassified categorical exposure variable(s) in the Cox proportional hazards regression model. Inthis paper, we aim to review and compare different methods to handle this problem - naïvemethods, regression calibration, pooled estimation, multiple imputation, corrected score estimation,and MC-SIMEX - by simulation. These methods are also applied to a life course study with recalleddata and historical records. In practice, the issue of measurement error/misclassification should beaccounted for in design and analysis, whenever possible. Also, in the analysis, it could be moreideal to implement more than one correction method for estimation and inference, with properunderstanding of underlying assumptions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Heejung Bang
- Division of Biostatistics, Department of Public Health Sciences, University ofCalifornia, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Ya-Lin Chiu
- Division of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Department of Public Health, WeillCornell Medical College, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jay S. Kaufman
- Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health, McGillUniversity, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Mehul D. Patel
- Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Gerardo Heiss
- Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
3
|
Rodgers SE, Heaven M, Lacey A, Poortinga W, Dunstan FD, Jones KH, Palmer SR, Phillips CJ, Smith R, John A, Davies GA, Lyons RA. Cohort profile: the housing regeneration and health study. Int J Epidemiol 2012. [PMID: 23179304 DOI: 10.1093/ije/dys200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
A cohort comprising residents of a housing regeneration and health programme was created from routinely collected data using a system which allows us to anonymously link housing data to individuals and their health. The regeneration programme incorporating four rolling work packages runs from 2009 to 2014. The main intervention cohort we describe here contains the 18 312 residents of 9051 residences at baseline. The cohort will be followed continuously through routine health data (demographics, mortality, hospital admissions and general practitioner records including prescriptions) with periodic updates of housing regeneration intervention data. Here, we describe the baseline data for the primary health outcomes of emergency hospital admissions for cardiovascular and respiratory conditions and injuries for those aged ≥60 years. We will compare the health of residents within the homes before and after the housing regeneration work has taken place, and we will calculate the change in health service costs with use of hospital and General Practitioners (GP) services. We will also use a difference in differences approach to assess changes in comparison with comparator cohorts. These data will be accessible at the end of the study period in 2016. Further information about this study can be obtained from Ronan Lyons; r.a.lyons@swansea.ac.uk.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sarah E Rodgers
- Health Information Research Unit, Institute of Life Science, College of Medicine, Swansea University, Swansea, UK, Welsh School of Architecture, Cardiff, UK, Institute of Primary Care & Public Health, Cardiff University School of Medicine, Cardiff, UK, College of Human and Health Sciences, Swansea University, Swansea, UK, Cardiff School of Planning and Geography, Cardiff, UK and Institute of Life Science, College of Medicine, Swansea University, Swansea, UK
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
4
|
Sonderman JS, Mumma MT, Cohen SS, Cope EL, Blot WJ, Signorello LB. A multi-stage approach to maximizing geocoding success in a large population-based cohort study through automated and interactive processes. GEOSPATIAL HEALTH 2012; 6:273-284. [PMID: 22639129 PMCID: PMC3683076 DOI: 10.4081/gh.2012.145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
To enable spatial analyses within a large, prospective cohort study of nearly 86,000 adults enrolled in a 12-state area in the southeastern United States of America from 2002-2009, a multi-stage geocoding protocol was developed to efficiently maximize the proportion of participants assigned an address level geographic coordinate. Addresses were parsed, cleaned and standardized before applying a combination of automated and interactive geocoding tools. Our full protocol increased the non-Post Office (PO) Box match rate from 74.5% to 97.6%. Overall, we geocoded 99.96% of participant addresses, with only 5.2% at the ZIP code centroid level (2.8% PO Box and 2.3% non-PO Box addresses). One key to reducing the need for interactive geocoding was the use of multiple base maps. Still, addresses in areas with population density <44 persons/km2 were much more likely to require resource-intensive interactive geocoding than those in areas with >920 persons/km2 (odds ratio (OR) = 5.24; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 4.23, 6.49), as were addresses collected from participants during in-person interviews compared with mailed questionnaires (OR = 1.83; 95% CI = 1.59, 2.11). This study demonstrates that population density and address ascertainment method can influence automated geocoding results and that high success in address level geocoding is achievable for large-scale studies covering wide geographical areas.
