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Consideration of nutrition and sustainability in public definitions of ‘healthy’ food: an analysis of submissions to the US FDA
- Emily H Belarmino, Michelle Carfagno, Lauren Kam, Kene-Chukwu Ifeagwu, Miriam E Nelson, Rebecca A Seguin-Fowler
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- Journal:
- Public Health Nutrition / Volume 27 / Issue 1 / 2024
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 04 April 2024, e119
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Objective:
To better understand how the public defines ‘healthy’ foods and to determine whether the public considers sustainability, implicitly and explicitly, in the context of healthy eating.
Design:We conducted a content analysis of public comments submitted to the US FDA in 2016 and 2017 in response to an invitation for feedback on use of the term ‘healthy’ on food labels. The analysis explored the ways in which commenters’ definitions of ‘healthy’ aligned with the 2015–2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans and whether their definitions considered sustainability.
Setting:The US Government’s Regulations.gov website.
Participants:All 1125 unique comments from individuals and organisations.
Results:Commenters’ definitions of ‘healthy’ generally mirrored the recommendations that the Dietary Guidelines for Americans put forth to promote a ‘healthy eating pattern’. Commenters emphasised the healthfulness of fruit, vegetables, whole grains, fish and other minimally processed foods and the need to limit added sugars, sodium, saturated and trans fats and other ingredients sometimes added during processing. One-third of comments (n 374) incorporated at least one dimension of sustainability, mainly the environmental dimension. Commenters who mentioned environmental considerations primarily expressed concerns about synthetic chemicals and genetic modification. Less than 20 % of comments discussed social or economic dimensions of sustainability, and less than 3 % of comments (n 30) used the word ‘sustainability’ explicitly.
Conclusions:This novel analysis provides new information about the public’s perceptions of ‘healthy’ foods relative to nutrition and sustainability considerations. The findings can be used to advance policy discussions regarding nutrition labelling and guidance.
Temperament and sex as moderating factors of the effects of exposure to maternal depression on telomere length in early childhood
- Michelle Bosquet Enlow, Immaculata De Vivo, Carter R. Petty, Charles A. Nelson
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- Journal:
- Development and Psychopathology , First View
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 01 March 2024, pp. 1-14
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Individual differences in sensitivity to context are posited to emerge early in development and to influence the effects of environmental exposures on a range of developmental outcomes. The goal of the current study was to examine the hypothesis that temperament characteristics and biological sex confer differential vulnerability to the effects of exposure to maternal depression on telomere length in early childhood. Telomere length has emerged as a potentially important biomarker of current and future health, with possible mechanistic involvement in the onset of various disease states. Participants comprised a community sample of children followed from infancy to age 3 years. Relative telomere length was assessed from DNA in saliva samples collected at infancy, 2 years, and 3 years. Maternal depressive symptoms and the child temperament traits of negative affectivity, surgency/extraversion, and regulation/effortful control were assessed via maternal report at each timepoint. Analyses revealed a 3-way interaction among surgency/extraversion, sex, and maternal depressive symptoms, such that higher surgency/extraversion was associated with shorter telomere length specifically among males exposed to elevated maternal depressive symptoms. These findings suggest that temperament and sex influence children’s susceptibility to the effects of maternal depression on telomere dynamics in early life.
Anxiety in late-life depression: Associations with brain volume, amyloid beta, white matter lesions, cognition, and functional ability
- Maria Kryza-Lacombe, Michelle T. Kassel, Philip S. Insel, Emma Rhodes, David Bickford, Emily Burns, Meryl A. Butters, Duygu Tosun, Paul Aisen, Rema Raman, Susan Landau, Andrew J. Saykin, Arthur W. Toga, Clifford R. Jack, Jr, Robert Koeppe, Michael W. Weiner, Craig Nelson, R. Scott Mackin
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- Journal:
- International Psychogeriatrics , First View
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 25 January 2024, pp. 1-12
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Objectives:
Late-life depression (LLD) is common and frequently co-occurs with neurodegenerative diseases of aging. Little is known about how heterogeneity within LLD relates to factors typically associated with neurodegeneration. Varying levels of anxiety are one source of heterogeneity in LLD. We examined associations between anxiety symptom severity and factors associated with neurodegeneration, including regional brain volumes, amyloid beta (Aβ) deposition, white matter disease, cognitive dysfunction, and functional ability in LLD.
Participants and Measurements:Older adults with major depression (N = 121, Ages 65–91) were evaluated for anxiety severity and the following: brain volume (orbitofrontal cortex [OFC], insula), cortical Aβ standardized uptake value ratio (SUVR), white matter hyperintensity (WMH) volume, global cognition, and functional ability. Separate linear regression analyses adjusting for age, sex, and concurrent depression severity were conducted to examine associations between anxiety and each of these factors. A global regression analysis was then conducted to examine the relative associations of these variables with anxiety severity.
Results:Greater anxiety severity was associated with lower OFC volume (β = −68.25, t = −2.18, p = .031) and greater cognitive dysfunction (β = 0.23, t = 2.46, p = .016). Anxiety severity was not associated with insula volume, Aβ SUVR, WMH, or functional ability. When examining the relative associations of cognitive functioning and OFC volume with anxiety in a global model, cognitive dysfunction (β = 0.24, t = 2.62, p = .010), but not OFC volume, remained significantly associated with anxiety.
Conclusions:Among multiple factors typically associated with neurodegeneration, cognitive dysfunction stands out as a key factor associated with anxiety severity in LLD which has implications for cognitive and psychiatric interventions.
53 Hoarding Behaviors are Associated with Greater Perceived Cognitive Dysfunction and Disability in Individuals with Late Life Depression
- Katie Firestone, John Bello, Divya Shridar, Michelle Kassel, Maria Kryza-Lacombe, Philip Insel, Kai Woodworth, Derek Satre, Craig Nelson, Carol Mathews, Duygu Tosun, Scott Mackin
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- Journal:
- Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society / Volume 29 / Issue s1 / November 2023
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 21 December 2023, p. 839
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Objective:
Perceived cognitive dysfunction is a common feature of late-life depression (LLD) that is associated with diminished quality of life and greater disability. Similar associations have been demonstrated in individuals with Hoarding Disorder. The degree to which hoarding behaviors (HB) are associated with greater perceived cognitive dysfunction and disability in individuals with concurrent LLD is not known.
