ABSTRACT
The association between built environment and physical activity has been recognized. However, how and to what extent microscale streetscapes are related to running activity remains underexplored, partly due to the lack of running data in large urban areas. Moreover, few studies have examined the interactive effects of macroscale built environment and microscale streetscapes. This study examines the main and interactive effects of the two-level environments on running intensity, using 9.73 million fitness tracker data from Keep in Shanghai, China. Results of spatial error model showed that: 1) the explanatory power of microscale streetscapes was higher than that of macroscale built environment with R2 of 0.245 and 0.240, respectively, which is different from the prior finding that R2 is greater for macroscale built environment than for microscale streetscape; 2) sky and green view indexes were positively associated with running intensity, whereas visual crowdedness had a negative effect; 3) there were negative interactions of land use Herfindahl-Hirschman index with sky and green view indexes, while a positive interaction was observed for visual crowdedness. To conclude, greener, more open and less visually crowded streetscapes, can promote running behavior and enhance the benefits of land use mix as well. The findings highlight the importance of streetscapes in promoting running behavior, instead of a supplement to macroscale built environment.
Subject(s)
Built Environment , Cities , Running , Humans , China , Built Environment/statistics & numerical data , Running/statistics & numerical data , Male , Female , Adult , Environment Design , Middle Aged , Young AdultABSTRACT
Disrupted connectivity in the default mode network (DMN) during resting-state functional MRI (rs-fMRI) is well-documented in schizophrenia (SCZ). The amygdala, a key component in the neurobiology of SCZ, comprises distinct subregions that may exert varying effects on the disorder. This study aimed to investigate variations in functional connectivity (FC) between distinct amygdala subregions and the DMN in SCZ individuals and explore the effects of treatment on these connections. Fifty-six SCZ patients and 51 healthy controls underwent FC analysis and questionnaire surveys during resting state. The amygdala was selected as the region of interest (ROI) and subdivided into four parts. Changes in FC were examined, and correlations between questionnaire scores and brain activity were explored. Pre-treatment, SCZ patients exhibited reduced FC between the amygdala and DMN compared to HCs. After treatment, significant differences persisted in the right medial amygdala, while other regions did not differ significantly from controls. In addition, PANSS scores positively correlated with FC between the Right Medial Amygdala and the left SMFC (r = .347, p = .009), while RBANS5A scores showed a positive correlation with FC between the Left Lateral Amygdala and the right MTG (rho = -.347, p = .009). The rsFC between the amygdala and the DMN plays a crucial role in the treatment mechanisms of SCZ. This could provide a promising predictive indicator for understanding the neural mechanisms behind treatment and symptomatic improvement.
Subject(s)
Amygdala , Default Mode Network , Magnetic Resonance Imaging , Schizophrenia , Humans , Amygdala/diagnostic imaging , Amygdala/physiopathology , Schizophrenia/diagnostic imaging , Schizophrenia/physiopathology , Schizophrenia/drug therapy , Male , Female , Adult , Default Mode Network/diagnostic imaging , Default Mode Network/physiopathology , Neural Pathways/physiopathology , Neural Pathways/diagnostic imaging , Young Adult , Middle Aged , Nerve Net/diagnostic imaging , Nerve Net/physiopathology , Brain Mapping , Antipsychotic Agents/therapeutic useABSTRACT
Background: Cycling is known to be beneficial for human health. Studies have suggested significant associations of physical activity with macroscale built environments and streetscapes. However, whether good streetscapes can amplify the benefits of a favorable built environment on physical activity remains unknown. Objective: This study examines whether streetscape perceptions can modify the associations between accessibility, land use mix, and bike-sharing use. Methods: This cross-sectional study used data from 18,019,266 bike-sharing orders during weekends in Shanghai, China. A 500 × 500 m grid was selected as the analysis unit to allocate data. Bike-sharing use was defined as the number of bike-sharing origins. Street view images and a human-machine adversarial scoring framework were combined to evaluate lively, safety, and wealthy perceptions. Negative binomial regression was developed to examine the independent effects of the three perceptual factors in both the univariate model and fully adjusted model, controlling for population density, average building height, distance to nearest transit, number of bus stations, number of points of interest, distance to the nearest park, and distance to the central business district. The moderation effect was then investigated through the interaction term between streetscape perception and accessibility and land use mix, based on the fully adjusted model. We also tested whether the findings of streetscape moderation effects are robust when examinations are performed at different geographic scales, using a small-sample statistics approach and different operationalizations of land use mix and accessibility. Results: High levels of lively, safety, and wealthy perceptions were correlated with more bike-sharing activities. There were negative effects for the interactions between the land use Herfindahl-Hirschman index with the lively perception (ß=-0.63; P=.01) and safety perception (ß=-0.52; P=.001). The interaction between the lively perception and road intersection density was positively associated with the number of bike-sharing uses (ß=0.43; P=.08). Among these, the lively perception showed the greatest independent effect (ß=1.29; P<.001), followed by the safety perception (ß=1.22; P=.001) and wealthy perception (ß=0.72; P=.001). The findings were robust in the three sensitivity analyses. Conclusions: A safer and livelier streetscape can enhance the benefits of land use mix in promoting bike-sharing use, with a safer streetscape also intensifying the effect of accessibility. Interventions focused on streetscape perceptions can encourage cycling behavior and enhance the benefits of accessibility and land use mix. This study also contributes to the literature on potential moderators of built environment healthy behavior associations from the perspective of microscale environmental perceptions.