Collapse
|
5
|
Goldberg DW, Cockburn MG. The effect of administrative boundaries and geocoding error on cancer rates in California. Spat Spatiotemporal Epidemiol 2012; 3:39-54. [PMID: 22469490 PMCID: PMC3324674 DOI: 10.1016/j.sste.2012.02.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
Abstract
Geocoding is often used to produce maps of disease rates from the diagnosis addresses of incident cases to assist with disease surveillance, prevention, and control. In this process, diagnosis addresses are converted into latitude/longitude pairs which are then aggregated to produce rates at varying geographic scales such as Census tracts, neighborhoods, cities, counties, and states. The specific techniques used within geocoding systems have an impact on where the output geocode is located and can therefore have an effect on the derivation of disease rates at different geographic aggregations. This paper investigates how county-level cancer rates are affected by the choice of interpolation method when case data are geocoded to the ZIP code level. Four commonly used areal unit interpolation techniques are applied and the output of each is used to compute crude county-level five-year incidence rates of all cancers in California. We found that the rates observed for 44 out of the 58 counties in California vary based on which interpolation method is used, with rates in some counties increasing by nearly 400% between interpolation methods.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Daniel W. Goldberg
- University of Southern California, Spatial Sciences Institute, Los Angeles CA
| | - Myles G. Cockburn
- University of Southern California, Department of Preventive Medicine, Los Angeles CA
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Kan H, Folsom AR, Cushman M, Rose KM, Rosamond WD, Liao D, Lurmann F, London SJ. Traffic exposure and incident venous thromboembolism in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study. J Thromb Haemost 2011; 9:672-8. [PMID: 21255249 PMCID: PMC3071427 DOI: 10.1111/j.1538-7836.2011.04210.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Two recent case-control studies in Italy reported that long-term exposure to particulate air pollution or living near major traffic roads was associated with an increased risk of deep vein thrombosis (DVT). No prospective evidence exists on the possible association between long-term traffic-related air pollution and incident venous thromboembolism (VTE). OBJECTIVES To examine the association between long-term traffic exposure and incident VTE in a population-based prospective cohort study. METHODS We studied 13,143 middle-aged men and women in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study without a history of DVT or pulmonary embolism at baseline examination (1987-1989). The Geographical Information System-mapped traffic density and distance to major roads in the four study communities served as measures of traffic exposure. We examined the association between traffic exposure and incident VTE with proportional hazards regression models. RESULTS A total of 405 subjects developed VTE in 2005. Traffic density was not significantly associated with VTE. Relative to those in the lowest quartile of traffic density, the adjusted hazard ratios across increasing quartiles were 1.18 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.88-1.57), 0.99 (95% CI 0.74-1.34) and 1.14 (95% CI 0.86-1.51) (P-value for trend across quartiles = 0.64). For residents living within 150 m of major roads, as compared with subjects living further away, the adjusted hazard ratio was 1.16 (95% CI 0.95-1.42, P = 0.14). CONCLUSIONS This first prospective study in the general population does not support an association between air pollution exposure or traffic proximity and risk of DVT. More data may be needed to clarify whether traffic or air pollution influences the risk of VTE.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Haidong Kan
- School of Public Health, Key Lab of Public Health Safety of the Ministry of Education, Institute of Global Environmental Change Research, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Aaron R. Folsom
- Division of Epidemiology and Community Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis
| | - Mary Cushman
- Department of Medicine, University of Vermont, Burlington
| | - Kathryn M. Rose
- Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Wayne D. Rosamond
- Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Duanping Liao
- Department of Health Evaluation Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, Hershey, Pennsylvania
| | | | - Stephanie J. London
- Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Boulos DNK, Ghali RR, Ibrahim EM, Boulos MNK, AbdelMalik P. An eight-year snapshot of geospatial cancer research (2002-2009): clinico-epidemiological and methodological findings and trends. Med Oncol 2010; 28:1145-62. [PMID: 20589539 DOI: 10.1007/s12032-010-9607-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2010] [Accepted: 06/16/2010] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Geographic information systems (GIS) offer a very rich toolbox of methods and technologies, and powerful research tools that extend far beyond the mere production of maps, making it possible to cross-link and study the complex interaction of disease data and factors originating from a wide range of disparate sources. Despite their potential indispensable role in cancer prevention and control programmes, GIS are underrepresented in specialised oncology literature. The latter has provided an impetus for the current review. The review provides an eight-year snapshot of geospatial cancer research in peer-reviewed literature (2002-2009), presenting the clinico-epidemiological and methodological findings and trends in the covered corpus (93 papers). The authors concluded that understanding the relationship between location and cancer/cancer care services can play a crucial role in disease control and prevention, and in better service planning, and appropriate resource utilisation. Nevertheless, there are still barriers that hinder the wide-scale adoption of GIS and related technologies in everyday oncology practice.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dina N Kamel Boulos
- Department of Community, Environmental and Occupational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Abbassia, Cairo, Egypt
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
8
|
Military combat and risk of coronary heart disease and ischemic stroke in aging men: The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study. Ann Epidemiol 2010; 20:143-50. [PMID: 20123165 DOI: 10.1016/j.annepidem.2009.10.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2009] [Revised: 09/08/2009] [Accepted: 10/12/2009] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE To assess the long-term association of military combat stress with coronary heart disease (CHD) and ischemic stroke (IS). METHODS The association between exposure to military combat and the occurrence of CHD and IS was assessed among 5,347 men in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study. Outcomes were assessed an average of 36 years after entry into military service during the eras of World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam conflict. RESULTS Veterans were more likely to be older, white, and of higher socioeconomic status than non-veterans. No differences in CHD period prevalence rates were noted among the three exposure groups, overall or by era of service. Associations between combat and ischemic stroke period prevalence may be modified by father's education, although confidence intervals were wide and event rates small. CONCLUSIONS Overall, middle-aged veterans with distant combat exposure are not at increased cardiovascular risk compared to those without combat exposure.