Participants and Methods:Participants with LLD (N=83) completed measures of hoarding symptom severity (Savings Inventory-Revised; SI-R) and were classified into two groups based on HB severity: LLD+HB who exhibited significant HB (SI-R . 41, n = 25) and LLD with low HB (SI-R < 41, n = 58). Additional measures assessed depression severity (Hamilton Depression Rating Scale; HDRS), perceived cognitive difficulties (Everyday Cognition Scale; ECOG), and disability (World Health Organization Disability Assessment Scale [WHODAS]-II-Short). Given a non-normal distribution of ECOG and WHODAS-II scores, non-parametric Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney tests were used to assess group differences in perceived cognitive dysfunction and disability. A regression model assessed the extent to which perceived cognitive dysfunction was associated with hoarding symptom severity measured continuously, covarying for age, education, gender, and depression severity. A separate regression model assessed the extent to which disability scores were associated with perceived cognitive dysfunction and HB severity covarying for demographics and depression severity.
Results:LLD+HB endorsed significantly greater perceived cognitive dysfunction (W = 1023, p = 0.003) and greater disability (W = 1006, p = < 0.001) compared to LLD. Regression models accounting for demographic characteristics and depression severity revealed that greater HB severity was associated with greater perceived cognitive dysfunction (β = 0.009, t = 2.765, p = 0.007). Increased disability was associated with greater perceived cognitive dysfunction (β = 4.792, t(71) = 3.551, p = 0.0007) and HB severity (β = 0.080, t(71) = 1.944, p = 0.056) approached significance after accounting for variance explained by depression severity and demographic covariates.
Conclusions:Our results suggest that hoarding behaviors are associated with increased perceived cognitive dysfunction and greater disability in individuals with LLD. Screening for HB in individuals with LLD may help identify those at greater risk for poor cognitive and functional outcomes. Interventions that target HB and perceived cognitive difficulties may decrease risk for disability in LLD. However, longitudinal studies would be required to further evaluate these relationships.
55 Hoarding Behaviors in Late Life Depression are Associated with Increased Burden of Executive Dysfunction, Disability, and Poorer Response to Depression Treatment
- Michelle T. Kassel, Philip S. Insel, Emma Rhodes, Kai Woodworth, Christina Garrison-Diehn, Derek D. Satre, Duygu Tosun, J. Craig Nelson, Carol A. Mathews, R. Scott Mackin
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- Journal:
- Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society / Volume 29 / Issue s1 / November 2023
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 21 December 2023, pp. 840-841
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Objective:
Late Life Major Depressive Disorder (LLD) and Hoarding Disorder (HD) are common in older adults with prevalence estimates up to 29% and 7%, respectively. Both LLD and HD are characterized by executive dysfunction and disability. There is evidence of overlapping neurobiological dysfunction in LLD and HD suggesting potential for compounded executive dysfunction and disability in the context of comorbid HD and LLD. Yet, prevalence of HD in primary presenting LLD has not been examined and potential compounded impact on executive functioning, disability, and treatment response remains unknown. Thus, the present study aimed to determine the prevalence of co-occurring HD in primary presenting LLD and examine hoarding symptom severity as a contributor to executive dysfunction, disability, and response to treatment for LLD.
Participants and Methods:Eighty-three adults ages 65-90 participating in a psychotherapy study for LLD completed measures of hoarding symptom severity (Savings Inventory-Revised: SI-R), executive functioning (WAIS-IV Digit Span, Letter-Number Sequencing, Coding; Stroop Interference; Trail Making Test-Part B; Letter Fluency), functional ability (World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule-II-Short), and depression severity (Hamilton Depression Rating Scale) at post-treatment. Pearson's Chi-squared tests evaluated group differences in cognitive and functional impairment rates and depression treatment response between participants with (HD+LLD) and without (LLD-only) clinically significant hoarding symptoms. Linear regressions were used to examine the association between hoarding symptom severity and executive function performance and functional ability and included as covariates participant age, years of education, gender, and concurrent depression severity.
Results:At post-treatment, 24.1% (20/83) of participants with LLD met criteria for clinically significant hoarding symptoms (SI-R.41). Relative to LLD-only, the LLD+HD group demonstrated greater impairment rates in Letter-Number Sequencing (χ2(1)=4.0, p=.045) and Stroop Interference (χ2(1)=4.8, p=.028). Greater hoarding symptom severity was associated with poorer executive functioning performance on Digit Span (t(71)=-2.4, β=-0.07, p=.019), Letter-Number Sequencing (t(70)=-2.1, β=-0.05, p=.044), and Letter Fluency (t(71)=-2.8, β=-0.24, p=.006). Rates of functional impairment were significantly higher in the LLD+HD (88.0%) group compared to the LLD-only (62.3%) group, (χ2(1)=5.41, p=.020). Additionally, higher hoarding symptom severity was related to greater disability (t(72)=2.97, β=0.13, p=.004). Furthermore, depression treatment response rates were significantly lower in the LLD+HD group at 24.0% (6/25) compared to 48.3% (28/58) in the LLD-only group, χ2(1)=4.26, p=.039.
Conclusions:The present study is among the first to report prevalence of clinically significant hoarding symptoms in primary presenting LLD. The findings of 24.1% co-occurrence of HD in primary presenting LLD and increased burden on executive functioning, disability, and depression treatment outcomes have important implications for intervention and prevention efforts. Hoarding symptoms are likely under-evaluated, and thus may be overlooked, in clinical settings where LLD is identified as the primary diagnosis. Taken together with results indicating poorer depression treatment response in LLD+HD, these findings underscore the need for increased screening of hoarding behaviors in LLD and tailored interventions for this LLD+HD group. Future work examining the course of hoarding symptomatology in LLD (e.g., onset age of hoarding behaviors) may provide insights into the mechanisms associated with greater executive dysfunction and disability.
Spotted-wing drosophila, Drosophila suzukii (Diptera: Drosophilidae), exhibits large-scale spatial genetic structure across Canada but not fruit host–associated genetic structure
- Tyler D. Nelson, Yonathan Uriel, Paul K. Abram, Chandra E. Moffat, Jade Sherwood, Justin M. Renkema, Debra Moreau, Michelle T. Franklin
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- Journal:
- The Canadian Entomologist / Volume 155 / 2023
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 04 December 2023, e37
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Spotted-wing drosophila, Drosophila suzukii, is a global pest of soft fruits that is capable of reproducing on a wide range of cultivated and wild plant species. In Canada, D. suzukii was first reported in British Columbia in 2009 and is now widespread across the country. Understanding the genetic structure of D. suzukii populations could be important for pest management if there are phenotypic differences between genetically distinct populations. For example, insect pest populations could respond differently to directional selection imposed by insecticides, differ in their host plant preferences, and vary in their susceptibility to biological control agents. Here, we used double-digest restriction site–associated DNA sequencing to examine large- and fine-scale patterns of the genetic structure of D. suzukii reared from fruit hosts in Canada. We found that this species has a large-scale spatial genetic structure; the flies collected formed two distinct genetic clusters, one of which was distinct to western Canada and the other to eastern Canada. At the local scale, D. suzukii populations showed no evidence of host-associated structuring in British Columbia, suggesting that pest management tactics may be best applied at the landscape level. Our results highlight the need to investigate phenotypic differences between western and eastern D. suzukii populations in Canada.
