65 results on '"Dany Doiron"'
Search Results
2. Effects of ambient air pollution on obesity and ectopic fat deposition: a protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis
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Russell J de Souza, Om Kurmi, Laura Banfield, Dany Doiron, Mehnaz Munir, Sandi M Azab, Shrikant I Bangdiwala, and Jeffrey Brook
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Medicine - Abstract
Introduction Globally, the prevalence of obesity tripled from 1975 to 2016. There is evidence that air pollution may contribute to the obesity epidemic through an increase in oxidative stress and inflammation of adipose tissue. However, the impact of air pollution on body weight at a population level remains inconclusive. This systematic review and meta-analysis will estimate the association of ambient air pollution with obesity, distribution of ectopic adipose tissue, and the incidence and prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease among adults.Methods and analysis The study will follow the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines for conduct and reporting. The search will include the following databases: Ovid Medline, Embase, PubMed, Web of Science and Latin America and the Caribbean Literature on Health Sciences, and will be supplemented by a grey literature search. Each article will be independently screened by two reviewers, and relevant data will be extracted independently and in duplicate. Study-specific estimates of associations and their 95% Confidence Intervals will be pooled using a DerSimonian and Laird random-effects model, implemented using the RevMan software. The I2 statistic will be used to assess interstudy heterogeneity. The confidence in the body of evidence will be assessed using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach.Ethics and dissemination As per institutional policy, ethical approval is not required for secondary data analysis. In addition to being published in a peer-reviewed journal and presented at conferences, the results of the meta-analysis will be shared with key stakeholders, health policymakers and healthcare professionals.PROSPERO registration number CRD42023423955.
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- 2024
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3. Predicting walking-to-work using street-level imagery and deep learning in seven Canadian cities
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Dany Doiron, Eleanor M. Setton, Jeffrey R. Brook, Yan Kestens, Gavin R. McCormack, Meghan Winters, Mahdi Shooshtari, Sajjad Azami, and Daniel Fuller
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Medicine ,Science - Abstract
Abstract New ‘big data’ streams such as street-level imagery are offering unprecedented possibilities for developing health-relevant data on the urban environment. Urban environmental features derived from street-level imagery have been used to assess pedestrian-friendly neighbourhood design and to predict active commuting, but few such studies have been conducted in Canada. Using 1.15 million Google Street View (GSV) images in seven Canadian cities, we applied image segmentation and object detection computer vision methods to extract data on persons, bicycles, buildings, sidewalks, open sky (without trees or buildings), and vegetation at postal codes. The associations between urban features and walk-to-work rates obtained from the Canadian Census were assessed. We also assessed how GSV-derived urban features perform in predicting walk-to-work rates relative to more widely used walkability measures. Results showed that features derived from street-level images are better able to predict the percent of people walking to work as their primary mode of transportation compared to data derived from traditional walkability metrics. Given the increasing coverage of street-level imagery around the world, there is considerable potential for machine learning and computer vision to help researchers study patterns of active transportation and other health-related behaviours and exposures.
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- 2022
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4. An ecological analysis of walkability and housing affordability in Canada: Moderation by city size and neighbourhood property type composition.
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Chelsea D Christie, Christine M Friedenreich, Jennifer E Vena, Dany Doiron, and Gavin R McCormack
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Medicine ,Science - Abstract
The neighbourhood built environment can support the physical activity of adults regardless of their individual-level socioeconomic status. However, physical activity supportive (walkable) neighbourhoods may not be accessible to those with lower incomes if homes in walkable neighbourhoods are too expensive. The objectives of this study were: 1) to estimate the associations between neighbourhood walkability and home values in Canadian cities, and 2) to test whether these associations differ by city size and residential property type composition within neighbourhoods. We linked built environment data from the 2016 Canadian Active Living Environments (Can-ALE) index with neighbourhood-level structural home characteristics and sociodemographic data from the 2016 Canadian census for 33,026 neighbourhoods across 31 Census Metropolitan Areas. We used multilevel linear regression models to estimate covariate-adjusted associations between neighbourhood walkability and natural-log median home values and tested city size and neighbourhood property type composition as moderators. There were no statistically significant associations between walkability and home values overall. The associations between neighbourhood walkability and home values were jointly moderated by city size and property type composition. For small and medium sized cities, within neighbourhoods containing a high proportion of detached homes, walkability was negatively associated with home values (b = -0.05, 95% CI: -0.10, -0.01; and, b = -0.04, 95% CI: -0.06, -0.02, for small and medium cities, respectively). However, for extra-large cities, within neighbourhoods containing a high proportion of detached homes, walkability was positively associated with home values (b = 0.06, 95% CI: 0.01, 0.10). Our findings suggest that, based on housing affordability, higher walkable neighbourhoods are likely accessible to lower income households that are situated in small and medium Canadian cities. In larger cities, however, municipal interventions (e.g., inclusionary zoning or targeted development of subsidized or social housing) may be needed to ensure equitable access to walkable neighbourhoods for lower income households.
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- 2023
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5. Neighborhood greenness, but not walkability, is associated with self-rated measures of health in older adults: An analysis of the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging
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Irmina Klicnik, Andrew Putman, Dany Doiron, Caroline Barakat, Chris I. Ardern, David Rudoler, and Shilpa Dogra
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Aging ,Walkability ,Built environment ,CLSA ,Medicine - Abstract
The purpose of this analysis was to determine whether older Canadians residing in neighborhoods characterized by denser greenness or higher walkability have better self-reported health outcomes at 3-year follow-up. Data on self-reported chronic diseases (composite score of 10 conditions) and self-rated measures of health (general health, mental health, and healthy aging) from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA) were used as outcomes. The CLSA database was linked with the Canadian Active Living Environments (Can-ALE), a measure of walkability, and Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), a measure of greenness. The analytic sample consisted of adults aged 65 and older (n = 15339, age 72.9 ± 5.6, 50 % female). Crude and adjusted associations were assessed using Poisson regression and proportional odds regression modelling. The 4th quartile of greenness was associated with the chronic disease index and all three measures of self-rated health (general health, mental health, and healthy aging); living in a neighborhood with the highest greenness was associated with better health three years later when compared to those in the lowest quartile of greenness. After adjustment for covariates of age, sex, income, education, and physical activity levels, only the association for the 3rd quartile of greenness was significantly associated with general health (OR: 0.90, 95 %CI: 0.81–0.99) and mental health (OR: 0.88, 95 %CI: 0.79-0.97). Can-ALE was not associated with any of the outcomes assessed. Future research assessing perceived environmental walkability and geriatric relevant health outcomes rather than chronic disease may provide greater insight into our understanding of age-friendly environments.
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- 2022
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6. Healthy built environment: Spatial patterns and relationships of multiple exposures and deprivation in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver
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Dany Doiron, Eleanor M. Setton, Kerolyn Shairsingh, Michael Brauer, Perry Hystad, Nancy A. Ross, and Jeffrey R. Brook
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Walkability ,Deprivation ,Built environment ,Greenness ,Urban environmental health ,Air quality ,Environmental sciences ,GE1-350 - Abstract
Background: Various aspects of the urban environment and neighbourhood socio-economic status interact with each other to affect health. Few studies to date have quantitatively assessed intersections of multiple urban environmental factors and their distribution across levels of deprivation. Objectives: To explore the spatial patterns of urban environmental exposures within three large Canadian cities, assess how exposures are distributed across socio-economic deprivation gradients, and identify clusters of favourable or unfavourable environmental characteristics. Methods: We indexed nationally standardized estimates of active living friendliness (i.e. “walkability”), NO2 air pollution, and greenness to 6-digit postal codes within the cities of Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver. We compared the distribution of within-city exposure tertiles across quintiles of material deprivation. Tertiles of each exposure were then overlaid with each other in order to identify potentially favorable (high walkability, low NO2, high greenness) and unfavorable (low walkability, high NO2, and low greenness) environments. Results: In all three cities, high walkability was more common in least deprived areas and less prevalent in highly deprived areas. We also generally saw a greater prevalence of postal codes with high vegetation indices and low NO2 in areas with low deprivation, and a lower greenness prevalence and higher NO2 concentrations in highly deprived areas, suggesting environmental inequity is occurring. Our study showed that relatively few postal codes were simultaneously characterized by desirable or undesirable walkability, NO2 and greenness tertiles. Discussion: Spatial analyses of multiple standardized urban environmental factors such as the ones presented in this manuscript can help refine municipal investments and policy priorities. This study illustrates a methodology to prioritize areas for interventions that increase active living and exposure to urban vegetation, as well as lower air pollution. Our results also highlight the importance of considering the intersections between the built environment and socio-economic status in city planning and urban public health decision-making.
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- 2020
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7. MINDMAP: establishing an integrated database infrastructure for research in ageing, mental well-being, and the urban environment
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Mariëlle A. Beenackers, Dany Doiron, Isabel Fortier, J. Mark Noordzij, Erica Reinhard, Emilie Courtin, Martin Bobak, Basile Chaix, Giuseppe Costa, Ulrike Dapp, Ana V. Diez Roux, Martijn Huisman, Emily M. Grundy, Steinar Krokstad, Pekka Martikainen, Parminder Raina, Mauricio Avendano, and Frank J. van Lenthe
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Ageing ,Mental well-being ,Urban health ,Database ,Data integration ,Cohort studies ,Public aspects of medicine ,RA1-1270 - Abstract
Abstract Background Urbanization and ageing have important implications for public mental health and well-being. Cities pose major challenges for older citizens, but also offer opportunities to develop, test, and implement policies, services, infrastructure, and interventions that promote mental well-being. The MINDMAP project aims to identify the opportunities and challenges posed by urban environmental characteristics for the promotion and management of mental well-being and cognitive function of older individuals. Methods MINDMAP aims to achieve its research objectives by bringing together longitudinal studies from 11 countries covering over 35 cities linked to databases of area-level environmental exposures and social and urban policy indicators. The infrastructure supporting integration of this data will allow multiple MINDMAP investigators to safely and remotely co-analyse individual-level and area-level data. Individual-level data is derived from baseline and follow-up measurements of ten participating cohort studies and provides information on mental well-being outcomes, sociodemographic variables, health behaviour characteristics, social factors, measures of frailty, physical function indicators, and chronic conditions, as well as blood derived clinical biochemistry-based biomarkers and genetic biomarkers. Area-level information on physical environment characteristics (e.g. green spaces, transportation), socioeconomic and sociodemographic characteristics (e.g. neighbourhood income, residential segregation, residential density), and social environment characteristics (e.g. social cohesion, criminality) and national and urban social policies is derived from publically available sources such as geoportals and administrative databases. The linkage, harmonization, and analysis of data from different sources are being carried out using piloted tools to optimize the validity of the research results and transparency of the methodology. Discussion MINDMAP is a novel research collaboration that is combining population-based cohort data with publicly available datasets not typically used for ageing and mental well-being research. Integration of various data sources and observational units into a single platform will help to explain the differences in ageing-related mental and cognitive disorders both within as well as between cities in Europe, the US, Canada, and Russia and to assess the causal pathways and interactions between the urban environment and the individual determinants of mental well-being and cognitive ageing in older adults.