Subject(s)
Bicycling , Humans , Cross-Sectional Studies , Bicycling/statistics & numerical data , Bicycling/psychology , China , Environment Design/statistics & numerical data , Built Environment/statistics & numerical data , Male , Female , Residence Characteristics/statistics & numerical data , AdultABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: It remains unknown whether good neighbourhood perception can enhance the benefits of favourable built environment to physical activity. Moreover, the moderation pattern is less understood in developing countries. OBJECTIVES: This work aims to examine the moderation effects of perceived neighbourhood safety and aesthetics on the relationship between built environment and time for recreational walking. METHODS: We performed the examination using a sample of 760 residents in Fuzhou City, China. The Negative Binomial Regression Model was developed to examine the moderation roles of neighbourhood safety and aesthetics on the impact of built environment, adjusting for the effects of location, socioeconomic, personal preferences and social environment factors. Moreover, two sensitivity analyses were performed to test whether the moderators found are robust to the control of residential self-selection, and differential measures of conceptually-comparable aspects of built environment. RESULTS: We found stronger associations of time for recreational walking with road density and proportion of parks and squares POIs for residents with high perception of neighbourhood safety, compared to those with low perception of neighbourhood safety. There was a greater effect of the proportion of parks and squares POIs, when perceived aesthetics was high than when perceived aesthetics was low. The findings of neighbourhood safety and aesthetics as moderator, were robust in the two sensitivity analyses. No significant moderation effect was found for land use diversity. CONCLUSIONS: High perceived neighbourhood safety can magnify the positive effects of road connectivity and accessibility to parks and squares. Neighbourhood aesthetics positively moderates the association of time for recreational walking with accessibility to parks and squares. The findings emphasize the need to consider safety- and aesthetics-specific differences in estimates of built environment effects. Improvements in neighbourhood safety and aesthetics are key to effective interventions in built environment to better promote physical activity.
Subject(s)
Built Environment , Walking , Humans , China , Walking/statistics & numerical data , Walking/psychology , Male , Female , Adult , Middle Aged , Esthetics , Neighborhood Characteristics , Safety , Residence Characteristics/statistics & numerical data , Environment Design , Recreation , Perception , Young AdultABSTRACT
Numerous studies have suggested that the perceived built environment is shaped by the objective built environment and influences human physical activity. However, the empirical examination of this pathway remains scant. Addressing this gap, our study investigates whether the built environment affects leisure-time physical activity through its impact on the perceived built environment, utilizing data collected from 760 residents in Fuzhou, China. Structural Equation Modeling results reveal a modest correlation between objective and perceived built environment elements, with the objective built environment being a stronger predictor of leisure-time physical activity. Notably, perceived recreational facilities significantly mediate the relationship between objective recreational facilities and leisure-time physical activity, accounting for 15% of the variance in physical activity due to objective recreational facilities. This mediation effect is consistent across subpopulations, irrespective of residential self-selection biases. These results highlight the imperative for urban planning and policy to extend beyond mere spatial allocation of amenities to enhancing both the actual and perceived accessibility of these facilities, thus underlining the study's profound implications for public health and urban development strategies.
