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Adebola TM, Fennell HWW, Druitt MD, Bonin CA, Jenifer VA, van Wijnen AJ, Lewallen EA. Population-Level Patterns of Prostate Cancer Occurrence: Disparities in Virginia. Curr Mol Biol Rep 2022; 8:1-8. [PMID: 35909818 PMCID: PMC9337710 DOI: 10.1007/s40610-022-00147-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer and the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths among men in the United States. In Virginia, which is a representative, ethnically diverse state of more than 8 million people that was established nearly 400 years ago, prostate cancer has the highest rate of new detection for any type of cancer. All men are at risk of developing prostate cancer regardless of demographics, but some men have an increased mortality risk due to cancer metastasis. Notably, one in five African American men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime and they have the highest prostate cancer mortality rate of any ethnic group in the United States, including Virginia. A person's genetic profile and family history are important biological determinants of prostate cancer risk, but modifiable environmental factors (e.g., pollution) appear to be correlated with patterns of disease prevalence and risk. In this review, we examine current perspectives on population-level spatial patterns of prostate cancer in Virginia. For context, recent, publicly available data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are highlighted and presented in spatial format. In addition, we explore possible co-morbidities of prostate cancer that may have demographic underpinnings highlighted in recent health disparity studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tunde M Adebola
- Department of Biological Sciences, Hampton University, Hampton, VA, USA
| | | | - Michael D Druitt
- Department of Biological Sciences, Hampton University, Hampton, VA, USA
| | - Carolina A Bonin
- Department of Biological Sciences, Hampton University, Hampton, VA, USA
| | | | | | - Eric A Lewallen
- Department of Biological Sciences, Hampton University, Hampton, VA, USA
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Perry MJ, Arrington S, Freisthler MS, Ibe IN, McCray NL, Neumann LM, Tajanlangit P, Trejo Rosas BM. Pervasive structural racism in environmental epidemiology. Environ Health 2021; 20:119. [PMID: 34784917 PMCID: PMC8595076 DOI: 10.1186/s12940-021-00801-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2020] [Accepted: 10/22/2021] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Epistemological biases in environmental epidemiology prevent the full understanding of how racism's societal impacts directly influence health outcomes. With the ability to focus on "place" and the totality of environmental exposures, environmental epidemiologists have an important opportunity to advance the field by proactively investigating the structural racist forces that drive disparities in health. OBJECTIVE This commentary illustrates how environmental epidemiology has ignored racism for too long. Some examples from environmental health and male infertility are used to illustrate how failing to address racism neglects the health of entire populations. DISCUSSION While research on environmental justice has attended to the structural sources of environmental racism, this work has not been fully integrated into the mainstream of environmental epidemiology. Epidemiology's dominant paradigm that reduces race to a mere data point avoids the social dimensions of health and thus fails to improve population health for all. Failing to include populations who are Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) in health research means researchers actually know very little about the effect of environmental contaminants on a range of population health outcomes. This commentary offers different practical solutions, such as naming racism in research, including BIPOC in leadership positions, mandating requirements for discussing "race", conducting far more holistic analyses, increasing community participation in research, and improving racism training, to address the myriad of ways in which structural racism permeates environmental epidemiology questions, methods, results and impacts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa J Perry
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Milken Institute School of Public Health, The George Washington University, 950 New Hampshire Ave NW Suite 400, Washington, DC, 20052, USA.
