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American Journal of Epidemiology Jun 2024Accurately measuring gender and sex is crucial in public health and epidemiology. Iteratively reexamining how variables-including gender and sex-are conceptualized and...
Accurately measuring gender and sex is crucial in public health and epidemiology. Iteratively reexamining how variables-including gender and sex-are conceptualized and operationalized is necessary to achieve impactful research. Reexamining gender and sex advances epidemiology toward its goals of health promotion and disease elimination. While we cannot reduce the complexities of sex and gender to simply an issue of measurement, striving to capture these concepts and experiences accurately must be an ongoing dialogue and practice-to the benefit of the field and population health. We assert that epidemiology must counteract misconceptions and accurately measure gender and sex in epidemiology. We aim to summarize existing critiques and guiding principles in measuring gender and sex that can be applied in practice.
PubMed: 38944757
DOI: 10.1093/aje/kwae144 -
Memory & Cognition Jun 2024Graphical perception is an important part of the scientific endeavour, and the interpretation of graphical information is increasingly important among educated consumers...
Graphical perception is an important part of the scientific endeavour, and the interpretation of graphical information is increasingly important among educated consumers of popular media, who are often presented with graphs of data in support of different policy positions. However, graphs are multidimensional and data in graphs are comprised not only of overall global trends but also local perturbations. We presented a novel function estimation task in which scatterplots of noisy data that varied in the number of data points, the scale of the data, and the true generating function were shown to observers. 170 psychology undergraduates with mixed experience of mathematical functions were asked to draw the function that they believe generated the data. Our results indicated not only a general influence of various aspects of the presented graph (e.g., increasing the number of data points results in smoother generated functions) but also clear individual differences, with some observers tending to generate functions that track the local changes in the data and others following global trends in the data.
PubMed: 38944648
DOI: 10.3758/s13421-024-01598-5 -
Risk Analysis : An Official Publication... Jun 2024As countries and communities grapple with climate change, they seek to rapidly decarbonize their economies and cultures. A low-carbon future will likely depend on more...
As countries and communities grapple with climate change, they seek to rapidly decarbonize their economies and cultures. A low-carbon future will likely depend on more distributed solar energy, the electrification of mobility, and more efficient homes and buildings. But what emergent risks are evident within this low-carbon society? This exploratory study first reviews the existing literature to identify 75 risk-risk tradeoffs by their category, medium of distribution, and type. It builds on these 75 examples to apply a typology of Risk Offsets, Risk Substitution, Risk Transfer, and Risk Transformation. Based on extensive document analysis, it applies that typology to three low-carbon innovations: solar energy, battery electric vehicles, and building energy efficiency retrofits, identifying 36 distinct risk-risk tradeoffs in total. As such, the paper moves to discuss complexities and challenges in risk management. In doing so, it calls for a more refined risk assessment that better accounts for decision-making considerations such as the magnitude or probability of risk, size of population exposed, certainty in risk estimation, severity of adverse outcome, distributional considerations, and the timing of risk impacts. It also summarizes emergent research gaps. Risk management in the context of climate action becomes a three-dimensional chess game of weighing risk transmission, risk mediums, and risk categories.
PubMed: 38944643
DOI: 10.1111/risa.14667 -
Disability and Health Journal Jun 2024Although extreme heat has been found to be disproportionately distributed with respect to socially disadvantaged and marginalized groups, persons with disabilities have...
BACKGROUND
Although extreme heat has been found to be disproportionately distributed with respect to socially disadvantaged and marginalized groups, persons with disabilities have received limited attention in previous research on heat exposure disparities.
OBJECTIVE
This gap is addressed by analyzing the relationship between local heatwave frequency and the percentages of people with a disability and specific disability types in the U.S. South-a region characterized by extremely high summer temperatures and greater disability prevalence.
METHODS
Census tract level values of heatwave annualized frequency from the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency's National Risk Index are linked to relevant disability variables from the latest American Community Survey five-year estimates. Statistical analyses are based on bivariate correlations and multivariable generalized estimating equations that consider spatial clustering of tracts based on climate zone and county.
