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In June 2020, Massachusetts became the first state to implement a comprehensive flavored tobacco restriction. One concern was that Massachusetts residents would travel to New Hampshire to purchase restricted products. This article assesses tobacco sales in both states post-law implementation. Retail scanner data were obtained from the Nielsen Company and Information Resources, Inc (IRI), from 1 year pre-law implementation to 2 years post-law implementation. Data post-law implementation were compared with data from 1 year pre-law implementation (baseline). In Massachusetts, 2 years post-law implementation, flavored and menthol tobacco sales decreased by more than 90%. Total sales decreased by around 20%. In New Hampshire, menthol tobacco sales increased (25.1% in IRI and 18.2% in Nielsen), but total sales changed minimally (<5% increase in IRI, <5% decrease in Nielsen). When data from both states were combined, total sales decreased by around 10%. The net decrease in total tobacco sales across Massachusetts and New Hampshire indicates Massachusetts' flavored tobacco restriction resulted in a reduction in tobacco sales despite potential cross-border purchases.
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Comercio , Productos de Tabaco , Massachusetts , New Hampshire , Humanos , Comercio/estadística & datos numéricos , Comercio/legislación & jurisprudencia , Productos de Tabaco/economía , Productos de Tabaco/estadística & datos numéricos , Productos de Tabaco/legislación & jurisprudencia , AromatizantesRESUMEN
In an era of political polarization, growing anti-science sentiment, and pervasive inequities in the social drivers of health, a rising tide of potentially harmful state policy proposals in the United States threaten to undermine the health of the public. In response, our health system's population health and government relations offices partnered with key health advocacy organizations in our state of New Hampshire to offer an interactive virtual learning series aimed at preparing diverse professionals and citizens to effectively advocate for sound health policies. Two hundred forty-seven individuals registered for the six-session series. Our findings indicate that participants experienced increased awareness of the political determinants of health, better understanding of specific legislative proposals in New Hampshire, and enhanced preparedness for advocacy, with many reporting greater active engagement in advocacy. Given its flexible and virtual nature, this innovative learning model could easily be adapted to promote dialogue and advocacy for sound health policy in diverse regional contexts.
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Política de Salud , Política , Determinantes Sociales de la Salud , Humanos , Estados Unidos , New HampshireRESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Sparse research exists on predictors of element concentrations measured in deciduous teeth. OBJECTIVE: To estimate associations between maternal/child characteristics, elements measured in home tap water during pregnancy and element concentrations in the dentin of shed deciduous teeth. METHODS: Our analysis included 152 pregnant person-infant dyads followed from the second trimester through the end of the first postnatal year from the New Hampshire Birth Cohort Study. During pregnancy and early infancy, we collected dietary and sociodemographic information via surveys, measured elements in home tap water, and later collected naturally exfoliated teeth from child participants. We measured longitudinal deposition of elements in dentin using LA-ICP-MS. Multivariable linear mixed models were used to estimate associations between predictors and dentin element concentrations. RESULTS: We measured 12 elements in dentin including those previously reported (Ba, Mn, Pb, Sr, Zn) and less frequently reported (Al, As, Cd, Cu, Hg, Li, and W). A doubling of Pb or Sr concentrations in water was associated with higher dentin Pb or Sr respectively in prenatally formed [9% (95%CI: 3%, 15%); 3% (1%, 6%)] and postnatally formed [10% (2%, 19%); 6% (2%, 10%)] dentin. Formula feeding from birth to 6 weeks or 6 weeks to 4 months was associated with higher element concentrations in postnatal dentin within the given time period as compared to exclusive human milk feeding: Sr: 6 weeks: 61% (36%, 90%) and 4 months: 85% (54%, 121%); Ba: 6 weeks: 35% (3.3%, 77%) and 4 months: 42% (10%, 83%); and Li: 6 weeks: 61% (33%, 95%) and 4 months: 58% (31%, 90%). SIGNIFICANCE: These findings offer insights into predictors of dentin elements and potential confounders in exposure-health outcome relationships during critical developmental periods.
