Editorial Material
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Tracie A. Barnett, Anita Koushik, Tibor Schuster
Summary: In this article, the authors discuss the role of cross-sectional studies in addressing etiological research questions and highlight the conditions necessary for causal inference using this study design through a modern causal inference lens.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF EPIDEMIOLOGY
(2023)
Editorial Material
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Magali Collonnaz, Marie-Line Erpelding, Francois Alla, Francois Goehringer, Francois Delahaye, Bernard Iung, Vincent Le Moing, Bruno Hoen, Christine Selton-Suty, Nelly Agrinier
Summary: This study used data from a French population-based cohort to compare the characteristics, survival rates, and prognostic factors between patients admitted directly to tertiary hospitals and those referred to tertiary hospitals. The results showed that referred patients were more likely to be males, have surgical indications, and had higher one-year survival rates, while prognostic factors and hazard ratios estimates varied across groups.
ANNALS OF EPIDEMIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Psychology, Multidisciplinary
Arthur A. A. Stone, Stefan Schneider, Joshua M. M. Smyth, Doerte U. U. Junghaenel, Mick P. P. Couper, Cheng Wen, Marilyn Mendez, Sarah Velasco, Sarah Goldstein
Summary: Participant selection bias is a concern for all types of surveys, especially for momentary data capture studies. This study invited 3,000 individuals to participate and recorded the uptake rates. Overall, 85.9% did not respond, 6.9% expressed interest, and 2.1% agreed to participate. Individuals with higher income, open personality, better skills, interest in the research topic, and previous survey experience were more likely to consent. The one-time survey had higher participation compared to momentary studies.
CURRENT PSYCHOLOGY
(2023)
Editorial Material
Behavioral Sciences
Eya-Mist Rodgaard, Kristian Jensen, Kamilla Woznica Miskowiak, Laurent Mottron
Summary: Survey-based research with recruitment through online channels is a popular method in autism research, but it may result in sampling bias and limit the generalizability of the findings to the broader autism population.
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Md Mobashir Hasan Shandhi, Peter J. Cho, Ali R. Roghanizad, Karnika Singh, Will Wang, Oana M. Enache, Amanda Stern, Rami Sbahi, Bilge Tatar, Sean Fiscus, Qi Xuan Khoo, Yvonne Kuo, Xiao Lu, Joseph Hsieh, Alena Kalodzitsa, Amir Bahmani, Arash Alavi, Utsab Ray, Michael P. Snyder, Geoffrey S. Ginsburg, Dana K. Pasquale, Christopher W. Woods, Ryan J. Shaw, Jessilyn P. Dunn
Summary: Mass surveillance testing is important for controlling infectious disease outbreaks, but there is a shortage of diagnostic tests globally. Researchers have developed an Intelligent Testing Allocation (ITA) method that uses continuous digital biomarkers to increase the positivity rate of COVID-19 diagnostic testing. They found that resting heart rate features can distinguish between positive and negative cases earlier than steps features.
NPJ DIGITAL MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Louise A. C. Millard, Alba Fernandez-Sanles, Alice R. Carter, Rachael A. Hughes, Kate Tilling, Tim P. Morris, Daniel Major-Smith, Gareth J. Griffith, Gemma L. Clayton, Emily Kawabata, George Davey Smith, Deborah A. Lawlor, Maria Carolina Borges
Summary: This study investigates potential selection bias in COVID-19 infection and prognosis studies due to non-random selection of analytic subsamples. The study finds that a broad range of characteristics is related to selection, with higher BMI being associated with increased odds of COVID-19 infection and death. The study also identifies significant bias in many simulated scenarios.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EPIDEMIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Psychiatry
Maija Walta, Heikki Laurikainen, Reetta-Liina Armio, Tiina From, Arvi Tolvanen, Raimo K. R. Salokangas, Jarmo Hietala
Summary: This study aimed to assess the representativeness of a sample in a first-episode psychosis study and found that the differences in clinical outcomes and treatment characteristics between non-participants and participants were relatively modest.
SCHIZOPHRENIA RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Luca Chiaverini, Ho Yi Wan, Beth Hahn, Amy Cilimburg, Tzeidle N. Wasserman, Samuel A. Cushman
Summary: Sampling bias and autocorrelation can impact habitat selection models. Spatially representative models trained with simulated datasets performed well on standard metrics, but spatially non-representative models outperformed them in true model prediction ability.