Subject(s)
Built Environment , Cities , Exercise , Leisure Activities , Humans , China , Female , Male , Adult , Middle Aged , Environment Design , Young Adult , City PlanningABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Previous investigations have revealed substantial differences in neuroimaging characteristics between healthy controls (HCs) and individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia (SCZ). However, we are not entirely sure how brain activity links to symptoms in schizophrenia, and there is a need for reliable brain imaging markers for treatment prediction. METHODS: In this longitudinal study, we examined 56 individuals diagnosed with 56 SCZ and 51 HCs. The SCZ patients underwent a three-month course of antipsychotic treatment. We employed resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) along with fractional Amplitude of Low Frequency Fluctuations (fALFF) and support vector regression (SVR) methods for data acquisition and subsequent analysis. RESULTS: In this study, we initially noted lower fALFF values in the right postcentral/precentral gyrus and left postcentral gyrus, coupled with higher fALFF values in the left hippocampus and right putamen in SCZ patients compared to the HCs at baseline. However, when comparing fALFF values in brain regions with abnormal baseline fALFF values for SCZ patients who completed the follow-up, no significant differences in fALFF values were observed after 3 months of treatment compared to baseline data. The fALFF values in the right postcentral/precentral gyrus and left postcentral gyrus, and the left postcentral gyrus were useful in predicting treatment effects. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that reduced fALFF values in the sensory-motor networks and increased fALFF values in the limbic system may constitute distinctive neurobiological features in SCZ patients. These findings may serve as potential neuroimaging markers for the prognosis of SCZ patients.
Subject(s)
Antipsychotic Agents , Limbic System , Magnetic Resonance Imaging , Schizophrenia , Humans , Schizophrenia/physiopathology , Schizophrenia/diagnostic imaging , Schizophrenia/drug therapy , Male , Female , Adult , Antipsychotic Agents/pharmacology , Limbic System/diagnostic imaging , Limbic System/physiopathology , Longitudinal Studies , Young Adult , Treatment Outcome , Outcome Assessment, Health Care , Middle Aged , Support Vector MachineABSTRACT
Objective: Previous studies have established significant differences in the neuroimaging characteristics between healthy controls (HCs) and patients with schizophrenia (SCZ). However, the relationship between homotopic connectivity and clinical features in patients with SCZ is not yet fully understood. Furthermore, there are currently no established neuroimaging biomarkers available for the diagnosis of SCZ or for predicting early treatment response. The aim of this study is to investigate the association between regional homogeneity and specific clinical features in SCZ patients. Methods: We conducted a longitudinal investigation involving 56 patients with SCZ and 51 HCs. The SCZ patients underwent a 3-month antipsychotic treatment. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), regional homogeneity (ReHo), support vector machine (SVM), and support vector regression (SVR) were used for data acquisition and analysis. Results: In comparison to HCs, individuals with SCZ demonstrated reduced ReHo values in the right postcentral/precentral gyrus, left postcentral/inferior parietal gyrus, left middle/inferior occipital gyrus, and right middle temporal/inferior occipital gyrus, and increased ReHo values in the right putamen. It is noteworthy that there was decreased ReHo values in the right inferior parietal gyrus after treatment compared to baseline data. Conclusion: The observed decrease in ReHo values in the sensorimotor network and increase in ReHo values in the right putamen may represent distinctive neurobiological characteristics of patients with SCZ, as well as a potential neuroimaging biomarker for distinguishing between patients with SCZ and HCs. Furthermore, ReHo values in the sensorimotor network and right putamen may serve as predictive indicators for early treatment response in patients with SCZ.
ABSTRACT
The differences and correlation of biochemical indexes between bipolar disorder (BPD) and major depressive disorder (MDD) in stable stage were analyzed and discussed. Patients diagnosed with BPD and MDD in the Third People's Hospital of Foshan from January 2019 to December 2021 were selected as the research subjects, with 200 cases in each. Fasting serum was collected from patients and then detected regarding TC, TG, high-density lipoprotein, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), aspartate aminotransferase, lactic dehydrogenase, creatine kinase, creatine kinase-MB, urea, creatinine, uric acid, alanine aminotransferase, glucose (GLU), hemoglobin A1c, prolactin, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, homocysteine. The results showed that the mean age and serum LDL, GLU, and HbAc1 levels of the MDD group were significantly higher than those of the BPD group (P < .05), while there was no significant difference in other indexes (P > .05). The prevalence of BPD was significantly negatively correlated with patient age (r = -0.164, P = .020), LDL (r = -0.150, P = .034), GLU (r = -0.140, P = .048), and HbAc1 (r = -0.215, P = .002) (P < .05). There were no significant differences in serum Hcy and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein levels between the BPD and MDD groups. The age, fasting blood glucose, glycosylated hemoglobin, and LDL of BPD patients were negatively correlated with their incidence.
