Impact of Racial/Ethnic Discrimination on Quality of Life Among Breast Cancer Survivors.

Although racial/ethnic disparities in health-care access, treatment, and cancer outcomes are well documented, the impact of racial/ethnic discrimination on cancer survivorship is unclear. We examined associations between quality of life (QoL) and self-reported discrimination among 3,991 women with breast cancer recruited during 2006-2013 from the Pathways Study in the Kaiser Permanente Northern California integrated health-care system, using linear regression models. Overall, 31% of women reported experiencing racial/ethnic discrimination, with differences by race/ethnicity (82% among non-Hispanic Black women vs. 19% among non-Hispanic White women) and nativity (40% among foreign-born Hispanic women vs. 76% among US-born Asian-American women). Experiencing racial/ethnic discrimination was associated with lower QoL in fully adjusted models. The mean QoL score was 119.6 (95% confidence interval (CI): 102.0, 137.1) for women who did not report discrimination, 115.5 (95% CI: 98.0, 133.0) for those who reported some discrimination/less than the median level, and 110.2 (95% CI: 92.7, 127.7) for those who reported more discrimination/greater than or equal to the median level. Discrimination was associated with lower QoL among women who used passive coping strategies or lived in neighborhoods with high neighborhood socioeconomic status, neighborhoods with high levels of segregation, or non-ethnic enclaves. Among breast cancer survivors, clinically meaningful differences in QoL scores were associated with racial/ethnic discrimination. Additional studies are needed to understand potential pathways through which these social factors affect survivorship outcomes.

Neighborhood attributes and cardiovascular disease risk in breast cancer survivors: The Pathways Study.

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer survivors are at a higher risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) morbidity and mortality compared with the general population. The impact of objective social and built neighborhood attributes on CVD risk in a cohort of female breast cancer survivors was examined. METHODS: The 3975 participants came from the Pathways Study, a prospective cohort of women with invasive breast cancer from an integrated health care system in northern California. Women diagnosed with breast cancer from 2006 through 2013 were enrolled on average approximately 2 months after diagnosis. Their baseline addresses were geocoded and appended to neighborhood attributes for racial/ethnic composition, socioeconomic status (SES), population density, urbanization, crime, traffic density, street connectivity, parks, recreational facilities, and retail food environment. Incident CVD events included ischemic heart disease, heart failure, cardiomyopathy, or stroke. Cox proportional hazards models estimated associations of neighborhood attributes with CVD risk, which accounted for clustering by block groups. Fully adjusted models included sociodemographic, clinical, and behavioral factors. RESULTS: During follow-up through December 31, 2018, 340 participants (8.6%) had CVD events. A neighborhood racial/ethnic composition measure, percent of Asian American/Pacific Islander residents (lowest quintile hazard ratio [HR], 1.85; 95% CI, 1.03-3.33), and crime index (highest quartile HR, 1.48; 95% CI, 1.08-2.03) were associated with the risk of CVD events independent of individual SES, hormone receptor status, treatment, cardiometabolic comorbidities, body mass index, and physical activity. CONCLUSIONS: With the application of a socio-ecological framework, how residential environments shape health outcomes in women with breast cancer and affect CVD risk in this growing population can be understood.

Urinary Biomarkers of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons and Timing of Pubertal Development: The California PAH Study.

BACKGROUND: Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are endocrine-disrupting chemicals. Few studies have evaluated the association between pubertal development in girls and PAH exposures quantified by urinary biomarkers. METHODS: We examined associations of urinary PAH metabolites with pubertal development in 358 girls 6-16 years of age from the San Francisco Bay Area enrolled in a prospective cohort from 2011 to 2013 and followed until 2020. Using baseline data, we assessed associations of urinary PAH metabolites with pubertal development stage. In prospective analyses limited to girls who at baseline had not yet started breast (N = 176) or pubic hair (N = 179) development or menstruation (N = 267), we used multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression to assess associations of urinary PAH metabolites with the onset of breast and pubic hair development, menstruation, and pubertal tempo (interval between the onset of breast development and menstruation). RESULTS: We detected PAH metabolites in >98% of girls. In cross-sectional analyses using baseline data, PAH metabolites were not associated with the pubertal development stage. In prospective analyses, higher concentrations (≥ median) of some PAH metabolites were associated with two-fold higher odds of earlier breast development (2-hydroxy naphthalene, 1-hydroxy phenanthrene, summed hydroxy phenanthrenes) or pubic hair development (1-hydroxy naphthalene) among girls overweight at baseline (body mass index-for-age percentile ≥85) compared with nonoverweight girls with lower metabolites concentrations. PAH metabolites were not associated with age at menarche or pubertal tempo. CONCLUSIONS: PAH exposures were widespread in our sample. Our results support the hypothesis that, in overweight girls, PAHs impact the timing of pubertal development, an important risk factor for breast cancer.