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Dentina , Diente Primario , Humanos , Femenino , Diente Primario/química , New Hampshire , Dentina/química , Embarazo , Lactante , Cohorte de Nacimiento , Adulto , Masculino , Dieta , Recién Nacido , Estudios de Cohortes , Adulto JovenRESUMEN
Fish consumption is one of the main sources of mercury (Hg) exposure, but few studies have examined Hg exposure from fish consumption among children. This study aimed to assess the frequency of fish intake and associations with Hg and other element concentrations among 700 three-year-old children from the New Hampshire Birth Cohort Study. Usual fish intake was derived from a validated food frequency questionnaire (Block Questionnaire for ages 2-7) and toenail element concentrations were determined using ICP-MS. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to assess the association between fish intake and toenail element concentrations. A mixture analysis, using Weighted quantile sum (WQS) regression, was used to estimate the relative contribution of fish consumption to element exposures. Twenty-three percent of children were reported to consume at least one fish meal/week on average during the previous 6 months. In adjusted linear regression models, children with any type of fish consumption versus no consumption had 108% (95% confidence interval (CI: 68%, 153%)) higher toenail Hg concentrations. To a lesser extent, children consuming "other fish (not fried) including tuna" and "fried fish or fish sticks" had 120% (95% CI: 82%, 164%), and 23% (95% CI: 2%, 51%) higher toenail concentrations, respectively, than those consuming no fish. Using WQS regression, Hg was the element most strongly related to fish consumption. Fish intake among young children was related to Hg exposure even at low levels of consumption. Future studies will need to determine the health consequences of this exposure.
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Peces , Mercurio , Uñas , Humanos , Mercurio/análisis , Preescolar , Uñas/química , Femenino , Masculino , Animales , Contaminación de Alimentos/análisis , Alimentos Marinos/análisis , New Hampshire , Exposición a Riesgos Ambientales/análisis , Dieta/estadística & datos numéricos , Exposición Dietética/análisis , Estudios de CohortesRESUMEN
BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic created barriers in the management of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and worsened social determinants of health (SDOH). A New Hampshire primary care office worked to adhere to T2DM standards of care and began screening for SDOH. This project assessed adherence to quality metrics, hemoglobin A1C, and SDOH screening as telehealth utilization decreased. LOCAL PROBLEM: A1C values have increased at the practice, especially since COVID-19. The practice also began screening for SDOH at every visit, but there was need to assess how needs were being documented and if/how they were addressed. METHODS: A retrospective chart review of patients with T2DM was performed. Demographic data and T2DM metrics were collected and compared with previous years and compared new versus established patients. Charts were reviewed to evaluate documentation of SDOH and appropriate referral. INTERVENTIONS: The practice transitioned from an increased utliization of telehealth back to prioritizing in-office visits. The practice also began routinely screening for SDOH in 2020; however, this process had not been standardized or evaluated. RESULTS: Adherence to nearly all quality metrics improved. Glycemic control improved after a year of nurse practitioner (NP) care, especially in new patients. All patients were screened for SDOH, but documentation varied, and affected patients had higher A1Cs, despite receiving comparable care. CONCLUSION: Nurse practitioners at this practice are adhering to American Diabetes Association guidelines, and A1C values improve under their care. Social determinants of health continue to act as unique barriers that keep patients from improving glycemic control, highlighting the need for individualized treatment of SDOH in T2DM care.
