Diet and risk of ovarian cancer in the California Teachers Study cohort

Dietary phytochemical compounds, including isoflavones and isothiocyanates, may inhibit cancer development but have not yet been examined in prospective epidemiologic studies of ovarian cancer. The authors have investigated the association between consumption of these and other nutrients and ovarian cancer risk in a prospective cohort study. Among 97,275 eligible women in the California Teachers Study cohort who completed the baseline dietary assessment in 1995-1996, 280 women developed invasive or borderline ovarian cancer by December 31, 2003. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression, with age as the timescale, was used to estimate relative risks and 95% confidence intervals; all statistical tests were two sided. Intake of isoflavones was associated with lower risk of ovarian cancer. Compared with the risk for women who consumed less than 1 mg of total isoflavones per day, the relative risk of ovarian cancer associated with consumption of more than 3 mg/day was 0.56 (95% confidence interval: 0.33, 0.96). Intake of isothiocyanates or foods high in isothiocyanates was not associated with ovarian cancer risk, nor was intake of macronutrients, antioxidant vitamins, or other micronutrients. Although dietary consumption of isoflavones may be associated with decreased ovarian cancer risk, most dietary factors are unlikely to play a major role in ovarian cancer development.     

Communication and behavioural disorders among children with hearing loss increases risk of mental health disorders

Objective : This study examines the mental health and associated risk factors of children with hearing loss. Methods : A cross‐sectional analysis of the impact of hearing loss among Australian children using data drawn from Wave 1 of the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (2004) (LSACs) (n=4589). LSACs provides data which assesses family circumstances, children's hearing problems, chronic health conditions, social and emotional difficulties, communications disorders and language, motor skills and educational outcomes. Outcomes for children aged 4–5 years identified with hearing loss (n=93) were compared with 4,496 children without hearing loss. Results : Children with hearing loss showed elevated prevalence across most dimensions of emotional and behavioural difficulties, and on indicators of communication disorders, language and cognitive development, and motor skills. Reduced receptive language skills and increased difficulties understanding others were predictive of increased psychosocial difficulties in children with hearing problems. Conclusion : Australian children with hearing problems face multiple concurrent health and developmental problems. Moreover, children with hearing problems exhibit behavioural problems when they do not understand what is going on around them. Without appropriate interventions, these children are at risk of developing mental health disorders. Implications : An epidemiological study of hearing in children is indicated. Children with receptive hearing problems require access to amplification, communication training, and psychosocial support. Attention must also be given to building design to reduce physical barriers to hearing.     

National Diet and Nutrition Survey: UK food consumption and nutrient intakes from the first year of the rolling programme and comparisons with previous surveys

The National Diet and Nutrition Survey (NDNS) is a cross-sectional survey designed to gather data representative of the UK population on food consumption, nutrient intakes and nutritional status. The objectives of the present paper were to identify and describe food consumption and nutrient intakes in the UK from the first year of the NDNS rolling programme (2008-09) and compare these with the 2000-01 NDNS of adults aged 19-64 years and the 1997 NDNS of young people aged 4-18 years. Differences in median daily food consumption and nutrient intakes between the surveys were compared by sex and age group (4-10 years, 11-18 years and 19-64 years). There were no changes in energy, total fat or carbohydrate intakes between the surveys. Children aged 4-10 years had significantly lower consumption of soft drinks (not low calorie), crisps and savoury snacks and chocolate confectionery in 2008-09 than in 1997 (all P?相似文献   

Soy protein isolates of varying isoflavone content exert minor effects on serum reproductive hormones in healthy young men

Inverse associations between soy and prostate cancer and the contribution of hormones to prostate cancer prompted the current study to determine whether soy protein could alter serum hormones in men. Thirty-five men consumed milk protein isolate (MPI), low-isoflavone soy protein isolate (SPI) (low-iso SPI; 1.64 +/- 0.19 mg isoflavones/d), and high-iso SPI (61.7 +/- 7.35 mg isoflavones/d) for 57 d each in a randomized crossover design. Twenty-four-hour urine samples indicated that urinary isoflavones were significantly increased by the high-iso SPI relative to the low-iso SPI and MPI. Serum collected on d 1, 29, and 57 of each treatment revealed that dihydrotestosterone (DHT) and DHT/testosterone were significantly decreased by the low-iso SPI [9.4% (P = 0.036) and 9.0% (P = 0.004), respectively] and the high-iso SPI [15% (P = 0.047) and 14% (P = 0.013), respectively], compared with the MPI at d 57. Other significant effects included a decrease in testosterone by the low-iso SPI relative to the MPI (P = 0.023) and high-iso SPI (P = 0.020) at d 29; an increase in dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate by the low-iso SPI relative to the MPI at d 29 (P = 0.001) and relative to the MPI (P = 0.0003) and high-iso SPI (P = 0.005) at d 57; and increases in estradiol and estrone by the low-iso SPI relative to the MPI at d 57 (P = 0.010 and P = 0.005, respectively). In conclusion, soy protein, regardless of isoflavone content, decreased DHT and DHT/testosterone with minor effects on other hormones, providing evidence for some effects of soy protein on hormones. The relevance of the magnitude of these effects to future prostate cancer risk requires further investigation.     