Predictors of urinary polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon metabolites in girls from the San Francisco Bay Area.

BACKGROUND: Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) exposures from tobacco smoke, automobile exhaust, grilled or smoked meat and other sources are widespread and are a public health concern, as many are classified as probable carcinogens and suspected endocrine-disrupting chemicals. PAH exposures can be quantified using urinary biomarkers. METHODS: Seven urinary metabolites of naphthalene, fluorene, phenanthrene, and pyrene were measured in two samples collected from girls aged 6-16 years from the San Francisco Bay Area. We used Spearman correlation coefficients (SCC) to assess correlations among metabolite concentrations (corrected for specific gravity) separately in first (n = 359) and last (N = 349) samples, and to assess consistency of measurements in samples collected up to 72 months apart. Using multivariable linear regression, we assessed variation in mean metabolites across categories of participant characteristics and potential outdoor, indoor, and dietary sources of PAH exposures. RESULTS: The detection rate of PAH metabolites was high (4 metabolites in ≥98% of first samples; 5 metabolites in ≥95% of last samples). Correlations were moderate to strong between fluorene, phenanthrene and pyrene metabolites (SCC 0.43-0.82), but weaker between naphthalene and the other metabolites (SCC 0.18-0.36). SCC between metabolites in first and last samples ranged from 0.15 to 0.49. When classifying metabolite concentrations into tertiles based on single samples (first or last samples) vs. the average of the two samples, agreement was moderate to substantial (weighted kappa statistics 0.52-0.65). For specific metabolites, concentrations varied by age, race/ethnicity, and body mass index percentile, as well as by outdoor sources (season of sample collection, street traffic), indoor sources (heating with gas, cigarette smoke), and dietary sources (frequent use of grill, consumption of smoked meat or fish) of PAH exposures. CONCLUSIONS: Urinary PAH exposure was widespread in girls aged 6-16 years and associated with several sources of exposure. Tertile classification of a single urine sample provides reliable PAH exposure ranking.

Hypothetical Interventions on Diet Quality and Lifestyle Factors to Improve Breast Cancer Survival: The Pathways Study.

BACKGROUND: The number of breast cancer survivors is increasing, yet evidence to inform dietary and lifestyle guidelines is limited. METHODS: This analysis included 3,658 participants from the Pathways Study, a prospective cohort of women diagnosed with invasive breast cancer. A healthy plant-based dietary index score (hPDI), an American Cancer Society (ACS) nutrition guidelines score, a 2015 Healthy Eating Index score (HEI), hours per week of moderate to vigorous physical activity (PA), and lifetime cumulative pack-years of cigarette smoking (SM) were each measured at diagnosis, 6, 24, and 72 months. Using g-computation, 5- and 10-year risk ratios (RR), risk differences, and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for all-cause mortality under hypothetical interventions on diet quality, PA, and SM, compared with the natural course (no intervention) were calculated. RESULTS: Hypothetical moderate to extreme interventions on hPDI, ACS, and HEI, each in combination with PA and SM, showed 11% to 56%, 9% to 38%, and 9% to 49% decreases in 5-year risks of all-cause mortality compared with no intervention, respectively [(hPDI: RRmoderate = 0.89, 95% CI: 0.82-0.94; RRextreme = 0.44, 95% CI: 0.26-0.67), (ACS: RRmoderate = 0.91, 95% CI: 0.85-0.96; RRextreme = 0.62, 95% CI: 0.43-0.82), (HEI: RRmoderate = 0.91, 95% CI: 0.84-0.95; RRextreme = 0.51, 95% CI: 0.33-0.72)]. While 10-year relative risks were slightly attenuated, absolute risk reductions were more pronounced. CONCLUSIONS: Interventions to improve diet quality, increase PA, or reduce SM at the time of diagnosis may improve survival among breast cancer survivors. IMPACT: We estimate that over 10% of deaths could be delayed by even moderate adoption of these behaviors.

Indicators for occupational health surveillance.