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- 2018
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8. The Canadian Urban Environmental Health Research Consortium – a protocol for building a national environmental exposure data platform for integrated analyses of urban form and health
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Jeffrey R. Brook, Eleanor M. Setton, Evan Seed, Mahdi Shooshtari, Dany Doiron, and CANUE – The Canadian Urban Environmental Health Research Consortium
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Urban form ,Exposure ,Air pollution ,Noise pollution ,Green space ,Transportation ,Public aspects of medicine ,RA1-1270 - Abstract
Abstract Background Multiple external environmental exposures related to residential location and urban form including, air pollutants, noise, greenness, and walkability have been linked to health impacts or benefits. The Canadian Urban Environmental Health Research Consortium (CANUE) was established to facilitate the linkage of extensive geospatial exposure data to existing Canadian cohorts and administrative health data holdings. We hypothesize that this linkage will enable investigators to test a variety of their own hypotheses related to the interdependent associations of built environment features with diverse health outcomes encompassed by the cohorts and administrative data. Methods We developed a protocol for compiling measures of built environment features that quantify exposure; vary spatially on the urban and suburban scale; and can be modified through changes in policy or individual behaviour to benefit health. These measures fall into six domains: air quality, noise, greenness, weather/climate, and transportation and neighbourhood factors; and will be indexed to six-digit postal codes to facilitate merging with health databases. Initial efforts focus on existing data and include estimates of air pollutants, greenness, temperature extremes, and neighbourhood walkability and socioeconomic characteristics. Key gaps will be addressed for noise exposure, with a new national model being developed, and for transportation-related exposures, with detailed estimates of truck volumes and diesel emissions now underway in selected cities. Improvements to existing exposure estimates are planned, primarily by increasing temporal and/or spatial resolution given new satellite-based sensors and more detailed national air quality modelling. Novel metrics are also planned for walkability and food environments, green space access and function and life-long climate-related exposures based on local climate zones. Critical challenges exist, for example, the quantity and quality of input data to many of the models and metrics has changed over time, making it difficult to develop and validate historical exposures. Discussion CANUE represents a unique effort to coordinate and leverage substantial research investments and will enable a more focused effort on filling gaps in exposure information, improving the range of exposures quantified, their precision and mechanistic relevance to health. Epidemiological studies may be better able to explore the common theme of urban form and health in an integrated manner, ultimately contributing new knowledge informing policies that enhance healthy urban living.
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- 2018
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9. The Canadian Urban Environmental Health Research Consortium (CANUE): a national data linkage initiative
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Dany Doiron, Eleanor Setton, Evan Seed, Mahdi Shooshtari, and Jeffrey Brook
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Demography. Population. Vital events ,HB848-3697 - Abstract
Introduction Health and environmental exposure databases are generally siloed in different research institutions across Canada and integrating them for environmental health research is a considerable challenge. Facilitating the linkage of these databases is essential to provide new analytical opportunities and help create efficiencies for research on environmental determinants of health. Objectives and Approach CANUE is a Canadian Institutes of Health Research-funded platform for supporting environmental health research. CANUE collates and generates standardized environmental data on air and noise pollution, land use, green/natural spaces, climate change/extreme weather, and socioeconomic conditions for every postal code in Canada and makes them freely available to researchers. Systems and procedures are being developed by CANUE to facilitate the sharing and integration of these extensive geospatial exposures with existing observational cohorts and administrative health databases across Canada. This linkage will enable investigators to test hypotheses on the interdependent associations of environmental features with health impacts or benefits. Results CANUE now hosts a dozen national exposure databases and related metadata files, and actively adds new regional and national datasets. Streamlined processes for data sharing have been developed to facilitate easy merging with health data. Substantial consultation has also taken place with a wide range of health data holders to establish appropriate processes for receiving and managing environmental data, with particular focus on addressing challenges presented by differing ethics, consent and confidentiality requirements. These processes help accelerate the research process by making analysis-ready data available to investigators, create opportunities to study how multiple environmental factors are linked to a wide range of health outcomes, and generally increase the use of health and population databases for environmental health research. Conclusion/Implications The CANUE collaborative model illustrates how the production of policy-relevant evidence can be advanced through better coordination among environmental health researchers and linkage with health databases. CANUE is improving the scientific potential and cost-effectiveness of research in environmental epidemiology through streamlining linkage and access to standardized exposure datasets.
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- 2018
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10. Fostering population-based cohort data discovery: The Maelstrom Research cataloguing toolkit.
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Julie Bergeron, Dany Doiron, Yannick Marcon, Vincent Ferretti, and Isabel Fortier
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Medicine ,Science - Abstract
BACKGROUND:The lack of accessible and structured documentation creates major barriers for investigators interested in understanding, properly interpreting and analyzing cohort data and biological samples. Providing the scientific community with open information is essential to optimize usage of these resources. A cataloguing toolkit is proposed by Maelstrom Research to answer these needs and support the creation of comprehensive and user-friendly study- and network-specific web-based metadata catalogues. METHODS:Development of the Maelstrom Research cataloguing toolkit was initiated in 2004. It was supported by the exploration of existing catalogues and standards, and guided by input from partner initiatives having used or pilot tested incremental versions of the toolkit. RESULTS:The cataloguing toolkit is built upon two main components: a metadata model and a suite of open-source software applications. The model sets out specific fields to describe study profiles; characteristics of the subpopulations of participants; timing and design of data collection events; and datasets/variables collected at each data collection event. It also includes the possibility to annotate variables with different classification schemes. When combined, the model and software support implementation of study and variable catalogues and provide a powerful search engine to facilitate data discovery. CONCLUSIONS:The Maelstrom Research cataloguing toolkit already serves several national and international initiatives and the suite of software is available to new initiatives through the Maelstrom Research website. With the support of new and existing partners, we hope to ensure regular improvements of the toolkit.
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- 2018
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11. Impaired Ventilatory Efficiency, Dyspnea, and Exercise Intolerance in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: Results from the CanCOLD Study
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Devin B. Phillips, Amany F. Elbehairy, Matthew D. James, Sandra G. Vincent, Kathryn M. Milne, Juan P. de-Torres, J. Alberto Neder, Miranda Kirby, Dennis Jensen, Michael K. Stickland, Jordan A. Guenette, Benjamin M. Smith, Shawn D. Aaron, Wan C. Tan, Jean Bourbeau, Denis E. O’Donnell, Jonathon Samet, Milo Puhan, James C. Hogg, Qutayba Hamid, Dany Doiron, Palmina Mancino, Pei-Zhi Li, Zhi Song, Yvan Fortier, Kenneth Chapman, Patricia McClean, Jane Duke, Andrea S. Gershon, Teresa Toh, Mohsen Sadatsafavi, Don Sin, J. Mark Fitzgerald, Jeremy Road, Christine Lo, Sarah Cheng, Elena Un, Michael Cheng, Cynthia Fung, Faize Faroon, Olga Radivojevic, Sally Chung, Carl Zou, Rena Choi, Joe Comeau, Harvey Coxson, Jonathon Leipsic, Cameron Hague, Brandie Walker, Curtis Dumonceaux, Paul Hernandez, Scott Fulton, Kathy Vandemheen, Matthew McNeil, Kate Whelan, Francois Maltais, Cynthia Brouillard, Darcy Marciniuk, Ron Clemens, and Janet Baran
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Pulmonary and Respiratory Medicine ,Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive ,Dyspnea ,Exercise Tolerance ,Pulmonary Gas Exchange ,Exercise Test ,Humans ,Carbon Dioxide ,Critical Care and Intensive Care Medicine - Published
- 2022
12. Impaired Spirometry and COPD Increase the Risk of Cardiovascular Disease
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Suurya Krishnan, Wan C. Tan, Raquel Farias, Shawn D. Aaron, Andrea Benedetti, Kenneth R. Chapman, Paul Hernandez, François Maltais, Darcy D. Marciniuk, Denis E. O’Donnell, Don D. Sin, Brandie Walker, Jean Bourbeau, J. Mark FitzGerald, Shawn Aaron, Dany Doiron, Palmina Mancino, Pei Zhi Li, Dennis Jensen, Carolyn Baglole, Yvan Fortier, Don Sin, Julia Yang, Jeremy Road, Joe Comeau, Adrian Png, Kyle Johnson, Harvey Coxson, Jonathon Leipsic, Cameron Hague, Miranda Kirby, Zhi Song, Christine Lo, Sarah Cheng, Elena Un, Cynthia Fung, Wen Tiang Wang, Liyun Zheng, Faize Faroon, Olga Radivojevic, Sally Chung, Carl Zou, Jacinthe Baril, Laura Labonte, Kenneth Chapman, Patricia McClean, Nadeen Audisho, Curtis Dumonceaux, Lisette Machado, Scott Fulton, Kristen Osterling, Denise Wigerius, Kathy Vandemheen, Gay Pratt, Amanda Bergeron, Denis O’Donnell, Matthew McNeil, Kate Whelan, Cynthia Brouillard, Darcy Marciniuk, Ron Clemens, Janet Baran, and Candace Leuschen
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Pulmonary and Respiratory Medicine ,Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine ,Critical Care and Intensive Care Medicine - Published
- 2023
13. MOLGENIS/connect: a system for semi-automatic integration of heterogeneous phenotype data with applications in biobanks.
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Chao Pang, David van Enckevort, Mark de Haan, Fleur D. L. Kelpin, Jonathan Jetten, Dennis Hendriksen, Tommy de Boer, Bart Charbon, Erwin Winder, K. Joeri van der Velde, Dany Doiron, Isabel Fortier, Hans L. Hillege, and Morris A. Swertz
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- 2016
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14. Leisure sedentary time and physical activity are higher in neighbourhoods with denser greenness and better built environments: an analysis of the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging
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Chris I. Ardern, John David Cullen, Dany Doiron, Shilpa Dogra, David Rudoler, Caroline Barakat, and Irmina Klicnik
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Male ,Aging ,Canada ,Longitudinal study ,Physiology ,Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism ,Physical activity ,Ordinal regression ,Odds ,Leisure Activities ,Residence Characteristics ,Active living ,Physiology (medical) ,Humans ,Longitudinal Studies ,Built Environment ,Exercise ,Aged ,Sedentary time ,Nutrition and Dietetics ,Mean age ,General Medicine ,Middle Aged ,Female ,Sedentary Behavior ,Psychology ,Urban environment ,Demography - Abstract
Associations of environmental variables with physical activity and sedentary time using data from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging, and the Canadian Urban Environmental Health Research Consortium (Canadian Active Living Environments (Can-ALE) dataset, and Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI, greenness) dataset) were assessed. The main outcome variables were physical activity and sedentary time as measured by a modified version of the Physical Activity for Elderly Scale. The sample consisted of adults aged 45 and older (n = 36 580, mean age 62.6 ± 10.2, 51% female). Adjusted ordinal regression models consistently demonstrated that those residing in neighbourhoods in the highest Can-ALE category (most well-connected built environment) reported more physical activity and sedentary time. For example, males aged 75+ in the highest Can-ALE category had 2 times higher odds of reporting more physical activity (OR = 2.0, 95% CI = 1.1–3.5) and 1.8 times higher odds of reporting more sedentary time (OR = 1.8, 95% CI = 1.0–3.4). Neighbourhoods with higher greenness scores were also associated with higher odds of reporting more physical activity and sedentary time. It appears that an environment characterized by higher Can-ALE and higher greenness may facilitate physical activity, but it also facilitates more leisure sedentary time in older adults; research using device measured total sedentary time, and consideration of the types of sedentary activities being performed is needed. Novelty: Middle-aged and older adults living in neighbourhoods with higher Can-ALE scores and more greenness report more physical activity and leisure sedentary time Greenness is important for physical activity and sedentary time in middle-aged adults
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- 2022
15. GlobeCorr: interactive globe-based visualization for correlation datasets
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Mariam Arab, Nolan Woods, Emma S Garlock, Geoffrey L Winsor, Jaclyn P Parks, Baofeng Jia, Dany Doiron, Tim K Takaro, Jeffrey R Brook, and Fiona S L Brinkman
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General Medicine - Abstract
Motivation Increasingly complex omics datasets are being generated, along with associated diverse categories of metadata (environmental, clinical, etc.). Looking at the correlation between these variables can be critical to identify potential confounding factors and novel relationships. To date, some correlation globe software has been developed to aid investigations; however, they lack secure, dynamic visualization capability. Results GlobeCorr.ca is a web-based application designed to provide user-friendly, interactive visualization and analysis of correlation datasets. Users load tabular data listing pairwise variables and their correlation values, and GlobeCorr creates a dynamic visualization using ribbons to represent positive and negative correlations, optionally grouped by domain/category (such as microbiome taxa against other metadata). GlobeCorr runs securely (locally on a user’s computer) and provides a simple method for users to visualize and summarize complex datasets. This tool is applicable to a wide range of disciplines and domains of interest, including the bioinformatics/microbiome and metadata examples provided within. Availability and Implementation See https://GlobeCorr.ca; Code provided under an open source MIT license: https://github.com/brinkmanlab/globecorr.