Comparison of energy and nutrient intakes among meals and snacks of adolescent males

BACKGROUND: Eating behaviors developed during adolescence can have immediate health implications and influence future chronic disease risk. The objectives of this study were to determine and compare the distribution of energy and nutrient intakes among meals and snacks, and relate eating occasion frequency to body mass index (BMI) of adolescent males. METHODS: Healthy adolescent males (n = 180) completed 3-day food records. Following analysis for energy and nutrient intakes, 3-day averages and frequencies were computed for all meals and snacks. RESULTS: Dinner was the largest contributor of energy, macronutrients, cholesterol, dietary fiber, and sodium, whereas both dinner and breakfast were the largest contributors of calcium and iron. On average, subjects consumed 1.63 snacks/day, with 77% consuming > or = 1 snack/day. BMI was significantly greater and energy intake was significantly lower in subjects having < or = 3 eating occasions/day relative to 4 or > or = 6 eating occasions/day. The 26% of subjects classified as inconsistent breakfast consumers had significantly higher BMIs and lower iron intakes relative to consistent breakfast consumers. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides valuable information regarding eating occasion frequency and contribution of meals and snacks to energy and nutrient intakes in adolescent males. Such information could be used to improve nutrition education programs for adolescents aimed at chronic disease prevention.     

The Sachs report: investing in health for economic development--or increasing the size of the crumbs from the rich man's table? Part II.

The Commission on Macroeconomics and Health report (Sachs report of 2001) has been heralded as inspiring and groundbreaking and is being adopted as the blueprint for global health policymaking. This article argues that the report is deeply conservative and unoriginal. It encourages medico-technical solutions to public health problems; it ignores macroeconomic determinants and other root causes of both poor health and poverty; it reverses public health logic and history; it is based on a set of flawed assumptions; it reflects one particular economic perspective to the exclusion of all others; and it recommends greater amounts of charity while preserving the status quo of a deeply unjust and irrational international economic order. Wishful thinking and ideology are presented as established facts to legitimize globalization, and health is conceived primarily as an input to productivity rather than as a human right. The benefits that would result from simple, macroeconomic measures directed toward social justice and the meeting of basic needs are incomparably greater than those that would result from following CMH recommendations in terms of sustainable improvements in both health and economic well-being. The ultimate source of poor health status and miserable living conditions is the extreme concentration of power, nationally and internationally, in the hands of the few.     

Multifacility Outbreak of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome in Taif,Saudi Arabia

Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) coronavirus (MERS-CoV) is a novel respiratory pathogen first reported in 2012. During September 2014–January 2015, an outbreak of 38 cases of MERS was reported from 4 healthcare facilities in Taif, Saudi Arabia; 21 of the 38 case-patients died. Clinical and public health records showed that 13 patients were healthcare personnel (HCP). Fifteen patients, including 4 HCP, were associated with 1 dialysis unit. Three additional HCP in this dialysis unit had serologic evidence of MERS-CoV infection. Viral RNA was amplified from acute-phase serum specimens of 15 patients, and full spike gene-coding sequencing was obtained from 10 patients who formed a discrete cluster; sequences from specimens of 9 patients were closely related. Similar gene sequences among patients unlinked by time or location suggest unrecognized viral transmission. Circulation persisted in multiple healthcare settings over an extended period, underscoring the importance of strengthening MERS-CoV surveillance and infection-control practices.     

Live Births Resulting from Unintended Pregnancies: An Evaluation of Synthetic State-Based Estimates

Objectives: Most states lack information on the proportion of live births resulting from unintended pregnancies. We evaluated a potential solution to the lack of data, a synthetic state-based estimate of the percentage of live births resulting from unintended pregnancies for the state of Georgia. Methods: We constructed the synthetic estimate by standardizing the 1995 National Survey of Family Growth data by the race, marital status, and age distribution of Georgia residents ages 15–44 years who delivered a live birth during 1990–1994. Two surveys conducted in Georgia during the same period that collected information on unintended pregnancies were used for comparison: the Georgia Women's Health Survey (GWHS) and the Georgia Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS). Results: The synthetic estimate (35.2%, 95% CI = 33.5%–36.7%) was not statistically different from the GWHS estimate (39.6%, 95% CI = 35.7%–43.5%), but was significantly lower than the Georgia PRAMS estimate (49.0%, 95% CI = 45.5%–52.5%). When we stratified by race, marital status, and age, the synthetic and GWHS estimates were statistically similar except for married females and females ages 25–34 years, for whom the synthetic estimates were lower. For all groups of females, the synthetic estimates were statistically lower than the Georgia PRAMS estimates. Conclusions: The synthetic estimate can be a useful method for states that need to know the overall magnitude of the percentage of live births resulting from unintended pregnancy for purposes such as program planning.