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COVID-19 , Diabetes Mellitus Tipo 2 , Enfermeras Practicantes , Determinantes Sociales de la Salud , Humanos , Diabetes Mellitus Tipo 2/terapia , Determinantes Sociales de la Salud/estadística & datos numéricos , Estudios Retrospectivos , Enfermeras Practicantes/estadística & datos numéricos , Enfermeras Practicantes/normas , Femenino , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , COVID-19/enfermería , Nivel de Atención/estadística & datos numéricos , Adhesión a Directriz/estadística & datos numéricos , Adhesión a Directriz/normas , Hemoglobina Glucada/análisis , New Hampshire , SARS-CoV-2 , Anciano , Telemedicina/estadística & datos numéricos , Telemedicina/normas , Estados Unidos , Adulto , Atención Primaria de Salud/estadística & datos numéricos , Atención Primaria de Salud/normas , PandemiasRESUMEN
With high-frequency data of nitrate (NO3-N) concentrations in waters becoming increasingly important for understanding of watershed system behaviors and ecosystem managements, the accurate and economic acquisition of high-frequency NO3-N concentration data has become a key point. This study attempted to use coupled deep learning neural networks and routine monitored data to predict hourly NO3-N concentrations in a river. The hourly NO3-N concentration at the outlet of the Oyster River watershed in New Hampshire, USA, was predicted through neural networks with a hybrid model architecture coupling the Convolutional Neural Networks and the Long Short-Term Memory model (CNN-LSTM). The routine monitored data (the river depth, water temperature, air temperature, precipitation, specific conductivity, pH and dissolved oxygen concentrations) for model training were collected from a nested high-frequency monitoring network, while the high-frequency NO3-N concentration data obtained at the outlet were not included as inputs. The whole dataset was separated into training, validation, and testing processes according to the ratio of 5:3:2, respectively. The hybrid CNN-LSTM model with different input lengths (1d, 3d, 7d, 15d, 30d) displayed comparable even better performance than other studies with lower frequencies, showing mean values of the Nash-Sutcliffe Efficiency 0.60-0.83. Models with shorter input lengths demonstrated both the higher modeling accuracy and stability. The water level, water temperature and pH values at monitoring sites were main controlling factors for forecasting performances. This study provided a new insight of using deep learning networks with a coupled architecture and routine monitored data for high-frequency riverine NO3-N concentration forecasting and suggestions about strategies about variable and input length selection during preprocessing of input data.
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Aprendizaje Profundo , Redes Neurales de la Computación , Nitratos , Ríos , Nitratos/análisis , Ríos/química , Monitoreo del Ambiente/métodos , Contaminantes Químicos del Agua/análisis , New HampshireRESUMEN
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are related to various adverse health outcomes, and food is a common source of PFAS exposure. Dietary sources of PFAS have not been adequately explored among U.S. pregnant individuals. We examined associations of dietary factors during pregnancy with PFAS concentrations in maternal plasma and human milk in the New Hampshire Birth Cohort Study. PFAS concentrations, including perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHxS), perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), perfluorooctanoate (PFOA), perfluorononanoate (PFNA), and perfluorodecanoate (PFDA), were measured in maternal plasma collected at â¼28 gestational weeks and human milk collected at â¼6 postpartum weeks. Sociodemographic, lifestyle and reproductive factors were collected from prenatal questionnaires and diet from food frequency questionnaires at â¼28 gestational weeks. We used adaptive elastic net (AENET) to identify important dietary variables for PFAS concentrations. We used multivariable linear regression to assess associations of dietary variables selected by AENET models with PFAS concentrations. Models were adjusted for sociodemographic, lifestyle, and reproductive factors, as well as gestational week of blood sample collection (plasma PFAS), postpartum week of milk sample collection (milk PFAS), and enrollment year. A higher intake of fish/seafood, eggs, coffee, or white rice during pregnancy was associated with higher plasma or milk PFAS concentrations. For example, every 1 standard deviation (SD) servings/day increase in egg intake during pregnancy was associated with 4.4 % (95 % CI: 0.6, 8.4), 3.3 % (0.1, 6.7), and 10.3 % (5.6, 15.2) higher plasma PFOS, PFOA, and PFDA concentrations respectively. Similarly, every 1 SD servings/day increase in white rice intake during pregnancy was associated with 7.5 % (95 % CI: -0.2, 15.8) and 12.4 % (4.8, 20.5) greater milk PFOS and PFOA concentrations, respectively. Our study suggests that certain dietary factors during pregnancy may contribute to higher PFAS concentrations in maternal plasma and human milk, which could inform interventions to reduce PFAS exposure for both birthing people and offspring.
