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Introduction Artificial light-at-night (ALAN) exposure alters circadian rhythms (1) and is associated with a range of adverse health outcomes in humans, including colorectal cancer (CRC). (2) The intrinsically photosensitive retinal [...]

BACKGROUND: Arterial stiffness, and its progression with age, is an important indicator of cardiovascular aging. Greenspace exposure may protect against arterial stiffness by promoting physical activity, fostering social cohesion, and reducing stress and exposure to air pollution and noise. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to investigate the association of long-term exposure to outdoor greenspace with arterial stiffness and its progression over time. METHODS: This prospective cohort study was based on 4,349 participants (55-83 years of age) of the Whitehall II Study, United Kingdom. Arterial stiffness was assessed in two medical examinations (2007-2009 and 2012-2013) by measuring the carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cf-PWV). Residential surrounding greenspace was characterized using satellite-based indices of greenspace including normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), enhanced vegetation index (EVI), and vegetation continuous fields (VCF) across buffers of 500 and 1,000 m surrounding the participants' residential locations at each follow-up. The association between the greenspace indicators and baseline cf-PWV and 4-year progression of cf-PWV was assessed using linear mixed-effects models with the participant as a random effect, controlling for demographic, lifestyle, and (individual and area) socioeconomic factors. RESULTS: No statistically significant associations were observed between residential surrounding greenspace and baseline or 4-y progression of cf-PWV; interquartile range (IQR) increases in NDVI, EVI, and VCF in the 500-m buffer were associated with -0.04 m/s [95% confidence interval (CI): -0.12, 0.04], -0.03 m/s (95% CI: -0.10, 0.05), and -0.02 m/s (95% CI: -0.08, 0.04) in baseline cf-PWV and 0.06 m/s (95% CI: -0.02, 0.14), 0.05 m/s (95% CI: -0.03, 0.14), and 0.00 m/s (95% CI: -0.09, 0.09) in 4-y progression in cf-PWV, respectively. The associations were similar when using 1,000-m buffers. CONCLUSIONS: We did not observe any consistent association between residential surrounding greenspace and arterial stiffness. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP6159, Introduction The older population (60 years of age and over) is rapidly growing worldwide, doubling from 962 million older adults in 2017 to 2.1 billion by 2050 (United Nations Department [...]

BACKGROUND: Chemical and nonchemical environmental exposures are increasingly suspected to influence the development of obesity, especially during early life, but studies mostly consider single exposure groups. OBJECTIVES: Our study aimed to systematically assess the association between a wide array of early-life environmental exposures and childhood obesity, using an exposome-wide approach. METHODS: The HELIX (Human Early Life Exposome) study measured child body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, sMnfold thickness, and body fat mass in 1,301 children from six European birth cohorts age 6-11 y. We estimated 77 prenatal exposures and 96 childhood exposures (cross-sectionally), including indoor and outdoor air pollutants, built environment, green spaces, tobacco smoking, and biomarkers of chemical pollutants (persistent organic pollutants, metals, phthalates, phenols, and pesticides). We used an exposure-wide association study (ExWAS) to screen all exposure-outcome associations independently and used the deletion-substitution-addition (DSA) variable selection algorithm to build a final multiexposure model. RESULTS: The prevalence of overweight and obesity combined was 28.8%. Maternal smoking was the only prenatal exposure variable associated with higher child BMI (z-score increase of 0.28, 95% confidence interval: 0.09, 0.48, for active vs. no smoking). For childhood exposures, the multiexposure model identified particulate and nitrogen dioxide air pollution inside the home, urine cotinine levels indicative of secondhand smoke exposure, and residence in more densely populated areas and in areas with fewer facilities to be associated with increased child BMI. Child blood levels of copper and cesium were associated with higher BMI, and levels of organochlorine pollutants, cobalt, and molybdenum were associated with lower BMI. Similar results were found for the other adiposity outcomes. DISCUSSION: This first comprehensive and systematic analysis of many suspected environmental obesogens strengthens evidence for an association of smoking, air pollution exposure, and characteristics of the built environment with childhood obesity risk. Cross-sectional biomarker results may suffer from reverse causality bias, whereby obesity status influenced the biomarker concentration. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP5975, Introduction Rates of childhood obesity are increasing at alarming rates across the globe, with some leveling-off of this trend reported in Europe and high-income English-speaking regions [NCD Risk Factor Collaboration [...]