Evaluation of an experiential training program in patient-centered outcomes and comparative effectiveness research for diverse researcher communities and health care organizations
- Dedra S. Buchwald, Megan H. Rogers, Barbara A. Rose, Brian W. Bresnahan, Beth Devine, Linda LeResche, Lonnie A. Nelson, Donald L. Patrick, Danielle C. Lavallee, Michelle M. Garrison, Andrew A. White, Larry G. Kessler
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- Journal:
- Journal of Clinical and Translational Science / Volume 7 / Issue 1 / 2023
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 15 March 2023, e81
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Background/Objective:
The goal of the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Partnership was to prepare health care professionals and researchers to conduct patient-centered outcomes and comparative effectiveness research (CER). Substantial evidence gaps, heterogeneous health care systems, and decision-making challenges in the USA underscore the need for evidence-based strategies.
Methods:We engaged five community-based health care organizations that serve diverse and underrepresented patient populations from Hawai’i to Minnesota. Each partner nominated two in-house scholars to participate in the 2-year program. The program focused on seven competencies pertinent to patient-centered outcomes and CER. It combined in-person and experiential learning with asynchronous, online education, and created adaptive, pragmatic learning opportunities and a Summer Institute. Metrics included the Clinical Research Appraisal Inventory (CRAI), a tool designed to assess research self-efficacy and clinical research skills across 10 domains.
Results:We trained 31 scholars in 3 cohorts. Mean scores in nine domains of the CRAI improved; greater improvement was observed from the beginning to the midpoint than from the midpoint to conclusion of the program. Across all three cohorts, mean scores on 52 items (100%) increased (p ≤ 0.01), and 91% of scholars reported the program improved their skills moderately/significantly. Satisfaction with the program was high (91%).
Conclusions:Investigators that conduct patient-centered outcomes and CER must know how to collaborate with regional health care systems to identify priorities; pose questions; design, conduct, and disseminate observational and experimental research; and transform knowledge into practical clinical applications. Training programs such as ours can facilitate such collaborations.
11 - A cross-country reflection on empirical and theoretical learnings, challenges, and the way forward for reablement
- Edited by Tine Rostgaard, Roskilde Universitet, Denmark and Stockholms Universitet, John Parsons, University of Auckland, Hanne Tuntland, Oslo Metropolitan University
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- Book:
- Reablement in Long-term Care for Older People
- Published by:
- Bristol University Press
- Published online:
- 18 January 2024
- Print publication:
- 26 January 2023, pp 238-247
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Summary
Introduction
The book has provided an interdisciplinary, comparative, as well as a critical investigation of reablement practice, investigating reablement from the perspectives of research, theory, and practice. In this concluding chapter, we want to take the opportunity to reflect on the content of the book chapters, and with a focus on the convergence/divergence of reablement tracks, the challenges and learnings, as well as the implications for theory, practice and policy-making.
The chapter has been developed following a facilitated online discussion between five members of the ReAble Network and based on a reading of all chapters. The participants in the discussion were: Tine Rostgaard (Professor, Stockholm University, Sweden, and Roskilde University, Denmark); Hanne Tuntland (Professor, Western Norway University of Applied Sciences and Associate Professor, Oslo Metropolitan University, Norway); Rudi Westendorp (Professor, University of Copenhagen, Denmark); Michelle Nelson (Assistant Professor, University of Toronto, Canada); and John Parsons (Associate Professor, The University of Auckland, New Zealand). The discussion was structured around a number of key questions and was recorded and transcribed.
The chapter summarises the key learnings and messages from the book and, using quotes from the discussion, illustrates the potential implications for reablement practice and research. Moreover, the editors reflect in the conclusion over the key issues discussed in the book, learning points and the way forward.
What is the main message of the book?
The first question posed to the five participants in the facilitated discussion related to what they believed was the main message of the book. It was here acknowledged that the contributors to the book are from nine countries across three continents and represent various disciplinary backgrounds. Most of the chapters have a cross-country and cross-disciplinary comparative perspective. In addition, the combination of both a researcher's and a clinician's perspective are of particular note:
‘The book brings together two different perspectives. It's one of the health professionals who analyses the implications for clinical practice and client-level outcomes. The other perspective is from social scientists who analyse the political possibilities and constraints within the service delivery situation.’
Furthermore, basing the book on the ReAble Network of international collaborators was seen as a strength of the book, which allowed the identification of key messages relating to the development and implementation of reablement across the participating countries.