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Ácidos Alcanesulfónicos , Dieta , Contaminantes Ambientales , Fluorocarburos , Leche Humana , Humanos , Fluorocarburos/sangre , Fluorocarburos/análisis , Leche Humana/química , Femenino , Dieta/estadística & datos numéricos , Contaminantes Ambientales/sangre , Contaminantes Ambientales/análisis , New Hampshire , Ácidos Alcanesulfónicos/análisis , Ácidos Alcanesulfónicos/sangre , Adulto , Cohorte de Nacimiento , Exposición Materna/estadística & datos numéricos , Embarazo , Caprilatos/sangre , Caprilatos/análisis , Estudios de Cohortes , Exposición Dietética/estadística & datos numéricos , Exposición Dietética/análisis , Ácidos Decanoicos/sangre , Ácidos Decanoicos/análisisRESUMEN
Moose are a popular species with recreationists but understudied acoustically. We used publicly available videos to characterize and quantify the vocalizations of moose in New Hampshire separated by age/sex class. We found significant differences in peak frequency, center frequency, bandwidth, and duration across the groups. Our results provide quantification of wild moose vocalizations across age/sex classes, which is a key step for passive acoustic detection of this species and highlights public videos as a potential resource for bioacoustics research of hard-to-capture and understudied species.
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Ciervos , Animales , Acústica , New Hampshire , Grabación de Cinta de VideoRESUMEN
In Great Bay Estuary, New Hampshire, USA, Haplosporidium nelsoni and Perkinsus marinus are 2 active pathogens of the eastern oyster Crassostrea virginica (Gmelin), that cause MSX (multinucleated sphere with unknown affinity 'X') and dermo mortalities, respectively. Whereas studies have quantified infection intensities in oyster populations and determined whether these parasites exist in certain planktonic organisms, no studies thus far have examined both infectious agents simultaneously in water associated with areas that do and do not have oyster populations. As in other estuaries, both organisms are present in estuarine waters throughout the Bay, especially during June through November, when oysters are most active. Waters associated with oyster habitats had higher, more variable DNA concentrations from these pathogenic organisms than waters at a non-oyster site. This finding allows for enhanced understanding of disease-causing organisms in New England estuaries, where oyster restoration is a priority.
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Alveolados , Estuarios , Haplosporidios , Animales , Haplosporidios/fisiología , New Hampshire , Alveolados/aislamiento & purificación , Crassostrea/parasitología , BahíasRESUMEN
Arthropods are active during the winter in temperate regions. Many use the seasonal snowpack as a buffer against harsh ambient conditions and are active in a refugium known as the subnivium. While the use of the subnivium by arthropods is well established, far less is known about subnivium community composition, abundance, biomass, and diversity and how these characteristics compare with the community in the summer. Understanding subnivium communities is especially important given the observed and anticipated changes in snowpack depth and duration due to the changing climate. We compared subnivium arthropod communities with those active during the summer using pitfall trapping in northern New Hampshire. We found that compositions of ground-active arthropod communities in the subnivium differed from those in the summer. The subnivium arthropod community featured moderate levels of richness and other measures of diversity that tended to be lower than the summer community. More strikingly, the subnivium community was much lower in overall abundance and biomass. Interestingly, some arthropods were dominant in the subnivium but either rare or absent in summer collections. These putative "subnivium specialists" included the spider Cicurina brevis (Emerton 1890) (Araneae: Hahniidae) and 3 rove beetles (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae): Arpedium cribratum Fauvel, 1878, Lesteva pallipes LeConte, 1863, and Porrhodites inflatus (Hatch, 1957). This study provides a detailed account of the subnivium arthropod community, establishes baseline information on arthropod communities in temperate forests of northeastern North America, and explores the idea of subnivium specialist taxa that are highly active in winter and might be especially vulnerable to climate change.