Subject(s)
Bipolar Disorder , Depressive Disorder, Major , Humans , Depressive Disorder, Major/epidemiology , C-Reactive Protein , Lipoproteins, HDL , Lipoproteins, LDL , Glycated HemoglobinABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Recently studies had showed that the amygdala may take part in the cognitive impairment in schizophrenia (SC). However, the mechanism is still unclear, so we explored the relationship between the amygdala resting state magnetic resonance imaging (rsMRI) signal and cognitive function, to provide a reference for the follow-up study. METHODS: We collected 59 drug-naïve SCs and 46 healthy controls (HCs) from the Third People's Hospital of Foshan. The rsMRI technique and automatic segmentation tool were used to extract the volume and functional indicators of the SC's amygdala. The Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) was used to assess the severity of the disease, and the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS) was used to assess cognitive function. Pearson correlation analysis was used to compare the relationship between the structural and functional indicators of the amygdala and PANSS and RBANS. RESULTS: (1) There was no significant difference between SC and HC in age, gender and years of education. Compared with HC, the PANSS score of SC increased and the RBANS score decreased significantly. Meanwhile, the left amygdala volume decreased (t=-3.675, p < 0.001), and the Fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (FALFF) values of bilateral amygdala increased (tL=3.916, p < 0.001; tR=3.131, p = 0.002). (2) The volumes of the left amygdala were negatively correlated with the PANSS score (rL=-0.243, p = 0.039). While the FALFF values of the bilateral amygdala were positively correlated with the PANSS score (rL=0.257, p = 0.026; rR=0.259, p = 0.026). Bilateral amygdala volumes and FALFF values were positively correlated (rL=0.445, p < 0.001; rR=0.326, p = 0.006) and negatively correlated with RBANS score (rL=-0.284, p = 0.014; rR=-0.272, p = 0.020), respectively. CONCLUSION: The abnormal volume and function of the amygdala play important roles in the disease process of SC, and are closely related to cognitive impairment.
Subject(s)
Cognition Disorders , Cognitive Dysfunction , Schizophrenia , Humans , Cognition Disorders/psychology , Follow-Up Studies , AmygdalaABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Bipolar disorder (BD) and schizophrenia (SC) have many similarities in clinical manifestations. The acute phase of BD has psychotic symptoms, while SC also has emotional symptoms during the onset, which suggests that there is some uncertainty in distinguishing BD and SC through clinical symptoms. AIM: To explore the characteristics of brain functional activities and cognitive impairment between BD and SC. METHODS: Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS) test was performed on patients in drug-naïve BD and SC (50 subjects in each group), and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) scanning was performed meanwhile. Rs-fMRI data were routinely preprocessed, and the value of the fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (fALFF) was calculated. Then each part of the scores of the RBANS and the characteristics of brain function activities were compared between the two groups. Finally used Pearson correlation to analyze the correlation between cognition and brain function. RESULTS: (1) Compared with BD group, all parts of RBANS scores in SC group decreased; (2) The left inferior occipital gyrus (IOG, peak coordinates - 30, -87, -15; t = 4.78, voxel size = 31, Alphasim correction) and the right superior temporal gyrus (STG, peak coordinates 51, -12, 0; t = 5.08, voxel size = 17, AlphaSim correction) were the brain areas with significant difference in fALFF values between BD and SC. Compared with SC group, the fALFF values of the left IOG and the right STG in BD group were increased (p < 0.05); (3) Pearson correlation analysis showed that the visuospatial construction score was positively correlated with the fALFF values of the left IOG and the right STG (rleft IOG = 0.304, p = 0.003; rright STG = 0.340, p = 0.001); The delayed memory (figure recall) score was positively correlated with the fALFF value of the left IOG (rleft IOG = 0.207, p = 0.044). DISCUSSION: The cognitive impairment of SC was more serious than BD. The abnormal activities of the left IOG and the right STG may be the core brain region to distinguish BD and SC, and are closely related to cognitive impairment, which provide neuroimaging basis for clinical differential diagnosis and explore the pathological mechanism of cognitive impairment.