Each year, millions of the estimated 140 million U.S. workers are injured on the job or become ill from exposure to hazards at work. These work-related injuries and illnesses result in substantial human and economic costs for workers, employers, and society; estimated direct and indirect costs of work-related injuries and illnesses are approximately $170 billion annually. In 1998, the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE) and CDC's National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) convened a work group that identified priority occupational health conditions to be placed under surveillance, addressed cross-cutting surveillance concerns, and made recommendations regarding the role of states in a comprehensive nationwide surveillance system for work-related disease, injuries, and hazards. CSTE recommendations led to the generation of 19 occupational health indicators (OHIs) and one Employment Demographic Profile, which were developed during 2001-2003. The OHIs complement other guidelines for state-based occupational health surveillance to address overall state and national goals to improve public health. These OHIs are intended to help states build occupational health capacity by providing them with tools to collect and generate important, basic information concerning the occupational health status of the state population and to identify areas in which to focus prevention efforts. In 2005, CSTE released a report compiling OHI data from 13 states. NIOSH provides funding for the OHIs because they are now a required component of state-based cooperative agreements for occupational health surveillance. This report introduces the OHIs and describes CSTE's approach to developing this new occupational health surveillance tool.

Impact of Social and Built Environment Factors on Body Size among Breast Cancer Survivors: The Pathways Study.

Background: As social and built environment factors have been shown to be associated with physical activity, dietary patterns, and obesity in the general population, they likely also influence these health behaviors among cancer survivors and thereby impact survivorship outcomes.Methods: Enhancing the rich, individual-level survey and medical record data from 4,505 breast cancer survivors in the Pathways Study, a prospective cohort drawn from Kaiser Permanente Northern California, we geocoded baseline residential addresses and appended social and built environment data. With multinomial logistic models, we examined associations between neighborhood characteristics and body mass index and whether neighborhood factors explained racial/ethnic/nativity disparities in overweight/obesity.Results: Low neighborhood socioeconomic status, high minority composition, high traffic density, high prevalence of commuting by car, and a higher number of fast food restaurants were independently associated with higher odds of overweight or obesity. The higher odds of overweight among African Americans, U.S.-born Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders, and foreign-born Hispanics and the higher odds of obesity among African Americans and U.S.-born Hispanics, compared with non-Hispanic whites, remained significant, although somewhat attenuated, when accounting for social and built environment features.Conclusions: Addressing aspects of neighborhood environments may help breast cancer survivors maintain a healthy body weight.Impact: Further research in this area, such as incorporating data on individuals' perceptions and use of their neighborhood environments, is needed to ultimately inform multilevel interventions that would ameliorate such disparities and improve outcomes for breast cancer survivors, regardless of their social status (e.g., race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, nativity). Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 26(4); 505-15. ©2017 AACRSee all the articles in this CEBP Focus section, "Geospatial Approaches to Cancer Control and Population Sciences."

Acute illnesses associated with pesticide exposure at schools.

CONTEXT: Pesticides continue to be used on school property, and some schools are at risk of pesticide drift exposure from neighboring farms, which leads to pesticide exposure among students and school employees. However, information on the magnitude of illnesses and risk factors associated with these pesticide exposures is not available. OBJECTIVE: To estimate the magnitude of and associated risk factors for pesticide-related illnesses at schools. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: Analysis of surveillance data from 1998 to 2002 of 2593 persons with acute pesticide-related illnesses associated with exposure at schools. Nationwide information on pesticide-related illnesses is routinely collected by 3 national pesticide surveillance systems: the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health's Sentinel Event Notification System for Occupational Risks pesticides program, the California Department of Pesticide Regulation, and the Toxic Exposure Surveillance System. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Incidence rates and severity of acute pesticide-related illnesses. RESULTS: Incidence rates for 1998-2002 were 7.4 cases per million children and 27.3 cases per million school employee full-time equivalents. The incidence rates among children increased significantly from 1998 to 2002. Illness of high severity was found in 3 cases (0.1%), moderate severity in 275 cases (11%), and low severity in 2315 cases (89%). Most illnesses were associated with insecticides (n = 895, 35%), disinfectants (n = 830, 32%), repellents (n = 335, 13%), or herbicides (n = 279, 11%). Among 406 cases with detailed information on the source of pesticide exposure, 281 (69%) were associated with pesticides used at schools and 125 (31%) were associated with pesticide drift exposure from farmland. CONCLUSIONS: Pesticide exposure at schools produces acute illnesses among school employees and students. To prevent pesticide-related illnesses at schools, implementation of integrated pest management programs in schools, practices to reduce pesticide drift, and adoption of pesticide spray buffer zones around schools are recommended.

Acute pesticide-related illness among emergency responders, 1993-2002.