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Artrópodos , Biodiversidad , Estaciones del Año , Nieve , Animales , New Hampshire , Arañas/fisiología , Refugio de Fauna , BiomasaRESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Prior studies suggest that prenatal per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) exposures are associated with shorter breastfeeding duration. Studies assessing PFAS mixtures and populations in North America are sparse. METHODS: We quantified PFAS concentrations in maternal plasma collected during pregnancy in the New Hampshire Birth Cohort Study (2010-2017). Participants completed standardized breastfeeding surveys at regular intervals until weaning (n = 813). We estimated associations between mixtures of 5 PFAS and risk of stopping exclusive breastfeeding before 6 months or any breastfeeding before 12 months using probit Bayesian kernel machine regression. For individual PFAS, we calculated the relative risk and hazard ratio (HR) of stopping breastfeeding using modified Poisson regression and accelerated failure time models respectively. RESULTS: PFAS mixtures were associated with stopping exclusive breastfeeding before 6 months, primarily driven by perfluorooctanoate (PFOA). We observed statistically significant trends in the association of perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHxS), PFOA, and perfluorononanoate (PFNA) (p-trends≤0.02) with stopping exclusive breastfeeding. Participants in the highest PFOA quartile had a 28% higher risk of stopping exclusive breastfeeding before 6 months compared to those in the lowest quartile (95% Confidence Interval: 1.04, 1.56). Similar trends were observed for PFHxS and PFNA with exclusive breastfeeding (p-trends≤0.05). PFAS were not associated with stopping any breastfeeding before 12 months. CONCLUSIONS: In this cohort, we observed that participants with greater overall plasma PFAS concentrations had greater risk of stopping exclusive breastfeeding before 6 months and associations were driven largely by PFOA. These findings further support the growing literature indicating that PFAS may be associated with shorter duration of breastfeeding.
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Ácidos Alcanesulfónicos , Caprilatos , Contaminantes Ambientales , Fluorocarburos , Embarazo , Femenino , Humanos , Estudios de Cohortes , Lactancia Materna , Teorema de Bayes , New Hampshire , AlcanosulfonatosRESUMEN
Objective: Examine the associations between rurality and low income with primary care telehealth utilization and hypertension outcomes across multiple years pre- and post-COVID-19 pandemic onset. Methods: We compiled electronic health record data from the mixed rural/urban Dartmouth Health system in New Hampshire, United States, on patients with pre-existing hypertension or diabetes receiving primary care in the period before (January 2018-February 2020) and after the transition period to telehealth during the COVID-19 Pandemic (October 2020-December 2022). Stratifying by rurality and Medicaid enrollment, we examined changes in synchronous (office and telehealth visits, including audio/video use) and asynchronous (patient portal or telephone message) utilization, and control of mean systolic blood pressure (SBP) <140. Results: Analysis included 46,520 patients, of whom 8.2% were Medicaid enrollees, 42.7% urban residents. Telehealth use rates were 12% for rural versus 6.4% for urban, and 15% for Medicaid versus 8.4% non-Medicaid. The overall postpandemic telehealth visit rate was 0.29 per patient per year. Rural patients had a larger increase in telehealth use (additional 0.21 per year, 95% CI, 0.19-0.23) compared with urban, as did Medicaid (0.32, 95% CI 0.29-0.36) compared with non-Medicaid. Among the 38,437 patients with hypertension, SBP control worsened from 83% to 79% of patients across periods. In multivariable analysis, rurality corresponded to worsened control rates compared with urban (additional 2.4% decrease, 95% CI 2.1-2.8%); Medicaid and telehealth use were not associated with worsened control. Conclusions: Telehealth expansion enabled a higher shift to telehealth for rural and low-income patients without impairing hypertension management.
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COVID-19 , Hipertensión , Medicaid , Población Rural , SARS-CoV-2 , Telemedicina , Humanos , Hipertensión/epidemiología , Hipertensión/terapia , COVID-19/epidemiología , Medicaid/estadística & datos numéricos , Telemedicina/estadística & datos numéricos , Estados Unidos/epidemiología , Femenino , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Población Rural/estadística & datos numéricos , Anciano , New Hampshire/epidemiología , Adulto , Atención Primaria de Salud , Pandemias , PobrezaRESUMEN
Large variations in redox-related water parameters, like pH and dissolved oxygen (DO), have been documented in New Hampshire (United States) drinking-water wells over the course of a few hours under pumping conditions. These findings suggest that comparable sub-daily variability in dissolved concentrations of redox-reactive and toxic arsenic (As) also may occur, representing a potentially critical public-health data gap and a fundamental challenge for long-term As-trends monitoring. To test this hypothesis, discrete groundwater As samples were collected approximately hourly during one day in May and again in August 2019 from three New Hampshire drinking-water wells (2 public-supply, 1 private) under active pumping conditions. Collected samples were assessed by laboratory analysis (total As [AsTot], As(III), As(V)) and by field analysis (AsTot) using a novel integrated biosensor system. Laboratory analysis revealed sub-daily variability (range) in AsTot concentrations equivalent to 16 % - 36 % of that observed in the antecedent 3-year bimonthly trend monitoring. Thus, the results indicated that, along with previously demonstrated seasonality effects, the timing and duration of pumping are important considerations when assessing trends in drinking-water As exposures and concomitant risks. Results also illustrated the utility of the field sensor for monitoring and management of AsTot exposures in near-real-time.