Subject(s)
Bipolar Disorder , Schizophrenia , Humans , Magnetic Resonance Imaging/methods , Bipolar Disorder/diagnostic imaging , Schizophrenia/diagnostic imaging , Rest , CognitionABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Many studies have reported the effects of PM2.5 and PM10 on human health, however, it remains unclear whether particular matter with finer particle size has a greater effect. OBJECTIVES: This work aims to examine the varying associations of the incidence rate of female lung cancer with PM1, PM2.5 and PM10 in 436 Chinese cancer registries between 2014 and 2016. METHODS: The effects of PM1, PM2.5 and PM10 were estimated through three regression models, respectively. Mode l only included particular matter, while Model 2 and Model 3 further controlled for time and location factors, and socioeconomic covariates, respectively. Moreover, two sensitivity analyses were performed to investigate the robustness of three particular matte effects. Then, we examined the modifying role of urban-rural division on the effects of PM1, PM2.5 and PM10, respectively. RESULTS: The change in the incidence rate of female lung cancer relative to its mean was 5.98% (95% CI: 3.40, 8.56%) for PM1, which was larger than the values of PM2.5 and PM10 at 3.75% (95% CI: 2.33, 5.17%) and 1.57% (95% CI: 0.73, 2.41%), respectively. The effects of three particular matters were not sensitive in the two sensitivity analyses. Moreover, urban-rural division positively modified the associations of the incidence rate of female lung cancer with PM1, PM2.5 and PM10. CONCLUSIONS: The effect on the incidence rate of female lung cancer was greater for PM1, followed by PM2.5 and PM10. There were positive modifying roles of urban-rural division on the effects of three particular matters. The finding supports the argument that finer particular matters are more harmful to human health, and also highlights the great significance to develop guidelines for PM1 control and prevention in Chinese setting.
Subject(s)
Lung Neoplasms , Particulate Matter , China/epidemiology , Female , Humans , Incidence , Lung Neoplasms/epidemiology , Particulate Matter/adverse effects , Particulate Matter/analysisABSTRACT
It remains unknown whether exposure to ambient air pollution can be a mediator linking socioeconomic indicator to health outcome. The present study aims to examine the mediation effect of PM2.5 air pollution on the association between urban-rural division and the incidence (mortality) rate of male lung cancer. We performed a nationwide analysis in 353 counties (districts) of China between 2006 and 2015. A structural equation model was developed to determine the mediation effect of exposure to PM2.5. We also tested whether the findings of the mediation effect of exposure to PM2.5 are sensitive to the controls of smoking factors and additional air pollutant, and PM2.5 exposures with different lag structures. According to the results, we found that exposure to PM2.5 significantly mediated the association between urban-rural division and the incidence rate of male lung cancer. Specifically, there were significant associations between urban-rural division, exposure to PM2.5, and the incidence rate of male lung cancer, with PM2.5 exposure accounting for 29.80% of total urban-rural difference in incidence rates of male lung cancer. A similar pattern of results was observed for the mortality rate of male lung cancer. That is, there was a significant mediation effect by PM2.5 on the association of the mortality rate with urban-rural division. The findings of exposure to PM2.5 as a mediator were robust in the three sensitivity analyses. In conclusion, urban-rural difference in exposures to PM2.5 may be a potential factor that contributes to urban-rural disparity in male lung cancer diseases in China. The findings inform that air pollution management and control may be effective measures to alleviate the great difference in male lung cancer diseases between urban and rural areas in China.
Subject(s)
Air Pollutants , Air Pollution , Lung Neoplasms , Air Pollutants/analysis , Air Pollution/analysis , China/epidemiology , Environmental Exposure , Humans , Lung Neoplasms/epidemiology , Male , Particulate Matter/analysisABSTRACT
With the prevalence of stroke rising due to both aging societies and more people getting strokes at a younger age, a comprehensive investigation into the relationship between urban characteristics and age-specific stroke mortality for the development of a healthy built environment is necessary. Specifically, assessment of various dimensions of urban characteristics (e.g. short-term environmental change, long-term environmental conditions) is needed for healthy built environment designs and protocols. A multifactorial assessment was conducted to evaluate associations between environmental and sociodemographic characteristics with age-stroke mortality in Hong Kong. We found that short-term (and temporally varying) daily PM10, older age and being female were more strongly associated with all types of stroke deaths compared to all-cause deaths in general. Colder days, being employed and being married were more strongly associated with hemorrhagic stroke deaths in general. Long-term (and spatially varying) regional-level air pollution were more strongly associated with non-hemorrhagic stroke deaths in general. These associations varied by age. Employment (manual workers) and low education were risk factors for stroke mortality at younger ages (age <65). Greenness and open space did not have a significant association with stroke mortality. Since a significant connection was expected, this leads to questions about the health-inducing efficacy of Hong Kong's compact open spaces (natural greenery being limited to steep slopes, and extensive impervious surfaces on public open spaces). In conclusion, urban plans and designs for stroke mortality prevention should implement age-specific health care to neighborhoods with particular population segments.