Collapse
|
9
|
Johnson AM, Rose KM, Elder GH, Chambless LE, Kaufman JS, Heiss G. Military combat and burden of subclinical atherosclerosis in middle aged men: the ARIC study. Prev Med 2010; 50:277-81. [PMID: 20184920 PMCID: PMC2866820 DOI: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2010.02.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2009] [Revised: 02/10/2010] [Accepted: 02/13/2010] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Studies of the cardiovascular consequences of combat stress are few and inconclusive. OBJECTIVE The association between combat exposure and subclinical atherosclerosis at Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study visits 1 (1987-1989) and 2 (1990-1992) was assessed among 5347 men from four U.S. communities. METHODS Measured an average of 36 years after military entry, carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) and carotid plaque among non-combat veterans (n=2127) were compared with non-veterans (n=2042) and veterans reporting combat experience (n=1178). RESULTS Compared to non-combat veterans, non-veterans (risk difference (RD): 10.61; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.81, 20.41) and combat veterans (RD: 12.79; 95% CI: 0.72, 24.86) had higher age-adjusted mean CIMT. Differences remained for combat veterans after adjustment for race, father's education and age at service entry but not years of service and for non-veterans after adjustment for race but not father's education. No differences in carotid plaque were noted. CONCLUSION Results do not suggest that combat has a long-term detrimental effect on subclinical atherosclerosis among men.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anna M Johnson
- Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27514, USA.
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
10
|
Goldberg DW, Wilson JP, Knoblock CA, Ritz B, Cockburn MG. An effective and efficient approach for manually improving geocoded data. Int J Health Geogr 2008; 7:60. [PMID: 19032791 PMCID: PMC2612650 DOI: 10.1186/1476-072x-7-60] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2008] [Accepted: 11/26/2008] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The process of geocoding produces output coordinates of varying degrees of quality. Previous studies have revealed that simply excluding records with low-quality geocodes from analysis can introduce significant bias, but depending on the number and severity of the inaccuracies, their inclusion may also lead to bias. Little quantitative research has been presented on the cost and/or effectiveness of correcting geocodes through manual interactive processes, so the most cost effective methods for improving geocoded data are unclear. The present work investigates the time and effort required to correct geocodes contained in five health-related datasets that represent examples of data commonly used in Health GIS. Results Geocode correction was attempted on five health-related datasets containing a total of 22,317 records. The complete processing of these data took 11.4 weeks (427 hours), averaging 69 seconds of processing time per record. Overall, the geocodes associated with 12,280 (55%) of records were successfully improved, taking 95 seconds of processing time per corrected record on average across all five datasets. Geocode correction improved the overall match rate (the number of successful matches out of the total attempted) from 79.3 to 95%. The spatial shift between the location of original successfully matched geocodes and their corrected improved counterparts averaged 9.9 km per corrected record. After geocode correction the number of city and USPS ZIP code accuracy geocodes were reduced from 10,959 and 1,031 to 6,284 and 200, respectively, while the number of building centroid accuracy geocodes increased from 0 to 2,261. Conclusion The results indicate that manual geocode correction using a web-based interactive approach is a feasible and cost effective method for improving the quality of geocoded data. The level of effort required varies depending on the type of data geocoded. These results can be used to choose between data improvement options (e.g., manual intervention, pseudocoding/geo-imputation, field GPS readings).