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- 2023
16. Physical Activity and Symptom Burden in COPD: The Canadian Obstructive Lung Disease Study
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Loes Oostrik, Jean Bourbeau, Dany Doiron, Bryan Ross, Pei Zhi-Li, Shawn D. Aaron, Kenneth R. Chapman, Paul Hernandez, François Maltais, Darcy D. Marciniuk, Denis O’Donnell, Wan C. Tan, Don D. Sin, Brandie Walker, and Tania Janaudis-Ferreira
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Pulmonary and Respiratory Medicine ,Origianl Research - Abstract
Background: The relationship between symptom burden and physical activity (PA) in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) remains poorly understood with limited data on undiagnosed individuals and those with mild to moderate disease. Objective: The primary objective was to evaluate the relationship between symptom burden and moderate-to-vigorous intensity PA (MVPA) in individuals from a random population-based sampling mirroring the population at large. Methods: Baseline participants of the Canadian Cohort Obstructive Lung Disease (n=1558) were selected for this cross-sectional sub-study. Participants with mild COPD (n=406) and moderate COPD (n=331), healthy individuals (n=347), and those at risk of developing COPD (n=474) were included. The Community Healthy Activities Model Program for Seniors (CHAMPS) questionnaire was used to estimate MVPA in terms of energy expenditure. High symptom burden was classified using the COPD Assessment Test ([CAT] ≥10). Results: Significant associations were demonstrated between high symptom burden and lower MVPA levels in the overall COPD sample (β=-717.09; 95% confidence interval [CI]=-1079.78, -354.40; p
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- 2022
17. Short-term air pollution exposure and exacerbation events in mild to moderate COPD: a case-crossover study within the CanCOLD cohort
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Bryan A Ross, Dany Doiron, Andrea Benedetti, Shawn D Aaron, Kenneth Chapman, Paul Hernandez, François Maltais, Darcy Marciniuk, Denis E O'Donnell, Don D Sin, Brandie L Walker, Wan Tan, and Jean Bourbeau
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Pulmonary and Respiratory Medicine - Abstract
BackgroundInfections are considered as leading causes of acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Non-infectious risk factors such as short-term air pollution exposure may play a clinically important role. We sought to estimate the relationship between short-term air pollutant exposure and exacerbations in Canadian adults living with mild to moderate COPD.MethodsIn this case-crossover study, exacerbations (‘symptom based’: ≥48 hours of dyspnoea/sputum volume/purulence; ‘event based’: ‘symptom based’ plus requiring antibiotics/corticosteroids or healthcare use) were collected prospectively from 449 participants with spirometry-confirmed COPD within the Canadian Cohort Obstructive Lung Disease. Daily nitrogen dioxide (NO2), fine particulate matter (PM2.5), ground-level ozone (O3), composite of NO2and O3(Ox), mean temperature and relative humidity estimates were obtained from national databases. Time-stratified sampling of hazard and control periods on day ‘0’ (day-of-event) and Lags (‘−1’ to ‘−6’) were compared by fitting generalised estimating equation models. All data were dichotomised into ‘warm’ (May–October) and ‘cool’ (November–April) seasons. ORs and 95% CIs were estimated per IQR increase in pollutant concentrations.ResultsIncreased warm season ambient concentration of NO2was associated with symptom-based exacerbations on Lag−3 (1.14 (1.01 to 1.29), per IQR), and increased cool season ambient PM2.5was associated with symptom-based exacerbations on Lag−1 (1.11 (1.03 to 1.20), per IQR). There was a negative association between warm season ambient O3and symptom-based events on Lag−3 (0.73 (0.52 to 1.00), per IQR).ConclusionsShort-term ambient NO2and PM2.5exposure were associated with increased odds of exacerbations in Canadians with mild to moderate COPD, further heightening the awareness of non-infectious triggers of COPD exacerbations.
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- 2023
18. Overview of retrospective data harmonisation in the MINDMAP project
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Irina Motoc, Isabel Fortier, Tina W. Wey, Steinar Krokstad, Basile Chaix, Parminder Raina, Dany Doiron, J Mark Noordzij, Frank J. van Lenthe, Martin Bobak, Rita Wissa, Erik J. Timmermans, Milagros Ruiz, Guillaume Fabre, Mariëlle A. Beenackers, Erik R. Sund, Epidemiology and Data Science, Amsterdam Reproduction & Development (AR&D), McGill University Health Center [Montreal] (MUHC), Amsterdam UMC, Erasmus University Medical Center [Rotterdam] (Erasmus MC), University College of London [London] (UCL), Utrecht University [Utrecht], Institut Pierre Louis d'Epidémiologie et de Santé Publique (iPLESP), Sorbonne Université (SU)-Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), McMaster University [Hamilton, Ontario], Gestionnaire, Hal Sorbonne Université, Amsterdam UMC - Amsterdam University Medical Center, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM)-Sorbonne Université (SU), APH - Mental Health, APH - Aging & Later Life, and Public Health
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Aging ,Process (engineering) ,Medisinske Fag: 700::Klinisk medisinske fag: 750::Geriatri: 778 [VDP] ,[SDV]Life Sciences [q-bio] ,030204 cardiovascular system & hematology ,Retrospective data ,03 medical and health sciences ,0302 clinical medicine ,Project management process ,SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-being ,Humans ,Medicine ,longitudinal studies ,030212 general & internal medicine ,Original Research ,Retrospective Studies ,Data collection ,Descriptive statistics ,Matematikk og Naturvitenskap: 400::Informasjons- og kommunikasjonsvitenskap: 420::Databaser og multimediasystemer: 428 [VDP] ,business.industry ,Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health ,methodology ,Environmental Exposure ,Missing data ,Data science ,[SDV] Life Sciences [q-bio] ,Data set ,Variable (computer science) ,Mental Health ,Cohort studies ,epidemiology ,Samfunnsvitenskap: 200::Psykologi: 260 [VDP] ,business - Abstract
Background The MINDMAP project implemented a multinational data infrastructure to investigate the direct and interactive effects of urban environments and individual determinants of mental well-being and cognitive function in ageing populations. Using a rigorous process involving multiple teams of experts, longitudinal data from six cohort studies were harmonised to serve MINDMAP objectives. This article documents the retrospective data harmonisation process achieved based on the Maelstrom Research approach and provides a descriptive analysis of the harmonised data generated. Methods A list of core variables (the DataSchema) to be generated across cohorts was first defined, and the potential for cohort-specific data sets to generate the DataSchema variables was assessed. Where relevant, algorithms were developed to process cohort-specific data into DataSchema format, and information to be provided to data users was documented. Procedures and harmonisation decisions were thoroughly documented. Results The MINDMAP DataSchema (v2.0, April 2020) comprised a total of 2841 variables (993 on individual determinants and outcomes, 1848 on environmental exposures) distributed across up to seven data collection events. The harmonised data set included 220 621 participants from six cohorts (10 subpopulations). Harmonisation potential, participant distributions and missing values varied across data sets and variable domains. Conclusion The MINDMAP project implemented a collaborative and transparent process to generate a rich integrated data set for research in ageing, mental well-being and the urban environment. The harmonised data set supports a range of research activities and will continue to be updated to serve ongoing and future MINDMAP research needs.
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- 2021
19. Air pollution and COPD: GOLD 2023 committee report
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Don D. Sin, Dany Doiron, Alvar Agusti, Antonio Anzueto, Peter J. Barnes, Bartolome R. Celli, Gerard J. Criner, David Halpin, MeiLan K. Han, Fernando J. Martinez, Maria Montes de Oca, Alberto Papi, Ian Pavord, Nicolas Roche, Dave Singh, Robert Stockley, M. Victorina Lopez Varlera, Jadwiga Wedzicha, Claus Vogelmeier, and Jean Bourbeau
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Pulmonary and Respiratory Medicine - Abstract
Exposure to air pollution is a major contributor to the pathogenesis of COPD worldwide. Indeed, most recent estimates suggest that 50% of the total attributable risk of COPD may be related to air pollution. In response, the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) Scientific Committee performed a comprehensive review on this topic, qualitatively synthesised the evidence to date and proffered recommendations to mitigate the risk. The review found that both gaseous and particulate components of air pollution are likely contributors to COPD. There are no absolutely safe levels of ambient air pollution and the relationship between air pollution levels and respiratory events is supra-linear. Wildfires and extreme weather events such as heat waves, which are becoming more common owing to climate change, are major threats to COPD patients and acutely increase their risk of morbidity and mortality. Exposure to air pollution also impairs lung growth in children and as such may lead to developmental COPD. GOLD recommends strong public health policies around the world to reduce ambient air pollution and for implementation of public warning systems and advisories, including where possible the use of personalised apps, to alert patients when ambient air pollution levels exceed acceptable minimal thresholds. When household particulate content exceeds acceptable thresholds, patients should consider using air cleaners and filters where feasible. Air pollution is a major health threat to patients living with COPD and actions are urgently required to reduce the morbidity and mortality related to poor air quality around the world.
- Published
- 2023
20. Mapping Inequalities in the Physical, Built and Social Environment in Population-Based Studies of Brain Health
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Tomáš Paus, Jeff Brook, and Dany Doiron
- Abstract
This mini-tutorial describes how combining aggregate-level data about the physical, built and social environment can facilitate our understanding of factors shaping the human brain and, in turn, brain health. It provides entry-level information about methods and approaches one can use to uncover how inequalities in the local environment lead to health inequalities in general, and those in brain health in particular. This background knowledge should be helpful to those who are interested in using neuroimaging to investigate how environmental factors shape inter-individual variations in the human brain.
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- 2022
21. Late Breaking Abstract - Estimating the relationship between environmental exposures and acute exacerbations of COPD
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Andrea Benedetti, Pei Zhi Li, Dany Doiron, Jean Bourbeau, and Bryan Ross
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medicine.medical_specialty ,COPD ,Lung ,medicine.anatomical_structure ,business.industry ,Emergency medicine ,Cohort ,Medicine ,Pulmonary disease ,In patient ,business ,medicine.disease ,Obstructive lung disease - Abstract
Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a common and chronic lung condition characterized by sudden flare-ups known as acute exacerbations (AECOPD). Relative increases in air pollution concentration and ambient temperature may play a clinically relevant role in precipitating AECOPDs. Objectives: To estimate the association between short-term exposures to air pollution and exacerbations in patients with mild-moderate COPD, as well as the influence of temperature on this relationship. Methods: In this case-crossover study, AECOPD events were collected prospectively from COPD participants within the Canadian Cohort Obstructive Lung Disease (CanCOLD). Daily particulate matter Results: Consistent positive associations (P Measurements and Main Results: Exposure to ambient PM2.5 and NO2 was associated with an increased odds of AECOPD (particularly on lag Day -1 and during the Cool period), challenging the conventional understanding of the precipitants for AECOPD.
