Adolescent body dissatisfaction and disordered eating: Predictors of later risky health behaviours.

RATIONALE: Body dissatisfaction is prevalent among teenagers, and may influence the uptake of risky health behaviours. OBJECTIVE: The study assessed the influence of body dissatisfaction on smoking, cannabis use, drug use, self-harm, gambling, and drinking and the mediating role of disordered eating in a population-based sample of British adolescents. METHOD: Participants were 2634 females and 1684 males from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) cohort. Logistic regression was used to test if body dissatisfaction at 14 years old predicted the onset of risky health behaviours at 21 years old. Mediation analysis tested the mediating role of disordered eating at 16 years old on each risky health behaviour. RESULTS: Among females, body dissatisfaction predicted smoking (OR = 1.40, 95% CI = 1.15, 1.72), cannabis use (OR = 1.20, 95% CI = 1.00, 1.43), drug use (OR = 1.51, 95% CI = 1.20, 1.90), self-harm (OR = 1.44, 95% CI = 1.13, 1.84) and high-risk drinking (OR = 1.41, 95% CI = 1.10, 1.80). Disordered eating symptoms had mediating effects on some behaviours. Among males, body dissatisfaction predicted smoking (OR = 1.44, 95% CI = 1.14, 1.81) and no effect of disordered eating was found on any risky health behaviour. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first prospective study to demonstrate that body dissatisfaction in adolescence predicts the occurrence of several risky health behaviours, and elucidates the mediating role of disordered eating. The findings highlight that body dissatisfaction is a public health concern. Early interventions to promote body satisfaction may reduce the prevalence of later risky health behaviours.

Proximity to overhead power lines and childhood leukaemia: an international pooled analysis.

BACKGROUND: Although studies have consistently found an association between childhood leukaemia risk and magnetic fields, the associations between childhood leukaemia and distance to overhead power lines have been inconsistent. We pooled data from multiple studies to assess the association with distance and evaluate whether it is due to magnetic fields or other factors associated with distance from lines. METHODS: We present a pooled analysis combining individual-level data (29,049 cases and 68,231 controls) from 11 record-based studies. RESULTS: There was no material association between childhood leukaemia and distance to nearest overhead power line of any voltage. Among children living < 50 m from 200 + kV power lines, the adjusted odds ratio for childhood leukaemia was 1.33 (95% CI: 0.92-1.93). The odds ratio was higher among children diagnosed before age 5 years. There was no association with calculated magnetic fields. Odds ratios remained unchanged with adjustment for potential confounders. CONCLUSIONS: In this first comprehensive pooled analysis of childhood leukaemia and distance to power lines, we found a small and imprecise risk for residences < 50 m of 200 + kV lines that was not explained by high magnetic fields. Reasons for the increased risk, found in this and many other studies, remains to be elucidated.

Smoking prevalence amongst UK Armed Forces recruits: changes in behaviour after 3 years follow-up and factors affecting smoking behaviour.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to investigate smoking prevalence of Tri-Service recruits, and changes in smoking behaviour at 3-year follow-up, by trade group and gender. Associations with educational attainment and deprivation were also assessed. METHODS: Analysis of a survey into the health behaviours of 10 531 recruits in 1998/1999. A follow-up 3 years later measured changes in behaviour. Correlation and multiple regression was used to investigate the relationship between smoking prevalence in each trade group and both educational attainment and deprivation, using Index of Multiple Deprivation 2004 (IMD 2004) scores. RESULTS: Army recruits exhibited a significantly higher smoking prevalence (45%) than Royal Navy recruits (34%) and Royal Air Force (RAF) recruits (31%). There were marked differences between smoking levels amongst officer cadets (12%, 20% and 10% in the Navy, Army and RAF, respectively) and other rank trade groups (24-56%), with the exception of the Marines (13%). At follow up, smoking had generally increased, and in some parts of the infantry had risen to 66%. There was a clear correlation between smoking at enlistment and both educational attainment (correlation coefficient=0.7, p<0.005) and deprivation score (correlation coefficient=0.8, p<0.005). CONCLUSIONS: There were clear differences between Services, rank and trade groups in smoking prevalence at recruitment. Smoking levels increased in the 3 years after recruitment to the Armed Forces. Deprivation was more important than educational attainment in determining the smoking status of recruits.

Advanced paternal age: how old is too old?

Average paternal age in the UK is increasing. The public health implications of this trend have not been widely anticipated or debated. This commentary aims to contribute to such a debate. Accumulated chromosomal aberrations and mutations occurring during the maturation of male germ cells are thought to be responsible for the increased risk of certain conditions with older fathers. Growing evidence shows that the offspring of older fathers have reduced fertility and an increased risk of birth defects, some cancers, and schizophrenia. Adverse health outcomes should be weighed up against advantages for children born to older parents, mindful that these societal advantages are likely to change over time.

Associations of childhood and adulthood height and the components of height with insulin-like growth factor levels in adulthood: a 65-year follow-up of the Boyd Orr cohort.

CONTEXT: Taller individuals with longer legs have a higher risk of cancer but a lower risk of coronary heart disease. OBJECTIVE: We investigated whether childhood height and its components are associated with the IGF system in adulthood. DESIGN AND PARTICIPANTS: We analyzed data from 429 participants of the Boyd Orr cohort, for whom height measured in childhood (mean age, 7.4 yr) in 1937-1939 could be related to levels of IGF-I, IGF-II, IGF binding protein (IGFBP)-2, and IGFBP-3 in adulthood (mean age, 71.1 yr). In 385 participants, measured height in adulthood could be related to IGF levels. RESULTS: In fully adjusted models (controlling for age, sex, socioeconomic factors, lifestyle, and body mass index), childhood height and its components were not associated with adult circulating IGF-I, IGF-II, or IGFBP-2 levels. IGFBP-3 was 85.5 ng/ml higher (95% confidence interval, -11.6 to 182.5; P = 0.08) per sd increase in childhood trunk length and 83.6 ng/ml lower (95% confidence interval, -10.3 to 177.5; P = 0.08) per sd increase in childhood leg/trunk ratio. Height in adulthood was not associated with IGF-I, IGF-II, or IGFBP-3 and was inversely associated with IGFBP-2 (P = 0.05) after additionally controlling for childhood height. CONCLUSION: There was no evidence that associations of childhood height with cancer and coronary heart disease risk are mediated by IGF-I in adulthood. The anthropometric associations with IGFBP-2 and IGFBP-3 could be chance findings but warrant additional investigation. IGF levels in childhood may be more important determinants of long-term disease risk than adult levels.