RESULTS
The overall percentage of civilian noninstitutionalized persons with a disability and more than one disability are significantly greater (p < 0.001) in census tracts with higher heatwave frequency, after controlling for clustering, race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, older age, population density, and metropolitan status. Heatwave frequency is also positively and significantly associated (p < 0.01) with the percentages of people with hearing, vision, cognitive, ambulatory, self-care, and independent living difficulties.
CONCLUSIONS
These heat-related distributive injustices in the U.S. South demonstrate an urgent need to: (1) include disability status in future research on social disparities in heatwave exposure; (2) conduct more detailed investigations in other regions, states, and nations; and (3) develop disability-inclusive policies and interventions that provide equitable protection during extreme weather events.
PubMed: 38944641
DOI: 10.1016/j.dhjo.2024.101665 -
Science Bulletin May 2024Intensive human activity has brought about unprecedented climate and environmental crises, in which concurrent heatwaves and ozone extremes pose the most serious...
Intensive human activity has brought about unprecedented climate and environmental crises, in which concurrent heatwaves and ozone extremes pose the most serious threats. However, a limited understanding of the comprehensive mechanism hinders our ability to mitigate such compound events, especially in densely populated regions like China. Here, based on field observations and climate-chemistry coupled modelling, we elucidate the linkage between human activities and the climate system in heat-related ozone pollution. In China, we have observed that both the frequency and intensity of heatwaves have almost tripled since the beginning of this century. Moreover, these heatwaves are becoming more common in urban clusters with serious ozone pollution. Persistent heatwaves during the extremely hot and dry summers of 2013 and 2022 accelerated photochemical ozone production by boosting anthropogenic and biogenic emissions, and aggravated ozone accumulation by suppressing dry deposition due to water-stressed vegetation, leading to a more than 30% increase in ozone pollution in China's urban areas. The sensitivity of ozone to heat is demonstrated to be substantially modulated by anthropogenic emissions, and China's clean air policy may have altered the relationship between ozone and temperature. Climate model projections further highlight that the high-emission climate-socioeconomic scenario tends to intensify the concurrent heat and ozone extremes in the next century. Our results underscore that the implementation of a strict emission strategy will significantly reduce the co-occurrence of heatwaves and ozone extremes, achieving climate and environmental co-benefits.
PubMed: 38944635
DOI: 10.1016/j.scib.2024.05.034 -
Archivos de Bronconeumologia Jun 2024To estimate the cumulative incidence of COVID-19 and its determinants among a nationally representative sample of adults from Spain who smoke.
OBJECTIVE
To estimate the cumulative incidence of COVID-19 and its determinants among a nationally representative sample of adults from Spain who smoke.
METHODS
This is a prospective cohort study that uses data from two waves (Wave 2 in 2018 and Wave 3 in 2021) of the ITC EUREST-PLUS Spain Survey. At baseline (Wave 1 in 2016), all respondents were adults (aged ≥18) who smoked. In total, 1008 respondents participated in Wave 2, and 570 out of 888 eligible participants were followed up in Wave 3 (64.2%). We estimated the cumulative incidence and the relative risk of COVID-19 (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) during follow-up using self-reported information on sociodemographic, smoking-related and health-related characteristics and identified associated factors using multivariable Poisson models with robust variance adjusted for the independent variables.
RESULTS
The overall cumulative incidence of self-reported COVID-19 was 5.9% (95% CI: 3.9-8.0%), with no significant differences between males (6.3%; 95% CI: 3.6-9.0%) and females (5.6%; 95% CI: 3.2-8.0%). After adjusting for age, sex, and educational level, COVID-19 incidence was positively associated with moderate nicotine dependence (RR: 2.37; 95% CI: 1.04-5.40) and negatively associated with having a partner who smoked (RR: 0.12; 95% CI: 0.03-0.42), and having friends but not a partner who smoked (RR: 0.28; 95% CI: 0.14-0.56).
CONCLUSION
The correlates of having had COVID-19 among people who smoke should be considered when tailoring information and targeted non-pharmacological preventive measures.
PubMed: 38944617
DOI: 10.1016/j.arbres.2024.05.037 -
The International Journal on Drug Policy Jun 2024A market for cannabis with low levels (LT) of Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) has recently emerged in Europe alongside an ongoing trend of domestic cannabis cultivation with...