- Published
- 2021
22. Physical activity and symptom burden in COPD: The Canadian Cohort Obstructive Lung Disease (CanCOLD) study
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Dany Doiron, Bryan Ross, Pei Zhi-Li, Loes Oostrik, Jean Bourbeau, and Tania Janaudis Ferreira
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medicine.medical_specialty ,COPD ,business.industry ,Internal medicine ,Cohort ,medicine ,Physical activity ,Symptom burden ,medicine.disease ,business ,Obstructive lung disease - Published
- 2021
23. Harmonization Potential of 53 Large Population-Based Studies Using the DataSHaPER.
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Dany Doiron
- Published
- 2011
24. Correction: Leisure sedentary time and physical activity are higher in neighbourhoods with denser greenness and better built environments: an analysis of the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging
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Irmina Klicnik, John David Cullen, Dany Doiron, Caroline Barakat, Chris I. Ardern, David Rudoler, and Shilpa Dogra
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Nutrition and Dietetics ,Physiology ,Physiology (medical) ,Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism ,General Medicine - Published
- 2022
25. Green spaces, subjective health and depressed affect in middle-aged and older adults: a cross-country comparison of four European cohorts
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Rita Wissa, Milagros Ruiz, Irina Motoc, Erik Timmermans, Martijn Huisman, Mauricio Avendano, Dany Doiron, Basile Chaix, Mariëlle A. Beenackers, Joost Oude Groeniger, J Mark Noordzij, Frank J. van Lenthe, Sociology, The Social Context of Aging (SoCA), Public Health, Erasmus University Medical Center [Rotterdam] (Erasmus MC), Amsterdam UMC, Institut Pierre Louis d'Epidémiologie et de Santé Publique (iPLESP), Sorbonne Université (SU)-Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), McGill University Health Center [Montreal] (MUHC), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam [Amsterdam] (VU), University College of London [London] (UCL), McGill University = Université McGill [Montréal, Canada], King‘s College London, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Utrecht University [Utrecht], Epidemiology and Data Science, APH - Aging & Later Life, APH - Societal Participation & Health, Amsterdam Reproduction & Development (AR&D), Noordzij, J Mark [0000-0001-8580-1365], Oude Groeniger, Joost [0000-0002-0691-1679], Timmermans, Erik [0000-0002-3414-7196], Motoc, Irina [0000-0002-0046-7837], Ruiz, Milagros [0000-0001-7492-9873], Avendano, Mauricio [0000-0002-7295-2911], Apollo - University of Cambridge Repository, APH - Mental Health, Gestionnaire, Hal Sorbonne Université, Amsterdam UMC - Amsterdam University Medical Center, and Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM)-Sorbonne Université (SU)
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Parks ,Epidemiology ,[SDV]Life Sciences [q-bio] ,Parks, Recreational ,030209 endocrinology & metabolism ,Environment ,Affect (psychology) ,geography ,self-rated health ,Cohort Studies ,03 medical and health sciences ,Diagnostic Self Evaluation ,0302 clinical medicine ,SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-being ,Medicine ,Humans ,030212 general & internal medicine ,Depression (differential diagnoses) ,Self-rated health ,Original Research ,Aged ,Cross country ,business.industry ,Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health ,Middle Aged ,Mental health ,SDG 11 - Sustainable Cities and Communities ,[SDV] Life Sciences [q-bio] ,Mental Health ,Recreational ,ageing ,Meta-analysis ,depression ,business ,Risk assessment ,Psychosocial ,Demography - Abstract
Background Studies on associations between urban green space and mental health have yielded mixed results. This study examines associations of green space exposures with subjective health and depressed affect of middle-aged and older adults in four European cohorts. Methods Data came from four Western-European and Central-European ageing cohorts harmonised as part of the Mindmap project, comprising 16 189 adults with an average age of 50–71 years. Green space exposure was based on the distance to the nearest green space and the amount of green space within 800 m buffers around residential addresses. Cohort-specific and one-step individual participant data (IPD) meta-analyses were used to examine associations of green space exposures with subjective health and depressed affect. Results The amount of green spaces within 800 m buffers was lowest for Residential Environment and CORonary heart Disease (Paris, 15.0 hectares) and highest for Health, Alcohol and Psychosocial factors In Eastern Europe (Czech Republic, 35.9 hectares). IPD analyses indicated no evidence of an association between the distance to the nearest green space and depressed affect (OR 0.98, 95% CI 0.96 to 1.00) or good self-rated health (OR 1.01, 95% CI 0.99 to 1.02). Likewise, the amount of green space within 800 m buffers did not predict depressed affect (OR 0.98, 95% CI 0.96 to 1.00) or good self-rated health (OR 1.01, 95% CI 0.99 to 1.02). Findings were consistent across all cohorts. Conclusions Data from four European ageing cohorts provide no support for the hypothesis that green space exposure is associated with subjective health or depressed affect. While longitudinal evidence is required, these findings suggest that green space may be less important for older urban residents.
- Published
- 2021
26. Gender, marital and educational inequalities in mid-to late-life depressive symptoms: Cross-cohort variation and moderation by urbanicity degree
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Martijn Huisman, Abdonas Tamosiunas, Martin Bobak, Ruzena Kubinova, Rita Wissa, Dany Doiron, Aliou Sarr, Parminder Raina, Basile Chaix, Sofia Malyutina, Nazmul Sohel, Erik J. Timmermans, Milagros Ruiz, Frank J. van Lenthe, Asli Gurer, Mariëlle A. Beenackers, Steinar Krokstad, Epidemiology and Data Science, APH - Aging & Later Life, APH - Societal Participation & Health, Sociology, The Social Context of Aging (SoCA), Public Health, University College of London [London] (UCL), Erasmus University Medical Center [Rotterdam] (Erasmus MC), McGill University Health Center [Montreal] (MUHC), McMaster University [Hamilton, Ontario], VU University Medical Center [Amsterdam], Institut Pierre Louis d'Epidémiologie et de Santé Publique (iPLESP), Sorbonne Université (SU)-Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam [Amsterdam] (VU), Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), National Institute of Public Health [Prague], Novosibirsk State University (NSU), Utrecht University [Utrecht], Gestionnaire, Hal Sorbonne Université, and Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM)-Sorbonne Université (SU)
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Canada ,Inequality ,Epidemiology ,[SDV]Life Sciences [q-bio] ,media_common.quotation_subject ,Social epidemiology ,Affect (psychology) ,Population density ,Cohort Studies ,03 medical and health sciences ,0302 clinical medicine ,SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-being ,Humans ,Medicine ,030212 general & internal medicine ,Depression (differential diagnoses) ,Original Research ,media_common ,urbanisation ,Depression ,business.industry ,Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health ,Ageing ,depression ,social epidemiology ,SDG 10 - Reduced Inequalities ,Middle Aged ,Moderation ,030227 psychiatry ,[SDV] Life Sciences [q-bio] ,Cross-Sectional Studies ,Cohort ,Educational Status ,Marital status ,Female ,business ,Demography - Abstract
Background Although ageing populations are increasingly residing in cities, it is unknown whether depression inequalities are moderated by urbanicity degree. We estimated gender, marital and educational inequalities in depressive symptoms among older European and Canadian adults, and examined whether higher levels of urbanicity, captured by population density, heightened these inequalities. Methods Harmonised cross-sectional data on 97 826 adults aged ≥50 years from eight cohorts were used. Prevalence ratios (PRs) were calculated for probable depression, depressed affect and depressive symptom severity by gender, marital status and education within each cohort, and combined using random-effects meta-analysis. Using a subsample of 73 123 adults from six cohorts with available data on population density, we tested moderating effects measured by the number of residents per square kilometre. Results The pooled PRs for probable depression by female gender, unmarried or non-cohabitating status and low education were 1.48 (95% CI 1.28 to 1.72), 1.44 (95% CI 1.29 to 1.61) and 1.29 (95% CI 1.18 to 1.41), respectively. PRs for depressed affect and high symptom severity were broadly similar. Except for one Dutch cohort with findings in an unexpected direction, there was no evidence that population density modified depressive symptom inequalities. Conclusions Despite cross-cohort variation in gender, marital status and educational inequalities in depressive symptoms, there was weak evidence that these inequalities differed by levels of population density.
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- 2021
27. Social and physical neighbourhood characteristics and loneliness among older adults: results from the MINDMAP project
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Dany Doiron, Martijn Huisman, Rita Wissa, Milagros Ruiz, Erik Timmermans, Guillaume Fabre, Asli Gurer, Joost Oude Groeniger, Dorly J. H. Deeg, Frank J. van Lenthe, Irina Motoc, Mariëlle A. Beenackers, J Mark Noordzij, Aliou Sarr, Epidemiology and Data Science, APH - Mental Health, APH - Aging & Later Life, APH - Societal Participation & Health, Amsterdam Reproduction & Development (AR&D), Sociology, The Social Context of Aging (SoCA), and Public Health
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Aging ,SDG 16 - Peace ,Epidemiology ,Population ,030204 cardiovascular system & hematology ,03 medical and health sciences ,0302 clinical medicine ,Neighbourhood/place ,SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-being ,Residence Characteristics ,Medicine ,Humans ,030212 general & internal medicine ,education ,Neighbourhood (mathematics) ,Multinomial logistic regression ,Aged ,Original Research ,SDG 15 - Life on Land ,education.field_of_study ,business.industry ,Loneliness ,SDG 16 - Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions ,1. No poverty ,Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health ,16. Peace & justice ,Mental health ,Justice and Strong Institutions ,Social security ,Cross-Sectional Studies ,Environmental health ,Homogeneous ,SDG 1 - No Poverty ,Crime ,medicine.symptom ,business ,Cohort study ,Demography ,Epidemiology of ageing - Abstract
Background Loneliness is associated with several adverse mental and physical health outcomes in older adults. Previous studies have shown that a variety of individual-level and perceived area-level characteristics are associated with loneliness. This study examined the associations of objectively measured social and physical neighbourhood characteristics with loneliness. Methods We used cross-sectional data from 1959 older adults (63–98 years) who participated in the Longitudinal Ageing Study Amsterdam (LASA; wave 2011/12) and the Health and Living Conditions of the Population of Eindhoven and Surroundings study (GLOBE; wave 2014) in the Netherlands. Study-specific loneliness scores were harmonised across both cohort studies and divided into tertiles denoting low, medium and high levels of loneliness. Objectively measured neighbourhood characteristics, including area-level percentages of low educated residents, social security beneficiaries and unoccupied dwellings, average income, crime levels and land use mix, were linked to individual-level data. Multinomial logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine the associations of interest. Results There was no statistical evidence for an association of the included neighbourhood characteristics with loneliness. Although not statistically significant, the observed associations suggested that participants living in neighbourhoods with more heterogeneous land use mix were less likely to have a medium and high level of loneliness than those living in more homogeneous neighbourhoods in terms of land use mix (ORmedium=0.54, 95% CI=0.18–1.67; ORhigh=0.67, 95% CI=0.21–2.11). Conclusion The results indicate that the included objectively measured social and physical neighbourhood characteristics are not associated with loneliness in old age.
