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Casey JA, Daouda M, Babadi RS, Do V, Flores NM, Berzansky I, González DJ, Van Horne YO, James-Todd T. Methods in Public Health Environmental Justice Research: a Scoping Review from 2018 to 2021. Curr Environ Health Rep 2023; 10:312-336. [PMID: 37581863 PMCID: PMC10504232 DOI: 10.1007/s40572-023-00406-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/14/2023] [Indexed: 08/16/2023]
Abstract
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.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joan A. Casey
- University of Washington School of Public Health, Seattle, WA USA
- Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, NY USA
| | - Misbath Daouda
- Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, NY USA
| | - Ryan S. Babadi
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, USA
| | - Vivian Do
- Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, NY USA
| | - Nina M. Flores
- Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, NY USA
| | - Isa Berzansky
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, USA
| | - David J.X. González
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy & Management and School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720 USA
| | | | - Tamarra James-Todd
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, USA
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Boyle J, Ward MH, Cerhan JR, Rothman N, Wheeler DC. Modeling historic neighborhood deprivation and non-Hodgkin lymphoma risk. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2023; 232:116361. [PMID: 37295583 PMCID: PMC10526976 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.116361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2023] [Revised: 05/22/2023] [Accepted: 06/07/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Many studies have identified associations between neighborhood deprivation and disease, emphasizing the importance of social determinants of health. However, when studying diseases with long latency periods such as cancers, considering the timing of exposures for deprivation becomes more important. In this study, we estimated the associations between neighborhood deprivation indices at several time points and risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) in a population-based case-control study at four study centers - Detroit, Iowa, Los Angeles County, and Seattle (1998-2000). We used the Bayesian index regression model and residential histories to estimate neighborhood deprivation index effects in crude models and adjusted for four chemical mixtures measured in house dust and individual-level covariates. We found that neighborhood deprivation in 1980, approximately twenty years before study entry, provided better model fit than did neighborhood deprivation at 1990 and 2000. We identified several statistically significant associations between neighborhood deprivation in 1980 and NHL risk in Iowa and among long-term (20+ years) residents of Detroit. The most important variables in these indices were median gross rent as a percentage of household income in Iowa and percent of single-parent households with at least one child and median household income in Detroit. Associations remained statistically significant after adjustment for individual-level covariates and chemical mixtures, providing evidence for historic neighborhood deprivation as a risk factor for NHL and motivating future research to uncover the specific carcinogens driving these associations in deprived areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph Boyle
- Department of Biostatistics, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA.
| | - Mary H Ward
- Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - James R Cerhan
- Department of Quantitative Health Sciences, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Nathaniel Rothman
- Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - David C Wheeler
- Department of Biostatistics, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA
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Lodge EK, Martin CL, Fry RC, White AJ, Ward-Caviness CK, Galea S, Aiello AE. Objectively measured external building quality, Census housing vacancies and age, and serum metals in an adult cohort in Detroit, Michigan. JOURNAL OF EXPOSURE SCIENCE & ENVIRONMENTAL EPIDEMIOLOGY 2023; 33:177-186. [PMID: 35577901 PMCID: PMC9666563 DOI: 10.1038/s41370-022-00447-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2022] [Revised: 04/25/2022] [Accepted: 04/27/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Residentially derived lead pollution remains a significant problem in urban areas across the country and globe. The risks of childhood residence in housing contaminated with lead-based paint are well-established, but less is known about the effects of housing quality on adult lead exposure. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the effects of residential-area housing age, vacancy status, and building quality on adult lead exposures. METHODS We evaluated the effect of Census block group housing vacancy proportion, block group housing age, and in-person survey evaluated neighborhood building quality on serum levels of lead, mercury, manganese, and copper among a representative cohort of adults in Detroit, Michigan, from 2008-2013 using generalized estimating equations. RESULTS Participants in Census block groups with higher proportions of vacant and aged housing had non-significantly elevated serum lead levels. We identified similar positive associations between residence in neighborhoods with poorer objectively measured building quality and serum lead. Associations between Census vacancies, housing age, objectively measured building quality, and serum lead were stronger among participants with a more stable residential history. SIGNIFICANCE Vacant, aged, and poorly maintained housing may contribute to widespread, low-level lead exposure among adult residents of older cities like Detroit, Michigan. US Census and neighborhood quality data may be a useful tool to identify population-level lead exposures among US adults. IMPACT Using longitudinal data from a representative cohort of adults in Detroit, Michigan, we demonstrate that Census data regarding housing vacancies and age and neighborhood survey data regarding housing quality are associated with increasing serum lead levels. Previous research has primarily focused on housing quality and lead exposures among children. Here, we demonstrate that area-level metrics of housing quality are associated with lead exposures among adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evans K Lodge
- Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
- Carolina Population Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
- School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
| | - Chantel L Martin
- Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Carolina Population Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Center for Environmental Health & Susceptibility, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Rebecca C Fry
- Center for Environmental Health & Susceptibility, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Alexandra J White
- Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Cavin K Ward-Caviness
- Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, US Environmental Protection Agency, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Sandro Galea
- School of Public Health, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Allison E Aiello
- Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Carolina Population Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
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Wheeler DC, Boyle J, Jeremy Barsell D, Maguire RL, Zhang J(J, Oliver JA, Jones S, Dahman B, Murphy SK, Hoyo C, Baggett CD, McClernon J, Fuemmeler BF. Tobacco Retail Outlets, Neighborhood Deprivation and the Risk of Prenatal Smoke Exposure. Nicotine Tob Res 2022; 24:2003-2010. [PMID: 35793204 PMCID: PMC9653076 DOI: 10.1093/ntr/ntac164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2021] [Revised: 05/09/2022] [Accepted: 07/05/2022] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Smoking and smoke exposure among pregnant women remain persistent public health issues. Recent estimates suggest that approximately one out of four nonsmokers have measurable levels of cotinine, a marker indicating regular exposure to secondhand smoke. Epidemiological research has attempted to pinpoint individual-level and neighborhood-level factors for smoking during pregnancy. However, most of these studies have relied upon self-reported measures of smoking. AIMS AND METHODS To more accurately assess smoke exposure resulting from both smoking and secondhand exposure in mothers during pregnancy, we used Bayesian regression models to estimate the association of cotinine levels with tobacco retail outlet (TRO) exposure and a neighborhood deprivation index (NDI) in six counties in North Carolina centered on Durham County. RESULTS Results showed a significant positive association between TRO exposure (β = 0.008, 95% credible interval (CI) = [0.003, 0.013]) and log cotinine after adjusting for individual covariates (eg, age, race/ethnicity, education, marital status). TRO exposure was not significant after including the NDI, which was significantly associated with log cotinine (β = 0.143, 95% CI = [0.030, 0.267]). However, in a low cotinine stratum (indicating secondhand smoke exposure), TRO exposure was significantly associated with log cotinine (β = 0.005, 95% CI = [0.001, 0.009]), while in a high cotinine stratum (indicating active smoking), the NDI was significantly associated with log cotinine (β = 0.176, 95% CI = [0.005, 0.372]). CONCLUSIONS In summary, our findings add to the evidence that contextual factors are important for active smoking during pregnancy. IMPLICATIONS In this study, we found several significant associations that suggest a more nuanced understanding of the potential influence of environmental- and individual-level factors for levels of prenatal smoke exposure. Results suggested a significant positive association between TRO exposure and cotinine levels, after adjusting for the individual factors such as race, education, and marital status. Individually, NDI was similarly positively associated with cotinine levels as well. However, when combining TRO exposure alongside NDI in the same model, TROs were no longer significantly associated with overall cotinine levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- David C Wheeler
- Department of Biostatistics, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298, USA
| | - Joseph Boyle
- Department of Biostatistics, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298, USA
| | - D Jeremy Barsell
- Department of Health Behavior and Policy, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298, USA
| | - Rachel L Maguire
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27701, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, Center for Human Health and the Environment, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
| | - Junfeng (Jim) Zhang
- Environmental Science and Policy Division, Duke Global Health Institute and Nicholas School of the Environment, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Jason A Oliver
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University, Durham, NC 27701, USA
| | - Shaun Jones
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University, Durham, NC 27701, USA
| | - Bassam Dahman
- Department of Health Behavior and Policy, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298, USA
| | - Susan K Murphy
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27701, USA
| | - Cathrine Hoyo
- Department of Biological Sciences, Center for Human Health and the Environment, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
| | - Chris D Baggett
- Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Joseph McClernon
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University, Durham, NC 27701, USA
| | - Bernard F Fuemmeler
- Department of Health Behavior and Policy, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298, USA
- Massey Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298, USA
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Schroeder K, Dumenci L, Sarwer DB, Noll JG, Henry KA, Suglia SF, Forke CM, Wheeler DC. The Intersection of Neighborhood Environment and Adverse Childhood Experiences: Methods for Creation of a Neighborhood ACEs Index. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph19137819. [PMID: 35805478 PMCID: PMC9265402 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19137819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2022] [Revised: 06/22/2022] [Accepted: 06/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