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Arsénico , Agua Potable , Agua Subterránea , Contaminantes Químicos del Agua , Estados Unidos , Pozos de Agua , Abastecimiento de Agua , New Hampshire , Arsénico/análisis , Monitoreo del Ambiente/métodos , Contaminantes Químicos del Agua/análisis , Agua Potable/análisisRESUMEN
A fundamental goal of ecology is to understand how the physical environment influences intraspecific variability in life history and, consequently, fitness. In streams, discharge and associated habitat conditions change along a continuum from intermittency to permanence: Headwater streams typically have smaller watersheds and are thus more prone to drying than higher-order streams with larger watersheds and more consistent discharge. However, few empirical studies have assessed life history and associated population responses to this continuum in aquatic organisms. We tested the prediction that individual growth, rate of development, and population growth increase with watershed area in the long-lived stream salamander Gyrinophilus porphyriticus, where we use watershed area as a proxy for hydrologic intermittence. To address this hypothesis, we used 8 years of mark-recapture data from 53 reaches across 10 headwater streams in New Hampshire, USA. Individual growth rates and mean size at metamorphosis increased with watershed area for watersheds from 0.12 to 1.66 km2 . Population growth rates increased with watershed area; however, this result was not statistically significant at our sample size. Mean age of metamorphosis did not vary across watershed areas. Lower individual growth rates and smaller sizes at metamorphosis likely contributed to reduced lifetime fecundity and population growth in reaches with the smallest watershed areas and highest vulnerability to drought. These responses suggest that as droughts increase due to climate change, headwater specialists in hydrologically intermittent environments will experience a reduction in fitness due to smaller body sizes or other growth-related mechanisms.
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Ecosistema , Urodelos , Animales , New Hampshire , Crecimiento Demográfico , FertilidadRESUMEN
Diet is a primary source of nutrients but also toxic metal exposure. In pregnancy, balancing essential metal exposure while reducing non-essential ones is vital for fetal and maternal health. However, the effect of metal mixtures from diets like the Mediterranean, known for health benefits, remains unclear. This study aimed to explore the association between Mediterranean diet adherence and metals exposure, both individually and as mixtures. The study involved 907 pregnant participants from the New Hampshire Birth Cohort Study. We calculated the relative Mediterranean diet score (rMED) through a validated food frequency questionnaire, which includes 8 traditional Mediterranean dietary components. Also, at ~24-28 weeks of gestation, we used ICP-MS to measure speciation of Al, Cd, Co, Cu, Fe, Hg, Mo, Ni, Sb, Se, Sn, Zn, and As in urine, as well as Pb, Hg, As, Ni, and Se in toenails. We used multiple linear regression and Weighted Quantile Sum regression to analyze the association between rMED and metal mixtures. The models were adjusted for age, pre-pregnancy BMI, smoking during pregnancy, and educational level. High adherence to the Mediterranean diet was associated with increased urinary Al (® = 0.26 (95 % confidence interval (CI) = 0.05; 0.46)), Cd (ß = 0.12 (95%CI = 0.00; 0.24)), Mo (ß = 0.10 (95%CI = 0.00; 0.20)), and AsB (ß = 0.88 (95%CI = 0.49; 1.27)) as well as toenail Hg (ß = 0.44 (95%CI = 0.22; 0.65)), Ni (ß = 0.37 (95%CI = 0.06; 0.67)), and Pb (ß = 0.22 (95%CI = 0.03; 0.40)) compared to those with low adherence. The intake of fruits and nuts, fish and seafood, legumes, cereals, meat, and olive oil were found to be related to the metal biomarkers within the rMED. In conclusion, the Mediterranean diet enhances essential metal intake but may also increase exposure to harmful ones.