- Published
- 2021
28. Physical Activity and Symptom Burden in COPD: A Canadian Cohort of Obstructive Lung Disease (CanCOLD) Cross-Sectional Study
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Bryan Ross, Dany Doiron, Tania Janaudis-Ferreira, Jean Bourbeau, P. Zhi Li, and L. Oostrik
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medicine.medical_specialty ,COPD ,Cross-sectional study ,business.industry ,Internal medicine ,Cohort ,Physical activity ,medicine ,Symptom burden ,medicine.disease ,business ,Obstructive lung disease - Published
- 2021
29. Dysanapsis and the Spirometric Response to Inhaled Bronchodilators
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Motahareh Vameghestahbanati, Miranda Kirby, François Maltais, Dennis Jensen, Dany Doiron, Wan C. Tan, Jean Bourbeau, Benjamin M. Smith, Yves Lacasse, Denis O’Donnell, Robert Cowie, Kenneth Chapman, Roger Goldstein, Darcy Marciniuk, Aaron Shawn, Andrea Benedetti, Paul Hernandez, Mark Fitzgerald, Teresa To, Hélène Perrault, Tanja Taivassalo, William Sheel, Peter Pare, and James C. Hogg
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Pulmonary and Respiratory Medicine ,Spirometry ,Adult ,Male ,medicine.medical_specialty ,medicine.drug_class ,Computed tomography ,Bronchi ,Critical Care and Intensive Care Medicine ,Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive ,Internal medicine ,Bronchodilator ,Correspondence ,Administration, Inhalation ,medicine ,Humans ,Aged ,Aged, 80 and over ,medicine.diagnostic_test ,business.industry ,Tomography, X-Ray ,Organ Size ,Middle Aged ,Bronchodilator Agents ,Treatment Outcome ,Case-Control Studies ,Cardiology ,Linear Models ,Female ,business ,Lung Volume Measurements - Published
- 2021
30. Centralizing environmental datasets to support (inter)national chronic disease research: Values, challenges, and recommendations
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Dany Doiron, Jeffrey R. Brook, Eleanor Setton, Jeroen Lakerveld, Epidemiology and Data Science, APH - Health Behaviors & Chronic Diseases, and APH - Methodology
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Epidemiology ,Computer science ,Emerging technologies ,Environmental data ,Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis ,Big data ,computer.software_genre ,Documentation ,Exposure assessment ,Global and Planetary Change ,Metadata ,business.industry ,Environmental exposures ,Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health ,Data linkage ,Pollution ,Data science ,Harmonization ,Commentary ,Data integration ,business ,computer ,Environmental epidemiology - Abstract
Background: Whereas environmental data are increasingly available, it is often not clear how or if datasets are available for health research. Exposure metrics are typically developed for specific research initiatives using disparate exposure assessment methods and no mechanisms are put in place for centralizing, archiving, or distributing environmental datasets. In parallel, potentially vast amounts of environmental data are emerging due to new technologies such as high resolution imagery and machine learning. Objectives: The Canadian Urban Environmental Health Research Consortium (CANUE) and the Geoscience and Health Cohort Consortium (GECCO) provide a proof of concept that centralizing and disseminating environmental data for health research is valuable and can accelerate discovery. In this essay, we argue that more efficient use of exposure data for environmental epidemiological research over the next decade requires progress in four key areas: metadata and data access portals, linkage with health databases, harmonization of exposure measures and models over large areas, and leveraging "big data" streams for exposure characterization and evaluation of temporal changes. Discussion: Optimizing the use of existing environmental data and exploiting emerging data streams can provide unprecedented research opportunities in environmental epidemiology through a better characterization of individuals' exposures and the ability to study the intersecting impacts of multiple environmental features or urban attributes across different populations around the world. Proper documentation, linkage, and dissemination of new and emerging exposure data leads to a better awareness of data availability, a reduction of duplication of effort and increases research output.
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- 2021
31. Ambient air pollution exposure and chronic bronchitis in the Lifelines cohort
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Dany Doiron, Jean Bourbeau, Anna Hansell, and Kees de Hoogh
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Pulmonary and Respiratory Medicine ,Chronic bronchitis ,business.industry ,Incidence (epidemiology) ,Environmental Exposure ,Logistic regression ,Tobacco smoke ,03 medical and health sciences ,Chronic cough ,0302 clinical medicine ,030228 respiratory system ,Environmental health ,Cohort ,medicine ,Sputum ,030212 general & internal medicine ,medicine.symptom ,business ,COPD epidemiology ,Body mass index - Abstract
BackgroundFew large studies have assessed the relationship of long-term ambient air pollution exposure with the prevalence and incidence of symptoms of chronic bronchitis and cough.MethodsWe leveraged Lifelines cohort data on 132 595 (baseline) and 65 009 (second assessment) participants linked to ambient air pollution estimates. Logistic regression models adjusted for sex, age, educational attainment, body mass index, smoking status, pack-years smoking and environmental tobacco smoke at home were used to assess associations of air pollution with prevalence and incidence of chronic bronchitis (winter cough and sputum almost daily for ≥3 months/year), chronic cough (winter cough almost daily for ≥3 months/year) and prevalence of cough and sputum symptoms, irrespective of duration.ResultsAssociations were seen for all pollutants for prevalent cough or sputum symptoms. However, for prevalent and incident chronic bronchitis, statistically significant associations were seen for nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and black carbon (BC) but not for fine particulate matter (PM2.5). For prevalent chronic bronchitis, associations with NO2 showed OR: 1.05 (95% CI: 1.02 to 1.08) and with BC OR: 1.06 (95% CI: 1.03 to 1.09) expressed per IQR; corresponding results for incident chronic bronchitis were NO2 OR: 1.07 (95% CI: 1.02 to 1.13) and BC OR: 1.07 (95% CI: 1.02 to 1.13). In subgroup analyses, slightly stronger associations were observed among women, never smokers and younger individuals.ConclusionThis is the largest analysis to date to examine cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between ambient air pollution and chronic bronchitis. NO2 and BC air pollution was associated with increased odds of prevalent and incident chronic bronchitis.
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- 2021
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32. Impact of road traffic noise on obesity measures: Observational study of three European cohorts
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Bruce H. R. Wolffenbuttel, Kirsti Kvaløy, Dany Doiron, Yutong Cai, Anna Hansell, Kazem Rahimi, Susan Hodgson, Wilma L. Zijlema, Mark J. Nieuwenhuijsen, Kees de Hoogh, John S. Gulliver, Elin Pettersen Sørgjerd, Lifestyle Medicine (LM), and Center for Liver, Digestive and Metabolic Diseases (CLDM)
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010501 environmental sciences ,NO2 ,01 natural sciences ,Biochemistry ,0302 clinical medicine ,MARKERS ,Epidemiology ,030212 general & internal medicine ,Body mass index ,General Environmental Science ,Netherlands ,education.field_of_study ,Norway ,ASSOCIATION ,Middle Aged ,Pollution ,LONG-TERM EXPOSURE ,Europe ,Noise, Transportation ,Cohort ,Female ,ADIPOSITY ,Adult ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Waist ,Population ,TRANSPORTATION NOISE ,03 medical and health sciences ,Environmental health ,Air Pollution ,medicine ,Humans ,Traffic ,Obesity ,education ,Socioeconomic status ,0105 earth and related environmental sciences ,business.industry ,HUNT ,Environmental Exposure ,AIR-POLLUTION ,medicine.disease ,Cardiometabolic risk ,Cross-Sectional Studies ,Central obesity ,Observational study ,business ,Noise - Abstract
Background: Environmental stressors such as transport noise may contribute to development of obesity through increased levels of stress hormones, sleep deprivation and endocrine disruption. Epidemiological evidence supporting an association of road traffic noise with obesity markers is still relatively scant and confined to certain geographical regions. We aimed to examine the cross-sectional associations between road traffic noise and obesity markers in three large European cohorts involving nearly 500,000 individuals. Methods: Three population-based cohorts (UK Biobank, Lifelines, HUNT3) were established between 2006-2013 in the UK, the Netherlands and Norway respectively. For all three cohorts, residential 24-hour road traffic noise (Lden) for 2009 was modelled from a standardised European noise assessment framework. Residential exposures to NO2 for 2007 and PM2.5 for 2010 were estimated from Europe-wide land use regression models. Obesity markers including body mass index and waist circumference were measured at recruitment. Obesity and central obesity status were subsequently derived. Regression models were fitted in each cohort, adjusting for a harmonised set of demographic and lifestyle covariates, with further adjustments for air pollution in the main model. Results: The main analyses included 412,934 participants of UK Biobank, 61,032 of Lifelines and 30,305 of HUNT3, with a mean age of 43-56 years and Lden ranging 42-89 dB(A) across cohorts. In UK Biobank, per 10 dB(A) higher of Lden: BMI was higher by 0.14kg/m2(95%CI: 0.11-0.18), waist circumference higher by 0.27cm(95%CI: 0.19-0.35), odds of obesity was 1.06(95%CI: 1.04-1.08) and of central obesity was 1.05(95%CI: 1.04-1.07).These associations were robust to most other sensitivity analyses but attenuated by further adjustment of PM2.5 or area-level socioeconomic status. Associations were more pronounced among women, those with low physical activity, higher household income or hearing impairment. In HUNT3, associations were observed for obesity or central obesity status among those exposed to Lden greater than 55dB(A). In contrast, no or negative associations were observed in the Lifelines cohort. Conclusions: This largest study to date providing mixed findings on impacts of long-term exposure to road traffic noise on obesity, which necessitates future analyses using longitudinal data to further investigate this potentially important epidemiological link.
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- 2020
33. Relationship between ambient air pollution and lung function in a Canadian population: the CanCOLD cohort study
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Denis E. O'Donnell, Bruce E. Miller, Sharmistha Biswas, Wan C. Tan, Liesel Dsilva, Gilbert Nadeau, Chris Compton, Kenneth R. Chapman, Dany Doiron, Don D. Sin, Darcy D. Marciniuk, Paul Hernandez, François Maltais, Odette Allonby, Shawn D. Aaron, and Jean Bourbeau
- Subjects
Ambient air pollution ,Canadian population ,business.industry ,Environmental health ,Medicine ,business ,Lung function ,Cohort study - Published
- 2020
34. Long-term exposure to road traffic noise, ambient air pollution, and cardiovascular risk factors in the HUNT and lifelines cohorts
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Isabel Fortier, David Morley, Marta Blangiardo, Anna Hansell, BioSHaRE, Susan Hodgson, John S. Gulliver, Ronald P. Stolk, Kristian Hveem, Dany Doiron, Wilma L. Zijlema, Paul Elliott, Paul Burton, Kees de Hoogh, Yutong Cai, Stéphane Mbatchou, Life Course Epidemiology (LCE), Lifestyle Medicine (LM), National Institute for Health Research, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust- BRC Funding, Commission of the European Communities, Medical Research Council (MRC), EU FP7, Public Health England, and Medical Research Council
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Male ,SYSTEMIC INFLAMMATION ,Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems ,Air pollution ,Blood lipids ,BioSHaRE ,030204 cardiovascular system & hematology ,010501 environmental sciences ,medicine.disease_cause ,01 natural sciences ,DISEASE ,TERM EXPOSURE ,0302 clinical medicine ,MARKERS ,Risk Factors ,Medicine ,Prospective Studies ,Prospective cohort study ,ASSOCIATIONS ,Air Pollutants ,Traffic noise ,Environmental exposure ,Middle Aged ,Europe ,Noise, Transportation ,Cardiovascular Diseases ,Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine ,Life Sciences & Biomedicine ,Adult ,ENVIRONMENTAL STRESSORS ,1102 Cardiovascular Medicine And Haematology ,MECHANISMS ,03 medical and health sciences ,Clinical Research ,Air Pollution ,Environmental health ,Blood glucose ,Humans ,0105 earth and related environmental sciences ,Science & Technology ,LONDON ,business.industry ,Noise pollution ,Environmental Exposure ,Confidence interval ,MODEL ,Noise ,Cardiovascular System & Hematology ,Socioeconomic Factors ,13. Climate action ,Cardiovascular System & Cardiology ,business - Abstract
Aims: Blood biochemistry may provide information on associations between road traffic noise, air pollution, and cardiovascular disease risk. We evaluated this in two large European cohorts (HUNT3, Lifelines).Methods and results: Road traffic noise exposure was modelled for 2009 using a simplified version of the Common Noise Assessment Methods in Europe (CNOSSOS-EU). Annual ambient air pollution (PM10, NO2) at residence was estimated for 2007 using a Land Use Regression model. The statistical platform DataSHIELD was used to pool data from 144 082 participants aged >= 20 years to enable individual-level analysis. Generalized linear models were fitted to assess cross-sectional associations between pollutants and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), blood lipids and for (Lifelines only) fasting blood glucose, for samples taken during recruitment in 2006-2013. Pooling both cohorts, an inter-quartile range (IQR) higher day-time noise (5.1 dB(A)) was associated with 1.1% [95% confidence interval (95% CI: 0.02-2.2%)] higher hsCRP, 0.7% (95% CI: 0.3-1.1%) higher triglycerides, and 0.5% (95% CI: 0.3-0.7%) higher high-density lipoprotein (HDL); only the association with HDL was robust to adjustment for air pollution. An IQR higher PM10 (2.0 mu g/m(3)) or NO2 (7.4 mu g/m(3)) was associated with higher triglycerides (1.9%, 95% CI: 1.5-2.4% and 2.2%, 95% CI: 1.6-2.7%), independent of adjustment for noise. Additionally for NO2, a significant association with hsCRP (1.9%, 95% CI: 0.5-3.3%) was seen. In Lifelines, an IQR higher noise (4.2 dB(A)) and PM10 (2.4 mu g/m(3)) was associated with 0.2% (95% CI: 0.1-0.3%) and 0.6% (95% CI: 0.4-0.7%) higher fasting glucose respectively, with both remaining robust to adjustment for air/noise pollution.Conclusion: Long-term exposures to road traffic noise and ambient air pollution were associated with blood biochemistry, providing a possible link between road traffic noise/air pollution and cardio-metabolic disease risk.