Subject(s)
Air Pollution , Stroke , Age Factors , Aged , Air Pollution/analysis , Built Environment , Female , Hong Kong/epidemiology , HumansABSTRACT
Ozone air pollution has been increasingly severe and has become another major air pollutant in Chinese cities, while PM1 is more harmful to human health than coarser PMs. However, nationwide studies estimating the effects of ozone and PM1 are quite limited in China. This study aims to assess the spatial associations between ozone (and PM1) and the incidence rate of female lung cancer in 436 Chinese cancer registries (counties/districts). The effects of ozone and PM1 were estimated, respectively, using statistical models controlling for time, location and socioeconomic covariates. Then, three sensitivity analyses including the adjustments of smoking covariates and co-pollutant (SO2) and the estimates of ozone, PM1 and SO2 effects in the same model, were conducted to test the robustness of the effects of the two air pollutants. Further still, we investigated the modifying role of urban-rural division on the effects of ozone and PM1. According to the results, a 10 µg/m3 increase in ozone and PM1 was associated with a 4.57% (95% CI: 4.32%, 16.16%) and 4.89% (95% CI: 4.37%, 17.56%) increase in the incidence rate of female lung cancer relative to its mean, respectively. Such ozone and PM1 effects were still significant in three sensitivity analyses. Regarding the modifying role of urban-rural division, the effect of PM1 was greater by 2.98% (95% CI: 1.01%, 4.96%) in urban than in rural areas when PM1 changed by 10 µg/m3. However, there was no modification effect of urban-rural division for ozone. In conclusion, there were positive associations between ozone (and PM1) and the incidence rate of female lung cancer in China. Urban-rural division may modify the effect of PM1 on the incidence rate of female lung cancer, which is seldom reported. Continuous and further prevention and control measures should be developed to alleviate the situation of the two air pollutants.
Subject(s)
Air Pollutants , Air Pollution , Lung Neoplasms , Ozone , Air Pollutants/analysis , Air Pollution/adverse effects , Air Pollution/analysis , China/epidemiology , Environmental Exposure/analysis , Female , Humans , Incidence , Lung Neoplasms/chemically induced , Lung Neoplasms/epidemiology , Ozone/analysis , Particulate Matter/analysis , Particulate Matter/toxicityABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Nationwide studies that examine climatic modification effects on the association between air pollution and health outcome are limited in developing countries. Moreover, few studies focus on PM1 pollution despite its greater health effect. OBJECTIVES: This study aims to determine the modification effects of climatic factors on the associations between PM1 and the incidence rates of lung cancer for males and females in China. METHODS: We conducted a nationwide analysis in 345 Chinese counties (districts) from 2014 to 2015. Mean air temperature and relative humidity over the study period were used as the proxies of climatic conditions. In terms of the multivariable linear regression model, we examined climatic modification effects in the stratified and combined datasets according to the three-category and binary divisions of climatic factors. Moreover, we performed three sensitivity analyses to test the robustness of climatic modification effects. RESULTS: We found a stronger association between PM1 and the incidence rate of male lung cancer in counties with high levels of air temperature or relative humidity. If there is a 10 µg/m3 shift in PM1, then the change in male incidence rate relative to its mean was higher by 4.39% (95% CI: 2.19, 6.58%) and 8.37% (95% CI: 5.18, 11.56%) in the middle and high temperature groups than in the low temperature group, respectively. The findings of climatic modification effects were robust in the three sensitivity analyses. No significant modification effect was discovered for female incidence rate. CONCLUSIONS: Male residents in high temperature or humidity counties suffer from a larger effect of PM1 on the incidence rate of lung cancer in China. Future research on air pollution-related health impact assessment should consider the differential air pollution effects across different climatic conditions.
Subject(s)
Air Pollutants , Air Pollution , Lung Neoplasms , Air Pollutants/adverse effects , Air Pollutants/analysis , Air Pollution/adverse effects , Air Pollution/analysis , China/epidemiology , Environmental Exposure/adverse effects , Environmental Exposure/analysis , Female , Humans , Incidence , Lung Neoplasms/epidemiology , Male , Particulate Matter/adverse effects , Particulate Matter/analysisABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: It remains uncertain whether socioeconomic factors modify the effect of air pollution on human health. Moreover, studies investigating socioeconomic modifying roles on the effect of PM1 are quite limited, especially in developing countries. OBJECTIVES: The present study aims to investigate socioeconomic modification effects on the associations of the incidence rate of male lung cancer with ambient PM1 and SO2 in China. METHODS: We conducted a nationwide analysis in 345 Chinese counties (districts) between 2014 and 2015. In terms of multivariable linear regression models, we examined the modification effects of urban-rural division, education level and proportion of construction workers in the stratified and combined datasets according to the tertile and binary divisions of the three factors. Moreover, we performed three sensitivity analyses to test the robustness of socioeconomic modification effects. RESULTS: We found a larger effect of PM1 on the incidence rate of male lung cancer in urban areas than in rural areas. The association between PM1 (or SO2) and the incidence rate of male lung cancer was stronger in counties with low education levels than in those with high education levels. The findings of the significant modification effects of urban-rural division and education level were robust in the three sensitivity analyses. No significant modification effect was observed for the proportion of construction workers. CONCLUSIONS: Male residents in urban areas have a high risk of lung cancer incidence associated with ambient PM1. Male residents with low education levels suffer from larger effects of PM1 and SO2 on the incidence rate of lung cancer. Area- and population-specific strategies should be developed to reduce the urban-rural and educational disparities in air pollution effects, which thereby alleviates air pollution-associated health disparities in China.