ECOLOGICAL MODELLING
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Anton Nilsson, Carl Bonander, Ulf Stromberg, Catarina Canivet, Per-Olof Ostergren, Jonas Bjork
Summary: The study looked at selective participation in the Scania Public Health Cohort in Southern Sweden and found that participants were healthier and had different socio-demographic characteristics compared to the target population. Reweighting the sample to resemble the target population had generally small or moderate impacts on associations between self-reported health and socio-demographic and health-related factors. Overall, selective participation did not substantially alter the associations with self-assessed health, indicating high validity in the cohort study.
Editorial Material
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Natalie S. Levy, Katherine M. Keyes
Summary: The paper emphasizes the importance of theory in confounding control, specifically focusing on colliders and bias control. By utilizing directed acyclic graphs, the authors provide a unified conceptualization of bias and differentiate between different sources of bias.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF EPIDEMIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Huilong Chen, Yingchao Zhang, Shuyan Feng
Summary: In this study, the evolutionary mechanisms of the TLP gene family in grasses were investigated. The results showed that whole-genome duplication, dispersed duplication, and transposed duplication all played roles in the evolution of this gene family. The size of the TLP gene family exhibited a pattern of progressive reduction, and its evolution was influenced by duplication, purifying selection, and base mutations.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Steve Stewart-Williams, Xiu Ling Wong, Chern Yi Marybeth Chang, Andrew G. Thomas
Summary: This study replicated a previous study on how people react to research on sex differences, depending on whether the research benefits men or women. The results showed that both men and women reacted less positively to sex differences that favor men. Belief in male privilege and left-leaning political orientation predicted less positive reactions to male-favoring sex differences. Participants also made predictions about how the average man and woman would react, and they exaggerated the own-sex favoritism of women and predicted strong own-sex favoritism from men, when in reality men showed modest other-sex favoritism. Understanding people's tendency to exaggerate own-sex bias can help reduce conflict between the sexes.
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Julia C. Bond, Jacob J. Kachura, Matthew P. Fox, Jennifer Weuve, Bernard L. Harlow
Summary: The study found an association between prior hormonal contraceptive use and chronic vulvar pain, with the association being more pronounced when cases were limited to care seekers. Simulation results suggest that this association may be spurious when cases are limited to care-seeking women rather than controls from the general population.
JOURNAL OF WOMENS HEALTH
(2022)
Article
Economics
Robin Boadway, Katherine Cuff
Summary: This paper examines the redundancy of commodity taxes under optimal linear progressive taxation and explores the cases of different income and leisure preferences.
JOURNAL OF PUBLIC ECONOMICS
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Carly A. Rodriguez, Sara Lodi, C. Robert Horsburgh, Mathieu Bastard, Cathy Hewison, Helena Huerga, Munira Khan, Palwasha Y. Khan, Uzma Khan, Lawrence Oyewusi, Shrivani Padayachee, Carole D. Mitnick, Molly F. Franke
Summary: Extending the baseline culture interval past treatment initiation may introduce selection bias. The proportion of patients missing a pre-treatment culture and the number of deaths and losses to follow up during the post-treatment allowable interval should be clearly enumerated.
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Io Ieong Chan, Man Ki Kwok, C. Mary Schooling
Summary: This study investigated the association between pubertal maturation timing and adulthood blood pressure using Mendelian randomization (MR) with larger genome-wide association studies (GWAS) data. The results showed a significant correlation between pubertal maturation timing and adulthood blood pressure, independent of childhood body mass index (BMI).
