DOCSLIB.ORG

Environmental Pollution in Urban Environments and Human Biology

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Environmental Pollution in Urban Environments and Human Biology 7 Aug 2003 8:27 AR AR196-AN32-06.tex AR196-AN32-06.sgm LaTeX2e(2002/01/18) P1: IKH 10.1146/annurev.anthro.32.061002.093218 Annu. Rev. Anthropol. 2003. 32:111–34 doi: 10.1146/annurev.anthro.32.061002.093218 Copyright c 2003 by Annual Reviews. All rights reserved First published online as a Review in Advance on June 4, 2003 ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION IN URBAN ENVIRONMENTS AND HUMAN BIOLOGY Lawrence M. Schell and Melinda Denham Department of Anthropology, University at Albany, State University of New York, 1400 Washington Ave., Albany, New York, 12222; email: [email protected], [email protected] Key Words growth, lead, noise, stress, urbanism ■ Abstract The biocultural approach of anthropologists is well suited to understand the interrelationship of urbanism and human biology. Urbanism is a social construction that has continuously changed and presented novel adaptive challenges to its residents. Urban living today involves several biological challenges, of which one is pollution. Using three different types of pollutants as examples, air pollution, lead, and noise, the impact of pollution on human biology (mortality, morbidity, reproduction, and develop- ment) can be seen. Chronic exposure to low levels of these pollutants has a small impact on the individual, but so many people are exposed to pollution that the effect species- wide is substantial. Also, disproportionate pollutant exposure by socioeconomically disadvantaged groups exacerbates risk of poor health and well being. URBANISM AND HUMAN BIOLOGY Urban growth began slowly several thousand years ago and has accelerated tremen- dously over the past 300 years. By 2006, half of the world’s population will be living in urban places (United Nations 1998). If current trends continue, the char- acteristic environment of the human species will be urban. The change from nonurban to urban living has occurred over too few genera- tions to provide much opportunity for evolutionary adaptation to urban challenges. Homo sapiens evolved in response to the physical and social demands of a hunting and gathering way of life and death during the Paleolithic and before. Many of these demands are absent from the urban environment today, and new challenges are present in abundance including altered energy budgets from urban activity pat- terns and diets, psychosocial stress, steep social gradients, increased contact be- tween social groups resulting in increased transmission and evolution of infectious disease, and increased pollution largely from transportation and industry (Schell & Ulijaszek 1999). Given the novelty of so many urban challenges and the antiquity of our response systems, a reasonable question is, “Are we suited for urban living?” As urban forms are social products, understanding urbanism and human biol- ogy involves the study of a complex biocultural interaction. An anthropological 0084-6570/03/1021-0111$14.00 111 7 Aug 2003 8:27 AR AR196-AN32-06.tex AR196-AN32-06.sgm LaTeX2e(2002/01/18) P1: IKH 112 SCHELL DENHAM approach that integrates sociocultural variables and biological measures of adap- tation and health is well suited to the problem. However, understanding effects of industrial pollution on humans requires study designs that differ from those employed to study small-scale societies. Studies of the effects of urbanism on human health have used two basic designs: studying urban populations and studying people exposed to features of urban environments wherever they may occur. The former approach is exemplified in the urban rural comparison. Urban rural comparisons suffer from the usual flaws inherent in reducing multidimensional differences into a simple dichotomy, each of which exists as a continuum. Today we know that urban rural differences in health vary depending on the particulars of each of the urban and rural places compared. Replication of results, a hallmark of science, is impossible when the identities being compared change. Indeed, urban rural differences may not be apparent even though substantial differences in the factors that influence health exist because these factors, some positive and some negative, may sum to zero. The most obvious urban rural differences, such as those that existed during the height of unregulated industrialization, are now reduced to varying degrees in different countries. Nevertheless, some urban features continue to be highly detrimental to health and well-being. The second approach, studying urban features, is preferred because it involves the analysis and measurement of individual factors representing dimensions of urbanism (e.g., population size or density, stress levels, activity patterns, specific pollutants). It also involves measuring covariates that if unmeasured, as in urban rural contrasts, may confound the attribution of true causes. This measurement- based approach is more likely to lead to replication and generalization. It is the stronger approach also because in many societies exposure to pollution covaries with socioeconomic disadvantage (Schell & Czerwinski 1998), a known influ- ence on human health. Measuring both the putative causes and the covarying factors is a necessary step in determining the true influence of urbanism on human biology. The epistemology of urban research is similar to that in epidemiology. Ex- perimental research in which the investigator can randomize exposures is rare or nonexistent, and observational research designs without the investigator’s in- tervention are common. Observational designs produce evidence that is evalu- ated in terms of Hill’s postulates in which proper temporal order of cause and effect, the presence of dose-response relationships, replication, and biological plausibility figure largely (Lilienfeld & Stolley 1994). A special type of obser- vational research design is the natural experiment in which experimental con- ditions are altered by chance. This approximates randomization but does not involve the investigator’s intervention in human circumstances. Sample bias is far less likely to influence results compared to studies without randomization. This review emphasizes results from studies employing measurement-based approaches that meet the epistemological standards of population-based research. 