Boubakari Ibrahimou

Using Community-Based Prevention Marketing to Improve Farm Worker Safety

Community-based prevention marketing (CBPM) combines a powerful planning framework, social marketing, with community organization principles to design behavior change programs. In southwest Florida, a coalition comprised of citrus workers and their employers, health providers, and academic researchers is using CBPM to identify occupational health issues among agricultural laborers, conduct community-based participatory research, and design culturally appropriate interventions. This article describes how this coalition was able to apply CBPM successfully to develop and implement an occupational safety program to prevent eye injuries among migrant farm workers. Lessons learned from this project and implications for designing and disseminating occupational safety programs for other agricultural workers are discussed.

Risk of preeclampsia from exposure to particulate matter (PM₂.₅) speciation chemicals during pregnancy.

Objective: To determine whether maternal exposure to particulate matter (PM2.5) speciation chemicals during pregnancy is associated with the risk of preeclampsia. Methods: We allocated average daily exposure values for 36 ambient particulate matter speciation chemicals to mothers during their first trimester and their entire pregnancy. The main outcome of interest was preeclampsia occurrence. Adjusted odd ratios and 95% confidence intervals were computed. Results: The odds for preeclampsia were increased per interquartile range increase in pollutants for exposure to elemental carbon during the first trimester of pregnancy (odds ratio = 1.08; confidence interval = 1.01 to 1.16) and during the entire pregnancy period (odds ratio = 1.05; confidence interval = 1.01 to 1.11). The most substantial risk for preeclampsia was observed for PM2.5 aluminum exposure during the entire pregnancy, resulting in 10% increased risk (odds ratio = 1.10; confidence interval = 1.03 to 1.18) per interquartile range increase in aluminum. Conclusions: Maternal exposure to PM2.5, aluminum, and elemental carbon during pregnancy increases the risk of preeclampsia.

A childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia genome-wide association study identifies novel sex-specific risk variants

AbstractChildhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) occurs more frequently in males. Reasons behind sex differences in childhood ALL risk are unknown. In the present genome-wide association study (GWAS), we explored the genetic basis of sex differences by comparing genotype frequencies between male and female cases in a case-only study to assess effect-modification by sex.The case-only design included 236 incident cases of childhood ALL consecutively recruited at the Texas Childrens Cancer Center in Houston, Texas from 2007 to 2012. All cases were non-Hispanic whites, aged 1 to 10 years, and diagnosed with confirmed B-cell precursor ALL. Genotyping was performed using the Illumina HumanCoreExome BeadChip on the Illumina Infinium platform. Besides the top 100 statistically most significant results, results were also analyzed by the top 100 highest effect size with a nominal statistical significance (P <0.05).The statistically most significant sex-specific association (P = 4 × 10−6) was with the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs4813720 (RASSF2), an expression quantitative trait locus (eQTL) for RASSF2 in peripheral blood. rs4813720 is also a strong methylation QTL (meQTL) for a CpG site (cg22485289) within RASSF2 in pregnancy, at birth, childhood, and adolescence. cg22485289 is one of the hypomethylated CpG sites in ALL compared with pre-B cells. Two missense SNPs, rs12722042 and 12722039, in the HLA-DQA1 gene yielded the highest effect sizes (odds ratio [OR] ∼ 14; P <0.01) for sex-specific results. The HLA-DQA1 SNPs belong to DQA1*01 and confirmed the previously reported male-specific association with DQA1*01. This finding supports the proposed infection-related etiology in childhood ALL risk for males. Further analyses revealed that most SNPs (either direct effect or through linkage disequilibrium) were within active enhancers or active promoter regions and had regulatory effects on gene expression levels.Cumulative data suggested that RASSF2 rs4813720, which correlates with increased RASSF2 expression, may counteract the suppressor effect of estrogen-regulated miR-17-92 on RASSF2 resulting in protection in males. Given the amount of sex hormone-related mechanisms suggested by our findings, future studies should examine prenatal or early postnatal programming by sex hormones when hormone levels show a large variation.

Ambient PM2.5 Aluminum and Elemental Carbon and Placental Abruption Morbidity.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to assess relationship between exposure to particulate matter (PM) chemicals during pregnancy and the odd of having placental abruption. Methods: The 2004 to 2007 Florida linked birth certificate records and the Environmental Protection Agency PM speciation data were used. We were interested in placental abruption. We computed adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs). Results: The odds for placental abruption were increased per interquartile range (IQR) increase in aluminum during the first trimester (OR = 1.10; CI =  1.02 to 1.18) and marginally during the entire pregnancy (OR =  1.06; CI =  0.94 to 1.19). The most substantial association was observed for elemental carbon exposure during the first trimester, resulting in 38% increased odd (OR = 1.09; CI  = 1.09 to 1.75) per IQR increase in elemental carbon. Conclusion: Women exposure to PM2.5 aluminum and elemental carbon during pregnancy has an increased odd of having placental abruption.