Background: The exposome is defined as the totality of environmental exposures from conception onwards. It calls for providing a holistic view of environmental exposures and their effects on human health by evaluating multiple environmental exposures simultaneously during critical periods of life. Objective: We evaluated the association of the urban exposome with birth weight. Methods: We estimated exposure to the urban exposome, including the built environment, air pollution, road traffic noise, meteorology, natural space, and road traffic (corresponding to 24 environmental indicators and 60 exposures) for nearly 32,000 pregnant women from six European birth cohorts. To evaluate associations with either continuous birth weight or term low birth weight (TLBW) risk, we primarily relied on the DeletionSubstitution-Addition (DSA) algorithm, which is an extension of the stepwise variable selection method. Second, we used an exposure- byexposure exposome-wide association studies (ExWAS) method accounting for multiple hypotheses testing to report associations not adjusted for co exposures. Results: The most consistent statistically significant associations were observed between increasing green space exposure estimated as Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and increased birth weight and decreased TLBW risk. Furthermore, we observed statistically significant associations among presence of public bus line, land use Shannon's Evenness Index, and traffic density and birth weight in our DSA analysis. Conclusion: This investigation is the first large urban exposome study of birth weight that tests many environmental urban exposures. It confirmed previously reported associations for NDVI and generated new hypotheses for a number of built-environment exposures. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP3971, Introduction The exposome is defined as the totality of environmental exposures from conception onwards (Wild 2005, 2012). This definition aims to provide a holistic view of environmental exposures and their [...]

BACKGROUND: By 2050, nearly 70% of the global population is projected to live in urban areas. Because the environments we inhabit affect our health, urban and transport designs that promote healthy living are needed. OBJECTIVE: We estimated the number of premature deaths preventable under compliance with international exposure recommendations for physical activity (PA), air pollution, noise, heat, and access to green spaces. METHODS: We developed and applied the Urban and TranspOrt Planning Health Impact Assessment (UTOPHIA) tool to Barcelona, Spain. Exposure estimates and mortality data were available for 1,357,361 residents. We compared recommended with current exposure levels. We quantified the associations between exposures and mortality and calculated population attributable fractions to estimate the number of premature deaths preventable. We also modeled life-expectancy and economic impacts. RESULTS: We estimated that annually, nearly 20% of mortality could be prevented if international recommendations for performance of PA; exposure to air pollution, noise, and heat; and access to green space were followed. Estimations showed that the greatest portion of preventable deaths was attributable to increases in PA, followed by reductions of exposure to air pollution, traffic noise, and heat. Access to green spaces had smaller effects on mortality. Compliance was estimated to increase the average life expectancy by 360 (95% CI: 219, 493) days and result in economic savings of 9.3 (95% CI: 4.9, 13.2) billion EUR/year. CONCLUSIONS: PA factors and environmental exposures can be modified by changes in urban and transport planning. We emphasize the need for a) the reduction of motorized traffic through the promotion of active and public transport and b) the provision of green infrastructure, both of which are suggested to provide opportunities for PA and for mitigation of air pollution, noise, and heat. http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/EHP220., Introduction By 2050, nearly 70% of the global population is projected to live in urban environments (United Nations 2014). Cities can be beneficial for people's well-being because they provide innovation, [...]