| | - Suzanne Arrington
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Milken Institute School of Public Health, The George Washington University, 950 New Hampshire Ave NW Suite 400, Washington, DC, 20052, USA
| | - Marlaina S Freisthler
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Milken Institute School of Public Health, The George Washington University, 950 New Hampshire Ave NW Suite 400, Washington, DC, 20052, USA
| | - Ifeoma N Ibe
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Milken Institute School of Public Health, The George Washington University, 950 New Hampshire Ave NW Suite 400, Washington, DC, 20052, USA
| | - Nathan L McCray
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Milken Institute School of Public Health, The George Washington University, 950 New Hampshire Ave NW Suite 400, Washington, DC, 20052, USA
| | - Laura M Neumann
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Milken Institute School of Public Health, The George Washington University, 950 New Hampshire Ave NW Suite 400, Washington, DC, 20052, USA
| | - Patrick Tajanlangit
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Milken Institute School of Public Health, The George Washington University, 950 New Hampshire Ave NW Suite 400, Washington, DC, 20052, USA
| | - Brenda M Trejo Rosas
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Milken Institute School of Public Health, The George Washington University, 950 New Hampshire Ave NW Suite 400, Washington, DC, 20052, USA
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Abstract
This panel study explored the effects of male, female, mixed, or idiopathic factor of infertility on the fertility quality of life (FertiQoL) in involuntarily childless males undergoing fertility workup for the first time. A convenience sample of 255 married males (age range = 22–51 years, mean = 30.24 years), 254 (99.6%) of whom suffered from primary infertility were assessed (1) at the baseline, before their initial fertility evaluation (T1); (2) before their second andrological appointment, 2–3 months after diagnostic disclosure (T2); and (3) before subsequent treatment-related/ follow-up appointments (T3, T4). The timing of psychological assessment was strictly related to andrological appointments and routine medical procedures. Respondents completed Emotional, Mind–Body, Relational, and Social subscales of the Polish version of FertiQoL and a baseline demographic survey. The research demonstrated that the FertiQoL scores across the Emotional, Mind–Body, and Relational subscales markedly decreased after the diagnostic disclosure, particularly in the subgroups with male and concurrent male and female factor. Social subscale scores in all subgroups remained stable after the diagnostic disclosure (at T2) but significantly decreased in the follow-up (at T3 and T4). Significant differences in FertiQoL scores associated with respondents’ infertility factor could be demonstrated at each time point. The study identifies the FertiQoL in unintentionally childless males is significantly affected by their factor of infertility and evolves across the pathway of treatment-related/follow-up appointments.
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Kazemi A, Torabi M, Abdishahshahani M. Adjustment toward infertility mediates the relationship between coping, depression and anxiety in men: A confirmatory analysis. Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol 2021; 258:48-52. [PMID: 33412462 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejogrb.2020.12.049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2020] [Revised: 11/10/2020] [Accepted: 12/21/2020] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The aim of the present study was to develop a theoretical framework for the relationships between coping, adjustment toward infertility, depression and anxiety and to present a confirmatory analysis of the developed theoretical framework in men who, together with their spouses, were candidates for assisted reproductive technology (ART) treatment. STUDY DESIGN This cross-sectional study was conducted on 212 men selected from the couples who were candidate for ART. Depression and anxiety, adjustment toward infertility, and coping strategies were assessed using self-report questionnaire. Statistical analysis was performed using the plug-in application PROCESS macro and AMOS software. RESULTS The results showed that higher depression and anxiety scores were related to lower adjustment to infertility. Higher adjustment score was associated with lower self-blame, self-focused rumination, active confronting and avoidance coping strategies scores significantly. In the depression and anxiety pathway models, the positive relationship between active confronting and elf-focused rumination coping strategies were mediated by adjustment. However, the effect of active confronting on depression and anxiety was significant only with mediating role of adjustment. The direct and indirect relationship of self-focused rumination and the indirect relationship of active confronting with depression and anxiety had a good fitness (CMIN/ DF = .419). CONCLUSION The self-focused rumination and active confronting coping strategies, having negative association with adjustment to infertility, and may increase depression and anxiety in men undergoing ART; however, higher adjustment is associated with decreased depression and anxiety. Therefore, mental health programs for men undergoing ART may need to focus on improving the skills of adaptive coping strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashraf Kazemi
- Department of Midwifery and Reproductive Health, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
| | - Marjan Torabi
- Student Research Committee, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
| | - Mahshid Abdishahshahani
- Midwifery Department, Nursing and Midwifery Health Care Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
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