Maternal exposure to polybrominated and polychlorinated biphenyls: infant birth weight and gestational age.

Understanding the influence of maternal exposures on gestational age and birth weight is essential given that pre-term and/or low birth weight infants are at risk for increased mortality and morbidity. We performed a retrospective analysis of a cohort exposed to polybrominated biphenyls (PBB) through accidental contamination of cattle feed and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) through residual contamination in the geographic region. Our study population consisted of 444 mothers and their 899 infants born between 1975 and 1997. Using restricted maximum likelihood estimation, no significant association was found between estimated maternal serum PBB at conception or enrollment PCB levels and gestational age or infant birth weight in unadjusted models or in models that adjusted for maternal age, smoking, parity, infant gender, and decade of birth. For enrollment maternal serum PBB, no association was observed for gestational age. However, a negative association with high levels of enrollment maternal serum PBB and birth weight was suggested. We also examined the birth weight and gestational age among offspring of women with the highest (10%) PBB or PCB exposure, and observed no significant association. Because brominated compounds are currently used in consumer products and therefore, are increasingly prevalent in the environment, additional research is needed to better understand the potential relationship between in utero exposure to brominated compounds and adverse health outcomes.

Health-related quality of life and weight loss among overweight and obese U.S. adults, 2001 to 2002.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the prevalence and association of health-related quality of life (HRQOL) with trying to lose weight and with weight loss practices (eating fewer calories, physical activity, and both) among overweight and obese U.S. adults >/= 20 years of age. RESEARCH METHODS AND PROCEDURES: This study used data from the 2001 to 2002 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, a continuous annual survey of the civilian non-institutionalized U.S. population. This analysis included those > or = 20 years of age with BMI > or = 25 (n = 2578) who responded to four standard HRQOL measures that assessed general health status and recent physical health, mental health, and activity limitation. RESULTS: Among obese men, but not women, there were significant increasing linear trends in the adjusted prevalence of trying to lose weight as physically unhealthy and activity limitation days increased. Regardless of BMI or HRQOL, reducing calories was a common weight loss practice (66% to 86%). Except for recent activity limitation, respondents with BMI > or = 35 did not generally differ by HRQOL level in the attainment of recommended physical activity either alone or in combination with reduced calories, whereas those in the BMI 25 to 34.9 groups often differed significantly by HRQOL level. Specifically, increased unhealthy or activity limitation days were associated with reduced prevalence of attained physical activity. DISCUSSION: Our findings indicate an association between trying to lose weight and a greater number of unhealthy days reported by obese men, suggesting that these men may be influenced by traditional clinical weight-loss counseling that is prompted by weight and comorbidity, whereas women had a high prevalence of trying to lose weight irrespective of weight and HRQOL. Assessment of HRQOL, especially measures that evaluate physical domains, could provide subjective information to assist with weight counseling.