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- 2017
35. Maelstrom Research guidelines for rigorous retrospective data harmonization
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Matilda Saliba, Bartha Maria Knoppers, Camille Craig, Dany Doiron, Parminder Raina, Edwin R. van den Heuvel, Ronald P. Stolk, Lauren Griffith, Vincent Ferretti, Isabel Fortier, Paul Burton, Peter Granda, Stochastic Operations Research, Applied Physics and Science Education, Statistics, Life Course Epidemiology (LCE), and Lifestyle Medicine (LM)
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Process management ,Biomedical Research ,Guiding Principles ,Computer science ,Process (engineering) ,media_common.quotation_subject ,Population ,Harmonization ,Guidelines as Topic ,DETERMINANTS ,030204 cardiovascular system & hematology ,POOLED ANALYSIS ,03 medical and health sciences ,0302 clinical medicine ,EPIDEMIOLOGY ,Humans ,Quality (business) ,030212 general & internal medicine ,education ,Research question ,POPULATION ,media_common ,Retrospective Studies ,Protocol (science) ,education.field_of_study ,LONGITUDINAL DATA ,Data Collection ,LARGE-SCALE ,DATASHAPER APPROACH ,CONSORTIUM ,Methodology ,Data harmonization ,Individual participant data ,General Medicine ,Data processing ,Meta-analysis ,Systematic review ,Research Design ,Data Interpretation, Statistical ,Retrospective harmonization ,COHORT PROFILE ,Data integration ,PROJECT - Abstract
Background: It is widely accepted and acknowledged that data harmonization is crucial: in its absence, the co-analysis of major tranches of high quality extant data is liable to inefficiency or error. However, despite its widespread practice, no formalized/systematic guidelines exist to ensure high quality retrospective data harmonization.Methods: To better understand real-world harmonization practices and facilitate development of formal guidelines, three interrelated initiatives were undertaken between 2006 and 2015. They included a phone survey with 34 major international research initiatives, a series of workshops with experts, and case studies applying the proposed guidelines.Results: A wide range of projects use retrospective harmonization to support their research activities but even when appropriate approaches are used, the terminologies, procedures, technologies and methods adopted vary markedly. The generic guidelines outlined in this article delineate the essentials required and describe an interdependent step-by-step approach to harmonization: 0) define the research question, objectives and protocol; 1) assemble pre-existing knowledge and select studies; 2) define targeted variables and evaluate harmonization potential; 3) process data; 4) estimate quality of the harmonized dataset(s) generated; and 5) disseminate and preserve final harmonization products.Conclusions: This manuscript provides guidelines aiming to encourage rigorous and effective approaches to harmonization which are comprehensively and transparently documented and straightforward to interpret and implement. This can be seen as a key step towards implementing guiding principles analogous to those that are well recognised as being essential in securing the foundational underpinning of systematic reviews and the meta-analysis of clinical trials.
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- 2017
36. Interaction with air pollution exposure for genetic loci associated with lung function
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Anna Hansell, Louise V. Wain, Dany Doiron, Carl A. Melbourne, Kees de Hoogh, Martin D. Tobin, and A. Mesut Erzurumluoglu
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Spirometry ,medicine.diagnostic_test ,business.industry ,Air pollution exposure ,Population structure ,Physiology ,respiratory system ,complex mixtures ,respiratory tract diseases ,FEV1/FVC ratio ,Medicine ,Respiratory system ,business ,Lung function - Abstract
Air pollution has been found to be associated with reduced lung function; also 279 genetic signals of association with lung function have been identified that implicate multiple genes and pathways. In this study, we examined if any of these signals interact with air pollution measures NO2, PM2.5 and PM10.In 259,389 unrelated European individuals from UK Biobank, we tested for a gene-environment interaction effect on lung function with NO2, PM2.5 and PM10 for each of the 279 signals. Lung function measures (FEV1, FEV1/FVC and FVC) were adjusted for sex, age, age2, height, and smoking, income and educational status, with adjustment for 15 principal components for fine-scale population structure. A significance threshold of P
- Published
- 2019
37. Air pollution, lung function and COPD: results from the population-based UK Biobank study
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Nicole Probst-Hensch, Kees de Hoogh, Anna Hansell, Yutong Cai, Isabel Fortier, Dany Doiron, Sara De Matteis, Medical Research Council (MRC), and Medical Research Council
- Subjects
Male ,Vital capacity ,Cross-sectional study ,Respiratory System ,010501 environmental sciences ,01 natural sciences ,Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive ,0302 clinical medicine ,MARKERS ,Risk Factors ,AREAS ,Epidemiology ,Prevalence ,SOCIOECONOMIC-STATUS ,11 Medical and Health Sciences ,ASSOCIATIONS ,Biological Specimen Banks ,COPD ,Air Pollutants ,respiratory system ,Middle Aged ,LONG-TERM EXPOSURE ,Respiratory Function Tests ,Regression Analysis ,Female ,Life Sciences & Biomedicine ,Pulmonary and Respiratory Medicine ,Adult ,medicine.medical_specialty ,MODELS ,Nitrogen Dioxide ,ESCAPE ,03 medical and health sciences ,FEV1/FVC ratio ,Air Pollution ,medicine ,Humans ,LAND-USE REGRESSION ,Air quality index ,0105 earth and related environmental sciences ,Asthma ,Aged ,Science & Technology ,business.industry ,Environmental Exposure ,medicine.disease ,Obesity ,United Kingdom ,respiratory tract diseases ,Cross-Sectional Studies ,030228 respiratory system ,RESPIRATORY HEALTH ,Particulate Matter ,business ,Demography - Abstract
Ambient air pollution increases the risk of respiratory mortality, but evidence for impacts on lung function and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is less well established. The aim was to evaluate whether ambient air pollution is associated with lung function and COPD, and explore potential vulnerability factors.We used UK Biobank data on 303 887 individuals aged 40–69 years, with complete covariate data and valid lung function measures. Cross-sectional analyses examined associations of land use regression-based estimates of particulate matter (particles with a 50% cut-off aerodynamic diameter of 2.5 and 10 µm: PM2.5 and PM10, respectively; and coarse particles with diameter between 2.5 μm and 10 μm: PMcoarse) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) concentrations with forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC), the FEV1/FVC ratio and COPD (FEV1/FVC Higher exposures to each pollutant were significantly associated with lower lung function. A 5 µg·m−3 increase in PM2.5 concentration was associated with lower FEV1 (−83.13 mL, 95% CI −92.50– −73.75 mL) and FVC (−62.62 mL, 95% CI −73.91– −51.32 mL). COPD prevalence was associated with higher concentrations of PM2.5 (OR 1.52, 95% CI 1.42–1.62, per 5 µg·m−3), PM10 (OR 1.08, 95% CI 1.00–1.16, per 5 µg·m−3) and NO2 (OR 1.12, 95% CI 1.10–1.14, per 10 µg·m−3), but not with PMcoarse. Stronger lung function associations were seen for males, individuals from lower income households, and “at-risk” occupations, and higher COPD associations were seen for obese, lower income, and non-asthmatic participants.Ambient air pollution was associated with lower lung function and increased COPD prevalence in this large study.
- Published
- 2018
38. Comparison of Standardization Methods for the Harmonization of Phenotype Data: An Application to Cognitive Measures
- Author
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Parminder Raina, Meghan Kenny, Scott M. Hofer, Edwin R. van den Heuvel, Dany Doiron, Christina Wolfson, Isabel Fortier, Nazmul Sohel, Lauren Griffith, Sylvie Belleville, Hélène Payette, Stochastic Operations Research, and Statistics
- Subjects
Male ,Canada ,Longitudinal study ,Standardization ,Practice of Epidemiology ,Epidemiology ,Population ,03 medical and health sciences ,Cognition ,0302 clinical medicine ,Meta-Analysis as Topic ,Memory ,Surveys and Questionnaires ,Statistics ,Humans ,Longitudinal Studies ,030212 general & internal medicine ,education ,Exercise ,Aged ,Aged, 80 and over ,education.field_of_study ,Models, Statistical ,Confounding ,Individual participant data ,Ecological study ,Meta-analysis ,Phenotype ,Harmonization ,Research Design ,Community health ,Female ,Observational study ,Psychology ,030217 neurology & neurosurgery - Abstract
Standardization procedures are commonly used to combine phenotype data that were measured using different instruments, but there is little information on how the choice of standardization method influences pooled estimates and heterogeneity. Heterogeneity is of key importance in meta-analyses of observational studies because it affects the statistical models used and the decision of whether or not it is appropriate to calculate a pooled estimate of effect. Using 2-stage individual participant data analyses, we compared 2 common methods of standardization, T-scores and category-centered scores, to create combinable memory scores using crosssectional data from 3 Canadian population-based studies (the Canadian Study on Health and Aging (1991-1992), the Canadian Community Health Survey on Healthy Aging (2008-2009), and the Quebec Longitudinal Study on Nutrition and Aging (2004-2005)). A simulation was then conducted to assess the influence of varying the following items across population-based studies: 1) effect size, 2) distribution of confounders, and 3) the relationship between confounders and the outcome. We found that pooled estimates based on the unadjusted category-centered scores tended to be larger than those based on the T-scores, although the differences were negligible when adjusted scores were used, and that most individual participant data meta-analyses identified significant heterogeneity. The results of the simulation suggested that in terms of heterogeneity, the method of standardization played a smaller role than did different effect sizes across populations and differential confounding of the outcome measure across studies. Although there was general consistency between the 2 types of standardization methods, the simulations identified a number of sources of heterogeneity, some of which are not the usual sources considered by researchers.