Characterisation of age and polarity at onset in bipolar disorder
- Janos L. Kalman, Loes M. Olde Loohuis, Annabel Vreeker, Andrew McQuillin, Eli A. Stahl, Douglas Ruderfer, Maria Grigoroiu-Serbanescu, Georgia Panagiotaropoulou, Stephan Ripke, Tim B. Bigdeli, Frederike Stein, Tina Meller, Susanne Meinert, Helena Pelin, Fabian Streit, Sergi Papiol, Mark J. Adams, Rolf Adolfsson, Kristina Adorjan, Ingrid Agartz, Sofie R. Aminoff, Heike Anderson-Schmidt, Ole A. Andreassen, Raffaella Ardau, Jean-Michel Aubry, Ceylan Balaban, Nicholas Bass, Bernhard T. Baune, Frank Bellivier, Antoni Benabarre, Susanne Bengesser, Wade H Berrettini, Marco P. Boks, Evelyn J. Bromet, Katharina Brosch, Monika Budde, William Byerley, Pablo Cervantes, Catina Chillotti, Sven Cichon, Scott R. Clark, Ashley L. Comes, Aiden Corvin, William Coryell, Nick Craddock, David W. Craig, Paul E. Croarkin, Cristiana Cruceanu, Piotr M. Czerski, Nina Dalkner, Udo Dannlowski, Franziska Degenhardt, Maria Del Zompo, J. Raymond DePaulo, Srdjan Djurovic, Howard J. Edenberg, Mariam Al Eissa, Torbjørn Elvsåshagen, Bruno Etain, Ayman H. Fanous, Frederike Fellendorf, Alessia Fiorentino, Andreas J. Forstner, Mark A. Frye, Janice M. Fullerton, Katrin Gade, Julie Garnham, Elliot Gershon, Michael Gill, Fernando S. Goes, Katherine Gordon-Smith, Paul Grof, Jose Guzman-Parra, Tim Hahn, Roland Hasler, Maria Heilbronner, Urs Heilbronner, Stephane Jamain, Esther Jimenez, Ian Jones, Lisa Jones, Lina Jonsson, Rene S. Kahn, John R. Kelsoe, James L. Kennedy, Tilo Kircher, George Kirov, Sarah Kittel-Schneider, Farah Klöhn-Saghatolislam, James A. Knowles, Thorsten M. Kranz, Trine Vik Lagerberg, Mikael Landen, William B. Lawson, Marion Leboyer, Qingqin S. Li, Mario Maj, Dolores Malaspina, Mirko Manchia, Fermin Mayoral, Susan L. McElroy, Melvin G. McInnis, Andrew M. McIntosh, Helena Medeiros, Ingrid Melle, Vihra Milanova, Philip B. Mitchell, Palmiero Monteleone, Alessio Maria Monteleone, Markus M. Nöthen, Tomas Novak, John I. Nurnberger, Niamh O'Brien, Kevin S. O'Connell, Claire O'Donovan, Michael C. O'Donovan, Nils Opel, Abigail Ortiz, Michael J. Owen, Erik Pålsson, Carlos Pato, Michele T. Pato, Joanna Pawlak, Julia-Katharina Pfarr, Claudia Pisanu, James B. Potash, Mark H Rapaport, Daniela Reich-Erkelenz, Andreas Reif, Eva Reininghaus, Jonathan Repple, Hélène Richard-Lepouriel, Marcella Rietschel, Kai Ringwald, Gloria Roberts, Guy Rouleau, Sabrina Schaupp, William A Scheftner, Simon Schmitt, Peter R. Schofield, K. Oliver Schubert, Eva C. Schulte, Barbara Schweizer, Fanny Senner, Giovanni Severino, Sally Sharp, Claire Slaney, Olav B. Smeland, Janet L. Sobell, Alessio Squassina, Pavla Stopkova, John Strauss, Alfonso Tortorella, Gustavo Turecki, Joanna Twarowska-Hauser, Marin Veldic, Eduard Vieta, John B. Vincent, Wei Xu, Clement C. Zai, Peter P. Zandi, Psychiatric Genomics Consortium (PGC) Bipolar Disorder Working Group, International Consortium on Lithium Genetics (ConLiGen), Colombia-US Cross Disorder Collaboration in Psychiatric Genetics, Arianna Di Florio, Jordan W. Smoller, Joanna M. Biernacka, Francis J. McMahon, Martin Alda, Bertram Müller-Myhsok, Nikolaos Koutsouleris, Peter Falkai, Nelson B. Freimer, Till F.M. Andlauer, Thomas G. Schulze, Roel A. Ophoff
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- Journal:
- The British Journal of Psychiatry / Volume 219 / Issue 6 / December 2021
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 25 August 2021, pp. 659-669
- Print publication:
- December 2021
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Background
Studying phenotypic and genetic characteristics of age at onset (AAO) and polarity at onset (PAO) in bipolar disorder can provide new insights into disease pathology and facilitate the development of screening tools.
AimsTo examine the genetic architecture of AAO and PAO and their association with bipolar disorder disease characteristics.
MethodGenome-wide association studies (GWASs) and polygenic score (PGS) analyses of AAO (n = 12 977) and PAO (n = 6773) were conducted in patients with bipolar disorder from 34 cohorts and a replication sample (n = 2237). The association of onset with disease characteristics was investigated in two of these cohorts.
ResultsEarlier AAO was associated with a higher probability of psychotic symptoms, suicidality, lower educational attainment, not living together and fewer episodes. Depressive onset correlated with suicidality and manic onset correlated with delusions and manic episodes. Systematic differences in AAO between cohorts and continents of origin were observed. This was also reflected in single-nucleotide variant-based heritability estimates, with higher heritabilities for stricter onset definitions. Increased PGS for autism spectrum disorder (β = −0.34 years, s.e. = 0.08), major depression (β = −0.34 years, s.e. = 0.08), schizophrenia (β = −0.39 years, s.e. = 0.08), and educational attainment (β = −0.31 years, s.e. = 0.08) were associated with an earlier AAO. The AAO GWAS identified one significant locus, but this finding did not replicate. Neither GWAS nor PGS analyses yielded significant associations with PAO.
ConclusionsAAO and PAO are associated with indicators of bipolar disorder severity. Individuals with an earlier onset show an increased polygenic liability for a broad spectrum of psychiatric traits. Systematic differences in AAO across cohorts, continents and phenotype definitions introduce significant heterogeneity, affecting analyses.
Nonventilator hospital-acquired pneumonia: A call to action: Recommendations from the National Organization to Prevent Hospital-Acquired Pneumonia (NOHAP) among nonventilated patients
- Shannon C. Munro, Dian Baker, Karen K. Giuliano, Sheila C. Sullivan, Judith Haber, Barbara E. Jones, Matthew B. Crist, Richard E. Nelson, Evan Carey, Olivia Lounsbury, Michelle Lucatorto, Ryan Miller, Brian Pauley, Michael Klompas
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- Journal:
- Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology / Volume 42 / Issue 8 / August 2021
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 09 June 2021, pp. 991-996
- Print publication:
- August 2021
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In 2020 a group of U.S. healthcare leaders formed the National Organization to Prevent Hospital-Acquired Pneumonia (NOHAP) to issue a call to action to address non–ventilator-associated hospital-acquired pneumonia (NVHAP). NVHAP is one of the most common and morbid healthcare-associated infections, but it is not tracked, reported, or actively prevented by most hospitals. This national call to action includes (1) launching a national healthcare conversation about NVHAP prevention; (2) adding NVHAP prevention measures to education for patients, healthcare professionals, and students; (3) challenging healthcare systems and insurers to implement and support NVHAP prevention; and (4) encouraging researchers to develop new strategies for NVHAP surveillance and prevention. The purpose of this document is to outline research needs to support the NVHAP call to action. Primary needs include the development of better models to estimate the economic cost of NVHAP, to elucidate the pathophysiology of NVHAP and identify the most promising pathways for prevention, to develop objective and efficient surveillance methods to track NVHAP, to rigorously test the impact of prevention strategies proposed to prevent NVHAP, and to identify the policy levers that will best engage hospitals in NVHAP surveillance and prevention. A joint task force developed this document including stakeholders from the Veterans’ Health Administration (VHA), the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), The Joint Commission, the American Dental Association, the Patient Safety Movement Foundation, Oral Health Nursing Education and Practice (OHNEP), Teaching Oral-Systemic Health (TOSH), industry partners and academia.