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Dieta Mediterránea , Mercurio , Embarazo , Femenino , Animales , Humanos , Estudios de Cohortes , Cadmio , New Hampshire , PlomoRESUMEN
Prenatal exposure to metals/metalloids, even at common US population levels, may pose risks to fetal health, and affect children's lung function. Yet, the combined effects of simultaneous prenatal exposures on children's lung function remain largely unexplored. This study analyzed 11 metals (As speciation, Cd, Co, Cu, Mo, Ni, Pb, Sb, Se, Sn, Zn) in maternal urine during weeks 24-28 of gestation and evaluated lung function, including forced vital capacity (FVC) and forced expiratory volume in the first second of expiration (FEV1), in 316 US mother-child pairs at around age 7. We used Bayesian Kernel Machine Regression (BKMR), weighted quantile sum regression (WQSR), and multiple linear regression to examine the association between metal mixture exposure and children's lung function, adjusting for maternal smoking, child age, sex, and height. In BKMR models assessing combined exposure effects, limited evidence of metal non-linearity or interactions was found. Nevertheless, Co, As species, and Pb showed a negative association, while Mo exhibited a positive association with children's FVC and FEV1, with other metals held constant at their medians. The weighted index, from WQSR analysis assessing the cumulative impact of all metals, highlighted prenatal Mo with the highest positive weight, and Co, As, and Sb with the most substantial negative weights on children's FVC and FEV1. Urinary Co and Pb were negatively associated with FVC (ß = -0.09, 95% confidence interval (CI) (-0.18; -0.01) and ß = -0.07, 95% CI (-0.13; 0.00), respectively). Co was also negatively associated with FEV1 (ß = -0.09, 95% CI (-0.18; 0.00). There was a negative association between As and FVC, and a positive association between Mo and both FVC and FEV1, though with wide confidence intervals. Our findings suggest that prenatal trace element exposures may impact children's lung function, emphasizing the importance of reducing toxic exposures and maintaining adequate nutrient levels.
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Efectos Tardíos de la Exposición Prenatal , Femenino , Embarazo , Humanos , Niño , Estudios de Cohortes , Efectos Tardíos de la Exposición Prenatal/epidemiología , New Hampshire , Teorema de Bayes , Plomo , PulmónRESUMEN
INTRODUCTION: Avalanche risk can be mitigated by adhering to certain safety practices. Previous studies of these practices have focused on western United States and European cohorts. We conducted a survey of backcountry users in the White Mountains of New Hampshire to determine local adherence to 5 previously studied avalanche safety practices. We assessed whether participants were carrying transceiver, probe, and shovel (TPS); had formal avalanche education; had awareness of the day's avalanche danger level; had a route plan; and were traveling in a group. METHODS: Backcountry users in the White Mountains were directed to an online survey from December 2020 to June 2021. The survey was completed individually and queried demographics and avalanche safety practices. RESULTS: A total of 133 users participated. Not all surveyed participants answered all questions. Avalanche training was reported by 87% of users, 86% checked the avalanche forecast prior to recreating, 93% had a travel plan, 87% traveled in a group, and 59% carried TPS. All 3 items were carried by all group members only 48% of the time. Only 28% of users met all 5 safety practices. CONCLUSIONS: White Mountains backcountry users are less likely to meet avalanche safety practices than users in previous studies. There is an association between meeting these defined safety practices and formal avalanche education.