Intra-uterine exposure to dual fetal programming sequences among surviving co-twins

Objective. The dynamics of fetal programming following in utero demise of a co-twin are poorly understood. Methods. The authors examined fetal programming using a unique application of the change-point analysis method, and identified two types of fetal programming that occurred when a viable twin sibling died in utero, while the co-twin survived. Results. In one type, the initial twin fetal programming trajectory was maintained while in a subset of surviving co-twins a “switch” from a twin to a singleton fetal program (dual fetal programming exposure) was observed. The results suggest that the timing in utero of conversion from a twin to a singleton programming pattern occurred slightly earlier among opposite-sex than in same-sex surviving co-twins. Conclusion. For the conversion from a twin to a singleton program to happen, the surviving co-twin must have attained a “critical mass” when the twin sibling died. Whereas, for same-sex surviving co-twins the critical mass for conversion was the 80th percentile of gestational-age specific birth weight, opposite-sex surviving co-twins converted at a lower critical mass (70th percentile). These novel findings warrant further study to confirm the new hithertofore unknown phenomenon of dual fetal programming sequence, and to determine the implications in terms of subsequent morbidity or mortality during infancy, childhood and adult life.

A Review: Associations Between Attention-deficit/hyperactivity Disorder, Physical Activity, Medication Use, Eating Behaviors and Obesity in Children and Adolescents

ABSTRACT In the past few years we have become increasingly aware of strong associations between obesity and ADHD. Both conditions are major public health issues, affecting children, adolescents and adults alike. Objective: This review seeks to (1) examine prior research on the association between ADHD and obesity in children and adolescents; (2) discuss mechanisms and consequent behavioral attributes to gain understanding of the path association between ADHD and obesity, (3) review studies examining the role of physical activity, medication, eating behavior and gender on the relationship between ADHD and obesity in children and adolescents. Method: PubMed, CINAHL and PsycINFO databases were used to search for studies whose subjects were children and adolescents, ages 0–17years and whose publication years were from 2000 to 2016. After screening 31 studies were included in the review. Results: The literature suggests that there is a significant association between ADHD and obesity. Further, the inattentive and impulsive behaviors that characterize ADHD could contribute to dis‐regulated eating behaviors and a lack of motivation to engage in physical activity. In addition, it is proposed that medication, gender and physical activity play a role in mediating and moderating the relationship between ADHD and obesity. HIGHLIGHTSEvidence for understanding the association between ADHD and obesity.The impact physical activity, medication, eating behavior and gender have on the relationship between ADHD and obesity.Includes the latest research in the field assessing the relationship between ADHD and obesity in children and adolescents.Rationale for offering preventive strategies for obesity for those diagnosed with ADHD.

Bayesian analysis of piecewise growth mixture models with skew-t distributions: Application to AIDS studies

ABSTRACT A major problem in HIV/AIDS studies is the development of drug resistance to antiretroviral (ARV) drug or therapy. Estimating the time at which such drug resistance would develop is usually sought. The goal of this article is to perform this estimation by developing growth mixture models with change-points and skew-t distributions based on longitudinal data. For such data, following ARV treatment, the profile of each subject’s viral load tends to follow a ‘broken stick’ like growth trajectory, indicating multiple phases of decline and increase in viral loads. These multiple phases with multiple change-points are captured by subject-specific random parameters of growth curve models. To account for heterogeneity of drug resistance among subjects, the change-points are also allowed to differ by subgroups (subpopulations) of patients classified into latent classes on the basis of trajectories of observed viral loads. The proposed methods are illustrated using real data from an AIDS clinical study.

Asthma in schoolchildren in Monroe county, Florida: school-based needs assessment

Abstract Objectives: Asthma is the most common chronic pediatric condition (14%) and the leading cause of school absenteeism in the USA. However, little is known about asthma prevalence and distribution in schoolchildren in the Florida Keys region (Monroe County). Thus, the objectives of this study were to assess asthma prevalence, symptoms, cost and distribution in schoolchildren in the Florida Keys region and to pinpoint where asthma management services are most needed. Methods: Cross-sectional survey data on asthma prevalence, symptoms and socio-demographics was collected and analyzed by race, sex, grade and zip code. A total of 2313 parents of schoolchildren in the Florida Keys completed the adapted Harlem Empowerment Zone Asthma Initiative Questionnaire. The questionnaire was distributed to school principals, who sent them home with students to be filled out by parents or caregivers. We also analyzed data from the online Monroe County 2012 Florida Youth Tobacco Survey, the 2011 Florida CHARTS, the Medical Expenditures Panel Survey, and emergency departments (ED). Data were analyzed by race, sex, and grade. Results: In total 14.5% of respondents had been told their child had asthma and 9.6% reported their child had wheezing in the last 12 months. The prevalence was higher in the Lower Keys and Key West regions. Parents from households where anyone smoked cigarettes (OR 1.52, 95% CI 1.11–2.09) and those who had a male child (1.53, 1.17–2.00) more often reported that their child had asthma. The rate of asthma-related ED visits for Black non-Hispanic schoolchildren (1202 per 100 000) was substantially higher than the numbers for White (250.2 per 100 000) and Hispanic schoolchildren (325.1 per 100 000). Most of the direct cost of asthma was concentrated in children in grades four through seven (

Determinants of attitudes and beliefs toward human papillomavirus infection, cervical cancer and human papillomavirus vaccine among parents of adolescent girls in Mysore, India

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HIV Testing Behaviors Among Latina Women Tested for HIV in Florida, 2012

2147.02 per child). Conclusions: The asthma prevalence in a sample of schoolchildren in the Florida Keys region was comparable to the nationwide prevalence. Black non-Hispanic schoolchildren had more asthma-related ED visits that White and Hispanic schoolchildren. Most of the direct cost of asthma is concentrated in children in late elementary through early middle school grades. Interventions are needed, particularly targeting Black schoolchildren in late elementary through early middle school grades in Lower Keys and Key West region.