The Rapid Mood Screener: A Novel and Pragmatic Screener Tool for Bipolar I Disorder
- C. Brendan Montano, Mehul Patel, Rakesh Jain, Prakash S. Masand, Amanda Harrington, Patrick Gillard, Kate Sullivan, Susan L. McElroy, T. Michelle Brown, Lauren Nelson, Roger S. McIntyre
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- Journal:
- CNS Spectrums / Volume 26 / Issue 2 / April 2021
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 10 May 2021, pp. 167-168
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Introduction
Approximately 70% of patients with bipolar disorder (BPD) are initially misdiagnosed, resulting in significantly delayed diagnosis of 7–10 years on average. Misdiagnosis and diagnostic delay adversely affect health outcomes and lead to the use of inappropriate treatments. As depressive episodes and symptoms are the predominant symptom presentation in BPD, misdiagnosis as major depressive disorder (MDD) is common. Self-rated screening instruments for BPD exist but their length and reliance on past manic symptoms are barriers to implementation, especially in primary care settings where many of these patients initially present. We developed a brief, pragmatic bipolar I disorder (BPD-I) screening tool that not only screens for manic symptoms but also includes risk factors for BPD-I (eg, age of depression onset) to help clinicians reduce the misdiagnosis of BPD-I as MDD.
MethodsExisting questionnaires and risk factors were identified through a targeted literature search; a multidisciplinary panel of experts participated in 2 modified Delphi panels to select concepts thought to differentiate BPD-I from MDD. Individuals with self-reported BPD-I or MDD participated in cognitive debriefing interviews (N=12) to test and refine item wording. A multisite, cross-sectional, observational study was conducted to evaluate the screening tool’s predictive validity. Participants with clinical interview-confirmed diagnoses of BPD-I or MDD completed a draft 10-item screening tool and additional questionnaires/questions. Different combinations of item sets with various item permutations (eg, number of depressive episodes, age of onset) were simultaneously tested. The final combination of items and thresholds was selected based on multiple considerations including clinical validity, optimization of sensitivity and specificity, and pragmatism.
ResultsA total of 160 clinical interviews were conducted; 139 patients had clinical interview-confirmed BPD-I (n=67) or MDD (n=72). The screening tool was reduced from 10 to 6 items based on item-level analysis. When 4 items or more were endorsed (yes) in this analysis sample, the sensitivity of this tool for identifying patients with BPD-I was 0.88 and specificity was 0.80; positive and negative predictive values were 0.80 and 0.88, respectively. These properties represent an improvement over the Mood Disorder Questionnaire, while using >50% fewer items.
ConclusionThis new 6-item BPD-I screening tool serves to differentiate BPD-I from MDD in patients with depressive symptoms. Use of this tool can provide real-world guidance to primary care practitioners on whether more comprehensive assessment for BPD-I is warranted. Use of a brief and valid tool provides an opportunity to reduce misdiagnosis, improve treatment selection, and enhance health outcomes in busy clinical practices.
FundingAbbVie Inc.
4113 Infusing a CTSA Program with Causal Pathway Thinking to Transform Evaluation from Operations to Impacts
- Rhonda G Kost, Leslie Boone, Sarah Cook, Sarah Nelson, Consuelo Hopkins Wilkins, Mary Stroud, Leah Dunkel, Loretta Byrne, Michelle Jones, Paul A. Harris, Roger Vaughan
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- Journal:
- Journal of Clinical and Translational Science / Volume 4 / Issue s1 / June 2020
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 29 July 2020, pp. 73-74
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OBJECTIVES/GOALS: Innovations with positive health impact are a high priority for NCATS and CTSAs. Program design that uses the Causal Pathway approach incorporates performance indicators that assess impact. We applied Causal Pathway thinking to an ongoing national program to enhance the evaluation of program impact. We report Lessons Learned. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: We conducted a day-long onsite workshop to introduce the model to the project team, build capacity, and map the existing program elements to Logic Models representing program Specific Aims. A local Causal Pathway (CP) champion was identified. Alignment of the Logic Models with the CP approach (input→activities→ outputs→effects/impact) developed iteratively through biweekly, then monthly conferral among stakeholders. Key tasks included distinguishing among activities, outputs, and effects (impacts), and identification of performance indicators for each stage of the Causal Pathway. Visualization tools and an additional late stage half-day workshop were used to foster consensus. Implementation of the CP model tested the feasibility of collecting specific indicators and prompted model revisions. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: Program leadership and team members (n = 30) participated in the kick-off workshop. Four Specific Aims were mapped to Logic Models. Multiple Causal Pathway (CP) diagrams, one for each project in the program, were developed and mapped to Aims. Alignment of CP threads to Aims and identification of performance indicators required iteration. CP threads converged onto common final Impacts, sometimes crossing to another Aim. Performance indicators for operations were readily accessible to team members, and less so for impacts. Assumptions about program effects were subjected to specific indicators. Over time, Leadership noticed more expression of CP thinking in daily activities. New projects developed during this period incorporated the CP approach. Teams were able to streamline and simplify Logic/CP models. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE OF IMPACT: Through capacity-building and mentored exercises, an innovation team was able to infuse CP thinking into the evaluation of their ongoing program. The CP approach to design and evaluation maps progress and indicators across the life of a program from initial activities to its ultimate impact.