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL ENDOCRINOLOGY & METABOLISM
(2022)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Baoting He, Man Ki Kwok, Io Ieong Chan, C. Mary Schooling
Summary: The study found a positive association between maternal lung function, especially lung capacity, and maternally-driven birthweight, highlighting the importance of maternal respiratory health in fetal growth.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EPIDEMIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Substance Abuse
Shiu Lun Au Yeung, Albert Martin Li, Baoting He, Kin On Kwok, C. Mary Schooling
Summary: This study provides genetic evidence that smoking may increase the risk of severe COVID-19, with no mediation by lung function or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Review
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Shan Luo, Ying Liang, Tommy Hon Ting Wong, Catherine Mary Schooling, Shiu Lun Au Yeung
Summary: This article summarizes the modifiable factors for COVID-19, such as smoking, obesity, and inflammatory factors, and provides potential proteomic signatures for treating COVID-19.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EPIDEMIOLOGY
(2022)
Letter
Health Care Sciences & Services
C. Mary Schooling, McKaylee M. Robertson, Heidi E. Jones
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL EPIDEMIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Baoting He, Albert M. Li, Man Ki Kwok, Shiu Lun Au Yeung, Gabriel M. Leung, C. Mary Schooling
Summary: The study found that rapid infant and pubertal growth were associated with disproportionate lung and airway growth, as well as increased risk of asthma.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EPIDEMIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Guoyi Yang, C. Mary Schooling
Summary: Mendelian randomization analysis showed that commonly used lipid modifiers, such as statins and ezetimibe, may increase the risk of type 2 diabetes, with a significant mediation effect by higher BMI. However, no significant associations were found between PCSK9 inhibitors and type 2 diabetes risk or BMI.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL ENDOCRINOLOGY & METABOLISM
(2023)
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Guoyi Yang, C. Mary Schooling
Summary: In this study, the associations of apoB, TG, and Lp(a) with type 2 diabetes and metabolic traits were examined using Mendelian randomization (MR). The results showed that apoB and Lp(a) had little association with type 2 diabetes and metabolic traits, while higher TG levels were associated with increased risk of type 2 diabetes and higher glycemic traits, especially in women. The study also found that sex hormones may play a role in the relationship between TG and type 2 diabetes.
CARDIOVASCULAR DIABETOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Shiu Lun Au Yeung, Maria Carolina Borges, Tommy Hon Ting Wong, Deborah A. Lawlor, C. Mary Schooling
Summary: A study using Mendelian randomization (MR) found that non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is likely to increase the risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D) in both Europeans and East Asians. Additionally, there may be differential effects on coronary artery disease (CAD) between Europeans and East Asians.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EPIDEMIOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
C. M. Schooling, J. V. Zhao
Summary: This review summarizes the causal risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD) using Mendelian randomization (MR) to obtain unbiased estimates. MR studies confirm the role of major CVD risk factors and provide insights into the linear relation with alcohol, the importance of diastolic blood pressure, and the major target lipid apolipoprotein B. However, identifying a healthy diet and the role of early life influences remains challenging. The use of MR has helped validate intervention targets for CVD, and incorporating more global diversity and an overarching framework would enhance the informativeness of MR studies.
CURRENT CARDIOLOGY REPORTS
(2023)
Letter
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
C. Mary Schooling, Kezhen Fei, Mary Beth Terry
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EPIDEMIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jack C. M. Ng, C. Mary Schooling
Summary: Observationally, the association between basal metabolic rate (BMR) and mortality is uncertain. This study used Mendelian randomization methods to examine the causal effect of BMR on parental attained age. The results suggest that higher BMR may reduce lifespan, particularly in women.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Biology
Jie Zhao, Bohan Fan, Jian Huang, Benjamin John Cowling, Shiu Lun Ryan Au Yeung, Andrea Baccarelli, Gabriel M. Leung, C. Mary Schooling, Sihoon Lee
Summary: Through an environment-wide association study and an epigenome-wide association study, this research systematically assessed the factors associated with obesity at the onset and end of puberty. The study identified several factors, such as maternal second-hand smoking, maternal weight, and birth weight, that were consistently associated with obesity. It also found that factors like diet, physical activity, snoring, binge eating, and earlier puberty were positively associated with BMI at the end of puberty. These findings provide important information for future interventions to improve population health in Hong Kong and similar Chinese settings.
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
C. Mary Schooling, Man Ki Kwok, Jie Zhao
Summary: This study used uni- and multi-variable Mendelian randomization to assess the association between major fatty acids and their sub-species and ischaemic heart disease (IHD) overall and sex-specifically, as well as lifespan sex-specifically. The results showed a negative association between PUFAs and IHD and lifespan in men, while no association was found in women. Similar findings were observed for omega-6 fatty acids and linoleic acid. The independent associations of SFAs, mono-unsaturated fatty acids, or omega-3 fatty acids with IHD or lifespan were limited. In conclusion, specific subspecies of PUFAs may contribute to disparities in lifespan by sex, and sex-specific dietary advice could help address these inequities.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EPIDEMIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Eleanor Sanderson, M. Maria Glymour, Michael V. Holmes, Hyunseung Kang, Jean Morrison, Marcus R. Munafo, Tom Palmer, C. Mary Schooling, Chris Wallace, Qingyuan Zhao, George Davey Smith
Summary: Mendelian randomization (MR) uses genetic variation to address causal questions about modifiable exposures, with principles based on Mendel's laws and instrumental variable estimation methods. It enables inference of causal effects and can be used as part of a triangulation across multiple sources of evidence for causal inference.