BACKGROUND
A market for cannabis with low levels (LT) of Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) has recently emerged in Europe alongside an ongoing trend of domestic cannabis cultivation with high-THC content (HT). This phenomenon may have diversified the growers' profile. This study investigates LT growers' (LTG) characteristics (demographics, consumption patterns, growing experience) and growing motivations with a subsequent comparison with HT growers (HTG).
METHODS
Data from 11,479 small-scale growers was collected through an online survey (ICCQ 2) conducted by the Global Cannabis Cultivation Research Consortium (GCCRC) from 2020 to 2021. This exploratory study analyses a subsample of the 1618 respondents residing in Italy and Switzerland. A quantitative approach was used, performing comparative bivariate and multivariate analyses between participants who have only grown HT plants in the previous year (HTG; n = 1303) and those who have either grown LT only or alongside HT (LTG; n = 315).
RESULTS
LTGs differ significantly from HTGs. LTGs are older than HTGs. Growing medical cannabis for oneself and others is more likely among them than HTGs. Compared to HTGs, LTGs have lesser odds to grow for recreational use and to have problematic cannabis use. Growing for legality, pleasure and accessing milder cannabis is more likely for LTGs than HTGs. HTGs have greater experience than HTGs, growing for longer, more extensively and better meeting their consumption needs. There is a wider production of by-products, such as oils and extracts, among LTGs than HTGs. Having been in contact with the police for growing is also more likely among them than HTGs.
CONCLUSION
LTGs reported significantly more growing experience when compared to HTGs and should be considered a distinct group of growers. The results suggest that the emergence of the legal LT market has more likely drawn previous HTGs into growing LT, mainly medically, rather than attracting new individuals toward cannabis cultivation.
PubMed: 38944558
DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2024.104505 -
The International Journal on Drug Policy Jun 2024James Cunningham and co-authors did pioneering work in evaluating the impact of precursor control on methamphetamine markets and related harms. We discuss their studies,...
James Cunningham and co-authors did pioneering work in evaluating the impact of precursor control on methamphetamine markets and related harms. We discuss their studies, as well as others that followed, and review what is known of precursor control's short-run and long-run impacts. We interpret the evidence to suggest that precursor control was likely cost-effective initially. However, long-run supply adjustments by illicit meth producers weakened the controls' efficacy. Meanwhile, regulations on legal consumers of cold medications were permanent and unavoidable, which may have closed the gap on the positive net benefits that had accrued initially in the short run. Our review underscores the challenges policymakers face in achieving their goals when supply can adjust long-term, but non-participants in illegal markets cannot.
PubMed: 38944557
DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2024.104501 -
Obesity Research & Clinical Practice Jun 2024Personalised medicine is seen as an exciting opportunity to improve the health outcomes of people with obesity. As research on phenotyping and personalised treatment for...
OBJECTIVE
Personalised medicine is seen as an exciting opportunity to improve the health outcomes of people with obesity. As research on phenotyping and personalised treatment for obesity rapidly advances, this study sought to understand patient preferences and perspectives on personalised medicine for obesity.
METHODS
A participatory world café methodology was used to garner the perspectives of people living with obesity on the potential opportunities and limitations associated with a personalised approach to obesity risk identification and treatment. Data were recorded by participants on tablemats and analysed thematically using thematic analysis.
RESULTS
Patients expressed the hope that personalised medicine for obesity would reduce stigma, support understanding of obesity as a disease, and improve treatment outcomes and acceptance. They also expressed concern about the accuracy of personalised medicine for obesity, its implications for insurance and that further advances in individual, personalised medicine, would detract attention from social, environmental, economic and psychological drivers of obesity.
CONCLUSIONS
This study highlights how patients are generally very optimistic about the potential for personalised obesity medicine but also raise a number of legitimate concerns that will be of interest to clinicians, industry, and policy makers.
PubMed: 38944550
DOI: 10.1016/j.orcp.2024.06.004 -
Lancet (London, England) Jun 2024
Topics: Humans; Gun Violence; Consumer Advocacy; Firearms
PubMed: 38944523
DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(24)01124-3