Pathways to social-emotional functioning in the preschool period: The role of child temperament and maternal anxiety in boys and girls
- Hannah F. Behrendt, Mark Wade, Laurie Bayet, Charles A. Nelson III, Michelle Bosquet Enlow
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- Development and Psychopathology / Volume 32 / Issue 3 / August 2020
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 26 July 2019, pp. 961-974
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Individual differences in social-emotional functioning emerge early and have long-term implications for developmental adaptation and competency. Research is needed that specifies multiple early risk factors and outcomes simultaneously to demonstrate specificity. Using multigroup longitudinal path analysis in a sample of typically developing children (N = 541), we examined child temperament dimensions (surgency, negative affectivity, and regulation/effortful control) and maternal anxiety in infancy and age 2 as predictors of child externalizing, internalizing, dysregulation, and competence behaviors at age 3. Four primary patterns emerged. First, there was stability in temperament dimensions and maternal anxiety from infancy to age 3. Second, negative affectivity was implicated in internalizing problems and surgency in externalizing problems. Third, effortful control at age 2 was a potent mediator of maternal anxiety in infancy on age 3 outcomes. Fourth, there was suggestive evidence for transactional effects between maternal anxiety and child effortful control. Most pathways operated similarly for boys and girls, with some differences, particularly for surgency. These findings expand our understanding of the roles of specific temperamental domains and postnatal maternal anxiety in a range of social-emotional outcomes in the preschool period, and have implications for efforts to enhance the development of young children's social-emotional functioning and reduce risk for later psychopathology.
Climate, agriculture, and cycles of human occupation over the last 4000 yr in southern Zacatecas, Mexico
- Michelle Elliott, Christopher T. Fisher, Ben A. Nelson, Roberto S. Molina Garza, Shawn K. Collins, Deborah M. Pearsall
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- Quaternary Research / Volume 74 / Issue 1 / July 2010
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 20 January 2017, pp. 26-35
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Scholars attribute the growth and decline of Classic period (AD 200–900) settlements in the semi-arid northern frontier zone of Mesoamerica to rainfall cycles that controlled the extent of arable land. However, there is little empirical evidence to support this claim. We present phytolith, organic carbon, and magnetic susceptibility analyses of a 4000-yr alluvial record of climate and human land use from the Malpaso Valley, the site of one such Classic frontier community. The earliest farming occupation is detected around 500 BC and appears related to a slight increase of aridity, similar to the level of the modern day valley. By AD 500, the valley's Classic period Mesoamerican settlements were founded under these same dry conditions, which continued into the Postclassic period. This indicates that the La Quemada occupation did not develop during a period of increased rainfall, but rather an arid phase. The most dramatic changes detected in the valley resulted from the erosion associated with Spanish Colonial grazing and deforestation that began in the 16th century. The landscape of the modern Malpaso Valley is thus primarily the product of a series of intense and rapid transformations that were concentrated within the last 400 yr.
User Guide for Luminescence Sampling in Archaeological and Geological Contexts
- Michelle S. Nelson, Harrison J. Gray, Jack A. Johnson, Tammy M. Rittenour, James K. Feathers, Shannon A. Mahan
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- Advances in Archaeological Practice / Volume 3 / Issue 2 / May 2015
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 16 January 2017, pp. 166-177
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Luminescence dating provides a direct age estimate of the time of last exposure of quartz or feldspar minerals to light or heat and has been successfully applied to deposits, rock surfaces, and fired materials in a number of archaeological and geological settings. Sampling strategies are diverse and can be customized depending on local circumstances, although all sediment samples need to include a light-safe sample and material for dose-rate determination. The accuracy and precision of luminescence dating results are directly related to the type and quality of the material sampled and sample collection methods in the field. Selection of target material for dating should include considerations of adequacy of resetting of the luminescence signal (optical and thermal bleaching), the ability to characterize the radioactive environment surrounding the sample (dose rate), and the lack of evidence for post-depositional mixing (bioturbation in soils and sediment). Sample strategies for collection of samples from sedimentary settings and fired materials are discussed. This paper should be used as a guide for luminescence sampling and is meant to provide essential background information on how to properly collect samples and on the types of materials suitable for luminescence dating.
Fruit and vegetable consumption in Vietnam, and the use of a ‘standard serving’ size to measure intake
- Tan Van Bui, Christopher L. Blizzard, Khue Ngoc Luong, Ngoc Le Van Truong, Bao Quoc Tran, Petr Otahal, Velandai Srikanth, Mark R. Nelson, Thuy Bich Au, Son Thai Ha, Hai Ngoc Phung, Mai Hoang Tran, Michele Callisaya, Kylie Smith, Seana Gall
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- Journal:
- British Journal of Nutrition / Volume 116 / Issue 1 / 14 July 2016
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 12 May 2016, pp. 149-157
- Print publication:
- 14 July 2016
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The aims of the present study were to provide nationally representative data on fruit and vegetable consumption in Vietnam, and to assess the accuracy of the reported numbers of ‘standard servings’ consumed. Data analysed were from a multi-stage stratified cluster survey of 14 706 participants (46·5 % males, response proportion 64·1 %) aged 25−64 years in Vietnam. Measurements were made in accordance with the WHO STEPwise approach to surveillance of non-communicable diseases (STEPS) protocols. Approximately 80 % of Vietnamese people reported having less than five servings of fruit and vegetables daily in a typical week. Fruit and vegetable intake reported in ‘standard serving’ sizes was positively correlated with levels of education completed and household income (P<0·001 for trend). The correlations between summary values for each province reflect some known demographic, geographical and climatic characteristics of the country. For example, provinces at higher latitude had higher mean servings of vegetables (r 0·90), and provinces with higher proportions of urban population had higher mean servings of fruit (r 0·40). In conclusion, about eight in ten Vietnamese people aged 25–64 years did not meet WHO recommendations for daily consumption of at least five servings of fruit and vegetables. On the basis of the consistency of the data collected with other estimates and with physical and demographic characteristics of the country, the WHO STEPS instrument has construct validity for measuring fruit and vegetable intake, but with two issues identified. The issues were seasonal variation in reporting and a limitation on the usefulness of the information for associative analyses.
Marking and Making Differences: Representational Diversity in the U.S. Southwest
- Michelle Hegmon, Jacob Freeman, Keith W. Kintigh, Margaret C. Nelson, Sarah Oas, Matthew A. Peeples, Andrea Torvinen
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- Journal:
- American Antiquity / Volume 81 / Issue 2 / April 2016
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 20 January 2017, pp. 253-272
- Print publication:
- April 2016
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Diversity is generally valued, although it sometimes contributes to difficult social situations, as is recognized in recent social science literature. Archaeology can provide insights into how diverse social situations play out over the long term. There are many kinds of diversities, and we propose representational diversity as a distinct category. Representational diversity specifically concerns how and whether differences are marked or masked materially. We investigate several archaeological sequences in the U.S. Southwest. Each began with the coming together of populations that created situations of unprecedented social diversity; some resulted in conflict, others in long-term stability. We trace how representational diversity changed through these sequences. Specifically, we review the transregional Kayenta migration to the southern Southwest and focus empirical analyses on regional processes in the Cibola region and on painted ceramics. Results show that, initially, representational diversity increased above and beyond that caused by the combination of previously separate traditions as people marked their differences. Subsequently, in some instances, the diversity was replaced by widespread homogeneity as the differences were masked and mitigated. Although the social causes and effects of diversity are many and varied, long-term stability and persistence is associated with tolerance of a range of diversities.