Subject(s)
Air Pollutants , Air Pollution , Lung Neoplasms , Air Pollutants/adverse effects , Air Pollutants/analysis , Air Pollution/adverse effects , Air Pollution/analysis , China/epidemiology , Humans , Incidence , Lung Neoplasms/epidemiology , Male , Particulate Matter/adverse effects , Particulate Matter/analysis , Socioeconomic Factors , Sulfur DioxideABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Most studies relying on time-activity diary or traditional air pollution modelling approach are insufficient to suggest the impacts of ignoring individual mobility and air pollution variations on misclassification errors in exposure estimates. Moreover, very few studies have examined whether such impacts differ across socioeconomic groups. OBJECTIVES: We aim to examine how ignoring individual mobility and PM2.5 variations produces misclassification errors in ambient PM2.5 exposure estimates. METHODS: We developed a geo-informed backward propagation neural network model to estimate hourly PM2.5 concentrations in terms of remote sensing and geospatial big data. Combining the estimated PM2.5 concentrations and individual trajectories derived from 755,468 mobile phone users on a weekday in Shenzhen, China, we estimated four types of individual total PM2.5 exposures during weekdays at multi-temporal scales. The estimate ignoring individual mobility, PM2.5 variations or both was compared with the hypothetical error-free estimate using paired sample t-test. We then quantified the exposure misclassification error using Pearson correlation analysis. Moreover, we examined whether the misclassification error differs across different socioeconomic groups. Taking findings of ignoring individual mobility as an example, we further investigated whether such findings are robust to the different selections of time. RESULTS: We found that the estimate ignoring PM2.5 variations, individual mobility or both was statistically different from the hypothetical error-free estimate. Ignoring both factors produced the largest exposure misclassification error. The misclassification error was larger in the estimate ignoring PM2.5 variations than that ignoring individual mobility. People with high economic status suffered from a larger exposure misclassification error. The findings were robust to the different selections of time. CONCLUSIONS: Ignoring individual mobility, PM2.5 variations or both leads to misclassification errors in ambient PM2.5 exposure estimates. A larger misclassification error occurs in the estimate neglecting PM2.5 variations than that ignoring individual mobility, which is seldom reported before.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Few studies have examined exposure disparity to ambient air pollution outside North America and Europe. Moreover, very few studies have investigated exposure disparity in terms of individual-level data or at multi-temporal scales. OBJECTIVES: This work aims to examine the associations between individual- and neighbourhood-level economic statuses and individual exposure to PM2.5 across multi-temporal scales. METHODS: The study population included 742,220 mobile phone users on a weekday in Shenzhen, China. A geo-informed backward propagation neural network model was developed to estimate hourly PM2.5 concentrations by the use of remote sensing and geospatial big data, which were then combined with individual trajectories to estimate individual total exposure during weekdays at multi-temporal scales. Coupling the estimated PM2.5 exposure with housing price, we examined the associations between individual- and neighbourhood-level economic statuses and individual exposure using linear regression and two-level hierarchical linear models. Furthermore, we performed five sensitivity analyses to test the robustness of the two-level effects. RESULTS: We found positive associations between individual- and neighbourhood-level economic statuses and individual PM2.5 exposure at a daytime, daily, weekly, monthly, seasonal or annual scale. Findings on the effects of the two-level economic statuses were generally robust in the five sensitivity analyses. In particular, despite the insignificant effects observed in three of newly selected time periods in the sensitivity analysis, individual- and neighbourhood-level economic statuses were still positively associated with individual total exposure during each of other newly selected periods (including three other seasons). CONCLUSIONS: There are statistically positive associations of individual PM2.5 exposure with individual- and neighbourhood-level economic statuses. That is, people living in areas with higher residential property prices are more exposed to PM2.5 pollution. Findings emphasize the need for public health intervention and urban planning initiatives targeting socio-economic disparity in ambient air pollution exposure, thus alleviating health disparities across socioeconomic groups.