- Published
- 2016
39. MOLGENIS/connect: a system for semi-automatic integration of heterogeneous phenotype data with applications in biobanks
- Author
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Dennis Hendriksen, Hans L. Hillege, Jonathan Jetten, Erwin Winder, Dany Doiron, Bart Charbon, Isabel Fortier, Fleur Kelpin, David van Enckevort, Tommy de Boer, Chao Pang, Mark de Haan, K. Joeri van der Velde, Morris A. Swertz, Groningen Kidney Center (GKC), Life Course Epidemiology (LCE), Cardiovascular Centre (CVC), and Groningen Institute for Gastro Intestinal Genetics and Immunology (3GI)
- Subjects
0301 basic medicine ,Statistics and Probability ,Computer science ,Databases and Ontologies ,Ontology (information science) ,computer.software_genre ,Biochemistry ,03 medical and health sciences ,Query expansion ,Humans ,Molecular Biology ,Biological Specimen Banks ,Information retrieval ,Computational Biology ,Original Papers ,Biobank ,Computer Science Applications ,Computational Mathematics ,Task (computing) ,Phenotype ,030104 developmental biology ,Biological Ontologies ,Computational Theory and Mathematics ,Data mining ,computer ,Algorithms ,Software - Abstract
Motivation: While the size and number of biobanks, patient registries and other data collections are increasing, biomedical researchers still often need to pool data for statistical power, a task that requires time-intensive retrospective integration. Results: To address this challenge, we developed MOLGENIS/connect, a semi-automatic system to find, match and pool data from different sources. The system shortlists relevant source attributes from thousands of candidates using ontology-based query expansion to overcome variations in terminology. Then it generates algorithms that transform source attributes to a common target DataSchema. These include unit conversion, categorical value matching and complex conversion patterns (e.g. calculation of BMI). In comparison to human-experts, MOLGENIS/connect was able to auto-generate 27% of the algorithms perfectly, with an additional 46% needing only minor editing, representing a reduction in the human effort and expertise needed to pool data. Availability and Implementation: Source code, binaries and documentation are available as open-source under LGPLv3 from http://github.com/molgenis/molgenis and www.molgenis.org/connect. Contact: m.a.swertz@rug.nl Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
- Published
- 2016
40. Healthy built environment: Spatial patterns and relationships of multiple exposures and deprivation in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver
- Author
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Michael Brauer, Perry Hystad, Eleanor Setton, Kerolyn K. Shairsingh, Dany Doiron, Jeffrey R. Brook, and Nancy A. Ross
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Deprivation ,Built environment ,Canada ,medicine.medical_specialty ,010504 meteorology & atmospheric sciences ,Air pollution ,Walkability ,010501 environmental sciences ,medicine.disease_cause ,01 natural sciences ,Residence Characteristics ,Active living ,Urban planning ,Air Pollution ,Environmental health ,11. Sustainability ,medicine ,Cities ,Air quality index ,Neighbourhood (mathematics) ,lcsh:Environmental sciences ,0105 earth and related environmental sciences ,General Environmental Science ,lcsh:GE1-350 ,Public health ,1. No poverty ,Environmental Exposure ,Urban environmental health ,Geography ,13. Climate action ,Greenness ,Air quality - Abstract
Background Various aspects of the urban environment and neighbourhood socio-economic status interact with each other to affect health. Few studies to date have quantitatively assessed intersections of multiple urban environmental factors and their distribution across levels of deprivation. Objectives To explore the spatial patterns of urban environmental exposures within three large Canadian cities, assess how exposures are distributed across socio-economic deprivation gradients, and identify clusters of favourable or unfavourable environmental characteristics. Methods We indexed nationally standardized estimates of active living friendliness (i.e. “walkability”), NO2 air pollution, and greenness to 6-digit postal codes within the cities of Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver. We compared the distribution of within-city exposure tertiles across quintiles of material deprivation. Tertiles of each exposure were then overlaid with each other in order to identify potentially favorable (high walkability, low NO2, high greenness) and unfavorable (low walkability, high NO2, and low greenness) environments. Results In all three cities, high walkability was more common in least deprived areas and less prevalent in highly deprived areas. We also generally saw a greater prevalence of postal codes with high vegetation indices and low NO2 in areas with low deprivation, and a lower greenness prevalence and higher NO2 concentrations in highly deprived areas, suggesting environmental inequity is occurring. Our study showed that relatively few postal codes were simultaneously characterized by desirable or undesirable walkability, NO2 and greenness tertiles. Discussion Spatial analyses of multiple standardized urban environmental factors such as the ones presented in this manuscript can help refine municipal investments and policy priorities. This study illustrates a methodology to prioritize areas for interventions that increase active living and exposure to urban vegetation, as well as lower air pollution. Our results also highlight the importance of considering the intersections between the built environment and socio-economic status in city planning and urban public health decision-making.
- Published
- 2020
41. Associations between Ambient Air Pollution Exposure, Lung Function and COPD: Results from the UK Biobank Cohort
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Anna Hansell, Nicole Probst-Hensch, Kees de Hoogh, and Dany Doiron
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COPD ,Ambient air pollution ,business.industry ,Air pollution ,respiratory system ,medicine.disease ,medicine.disease_cause ,Biobank ,Obstructive lung disease ,respiratory tract diseases ,Environmental health ,Cohort ,medicine ,General Earth and Planetary Sciences ,Respiratory system ,business ,Lung function ,General Environmental Science - Abstract
IntroductionAmbient air pollution increases the risk of respiratory mortality but evidence for impacts on lung function and obstructive lung disease is less well established.MethodsModeled ambient ...
- Published
- 2018
42. The Canadian Urban Environmental Health Research Consortium (CANUE)
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Dany Doiron, Jeffrey R. Brook, Evan Seed, Eleanor Setton, and Mahdi Shooshtari
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Geography ,Environmental health ,General Earth and Planetary Sciences ,General Environmental Science - Published
- 2018
43. The Canadian Urban Environmental Health Research Consortium (CANUE): a national data linkage initiative
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Evan Seed, Dany Doiron, Jeffrey R. Brook, Eleanor Setton, and Mahdi Shooshtari
- Subjects
Information Systems and Management ,Geospatial analysis ,Population ,Collaborative model ,Health Informatics ,010501 environmental sciences ,computer.software_genre ,01 natural sciences ,Environmental data ,03 medical and health sciences ,0302 clinical medicine ,Environmental health ,030212 general & internal medicine ,Social determinants of health ,education ,0105 earth and related environmental sciences ,Demography ,education.field_of_study ,Environmental exposure ,Data sharing ,lcsh:HB848-3697 ,lcsh:Demography. Population. Vital events ,Business ,computer ,Information Systems ,Environmental epidemiology - Abstract
IntroductionHealth and environmental exposure databases are generally siloed in different research institutions across Canada and integrating them for environmental health research is a considerable challenge. Facilitating the linkage of these databases is essential to provide new analytical opportunities and help create efficiencies for research on environmental determinants of health. Objectives and ApproachCANUE is a Canadian Institutes of Health Research-funded platform for supporting environmental health research. CANUE collates and generates standardized environmental data on air and noise pollution, land use, green/natural spaces, climate change/extreme weather, and socioeconomic conditions for every postal code in Canada and makes them freely available to researchers. Systems and procedures are being developed by CANUE to facilitate the sharing and integration of these extensive geospatial exposures with existing observational cohorts and administrative health databases across Canada. This linkage will enable investigators to test hypotheses on the interdependent associations of environmental features with health impacts or benefits. ResultsCANUE now hosts a dozen national exposure databases and related metadata files, and actively adds new regional and national datasets. Streamlined processes for data sharing have been developed to facilitate easy merging with health data. Substantial consultation has also taken place with a wide range of health data holders to establish appropriate processes for receiving and managing environmental data, with particular focus on addressing challenges presented by differing ethics, consent and confidentiality requirements. These processes help accelerate the research process by making analysis-ready data available to investigators, create opportunities to study how multiple environmental factors are linked to a wide range of health outcomes, and generally increase the use of health and population databases for environmental health research. Conclusion/ImplicationsThe CANUE collaborative model illustrates how the production of policy-relevant evidence can be advanced through better coordination among environmental health researchers and linkage with health databases. CANUE is improving the scientific potential and cost-effectiveness of research in environmental epidemiology through streamlining linkage and access to standardized exposure datasets.
- Published
- 2018
44. MINDMAP : establishing an integrated database infrastructure for research in ageing, mental well-being, and the urban environment
- Author
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Mauricio Avendano, Emily Grundy, Erica Reinhard, Dany Doiron, Steinar Krokstad, J Mark Noordzij, Ulrike Dapp, Giuseppe Costa, Isabel Fortier, Pekka Martikainen, Ana V. Diez Roux, Emilie Courtin, Parminder Raina, Basile Chaix, Frank J. van Lenthe, Martijn Huisman, Martin Bobak, Mariëlle A. Beenackers, Demography, Population Research Unit (PRU), Center for Population, Health and Society, Sociology, University of Helsinki, Epidemiology and Data Science, APH - Aging & Later Life, APH - Societal Participation & Health, The Social Context of Aging (SoCA), Public Health, and Internal Medicine
- Subjects
Aging ,Knowledge management ,Psychological intervention ,Information Storage and Retrieval ,030204 cardiovascular system & hematology ,Russia ,Study Protocol ,0302 clinical medicine ,HARMONIZATION ,11. Sustainability ,Medicine ,030212 general & internal medicine ,Neighbourhood (mathematics) ,Ageing, Mental well-being,Urban health, Database, Data integration, Cohort studies ,education.field_of_study ,lcsh:Public aspects of medicine ,1. No poverty ,DATASHIELD ,3142 Public health care science, environmental and occupational health ,3. Good health ,Europe ,Mental Health ,Databases as Topic ,Cohort studies ,Data integration ,Canada ,Mental well-being ,Population ,Database ,03 medical and health sciences ,Urbanization ,Journal Article ,Humans ,Cities ,education ,Socioeconomic status ,business.industry ,Research ,MORTALITY ,Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health ,Social environment ,lcsh:RA1-1270 ,Mental health ,United States ,Ageing ,RA Public aspects of medicine ,COHORT PROFILE ,RISK-FACTORS ,Observational study ,business ,Urban health - Abstract
Background Urbanization and ageing have important implications for public mental health and well-being. Cities pose major challenges for older citizens, but also offer opportunities to develop, test, and implement policies, services, infrastructure, and interventions that promote mental well-being. The MINDMAP project aims to identify the opportunities and challenges posed by urban environmental characteristics for the promotion and management of mental well-being and cognitive function of older individuals. Methods MINDMAP aims to achieve its research objectives by bringing together longitudinal studies from 11 countries covering over 35 cities linked to databases of area-level environmental exposures and social and urban policy indicators. The infrastructure supporting integration of this data will allow multiple MINDMAP investigators to safely and remotely co-analyse individual-level and area-level data. Individual-level data is derived from baseline and follow-up measurements of ten participating cohort studies and provides information on mental well-being outcomes, sociodemographic variables, health behaviour characteristics, social factors, measures of frailty, physical function indicators, and chronic conditions, as well as blood derived clinical biochemistry-based biomarkers and genetic biomarkers. Area-level information on physical environment characteristics (e.g. green spaces, transportation), socioeconomic and sociodemographic characteristics (e.g. neighbourhood income, residential segregation, residential density), and social environment characteristics (e.g. social cohesion, criminality) and national and urban social policies is derived from publically available sources such as geoportals and administrative databases. The linkage, harmonization, and analysis of data from different sources are being carried out using piloted tools to optimize the validity of the research results and transparency of the methodology. Discussion MINDMAP is a novel research collaboration that is combining population-based cohort data with publicly available datasets not typically used for ageing and mental well-being research. Integration of various data sources and observational units into a single platform will help to explain the differences in ageing-related mental and cognitive disorders both within as well as between cities in Europe, the US, Canada, and Russia and to assess the causal pathways and interactions between the urban environment and the individual determinants of mental well-being and cognitive ageing in older adults. © The Author(s). 2018 Open Access. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated.