NATURE REVIEWS METHODS PRIMERS
(2022)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Samantha Horn, Yana Litovsky, George Loewenstein
Summary: This study suggests that curiosity can be a useful tool in increasing demand for and engagement with aversive health information. By manipulating curiosity through various methods, researchers found that participants were more likely to view and engage with information about their drinking habits, cancer risk, and the sugar content in drinks. Overall, curiosity prompts provide a simple and effective way to increase engagement with aversive health information.
SOCIAL SCIENCE & MEDICINE
(2024)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Sandra Gillner
Summary: Despite high expectations, the extensive and rapid adoption of AI in medical diagnostics has not been realized. This study investigates the perception and navigation of AI providers in complex healthcare systems, revealing their self-organization to increase adaptability and the practices utilized to mitigate tensions within the healthcare subsystems.
SOCIAL SCIENCE & MEDICINE
(2024)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Fabian Duartea, Alvaro Jimenez-Molina
Summary: This study found that violence related to social protest has a significant impact on depressive symptoms, leading to an increase in depression among the population in Chile. The effect varies by gender and age, with a stronger influence on men and young adults.
SOCIAL SCIENCE & MEDICINE
(2024)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Nick Graetz, Carl Gershenson, Sonya R. Porter, Danielle H. Sandler, Emily Lemmerman, Matthew Desmond
Summary: Investments in stable, affordable housing may be an important tool for improving population health. This study, using administrative data, found that high rent burden, increases in rent burden during midlife, and evictions were associated with increased mortality.
SOCIAL SCIENCE & MEDICINE
(2024)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Wan Wei
Summary: This study explores the phenomenon of other patient participation in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), uncovering the various roles that third parties can assume during medical interactions. The findings contribute to existing research on patient resistance and triadic medical interactions, providing insights into the dynamics and implications of third-party involvement in medical consultations.
SOCIAL SCIENCE & MEDICINE
(2024)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Harry Scarbrough, Katie Rose M. Sanfilippo, Alexandra Ziemann, Charitini Stavropoulou
Summary: This paper examines the contribution of pilot implementation studies to the wider spread and sustainability of innovation in healthcare systems. Through an empirical examination of an innovation intermediary organization in the English NHS, the study finds that their work in mobilizing pilot-based evidence involves configuring to context, transitioning evidence, and managing the transition. The findings contribute to theory by showing how intermediary roles can support the effective transitioning of pilot-based evidence, leading to more widespread adoption and sustainability of innovation.
SOCIAL SCIENCE & MEDICINE
(2024)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Marta Seiz, Leire Salazar, Tatiana Eremenko
Summary: This study examines the impact of maternal educational selection on birth outcomes during an economic recession, and finds that more educated mothers are more likely to give birth during high unemployment periods. Additionally, maternal education mitigates the adverse effects of unemployment on birth outcomes and is consistently associated with better perinatal health.
SOCIAL SCIENCE & MEDICINE
(2024)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Jingyuan Shi, Hye Kyung Kim, Charles T. Salmon, Edson C. Tandoc Jr, Zhang Hao Goh
Summary: This study examines the influence of individual and collective norms on COVID-19 vaccination intention across eight Asian countries. The findings reveal nuanced patterns of how individual and collective social norms influence health behavioral decisions, depending on the degree of cultural tightness-looseness.
SOCIAL SCIENCE & MEDICINE
(2024)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Elliot Friedman, Melissa Franks, Elizabeth Teas, Patricia A. Thomas
Summary: This study found that positive relations with others have a significant impact on functional limitations and longevity in aging adults, independent of social integration and social support.
SOCIAL SCIENCE & MEDICINE
(2024)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Zhuolin Pan, Yuqi Liu, Ye Liu, Ziwen Huo, Wenchao Han
Summary: This study examines the effects of age-friendly neighbourhood environment and functional abilities on life satisfaction among older adults in urban China. The findings highlight the importance of transportation, housing, and social and physical environment factors in influencing functional abilities and life satisfaction. The study provides valuable insights for policymakers in enhancing older adults' life satisfaction in the Chinese urban context.
SOCIAL SCIENCE & MEDICINE
(2024)
