MedJobScout :: Health :: Public Health and Safety :: Epidemiology (3)

American Journal of Epidemiology - current issue

Editorial: George W. Comstock--An Appreciation
Szklo, M. Fri, 26 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0000

Commentary: George W. Comstock--Reflections on a Master Mentor
Sommer, A. Fri, 26 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0000

Commentary: George W. Comstock--Always a Teacher
Golub, J. E. Fri, 26 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0000

Commentary: A Personal Tribute to Dr. George W. Comstock
Clipp, S. L. Fri, 26 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0000

Commentary: The Ongoing Legacy--The George W. Comstock Center for Public Health Research and Prevention
Helzlsouer, K. J. Fri, 26 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0000

The Washington County Training Center: An Exemplar of Public Health Research in the Field
Comstock, G. W., Bush, T. L., Helzlsouer, K. J., Hoffman, S. C. Fri, 26 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0000

Commentary: More than Just Luck--The Impact of Dr. George W. Comstock on Tuberculosis in the 20th Century
Selvam, N., Passannante, M. Fri, 26 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0000

Tuberculosis Studies in Muscogee County, Georgia1: I. Community-wide Tuberculosis Research
Comstock, G. W. Fri, 26 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0000

Frost Revisited: The Modern Epidemiology of Tuberculosis: The Third Wade Hampton Frost Lecture
Comstock, G. W. Fri, 26 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0000


Epidemiologic Reviews - current issue

The Global Epidemic of Obesity: An Overview
Caballero, B. Thu, 12 Jul 2007 00:00:00 -0000

The Obesity Epidemic in the United States Gender, Age, Socioeconomic, Racial/Ethnic, and Geographic Characteristics: A Systematic Review and Meta-Regression Analysis
Wang, Y., Beydoun, M. A. Thu, 12 Jul 2007 00:00:00 -0000
This review of the obesity epidemic provides a comprehensive description of the current situation, time trends, and disparities across gender, age, socioeconomic status, racial/ethnic groups, and geographic regions in the United States based on national data. The authors searched studies published between 1990 and 2006. Adult overweight and obesity were defined by using body mass index (weight (kg)/height (m)2) cutpoints of 25 and 30, respectively; childhood "at risk for overweight" and overweight were defined as the 85th and 95th percentiles of body mass index. Average annual increase in and future projections for prevalence were estimated by using linear regression models. Among adults, obesity prevalence increased from 13% to 32% between the 1960s and 2004. Currently, 66% of adults are overweight or obese; 16% of children and adolescents are overweight and 34% are at risk of overweight. Minority and low-socioeconomic-status groups are disproportionately affected at all ages. Annual increases in prevalence ranged from 0.3 to 0.9 percentage points across groups. By 2015, 75% of adults will be overweight or obese, and 41% will be obese. In conclusion, obesity has increased at an alarming rate in the United States over the past three decades. The associations of obesity with gender, age, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status are complex and dynamic. Related population-based programs and policies are needed.
Socioeconomic Status and Obesity
McLaren, L. Thu, 12 Jul 2007 00:00:00 -0000
The objective of this review was to update Sobal and Stunkard's exhaustive review of the literature on the relation between socioeconomic status (SES) and obesity (Psychol Bull 1989;105:260–75). Diverse research databases (including CINAHL, ERIC, MEDLINE, and Social Science Abstracts) were comprehensively searched during the years 1988–2004 inclusive, using "obesity," "socioeconomic status," and synonyms as search terms. A total of 333 published studies, representing 1,914 primarily cross-sectional associations, were included in the review. The overall pattern of results, for both men and women, was of an increasing proportion of positive associations and a decreasing proportion of negative associations as one moved from countries with high levels of socioeconomic development to countries with medium and low levels of development. Findings varied by SES indicator; for example, negative associations (lower SES associated with larger body size) for women in highly developed countries were most common with education and occupation, while positive associations for women in medium- and low-development countries were most common with income and material possessions. Patterns for women in higher- versus lower-development countries were generally less striking than those observed by Sobal and Stunkard; this finding is interpreted in light of trends related to globalization. Results underscore a view of obesity as a social phenomenon, for which appropriate action includes targeting both economic and sociocultural factors.
Genetic Epidemiology of Obesity
Yang, W., Kelly, T., He, J. Thu, 12 Jul 2007 00:00:00 -0000
Obesity has become a global epidemic and contributes to the increasing burden of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, stroke, some types of cancer, and premature death worldwide. Obesity is highly heritable and arises from the interactions of multiple genes, environmental factors, and behavior. In this paper, the authors reviewed recent developments in genetic epidemiologic research, focusing particularly on several promising genomic regions and obesity-related genes. Gene-gene and gene-environment interactions of obesity were also discussed. Published studies were accessed through the MEDLINE database. The authors also searched the Obesity Gene Map Database (http://obesitygene.pbrc.edu/) and conducted a manual search using references cited in relevant papers. Heritabilities for obesity-related phenotypes varied from 6% to 85% among various populations. As of October 2005, 253 quantitative trait loci for obesity-related phenotypes have been localized in 61 genome-wide linkage scans, and genetic variants in 127 biologic candidate genes have been reported to be associated with obesity-related phenotypes from 426 positive findings. Gene-gene interactions were also observed in several genes, and some genes were found to influence the effect of dietary intake and physical activity on obesity-related phenotypes. Integration of genetic epidemiology with functional genomics and proteomics studies will be required to fully understand the role of genetic variants in the etiology and prevention of obesity.
Childhood Overweight, Obesity, and the Metabolic Syndrome in Developing Countries
Kelishadi, R. Thu, 12 Jul 2007 00:00:00 -0000
The incidence of chronic disease is escalating much more rapidly in developing countries than in industrialized countries. A potential emerging public health issue may be the increasing incidence of childhood obesity in developing countries and the resulting socioeconomic and public health burden faced by these countries in the near future. In a systematic review carried out through an electronic search of the literature from 1950–2007, the author compared data from surveys on the prevalence of overweight, obesity, and the metabolic syndrome among children living in developing countries. The highest prevalence of childhood overweight was found in Eastern Europe and the Middle East, whereas India and Sri Lanka had the lowest prevalence. The few studies conducted in developing countries showed a considerably high prevalence of the metabolic syndrome among youth. These findings provide alarming data for health professionals and policy-makers about the extent of these problems in developing countries, many of which are still grappling with malnutrition and micronutrient deficiencies. Time trends in childhood obesity and its metabolic consequences, defined by uniform criteria, should be monitored in developing countries in order to obtain useful insights for primordial and primary prevention of the upcoming chronic disease epidemic in such communities.
Abdominal Obesity and Fatty Liver
Jakobsen, M., Berentzen, T, Sorensen, T., Overvad, K Thu, 12 Jul 2007 00:00:00 -0000
It has been hypothesized that visceral fat releases free fatty acids and adipokines and thereby exposes the liver to fat accumulation. The authors aimed to evaluate current epidemiologic evidence for an association between abdominal fat and liver fat content. Clinical and epidemiologic studies with data on abdominal fat and liver fat content were reviewed. Studies using waist circumference to estimate abdominal fat mass suggested a direct association between abdominal fat and liver fat content. Studies using imaging methods suggested a direct association between intraabdominal fat and liver fat content, but not between subcutaneous abdominal fat and liver fat content. In conclusion, clinical and epidemiologic studies of abdominal fat and liver fat content suggest a direct association between abdominal fat and liver fat content which is probably accounted for by visceral fat. However, results from the included studies do not allow strong conclusions regarding the temporal sequence of events. Future longitudinal studies are recommended to obtain additional information on associations and mechanisms. Both abdominal fat depots and other body compartments of interest should be included to further investigate the association between specific fat depots and liver fat content. Biomarkers may provide insight into underlying mechanisms.