BACKGROUND: The urban exposome is the set of environmental factors that are experienced in the outdoor urban environment and that may influence child development. OBJECTIVE: The authors' goal was to describe the urban exposome among European pregnant women and understand its socioeconomic determinants. METHODS: Using geographic information systems, remote sensing and spatio-temporal modeling we estimated exposure during pregnancy to 28 environmental indicators in almost 30,000 women from six population-based birth cohorts, in nine urban areas from across Europe. Exposures included meteorological factors, air pollutants, traffic noise, traffic indicators, natural space, the built environment, public transport, facilities, and walkability. Socioeconomic position (SEP), assessed at both the area and individual level, was related to the exposome through an exposome-wide association study and principal component (PC) analysis. RESULTS: Mean [+ or -] standard deviation (SD) N[O.sub.2] levels ranged from 13.6 [+ or -]5.1 [micro]g/[m.sup.3] (in Heraklion, Crete) to 43.2 [+ or -] 11 [micro]g/[m.sup.3] (in Sabadell, Spain), mean [+ or -] SD walkability score ranged from 0.22 [+ or -] 0.04 (Kaunas, Lithuania) to 0.32 [+ or -] 0.07 (Valencia, Spain) and mean [+ or -] SD Normalized Difference Vegetation Index ranged from 0.21 [+ or -] 0.05 in Heraklion to 0.51 [+ or -] 0.1 in Oslo, Norway. Four PCs explained more than half of variation in the urban exposome. There was considerable heterogeneity in social patterning of the urban exposome across cities. For example, high-SEP (based on family education) women lived in greener, less noisy, and less polluted areas in Bradford, UK (0.39 higher PC1 score, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.31, 0.47), but the reverse was observed in Oslo (-0.57 PC1 score, 95% CI: -0.73, -0.41). For most cities, effects were stronger when SEP was assessed at the area level: In Bradford, women living in high SEP areas had a 1.34 higher average PC1 score (95% CI: 1.21, 1.48). CONCLUSIONS: The urban exposome showed considerable variability across Europe. Pregnant women of low SEP were exposed to higher levels of environmental hazards in some cities, but not others, which may contribute to inequities in child health and development., Introduction The majority of the European population now live in an urban environment, and although city living confers many benefits to health, such as increased economic opportunity and access to [...]

BACKGROUND: Evidence on beneficial associations of green space with cognitive function in older adults is very scarce and mainly limited to cross-sectional studies. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to investigate the association between long-term residential surrounding greenness and cognitive decline. METHODS: This longitudinal study was based on three waves of data from the Whitehall II cohort, providing a 10-y follow-up (1997-1999 to 20072009) of 6,506 participants (45-68 y old) from the United Kingdom. Residential surrounding greenness was obtained across buffers of 500 and 1,000 m around the participants' residential addresses at each follow-up using satellite images on greenness (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index; NDVI) from a summer month in every follow-up period. Cognitive tests assessed reasoning, short-term memory, and verbal fluency. The cognitive scores were standardized and summarized in a global cognition z-score. To quantify the impact of greenness on repeated measurements of cognition, linear mixed effect models were developed that included an interaction between age and the indicator of greenness, and controlled for covariates including individual and neighborhood indicators of socioeconomic status (SES). RESULTS: In a fully adjusted model, an interquartile range (IQR) increase in NDVI was associated with a difference in the global cognition z-score of 0.020 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.003, 0.037; p = 0.02] in the 500-m buffer and of 0.021 (95% CI: 0.003, 0.039; p = 0.02) in the 1,000-m buffer over 10 y. The associations with cognitive decline over the study period were stronger among women than among men. CONCLUSIONS: Higher residential surrounding greenness was associated with slower cognitive decline over a 10-y follow-up period in the Whitehall II cohort of civil servants., Introduction The proportion of people over 60 y old in the world is expected to nearly double from 12% to 22% between 2015 and 2050 (WHO 2015). In addition, the [...]