Twin's Birth-Order Differences in Height and Body Mass Index From Birth to Old Age: A Pooled Study of 26 Twin Cohorts Participating in the CODATwins Project
- Yoshie Yokoyama, Aline Jelenkovic, Reijo Sund, Joohon Sung, John L. Hopper, Syuichi Ooki, Kauko Heikkilä, Sari Aaltonen, Adam D. Tarnoki, David L. Tarnoki, Gonneke Willemsen, Meike Bartels, Toos C. E. M. van Beijsterveldt, Kimberly J. Saudino, Tessa L. Cutler, Tracy L. Nelson, Keith E. Whitfield, Jane Wardle, Clare H. Llewellyn, Abigail Fisher, Mingguang He, Xiaohu Ding, Morten Bjerregaard-Andersen, Henning Beck-Nielsen, Morten Sodemann, Yun-Mi Song, Sarah Yang, Kayoung Lee, Hoe-Uk Jeong, Ariel Knafo-Noam, David Mankuta, Lior Abramson, S. Alexandra Burt, Kelly L. Klump, Juan R. Ordoñana, Juan F. Sánchez-Romera, Lucia Colodro-Conde, Jennifer R. Harris, Ingunn Brandt, Thomas Sevenius Nilsen, Jeffrey M. Craig, Richard Saffery, Fuling Ji, Feng Ning, Zengchang Pang, Lise Dubois, Michel Boivin, Mara Brendgen, Ginette Dionne, Frank Vitaro, Nicholas G. Martin, Sarah E. Medland, Grant W. Montgomery, Patrik K. E. Magnusson, Nancy L. Pedersen, Anna K. Dahl Aslan, Per Tynelius, Claire M. A. Haworth, Robert Plomin, Esther Rebato, Richard J. Rose, Jack H. Goldberg, Finn Rasmussen, Yoon-Mi Hur, Thorkild I. A. Sørensen, Dorret I. Boomsma, Jaakko Kaprio, Karri Silventoinen
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- Journal:
- Twin Research and Human Genetics / Volume 19 / Issue 2 / April 2016
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 09 March 2016, pp. 112-124
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We analyzed birth order differences in means and variances of height and body mass index (BMI) in monozygotic (MZ) and dizygotic (DZ) twins from infancy to old age. The data were derived from the international CODATwins database. The total number of height and BMI measures from 0.5 to 79.5 years of age was 397,466. As expected, first-born twins had greater birth weight than second-born twins. With respect to height, first-born twins were slightly taller than second-born twins in childhood. After adjusting the results for birth weight, the birth order differences decreased and were no longer statistically significant. First-born twins had greater BMI than the second-born twins over childhood and adolescence. After adjusting the results for birth weight, birth order was still associated with BMI until 12 years of age. No interaction effect between birth order and zygosity was found. Only limited evidence was found that birth order influenced variances of height or BMI. The results were similar among boys and girls and also in MZ and DZ twins. Overall, the differences in height and BMI between first- and second-born twins were modest even in early childhood, while adjustment for birth weight reduced the birth order differences but did not remove them for BMI.
Zygosity Differences in Height and Body Mass Index of Twins From Infancy to Old Age: A Study of the CODATwins Project
- Aline Jelenkovic, Yoshie Yokoyama, Reijo Sund, Chika Honda, Leonie H Bogl, Sari Aaltonen, Fuling Ji, Feng Ning, Zengchang Pang, Juan R. Ordoñana, Juan F. Sánchez-Romera, Lucia Colodro-Conde, S. Alexandra Burt, Kelly L. Klump, Sarah E. Medland, Grant W. Montgomery, Christian Kandler, Tom A. McAdams, Thalia C. Eley, Alice M. Gregory, Kimberly J. Saudino, Lise Dubois, Michel Boivin, Adam D. Tarnoki, David L. Tarnoki, Claire M. A. Haworth, Robert Plomin, Sevgi Y. Öncel, Fazil Aliev, Maria A. Stazi, Corrado Fagnani, Cristina D’Ippolito, Jeffrey M. Craig, Richard Saffery, Sisira H. Siribaddana, Matthew Hotopf, Athula Sumathipala, Fruhling Rijsdijk, Timothy Spector, Massimo Mangino, Genevieve Lachance, Margaret Gatz, David A. Butler, Gombojav Bayasgalan, Danshiitsoodol Narandalai, Duarte L Freitas, José Antonio Maia, K. Paige Harden, Elliot M. Tucker-Drob, Bia Kim, Youngsook Chong, Changhee Hong, Hyun Jung Shin, Kaare Christensen, Axel Skytthe, Kirsten O. Kyvik, Catherine A. Derom, Robert F. Vlietinck, Ruth J. F. Loos, Wendy Cozen, Amie E. Hwang, Thomas M. Mack, Mingguang He, Xiaohu Ding, Billy Chang, Judy L. Silberg, Lindon J. Eaves, Hermine H. Maes, Tessa L. Cutler, John L. Hopper, Kelly Aujard, Patrik K. E. Magnusson, Nancy L. Pedersen, Anna K. Dahl Aslan, Yun-Mi Song, Sarah Yang, Kayoung Lee, Laura A. Baker, Catherine Tuvblad, Morten Bjerregaard-Andersen, Henning Beck-Nielsen, Morten Sodemann, Kauko Heikkilä, Qihua Tan, Dongfeng Zhang, Gary E. Swan, Ruth Krasnow, Kerry L. Jang, Ariel Knafo-Noam, David Mankuta, Lior Abramson, Paul Lichtenstein, Robert F. Krueger, Matt McGue, Shandell Pahlen, Per Tynelius, Glen E. Duncan, Dedra Buchwald, Robin P. Corley, Brooke M. Huibregtse, Tracy L. Nelson, Keith E. Whitfield, Carol E. Franz, William S. Kremen, Michael J. Lyons, Syuichi Ooki, Ingunn Brandt, Thomas Sevenius Nilsen, Fujio Inui, Mikio Watanabe, Meike Bartels, Toos C. E. M. van Beijsterveldt, Jane Wardle, Clare H. Llewellyn, Abigail Fisher, Esther Rebato, Nicholas G. Martin, Yoshinori Iwatani, Kazuo Hayakawa, Joohon Sung, Jennifer R. Harris, Gonneke Willemsen, Andreas Busjahn, Jack H. Goldberg, Finn Rasmussen, Yoon-Mi Hur, Dorret I. Boomsma, Thorkild I. A. Sørensen, Jaakko Kaprio, Karri Silventoinen
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- Journal:
- Twin Research and Human Genetics / Volume 18 / Issue 5 / October 2015
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 04 September 2015, pp. 557-570
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A trend toward greater body size in dizygotic (DZ) than in monozygotic (MZ) twins has been suggested by some but not all studies, and this difference may also vary by age. We analyzed zygosity differences in mean values and variances of height and body mass index (BMI) among male and female twins from infancy to old age. Data were derived from an international database of 54 twin cohorts participating in the COllaborative project of Development of Anthropometrical measures in Twins (CODATwins), and included 842,951 height and BMI measurements from twins aged 1 to 102 years. The results showed that DZ twins were consistently taller than MZ twins, with differences of up to 2.0 cm in childhood and adolescence and up to 0.9 cm in adulthood. Similarly, a greater mean BMI of up to 0.3 kg/m2 in childhood and adolescence and up to 0.2 kg/m2 in adulthood was observed in DZ twins, although the pattern was less consistent. DZ twins presented up to 1.7% greater height and 1.9% greater BMI than MZ twins; these percentage differences were largest in middle and late childhood and decreased with age in both sexes. The variance of height was similar in MZ and DZ twins at most ages. In contrast, the variance of BMI was significantly higher in DZ than in MZ twins, particularly in childhood. In conclusion, DZ twins were generally taller and had greater BMI than MZ twins, but the differences decreased with age in both sexes.