Epidemiology and Infection - Current Issue

Volume 136 Issue 10
Tue, 30 Sep 2008 23:00:00 -0000
Epidemiology and Infection, Volume 136 Issue 10 Increased frequency in 2007 - now 8 issues per year! Epidemiology and Infection publishes original reports and reviews on all aspects of infection in humans and animals. Particular emphasis is given to the epidemiology, prevention and control of infectious diseases. The field covered is broad and includes the zoonoses, tropical infections, food hygiene, vaccine studies, statistics and the clinical, social and public-health aspects of infectious disease. Papers covering microbiology and immunology which have an epidemiological relevance are part of this broad field. Papers come from medical and veterinary scientists worldwide. It has become the key periodical in which to find the latest reports on recently discovered infections and new technology. For those concerned with policy and planning for the control of infections, the papers on mathematical modelling of epidemics caused by historical, current and emergent infections, will be of particular value. To celebrate 100 years of the journal, a series of important papers has been selected and each, together with a modern commentary on the paper by an expert, will be published on-line. This journal has now moved over to electronic submission, using the Scholar One system. Click here to go to the submission website. Guidance on how to upload your manuscript is available on the site by clicking "User Tutorials". Online manuscript submission (now) available, please go to http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/cup/hyg
Ridding London of smallpox: the aerial transmission debate and the evolution of a precautionary approach
Review ArticlesP.�P. MORTIMER, Epidemiology and Infection, Volume 136 Issue 10 , pp 1297-1305Abstract
Public health and economic costs of investigating a suspected outbreak of Legionnaires' disease
DiscussionK. LOCK, C. MILLETT, R. HEATHCOCK, C.�A. JOSEPH, T.�G. HARRISON, J.�V. LEE, G. RAO, S. SURMAN-LEE, on behalf of the Outbreak Control Team null, Epidemiology and Infection, Volume 136 Issue 10 , pp 1306-1314Abstract
Correspondence
LetterCAMERON MOFFATT, Epidemiology and Infection, Volume 136 Issue 10 , pp 1315-1318Abstract
Climatic, temporal, and geographic characteristics of respiratory syncytial virus disease in a tropical island population
Research ArticlesS.�B. OMER, A. SUTANTO, H. SARWO, M. LINEHAN, I.�G.�G. DJELANTIK, D. MERCER, V. MONIAGA, L.�H. MOULTON, A. WIDJAYA, P. MULJATI, B.�D. GESSNER, M.�C. STEINHOFF, Epidemiology and Infection, Volume 136 Issue 10 , pp 1319-1327Abstract
Effect of climatological factors on respiratory syncytial virus epidemics
Research ArticlesD.�E. NOYOLA, P.�B. MANDEVILLE, Epidemiology and Infection, Volume 136 Issue 10 , pp 1328-1332Abstract

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