BACKGROUND: Emergency responders are among the first to arrive at a pesticide-related release event. Magnitude, severity, and risk factor information on acute pesticide poisoning among those workers is needed. METHODS: Survey data collected from the SENSOR-Pesticides, CDPR and HSEES programs between 1993 and 2002 from 21 states were reviewed. Acute occupational pesticide-related illness incidence rates for each category of emergency responder were calculated, as were incidence rate ratios (IRR) among emergency responders compared to all other workers employed in non-agricultural industries. RESULTS: A total of 291 cases were identified. Firefighters accounted for 111 cases (38%), law enforcement officers for 104 cases (36%), emergency medical technicians for 34 cases (12%), and 42 cases (14%) were unspecified emergency responders. Among the 200 cases with information on activity responsible for exposure, most were exposed while performing activities related to a pesticide release event (84%) and not involving patient care, while the remainder involved exposure to pesticide-contaminated patients. A majority of cases were exposed to insecticides (51%). Most had low severity illnesses (90%). The incidence rate was highest for firefighters (39.1/million) and law enforcement officers (26.6/million). The IRRs were also elevated for these professions (firefighters, IRR = 2.67; law enforcement officers, IRR = 1.69). CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest the need for greater efforts to prevent acute occupational pesticide-related illness among emergency responders.

Pesticide-related illness: are poison centers reporting to the state health department?

Pesticide-related illness should be reported by physicians to state health departments. Since poison centers (PC) are involved in the management of many of these cases, it may be assumed that they should report these cases. A 5-y audit of pesticide related illness reported to a centralized state pesticide oversight agency (PARC) was conducted. During the 5-y period the PC received 5,828 calls involving exposures to reportable pesticides; 1,011 of these were for organophosphates. Eight organophosphates cases were treated with antidotes, but ony 2 were reported as a pesticide-related illness. During this same time PARC reviewed 540 cases of persons suspected of being exposed to pesticides. The largest percent of referrals (19.6%) came from the PC, however only 1% of all PC pesticide exposure cases were reported as pesticide-related illnesses.

Aging memory self-efficacy: elders share their thoughts and experience.

Twenty-six elders responded to an open-ended question as part of a study that examined the relationships among depression, health, memory self-efficacy, and metamemory. Participants rated their overall memory function as fair to average (M = 4.26, standard deviation [SD] = 1.29). The average memory efficacy scores were high (M = 51.35, SD = 23.56). The final question invited participants to share any additional information they thought might be important to this item. This article represents a content analysis of these comments. The mean age of responders was 68.78; all had high perceived health and no depression. No differences on memory self-efficacy arose among age groups. Themes included memory management, rationalization, reflection, information seeking, and correlation establishment. Therefore, it is important for clinicians to ask elders about memory function during routine health care encounters, as individuals are interested in memory assessment and management.

Acute occupational pesticide-related illness in the US, 1998-1999: surveillance findings from the SENSOR-pesticides program.

BACKGROUND: Concern about the adverse public health and environmental effects of pesticide use is persistent. Recognizing the importance of surveillance for acute occupational pesticide-related illness, we report on surveillance for this condition across multiple states. METHODS: Survey data collected between 1998 and 1999 were obtained from the seven states that conduct acute occupational pesticide-related illness surveillance as part of the Sentinel Event Notification System for Occupational Risks (SENSOR) program. Data were collected by these state programs in a standardized manner and analyzed. Acute occupational pesticide-related illness incidence rates for those employed in agriculture and those employed in non-agricultural industries were also calculated. RESULTS: Between 1998 and 1999, a total of 1,009 individuals with acute occupational pesticide-related illness were identified by states participating in the SENSOR-pesticides program. The mean age was 36 years, and incidence rates peaked among 20-24 year-old workers. The overall incidence rate was 1.17 per 100,000 full time equivalents (FTEs). The incidence rate among those employed in agriculture was higher (18.2/100,000 FTEs) compared to those employed in non-agricultural industries (0.53/100,000 FTEs). Most of the illnesses were of low severity (69.7%). Severity was moderate in 29.6% of the cases, and high in four cases (0.4%). Three fatalities were identified. Insecticides were responsible for 49% of all illnesses. CONCLUSIONS: Surveillance is an important tool to assess acute pesticide-related illness, and to identify associated risk factors. Our findings suggest that these illnesses continue to be an important occupational health problem, especially in agriculture. As such, greater efforts are needed to prevent acute occupational pesticide-related illness.

Acute pesticide-related illnesses among working youths, 1988-1999.

OBJECTIVES: The goal of this study was to describe acute occupational pesticide-related illnesses among youths and to provide prevention recommendations. METHODS: Survey data from 8 states and from poison control center data were analyzed. Illness incidence rates and incidence rate ratios were calculated. RESULTS: A total of 531 youths were identified with acute occupational pesticide-related illnesses. Insecticides were responsible for most of these illnesses (68%), most of which were of minor severity (79%). The average annual incidence rate among youths aged 15 to 17 years was 20.4 per billion hours worked, and the incidence rate ratio among youths vs adults was 1.71 (95% confidence interval = 1.53, 1.91). CONCLUSIONS: The present findings suggest the need for greater efforts to prevent acute occupational pesticide-related illnesses among adolescents.