Subject(s)
Air Pollutants , Air Pollution , Cell Phone , Air Pollutants/analysis , Air Pollution/analysis , China , Environmental Exposure/analysis , Europe , Humans , North America , Particulate Matter/analysisABSTRACT
Most studies have examined PM2.5 effects on lung cancer mortalities, while few nationwide studies have been conducted in developing countries to estimate the effects of PM2.5 on lung cancer incidences. To fill this gap, this work aims to examine the effects of PM2.5 exposure on annual incidence rates of lung cancer for males and females in China. We performed a nationwide analysis in 295 counties (districts) from 2006 to 2014. Two regression models were employed to analyse data controlling for time, location and socioeconomic characteristics. We also examined whether the estimates of PM2.5 effects are sensitive to the adjustment of health and behaviour covariates, and the issue of the changing cancer registries each year. We further investigated the modification effects of region, temperature and precipitation. Generally, we found significantly positive associations between PM2.5 and incidence rates of lung cancer for males and females. If concurrent PM2.5 changes by 10 g/m3, then the incidence rate relative to its baseline significantly changes by 4.20% (95% CI: 2.73%, 5.88%) and 2.48% (95% CI: 1.24%, 4.14%) for males and females, respectively. The effects of exposure to PM2.5 were still significant when further controlling for health and behaviour factors or using 5 year consecutive data from 91 counties. We found the evidence of long-term lag effects of PM2.5. We also found that temperature appeared to positively modify the effects of PM2.5 on the incidence rates of lung cancer for males. In conclusion, there were significantly adverse effects of PM2.5 on the incidence rates of lung cancer for both males and females in China. The estimated effect sizes might be considerably lower than those reported in developed countries. There were long-term lag effects of PM2.5 on lung cancer incidence in China.
Subject(s)
Air Pollution/adverse effects , Environmental Exposure/adverse effects , Lung Neoplasms/epidemiology , Particulate Matter/adverse effects , China , Female , Humans , Incidence , MaleABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Whether socioeconomic indicators modify the relationship between air pollution exposure and health outcomes remains uncertain, especially in developing countries. OBJECTIVE: This work aims to examine modification effects of socioeconomic indicators on the association between PM2.5 and annual incidence rate of lung cancer for males in China. METHODS: We performed a nationwide analysis in 295 counties (districts) from 2006 to 2014. Using multivariable linear regression models controlling for weather conditions and socioeconomic indicators, we examined modification effects in the stratified and combined datasets according to the tertile and binary divisions of socioeconomic indicators. We also extensively investigated whether the roles of socioeconomic modifications were sensitive to the further adjustment of demographic factors, health and behaviour covariates, household solid fuel consumption, the different operationalization of socioeconomic indicators and PM2.5 exposure with single and moving average lags. RESULTS: We found a stronger relationship between PM2.5 and incidence rate of male lung cancer in urban areas, in the lower economic or lower education counties (districts). If PM2.5 changes by 10⯵g/m3, then the shift in incidence rate relative to its mean was significantly higher by 3.97% (95% CI: 2.18%, 4.96%, pâ¯=â¯0.000) in urban than in rural areas. With regard to economic status, if PM2.5 changes by 10⯵g/m3, then the change in incidence rate relative to its mean was significantly lower by 0.99% (95% CI: -2.18%, 0.20%, pâ¯=â¯0.071) and 1.39% (95% CI: -2.78%, 0.00%, pâ¯=â¯0.037) in the middle and high economic groups than in the low economic group, respectively. The change in incidence rate relative to its mean was significantly lower by 1.98% (95% CI: -3.18%, -0.79%, pâ¯=â¯0.001) and 2.78% (95% CI: -4.17%, -1.39%, pâ¯=â¯0.000) in the middle and high education groups compared with the low education group, respectively, if PM2.5 changes by 10⯵g/m3. We found no robust modification effects of employment rate and urbanisation growth rate. CONCLUSION: Male residents in urban areas, in the lower economic or lower education counties are faced with a greater effect of PM2.5 on the incidence rate of lung cancer in China. The findings emphasize the need for public health intervention and urban planning initiatives targeting the urban-rural, educational or economic disparities in health associated with air pollution exposure. Future prediction on air pollution-induced health effects should consider such socioeconomic disparities, especially for the dominant urban-rural disparity in China.