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Daniel W Goldberg
- Department of Computer Science, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
11
|
Kan H, Heiss G, Rose KM, Whitsel EA, Lurmann F, London SJ. Prospective analysis of traffic exposure as a risk factor for incident coronary heart disease: the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2008; 116:1463-8. [PMID: 19057697 PMCID: PMC2592264 DOI: 10.1289/ehp.11290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2008] [Accepted: 07/08/2008] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND For people living close to busy roads, traffic is a major source of air pollution. Few prospective data have been published on the effects of long-term exposure to traffic on the incidence of coronary heart disease (CHD). OBJECTIVES In this article, we examined the association between long-term traffic exposure and incidence of fatal and nonfatal CHD in a population-based prospective cohort study. METHODS We studied 13,309 middle-age men and women in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study, without previous CHD at enrollment, from 1987 to 1989 in four U.S. communities. Geographic information system-mapped traffic density and distance to major roads served as measures of traffic exposure. We examined the association between traffic exposure and incident CHD using proportional hazards regression models, with adjustment for background air pollution and a wide range of individual cardiovascular risk factors. RESULTS Over an average of 13 years of follow-up, 976 subjects developed CHD. Relative to those in the lowest quartile of traffic density, the adjusted hazard ratio (HR) in the highest quartile was 1.32 [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.06-1.65; p-value for trend across quartiles = 0.042]. When we treated traffic density as a continuous variable, the adjusted HR per one unit increase of log-transformed density was 1.03 (95% CI, 1.01-1.05; p = 0.006). For residents living within 300 m of major roads compared with those living farther away, the adjusted HR was 1.12 (95% CI, 0.95-1.32; p = 0.189). We found little evidence of effect modification for sex, smoking status, obesity, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol level, hypertension, age, or education. CONCLUSION Higher long-term exposure to traffic is associated with incidence of CHD, independent of other risk factors. These prospective data support an effect of traffic-related air pollution on the development of CHD in middle-age persons.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Haidong Kan
- Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
- Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Gerardo Heiss
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Kathryn M. Rose
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Eric A. Whitsel
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
- Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Fred Lurmann
- Sonoma Technology Inc., Petaluma, California, USA
| | - Stephanie J. London
- Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
- Address correspondence to S.J. London, Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, P.O. Box 12233, Mail Drop A3-05, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709 USA. Telephone: (919) 541-5772. Fax: (919) 541-2511. E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Rose KM, Perhac JS, Bang H, Heiss G. Historical records as a source of information for childhood socioeconomic status: results from a pilot study of decedents. Ann Epidemiol 2008; 18:357-63. [PMID: 18395465 DOI: 10.1016/j.annepidem.2008.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2007] [Revised: 01/02/2008] [Accepted: 01/04/2008] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE The validity of parental occupation recalled by adult children is not established, yet it is commonly used to measure childhood socioeconomic status (SES). We investigated the feasibility of using data from historical records to validate recalled parental SES. METHODS Data from death certificates and applications for Social Security numbers (parents' names, date and place of birth) were used to locate birth certificates and 1930 census records of 416 decedents in Forsyth County, NC, to verify parental occupation and childhood residence. RESULTS Birth certificates and/or census records were located for 85% of decedents. Of 257 for whom both records were searched, both were found for 60%, only a census record for 10%, and only a birth certificate for 24%. Among those with father's occupation recorded on both records (n = 138), occupational category matched on 89% of records (kappa = 0.86). Place of residence/birth, which can be linked with census-based county socioeconomic indicators, was also highly concordant across records. CONCLUSIONS These results demonstrate that birth and census records can be located for most decedents and that the childhood SES data contained therein is highly concordant. Thus they are an alternative to recalled childhood SES and a source of validation data in life course studies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn M Rose
- Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC 27514, USA.