- Published
- 2018
45. Statistical approaches to harmonize data on cognitive measures in systematic reviews are rarely reported
- Author
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Parminder Raina, Isabel Fortier, Edwin R. van den Heuvel, Sylvie Belleville, Scott M. Hofer, Nazmul Sohel, Meghan Kenny, Dany Doiron, Christina Wolfson, Lauren Griffith, Hélène Payette, Stochastic Operations Research, and Statistics
- Subjects
Research design ,Epidemiology ,Computer science ,Comparability ,Harmonization ,Context (language use) ,computer.software_genre ,Data science ,Article ,Review Literature as Topic ,Systematic review ,Meta-Analysis as Topic ,Research Design ,Meta-analysis ,Data Interpretation, Statistical ,Evidence-Based Practice ,Humans ,Data mining ,Cognition Disorders ,computer ,Equivalence (measure theory) - Abstract
Objectives. To identify statistical methods for harmonization, the procedures aimed at achieving the comparability of previously collected data, which could be used in the context of summary data and individual participant data meta-analysis of cognitive measures. Study Design and Setting. Environmental scan methods were used to conduct two reviews to identify (1) studies that quantitatively combined data on cognition and (2) general literature on statistical methods for data harmonization. Search results were rapidly screened to identify articles of relevance. Results. All 33 meta-analyses combining cognition measures either restricted their analyses to a subset of studies using a common measure or combined standardized effect sizes across studies; none reported their harmonization steps before producing summary effects. In the second scan, three general classes of statistical harmonization models were identified (1) standardization methods, (2) latent variable models, and (3) multiple imputation models; few publications compared methods. Conclusion. Although it is an implicit part of conducting a meta-analysis or pooled analysis, the methods used to assess inferential equivalence of complex constructs are rarely reported or discussed. Progress in this area will be supported by guidelines for the conduct and reporting of the data harmonization and integration and by evaluating and developing statistical approaches to harmonization. Keywords: Harmonization; Meta-analysis; Cognition; Individual participant data; Data pooling; Transformation; Combination
- Published
- 2015
46. Residential Air Pollution and Associations with Wheeze and Shortness of Breath in Adults: A Combined Analysis of Cross-Sectional Data from Two Large European Cohorts
- Author
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Dany Doiron, Amadou Gaye, Christian Schindler, Stéphane Mbatchou, Ronald P. Stolk, Anna Hansell, Susan Hodgson, Nicole Probst-Hensch, Marloes Eeftens, Kees de Hoogh, Yutong Cai, Isabel Fortier, Lifestyle Medicine (LM), Life Course Epidemiology (LCE), EU FP7, and Medical Research Council
- Subjects
Gerontology ,Adult ,Male ,Cross-sectional study ,Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis ,Air pollution exposure ,05 Environmental Sciences ,Nitrogen Dioxide ,Air pollution ,010501 environmental sciences ,Toxicology ,medicine.disease_cause ,01 natural sciences ,03 medical and health sciences ,Young Adult ,0302 clinical medicine ,Risk Factors ,Environmental health ,Wheeze ,Air Pollution ,11. Sustainability ,Prevalence ,Medicine ,Humans ,030212 general & internal medicine ,Respiratory sounds ,0105 earth and related environmental sciences ,Respiratory Sounds ,Vehicle Emissions ,Cross-sectional data ,Air Pollutants ,medicine.diagnostic_test ,business.industry ,Research ,Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health ,11 Medical And Health Sciences ,Environmental exposure ,Environmental Exposure ,16. Peace & justice ,3. Good health ,Europe ,Cross-Sectional Studies ,Dyspnea ,Logistic Models ,13. Climate action ,Sample size determination ,Female ,medicine.symptom ,business - Abstract
BACKGROUND: Research examining associations between air pollution exposure and respiratory symptoms in adults has generally been inconclusive. This may be related in part to sample size issues, which also preclude analysis in potentially vulnerable subgroups. OBJECTIVES: We estimated associations between air pollution exposures and the prevalence of wheeze and shortness of breath using harmonized baseline data from two very large European cohorts, Lifelines (2006-2013) and UK Biobank (2006-2010). Our aim was also to determine whether the relationship between air pollution and respiratory symptom prevalence differed between individuals with different characteristics. METHODS: Cross-sectional analyses explored associations between prevalence of self-reported wheeze and shortness of breath and annual mean particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter
- Published
- 2017
47. Software application profile: opal and mica: open-source software solutions for epidemiological data management, harmonization and dissemination
- Author
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Yannick Marcon, Isabel Fortier, Paul Burton, Vincent Ferretti, and Dany Doiron
- Subjects
Canada ,Software Application Profile ,Epidemiology ,Computer science ,Data management ,Interoperability ,computer.software_genre ,JavaScript ,World Wide Web ,03 medical and health sciences ,0302 clinical medicine ,Server ,Web application ,Humans ,030212 general & internal medicine ,computer.programming_language ,Internet ,business.industry ,Information Dissemination ,General Medicine ,Application profile ,Metadata ,Epidemiologic Studies ,Database Management Systems ,Web service ,business ,computer ,030217 neurology & neurosurgery ,Software - Abstract
Motivation Improving the dissemination of information on existing epidemiological studies and facilitating the interoperability of study databases are essential to maximizing the use of resources and accelerating improvements in health. To address this, Maelstrom Research proposes Opal and Mica, two inter-operable open-source software packages providing out-of-the-box solutions for epidemiological data management, harmonization and dissemination. Implementation Opal and Mica are two standalone but inter-operable web applications written in Java, JavaScript and PHP. They provide web services and modern user interfaces to access them. General features Opal allows users to import, manage, annotate and harmonize study data. Mica is used to build searchable web portals disseminating study and variable metadata. When used conjointly, Mica users can securely query and retrieve summary statistics on geographically dispersed Opal servers in real-time. Integration with the DataSHIELD approach allows conducting more complex federated analyses involving statistical models. Availability Opal and Mica are open-source and freely available at [www.obiba.org] under a General Public License (GPL) version 3, and the metadata models and taxonomies that accompany them are available under a Creative Commons licence.
- Published
- 2017
48. Corrigendum to 'Road traffic noise, blood pressure and heart rate: Pooled analyses of harmonized data from 88,336 participants' [Environ. Res. 151 (2016) 804-813]
- Author
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Amadou Gaye, Dany Doiron, Susan Hodgson, Paul Burton, Wilma L. Zijlema, Stéphane Mbatchou, Kees de Hoogh, John S. Gulliver, Isabel Fortier, Ronald P. Stolk, Håvard Wahl Kongsgård, Yutong Cai, Paul Elliott, Timothy J. Key, David Morley, Judith G. M. Rosmalen, Anna Hansell, Kristian Hveem, National Institute for Health Research, Commission of the European Communities, Medical Research Council (MRC), and EU FP7
- Subjects
Science & Technology ,05 Environmental Sciences ,Environmental Sciences & Ecology ,06 Biological Sciences ,Toxicology ,Biochemistry ,Noise ,Blood pressure ,Statistics ,Heart rate ,Environmental science ,03 Chemical Sciences ,Road traffic ,Life Sciences & Biomedicine ,Environmental Sciences ,General Environmental Science ,Public, Environmental & Occupational Health - Published
- 2016
49. Road traffic noise, blood pressure and heart rate: pooled analyses of harmonized data from 88,336 participants
- Author
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Stéphane Mbatchou, Anna Hansell, John S. Gulliver, Yutong Cai, Isabel Fortier, Susan Hodgson, Paul Elliott, Wilma L. Zijlema, Amadou Gaye, Paul Burton, Kees de Hoogh, Håvard Wahl Kongsgård, Judith G. M. Rosmalen, Kristian Hveem, Dany Doiron, Timothy J. Key, David Morley, Ronald P. Stolk, National Institute for Health Research, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust- BRC Funding, Commission of the European Communities, Medical Research Council (MRC), Public Health England, Medical Research Council, Life Course Epidemiology (LCE), Lifestyle Medicine (LM), and Interdisciplinary Centre Psychopathology and Emotion regulation (ICPE)
- Subjects
Male ,PRESCHOOL-CHILDREN ,Cross-sectional study ,Epidemiology ,05 Environmental Sciences ,010501 environmental sciences ,Toxicology ,01 natural sciences ,Biochemistry ,Cohort Studies ,0302 clinical medicine ,Medicine ,030212 general & internal medicine ,General Environmental Science ,ASSOCIATIONS ,Aged, 80 and over ,BRITISH VEGETARIANS ,Middle Aged ,LONG-TERM EXPOSURE ,Europe ,Noise, Transportation ,Meta-analysis ,Cohort ,Blood pressure ,Female ,03 Chemical Sciences ,Cohort study ,Adult ,EPIC-OXFORD ,Adolescent ,Heart rate ,Air pollution ,03 medical and health sciences ,Young Adult ,Meta-Analysis as Topic ,Environmental health ,Humans ,COHORT ,0105 earth and related environmental sciences ,Aged ,HYPERTENSION ,business.industry ,Noise pollution ,DATASHAPER APPROACH ,MEAT-EATERS ,AIR-POLLUTION ,06 Biological Sciences ,Noise ,Cross-Sectional Studies ,business - Abstract
Introduction Exposure to road traffic noise may increase blood pressure and heart rate. It is unclear to what extent exposure to air pollution may influence this relationship. We investigated associations between noise, blood pressure and heart rate, with harmonized data from three European cohorts, while taking into account exposure to air pollution. Methods Road traffic noise exposure was assessed using a European noise model based on the Common Noise Assessment Methods in Europe framework (CNOSSOS-EU). Exposure to air pollution was estimated using a European-wide land use regression model. Blood pressure and heart rate were obtained by trained clinical professionals. Pooled cross-sectional analyses of harmonized data were conducted at the individual level and with random-effects meta-analyses. Results We analyzed data from 88,336 participants, across the three participating cohorts (mean age 47.0 (±13.9) years). Each 10 dB(A) increase in noise was associated with a 0.93 (95% CI 0.76;1.11) bpm increase in heart rate, but with a decrease in blood pressure of 0.01 (95% CI -0.24;0.23) mmHg for systolic and 0.38 (95% CI -0.53;-0.24) mmHg for diastolic blood pressure. Adjustments for PM10 or NO2 attenuated the associations, but remained significant for DBP and HR. Results for BP differed by cohort, with negative associations with noise in LifeLines, no significant associations in EPIC-Oxford, and positive associations with noise >60 dB(A) in HUNT3. Conclusions Our study suggests that road traffic noise may be related to increased heart rate. No consistent evidence for a relation between noise and blood pressure was found.
- Published
- 2016
50. Associations between air pollution and respiratory symptoms in 380,000 European adults
- Author
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Nicole Probst-Hensch, Isabel Fortier, Stéphane Mbatchou, Anna Hansell, Marloes Eeftens, Ronald P. Stolk, Amadou Gaye, Dany Doiron, and Kees de Hoogh
- Subjects
business.industry ,Air pollution exposure ,Environmental health ,Air pollution ,medicine ,General Earth and Planetary Sciences ,Respiratory system ,medicine.disease_cause ,business ,General Environmental Science - Abstract
Introduction Research examining associations between air pollution exposure and respiratory symptoms such as wheezing and shortness of breath in adults has generally been inconclusive. This may in ...
- Published
- 2016
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