Background: Night shift work, exposure to light at night (ALAN) and circadian disruption may increase the risk of hormone-dependent cancers. Objectives: We evaluated the association of exposure to ALAN during sleeping time with breast and prostate cancer in a population based multicase-control study (MCC-Spain), among subjects who had never worked at night. We evaluated chronotype, a characteristic that may relate to adaptation to light at night. Methods: We enrolled 1,219 breast cancer cases, 1,385 female controls, 623 prostate cancer cases, and 879 male controls from 11 Spanish regions in 2008-2013. Indoor ALAN information was obtained through questionnaires. Outdoor ALAN was analyzed using images from the International Space Station (ISS) available for Barcelona and Madrid for 2012-2013, including data of remotely sensed upward light intensity and blue light spectrum information for each geocoded longest residence of each MCC-Spain subject. Results: Among Barcelona and Madrid participants with information on both indoor and outdoor ALAN, exposure to outdoor ALAN in the blue light spectrum was associated with breast cancer [adjusted odds ratio (OR) for highest vs. lowest tertile, OR = 1.47; 95% CI: 1.00, 2.17] and prostate cancer (OR = 2.05; 95% CI: 1.38, 3.03). In contrast, those exposed to the highest versus lowest intensity of outdoor ALAN were more likely to be controls than cases, particularly for prostate cancer. Compared with those who reported sleeping in total darkness, men who slept in 'quite illuminated' bedrooms had a higher risk of prostate cancer (OR = 2.79; 95% CI: 1.55, 5.04), whereas women had a slightly lower risk of breast cancer (OR = 0.77; 95% CI: 0.39, 1.51). Conclusion: Both prostate and breast cancer were associated with high estimated exposure to outdoor ALAN in the blue-enriched light spectrum. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP1837, Introduction The increase of artificial light at night (ALAN) in cities has altered the natural light levels in the nocturnal environment and extended human activities into the usually dark hours [...]

Background: Night-shift work, exposure to artificial light-at-night (ALAN) and particularly blue light spectrum, and the consequent circadian disruption may increase the risk of breast and prostate cancer. Colorectal cancer risk may also be increased among night-shift workers. We investigated the association between exposure to ALAN according to light spectrum and colorectal cancer among subjects who had never worked at night in a general population case-control study in Spain.Methods: We examined information on 661 incident histologically verified colorectal cancer cases and 1,322 controls from Barcelona and Madrid, 2007-2013. Outdoor ALAN exposure was based on images from the International Space Station (ISS) including data on remotely sensed upward light intensity. We derived adjusted odds ratio (OR) estimates and confidence intervals (CI) for visual light, blue light, and spectral sensitivities of the five human photopigments assigned to participant's geocoded longest residence.Results: Exposure to blue light spectrum was positively associated with colorectal cancer (OR = 1.6; 95% CI: 1.2-2.2; highest vs. lowest tertile). ORs were similar (OR = 1.7; 95% CI: 1.3-2.3) when further adjusting for area socioeconomic status, diet patterns, smoking, sleep, and family history. We observed no association for outdoor visual light (full spectrum) (OR = 1.0; 95% CI, 0.7-1.2; highest vs. lowest tertile). Analysis of the five photopigments gave similar results with increased risks for shorter wavelengths overlapping with the blue spectrum and no association for longer wavelengths.Conclusions: Outdoor blue light spectrum exposure that is increasingly prevalent in recent years may be associated with colorectal cancer risk. See video abstract: http://links.lww.com/EDE/B708. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Natural environments, including green spaces, may have beneficial impacts on brain development. However, longitudinal evidence of an association between long-term exposure to green spaces and cognitive development (including attention) in children is limited. OBJECTIVES: We evaluated the association between lifelong residential exposure to green space and attention during preschool and early primary school years. METHODS: This longitudinal study was based on data from two well-established population-based birth cohorts in Spain. We assessed lifelong exposure to residential surrounding greenness and tree cover as the average of satellite- based normalized difference vegetation index and vegetation continuous fields, respectively, surrounding the child's residential addresses at birth, 4- 5 y, and 7 y. Attention was characterized using two computerbased tests: Conners' Kiddie Continuous Performance Test (K-CPT) at 4-5 y (n = 888) and Attentional Network Task (ANT) at 7 y (n = 987). We used adjusted mixed effects models with cohort random effects to estimate associations between exposure to greenness and attention at ages 4-5 and 7 y. RESULTS: Higher lifelong residential surrounding greenness was associated with fewer K-CPT omission errors and lower K-CPT hit reaction timestandard error (HRT-SE) at 4-5 y and lower ANT HRT-SE at 7 y, consistent with better attention. This exposure was not associated with K-CPT commission errors or with ANT omission or commission errors. Associations with residential surrounding tree cover also were close to the null, or were negative (for ANT HRT-SE) but not statistically significant. CONCLUSION: Exposure to residential surrounding greenness was associated with better scores on tests of attention at 4-5 y and 7 y of age in our longitudinal cohort. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP694, Introduction It has been proposed that exposure to natural environments, which include green spaces, is important for normal neurodevelopment (Kahn and Kellert 2002; Kellert 2005). Natural environments provide children with [...]