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Avalanchas , Esquí , Humanos , Estados Unidos , New Hampshire , Viaje , Encuestas y CuestionariosRESUMEN
Compared with urban areas, rural areas have higher cancer mortality and have experienced substantially smaller declines in cancer incidence in recent years. In a New Hampshire (NH) and Vermont (VT) survey, we explored the roles of rurality and educational attainment on cancer risk behaviors, beliefs, and other social drivers of health. In February-March 2022, two survey panels in NH and VT were sent an online questionnaire. Responses were analyzed by rurality and educational attainment. Respondents (N = 1,717, 22%) mostly lived in rural areas (55%); 45% of rural and 25% of urban residents had high school education or less and this difference was statistically significant. After adjustment for rurality, lower educational attainment was associated with smoking, difficulty paying for basic necessities, greater financial difficulty during the COVID-19 pandemic, struggling to pay for gas (P < 0.01), fatalistic attitudes toward cancer prevention, and susceptibility to information overload about cancer prevention. Among the 33% of respondents who delayed getting medical care in the past year, this was more often due to lack of transportation in those with lower educational attainment (21% vs. 3%, P = 0.02 adjusted for rurality) and more often due to concerns about catching COVID-19 among urban than rural residents (52% vs. 21%; P < 0.001 adjusted for education). In conclusion, in NH/VT, smoking, financial hardship, and beliefs about cancer prevention are independently associated with lower educational attainment but not rural residence. These findings have implications for the design of interventions to address cancer risk in rural areas. Significance: In NH and VT, the finding that some associations between cancer risk factors and rural residence are more closely tied to educational attainment than rurality suggest that the design of interventions to address cancer risk should take educational attainment into account.
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COVID-19 , Neoplasias , Humanos , New Hampshire/epidemiología , Pandemias , Vermont/epidemiología , Asunción de Riesgos , Neoplasias/epidemiología , Encuestas y CuestionariosRESUMEN
INTRODUCTION: We used New Hampshire Colonoscopy Registry data to examine the association between postcolonoscopy colorectal cancer (PCCRC) and sessile serrated detection rates (SSLDRs). METHODS: We included patients with either a colonoscopy or a CRC diagnosis in the NH State Cancer Registry. PCCRC was any CRC diagnosed ≥ 6 months after index examination. RESULTS: Of 26,901 patients, 162 were diagnosed with PCCRC. The hazard ratio for PCCRC was lowest for patients whose endoscopists had the highest SSLDR quintile (≥6%) (hazard ratio 0.29; 95% confidence interval 0.16-0.50). DISCUSSION: Endoscopists with higher SSLDRs had lower risks of PCCRC. These data validate SSLDR as a clinically relevant quality measure.
Asunto(s)
Neoplasias Colorrectales , Pólipos , Humanos , New Hampshire/epidemiología , Neoplasias Colorrectales/diagnóstico , Neoplasias Colorrectales/epidemiología , Colonoscopía , Sistema de Registros , Detección Precoz del CáncerRESUMEN
INTRODUCTION: Breastfeeding has significant health benefits for infants and birthing persons, including reduced risk of chronic disease. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends exclusively breastfeeding infants for 6 months and recently extended its recommendation for continuing to breastfeed with supplementation of solid foods from one to two years. Studies consistently identify lower breastfeeding rates among US infants, with regional and demographic variability. We examined breastfeeding in birthing person-infant pairs among healthy, term pregnancies enrolled in the New Hampshire Birth Cohort Study between 2010 and 2017 (n = 1176). METHODS: Birthing persons 18-45 years old were enrolled during prenatal care visits at ~ 24-28 weeks gestation and have been followed since enrollment. Breastfeeding status was obtained from postpartum questionnaires. Birthing person and infant health and sociodemographic information was abstracted from medical records and prenatal and postpartum questionnaires. We evaluated the effects of birthing person age, education, relationship status, pre-pregnancy body mass index, gestational weight gain (GWG), smoking and parity, and infant sex, ponderal index, gestational age and delivery mode on breastfeeding initiation and duration using modified Poisson and multivariable linear regression. RESULTS: Among healthy, term pregnancies, 96% of infants were breastfed at least once. Only 29% and 28% were exclusively breastfed at 6-months or received any breastmilk at 12-months, respectively. Higher birthing person age, education, and parity, being married, excessive GWG, and older gestational age at delivery were associated with better breastfeeding outcomes. Smoking, obesity, and cesarean delivery were negatively associated with breastfeeding outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Given the public health importance of breastfeeding for infants and birthing persons, interventions are needed to support birthing persons to extend their breastfeeding duration.