The CODATwins Project: The Cohort Description of Collaborative Project of Development of Anthropometrical Measures in Twins to Study Macro-Environmental Variation in Genetic and Environmental Effects on Anthropometric Traits
- Karri Silventoinen, Aline Jelenkovic, Reijo Sund, Chika Honda, Sari Aaltonen, Yoshie Yokoyama, Adam D. Tarnoki, David L. Tarnoki, Feng Ning, Fuling Ji, Zengchang Pang, Juan R. Ordoñana, Juan F. Sánchez-Romera, Lucia Colodro-Conde, S. Alexandra Burt, Kelly L. Klump, Sarah E. Medland, Grant W. Montgomery, Christian Kandler, Tom A. McAdams, Thalia C. Eley, Alice M. Gregory, Kimberly J. Saudino, Lise Dubois, Michel Boivin, Claire M. A. Haworth, Robert Plomin, Sevgi Y. Öncel, Fazil Aliev, Maria A. Stazi, Corrado Fagnani, Cristina D’Ippolito, Jeffrey M. Craig, Richard Saffery, Sisira H. Siribaddana, Matthew Hotopf, Athula Sumathipala, Timothy Spector, Massimo Mangino, Genevieve Lachance, Margaret Gatz, David A. Butler, Gombojav Bayasgalan, Danshiitsoodol Narandalai, Duarte L. Freitas, José Antonio Maia, K. Paige Harden, Elliot M. Tucker-Drob, Kaare Christensen, Axel Skytthe, Kirsten O. Kyvik, Changhee Hong, Youngsook Chong, Catherine A. Derom, Robert F. Vlietinck, Ruth J. F. Loos, Wendy Cozen, Amie E. Hwang, Thomas M. Mack, Mingguang He, Xiaohu Ding, Billy Chang, Judy L. Silberg, Lindon J. Eaves, Hermine H. Maes, Tessa L. Cutler, John L. Hopper, Kelly Aujard, Patrik K. E. Magnusson, Nancy L. Pedersen, Anna K. Dahl Aslan, Yun-Mi Song, Sarah Yang, Kayoung Lee, Laura A. Baker, Catherine Tuvblad, Morten Bjerregaard-Andersen, Henning Beck-Nielsen, Morten Sodemann, Kauko Heikkilä, Qihua Tan, Dongfeng Zhang, Gary E. Swan, Ruth Krasnow, Kerry L. Jang, Ariel Knafo-Noam, David Mankuta, Lior Abramson, Paul Lichtenstein, Robert F. Krueger, Matt McGue, Shandell Pahlen, Per Tynelius, Glen E. Duncan, Dedra Buchwald, Robin P. Corley, Brooke M. Huibregtse, Tracy L. Nelson, Keith E. Whitfield, Carol E. Franz, William S. Kremen, Michael J. Lyons, Syuichi Ooki, Ingunn Brandt, Thomas Sevenius Nilsen, Fujio Inui, Mikio Watanabe, Meike Bartels, Toos C. E. M. van Beijsterveldt, Jane Wardle, Clare H. Llewellyn, Abigail Fisher, Esther Rebato, Nicholas G. Martin, Yoshinori Iwatani, Kazuo Hayakawa, Finn Rasmussen, Joohon Sung, Jennifer R. Harris, Gonneke Willemsen, Andreas Busjahn, Jack H. Goldberg, Dorret I. Boomsma, Yoon-Mi Hur, Thorkild I. A. Sørensen, Jaakko Kaprio
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- Journal:
- Twin Research and Human Genetics / Volume 18 / Issue 4 / August 2015
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 27 May 2015, pp. 348-360
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For over 100 years, the genetics of human anthropometric traits has attracted scientific interest. In particular, height and body mass index (BMI, calculated as kg/m2) have been under intensive genetic research. However, it is still largely unknown whether and how heritability estimates vary between human populations. Opportunities to address this question have increased recently because of the establishment of many new twin cohorts and the increasing accumulation of data in established twin cohorts. We started a new research project to analyze systematically (1) the variation of heritability estimates of height, BMI and their trajectories over the life course between birth cohorts, ethnicities and countries, and (2) to study the effects of birth-related factors, education and smoking on these anthropometric traits and whether these effects vary between twin cohorts. We identified 67 twin projects, including both monozygotic (MZ) and dizygotic (DZ) twins, using various sources. We asked for individual level data on height and weight including repeated measurements, birth related traits, background variables, education and smoking. By the end of 2014, 48 projects participated. Together, we have 893,458 height and weight measures (52% females) from 434,723 twin individuals, including 201,192 complete twin pairs (40% monozygotic, 40% same-sex dizygotic and 20% opposite-sex dizygotic) representing 22 countries. This project demonstrates that large-scale international twin studies are feasible and can promote the use of existing data for novel research purposes.