BackgroundTracking individuals in environmental epidemiological studies using novel mobile phone technologies can provide valuable information on geolocation and physical activity, which will improve our understanding of environmental exposures. ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to assess the performance of one of the least expensive mobile phones on the market to track people's travel-activity pattern. MethodsAdults living and working in Barcelona (72/162 bicycle commuters) carried simultaneously a mobile phone and a Global Positioning System (GPS) tracker and filled in a travel-activity diary (TAD) for 1 week (N=162). The CalFit app for mobile phones was used to log participants’ geographical location and physical activity. The geographical location data were assigned to different microenvironments (home, work or school, in transit, others) with a newly developed spatiotemporal map-matching algorithm. The tracking performance of the mobile phones was compared with that of the GPS trackers using chi-square test and Kruskal-Wallis rank sum test. The minute agreement across all microenvironments between the TAD and the algorithm was compared using the Gwet agreement coefficient (AC1). ResultsThe mobile phone acquired locations for 905 (29.2%) more trips reported in travel diaries than the GPS tracker (P

We assessed the quality of food-related OpenStreetMap (OSM) data in urban areas of five European countries. We calculated agreement statistics between point-of-interests (POIs) from OSM and from Google Street View (GSV) in five European regions. We furthermore assessed correlations between exposure measures (distance and counts) from OSM data and administrative data from local data sources on food environment data in three European countries. Agreement between POI data in OSM compared to GSV was poor, but correlations were moderate to high between exposures from OSM and local data sources. OSM data downloaded in 2020 seems to be an acceptable source of data for generating count-based food exposure measures for research in selected European regions. • Quality assessment of food-related OpenStreetMap data in 5 European urban areas. • OSM-derived exposures were compared with Google Street View and local data sources. • OSM count-based exposures to food outlets may be used in selected European regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Solar ultraviolet radiation (UVR) affects the body through pathways that exhibit positive as well as negative health effects such as immunoregulation and vitamin D production. Different vitamin D metabolites are associated with higher or lower concentrations of estrogens and may thus alter the female sex hormone balance.Objective: To study whether exposure to UVR, as a modifiable lifestyle factor, is associated with levels of sex hormones (17β-estradiol, estrone, estrone 3-sulfate, testosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate), gonadotropins (follicle stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone) as well as sex hormone binding globulin in postmenopausal women, and thus investigate whether managing UVR exposure can influence the hormone balance, with potential benefits for the biological aging process.Methods: The study included 580 postmenopausal women from six European countries, participating in the European Community Respiratory Health Survey (2010-2014). Average UVR exposure during the month before blood sampling was estimated based on personal sun behavior and ambient levels. Hormone concentrations were measured in serum using state-of-the-art methods. Subsequently we applied linear mixed-effects models, including center as random intercept, hormone concentrations (one at a time) as outcome and UVR, age, skin type, body mass index, vitamin D from dietary sources, smoking, age at completed full-time education and season of blood sampling as fixed-effect predictors.Results: One interquartile range increase in UVR exposure was associated with decreased levels of 17β-estradiol (-15.6 pmol/L, 95 % Confidence Interval (CI): -27.69, -3.51) and estrone (-13.36 pmol/L, 95 % CI: -26.04, -0.68) and increased levels of follicle stimulating hormone (9.34IU/L, 95 % CI: 2.91, 15.77) and luteinizing hormone (13.86 IU/daL, 95 % CI: 2.48, 25.25).Conclusions: Exposure to UVR is associated with decreased estrogens and increased gonadotropins in postmenopausal women, a status associated with osteoporosis, lung function decline and other adverse health effects. This study indicates that managing UVR exposure has potential to influence the hormone balance and counteract adverse health conditions after menopause. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]