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
13
|
Kan H, Heiss G, Rose KM, Whitsel E, Lurmann F, London SJ. Traffic exposure and lung function in adults: the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study. Thorax 2007; 62:873-9. [PMID: 17442705 PMCID: PMC2094260 DOI: 10.1136/thx.2006.073015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Traffic exposure is a major contributor to ambient air pollution for people living close to busy roads. The relationship between traffic exposure and lung function remains inconclusive in adults. METHODS A cross-sectional study was conducted to investigate the association between traffic exposure and lung function in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study, a community based cohort of 15 792 middle aged men and women. Traffic density and distance to major roads were used as measures of traffic exposure. RESULTS After controlling for potential confounders including demographic factors, personal and neighbourhood level socioeconomic characteristics, cigarette smoking and background air pollution, higher traffic density was significantly associated with lower forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) and forced vital capacity (FVC) in women. Relative to the lowest quartile of traffic density, the adjusted differences across increasing quartiles were 5.1, -15.4 and -21.5 ml for FEV1 (p value of linear trend across the quartiles = 0.041) and 1.2, -23.4 and -34.8 ml for FVC (p trend = 0.010). Using distance from major roads as a simpler index of traffic related air pollution exposure, the FEV1 was -15.7 ml (95% CI -34.4 to 2.9) lower and the FVC was -24.2 ml (95% CI -46.2 to -2.3) lower for women living within 150 m compared with subjects living further away. There was no significant effect of traffic density or distance to major roads on lung function in men. The FEV1/FVC ratio was not significantly associated with traffic exposure in either men or women. CONCLUSIONS This is the largest published study of traffic exposure and pulmonary function in adults to date. These results add to growing evidence that chronic exposure to traffic related air pollution may adversely affect respiratory health.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Haidong Kan
- National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, P O Box 12233, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
14
|
Pollitt RA, Kaufman JS, Rose KM, Diez-Roux AV, Zeng D, Heiss G. Early-life and adult socioeconomic status and inflammatory risk markers in adulthood. Eur J Epidemiol 2007; 22:55-66. [PMID: 17225957 DOI: 10.1007/s10654-006-9082-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 157] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2006] [Accepted: 11/07/2006] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Associations between childhood and adult socioeconomic status (SES) and adult levels of inflammatory markers (C-reactive protein [CRP], fibrinogen, white blood cell count [WBC], and von Willebrand factor [vWF]) were examined in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study cohort. METHODS A total of 12,681 white and African-American participants provided information on SES (via education and social class) and place of residence in childhood and adulthood. Residences were linked to census data for neighborhood SES information. Multiple imputation was used to impute missing data. Hierarchical and linear regression were used to estimate the effects of SES and possible mediation by adult cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors. FINDINGS Low childhood social class and education were associated with elevated levels of CRP, fibrinogen, WBC, and vWF (increments of 17%, 2%, 4% and 3% for lowest versus highest education in childhood, respectively) among whites. Findings were less consistent among African-Americans. Adult SES was more strongly associated with inflammation than childhood SES. Individual-level SES measures were more consistently associated with inflammation than neighborhood-level measures. Fibrinogen and WBC showed the most consistent associations with SES; the largest changes in inflammation by SES were observed for CRP. Covariate adjustment strongly attenuated these associations. Mediation of the SES-inflammation associations by BMI, smoking and HDL cholesterol (HDL-C) are suggested by these data. CONCLUSION Low individual- and neighborhood-level SES in childhood and adulthood are associated with modest increments in adult inflammatory burden. These associations may operate through the influence of low SES on traditional CVD risk factors, especially BMI, smoking and HDL-C.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ricardo A Pollitt
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 137 E. Franklin Street, Bank of America Center, Chapel Hill, NC 27514, USA.
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
15
|
Carson AP, Rose KM, Catellier DJ, Kaufman JS, Wyatt SB, Diez-Roux AV, Heiss G. Cumulative socioeconomic status across the life course and subclinical atherosclerosis. Ann Epidemiol 2006; 17:296-303. [PMID: 17027292 DOI: 10.1016/j.annepidem.2006.07.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2006] [Revised: 07/14/2006] [Accepted: 07/16/2006] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between individual-level and neighborhood-level socioeconomic status (SES) across the life course and subclinical atherosclerosis. METHODS Participants from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study (n=12,332) were queried about individual-level SES and residential addresses across the life course. Individual-level measures were scored and summed to obtain a summary score (I-CumSES), whereas residential addresses were geocoded and linked to census data to obtain a summary neighborhood z score (N-CumSES) to evaluate the association of SES with intima-media thickness (IMT) and peripheral arterial disease (PAD). RESULTS A 1-SD lower I-CumSES was associated with greater mean IMT in each race-sex group and greater odds of PAD in white men (odds ratio [OR], 1.28; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.99-1.64), white women (OR, 1.18; 95% CI, 1.02-1.36), and black women (OR, 1.33; 95% CI, 1.00-1.76). Compared with the highest tertile of N-CumSES, the lowest tertile was associated with greater mean IMT among whites, but was not associated with PAD for whites or blacks. When I-CumSES and N-CumSES were considered simultaneously, associations remained for only I-CumSES and were attenuated after adjustment for cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors. CONCLUSIONS Lower cumulative individual-level SES across the life course was associated with a greater burden of subclinical atherosclerosis, and this association was mediated in part by CVD risk factors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- April P Carson
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC 27514, USA.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|