This study evaluated methods for creating a neighborhood adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) index, a composite measure that captures the association between neighborhood environment characteristics (e.g., crime, healthcare access) and individual-level ACEs exposure, for a particular population. A neighborhood ACEs index can help understand and address neighborhood-level influences on health among individuals affected by ACEs. Methods entailed cross-sectional secondary analysis connecting individual-level ACEs data from the Philadelphia ACE Survey (n = 1677) with 25 spatial datasets capturing neighborhood characteristics. Four methods were tested for index creation (three methods of principal components analysis, Bayesian index regression). Resulting indexes were compared using Akaike Information Criteria for accuracy in explaining ACEs exposure. Exploratory linear regression analyses were conducted to examine associations between ACEs, the neighborhood ACEs index, and a health outcome—in this case body mass index (BMI). Results demonstrated that Bayesian index regression was the best method for index creation. The neighborhood ACEs index was associated with higher BMI, both independently and after controlling for ACEs exposure. The neighborhood ACEs index attenuated the association between BMI and ACEs. Future research can employ a neighborhood ACEs index to inform upstream, place-based interventions and policies to promote health among individuals affected by ACEs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krista Schroeder
- Department of Nursing, Temple University College of Public Health, Philadelphia, PA 19122, USA
- Correspondence:
| | - Levent Dumenci
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Temple University College of Public Health, Philadelphia, PA 19122, USA;
| | - David B. Sarwer
- Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Center for Obesity Research and Education, Temple University College of Public Health, Philadelphia, PA 19122, USA;
| | - Jennie G. Noll
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, Penn State College of Health and Human Development, University Park, PA 16802, USA;
| | - Kevin A. Henry
- Department of Geography and Urban Studies, Temple University College of Liberal Arts, Philadelphia, PA 19122, USA;
| | - Shakira F. Suglia
- Department of Epidemiology, Emory University Rollins School of Public Health, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA;
| | - Christine M. Forke
- Master of Public Health Program, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Center for Violence Prevention, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA;
| | - David C. Wheeler
- Department of Biostatistics, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, VA 23298, USA;
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Wheeler DC, Boyle J, Barsell DJ, Glasgow T, McClernon FJ, Oliver JA, Fuemmeler BF. Spatially Varying Associations of Neighborhood Disadvantage with Alcohol and Tobacco Retail Outlet Rates. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:5244. [PMID: 35564641 PMCID: PMC9101141 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19095244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2022] [Revised: 04/21/2022] [Accepted: 04/22/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
More than 30% of cancer related deaths are related to tobacco or alcohol use. Controlling and restricting access to these cancer-causing products, especially in communities where there is a high prevalence of other cancer risk factors, has the potential to improve population health and reduce the risk of specific cancers associated with these substances in more vulnerable population subgroups. One policy-driven method of reducing access to these cancer-causing substances is to regulate where these products are sold through the placement and density of businesses selling tobacco and alcohol. Previous work has found significant positive associations between tobacco, alcohol, and tobacco and alcohol retail outlets (TRO, ARO, TARO) and a neighborhood disadvantage index (NDI) using Bayesian shared component index modeling, where NDI associations differed across outlet types and relative risks varied by population density (e.g., rural, suburban, urban). In this paper, we used a novel Bayesian index model with spatially varying effects to explore spatial nonstationarity in NDI effects for TROs, AROs, and TAROs across census tracts in North Carolina. The results revealed substantial variation in NDI effects that varied by outlet type. However, all outlet types had strong positive effects in one coastal area. The most important variables in the NDI were percent renters, Black racial segregation, and the percentage of homes built before 1940. Overall, more disadvantaged areas experienced a greater neighborhood burden of outlets selling one or both of alcohol and tobacco.
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Affiliation(s)
- David C. Wheeler
- Department of Biostatistics, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298, USA;
| | - Joseph Boyle
- Department of Biostatistics, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298, USA;
| | - D. Jeremy Barsell
- Department of Health Behavior and Policy, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298, USA; (D.J.B.); (T.G.); (B.F.F.)
| | - Trevin Glasgow
- Department of Health Behavior and Policy, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298, USA; (D.J.B.); (T.G.); (B.F.F.)
| | - F. Joseph McClernon
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27705, USA; (F.J.M.); (J.A.O.)
| | - Jason A. Oliver
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27705, USA; (F.J.M.); (J.A.O.)
- Stephenson Cancer Center, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences, Tulsa, OK 74107, USA
| | - Bernard F. Fuemmeler
- Department of Health Behavior and Policy, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298, USA; (D.J.B.); (T.G.); (B.F.F.)
- Massey Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298, USA
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