7 Aug 2003 8:27 AR AR196-AN32-06.tex AR196-AN32-06.sgm LaTeX2e(2002/01/18) P1: IKH URBAN POLLUTION AND HUMAN BIOLOGY 113 AIR POLLUTION The air we breathe is polluted with the byproducts of combustion from indus- try, power generation, and transportation, as well as the manufacture and use of chemicals. Air pollutants are a heterogeneous group of gases and particles that can remain airborne for long periods of time. Common air pollutants are oxides of nitrogen (NOx), oxides of sulfur (SOx), ozone (O3), carbon monox- ide (CO), and particulate matter (PM). In sufficient concentrations, these gases and particles can harm human health in the short (burning of eyes and throat, difficulty breathing) and the long term (cancer and long-term damage to the immune, neurological, reproductive, and respiratory systems) (Waldbott 1978). Air pollution is especially problematic in urban areas. In 1999, of the six com- mon pollutants used by the EPA to monitor national air quality, levels of CO, NO2,SO2, and PM10 were higher in urban areas (U.S. Environ. Prot. Agency 2001). Mortality (All Cause) Air pollution is a significant risk factor for all-age, all-cause mortality in urban areas (Brunekreef & Holgate 2002, Schwela 2000). Ozone, CO, SOx, and PM have each been associated with increased mortality rates (Abbey et al. 1999, Borja-Aburto et al. 1998, Fairley 1999, Lee et al. 1999, Neas et al. 1999, Pope et al. 2002, Xu et al. 2000, Zmirou et al. 1998). Exposure to specific air pollutants has been associated with increased cause-specific mortality rates, especially cardiovascular and respiratory disease deaths (Fairley 1999, Xu et al. 2000, Zmirou et al. 1998). Brunekreef (1997) has estimated that chronic, low-level exposure to air pollution shortens life expectancy by one to two years, a substantial effect compared to other environmental risk factors. For biological anthropologists, pre-reproductive mortality is especially impor- tant because it focuses on the evolutionary impact of air pollution. Fewer studies have considered air pollution and mortality solely in children. Most of these stud- ies have found positive relationships between pollutants and sub-adult mortality (Bobak & Leon 1999, Loomis et al. 1999, Pereira et al. 1998, Woodruff et al. 1997) in varied populations (Mexico, Brazil, Czech Republic, United States) and at different developmental stages (prenatal, neonatal, infant). Several studies have reported significant associations with mortality even when air pollution levels did not exceed national or World Health Organization stan- dards (Fairley 1999, Lee et al. 1999, Schwartz 1991). For example, Schwartz (1991) demonstrated a dose-response relationship between total suspended par- ticulates (TSP) and daily mortality in Detroit when levels were less than half of the U.S. standard. Recent research suggests that through the mediating ef- fect of socioeconomic factors, air pollution may have a greater impact on mor- tality in disadvantaged groups (Abbey et al. 1999, Brunekreef 1999, Pope et al. 2002). 7 Aug 2003 8:27 AR AR196-AN32-06.tex AR196-AN32-06.sgm LaTeX2e(2002/01/18) P1: IKH 114 SCHELL DENHAM Morbidity Although air pollution can have health effects throughout the body, the target organ for many major urban air pollutants is the respiratory system. In a recent review, Schwela
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Abstracts from the 9Th Biennial Scientific Meeting of The
    International Journal of Pediatric Endocrinology 2017, 2017(Suppl 1):15 DOI 10.1186/s13633-017-0054-x MEETING ABSTRACTS Open Access Abstracts from the 9th Biennial Scientific Meeting of the Asia Pacific Paediatric Endocrine Society (APPES) and the 50th Annual Meeting of the Japanese Society for Pediatric Endocrinology (JSPE) Tokyo, Japan. 17-20 November 2016 Published: 28 Dec 2017 PS1 Heritable forms of primary bone fragility in children typically lead to Fat fate and disease - from science to global policy a clinical diagnosis of either osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) or juvenile Peter Gluckman osteoporosis (JO). OI is usually caused by dominant mutations affect- Office of Chief Science Advsor to the Prime Minister ing one of the two genes that code for two collagen type I, but a re- International Journal of Pediatric Endocrinology 2017, 2017(Suppl 1):PS1 cessive form of OI is present in 5-10% of individuals with a clinical diagnosis of OI. Most of the involved genes code for proteins that Attempts to deal with the obesity epidemic based solely on adult be- play a role in the processing of collagen type I protein (BMP1, havioural change have been rather disappointing. Indeed the evidence CREB3L1, CRTAP, LEPRE1, P4HB, PPIB, FKBP10, PLOD2, SERPINF1, that biological, developmental and contextual factors are operating SERPINH1, SEC24D, SPARC, from the earliest stages in development and indeed across generations TMEM38B), or interfere with osteoblast function (SP7, WNT1). Specific is compelling. The marked individual differences in the sensitivity to the phenotypes are caused by mutations in SERPINF1 (recessive OI type obesogenic environment need to be understood at both the individual VI), P4HB (Cole-Carpenter syndrome) and SEC24D (‘Cole-Carpenter and population level.
    [Show full text]
  • Random Coefficient Repeated Measures Models
    (Entry for Encyclopaedia of Biostatistics, Armitage, P., & Colton,T. (Eds.), 1998, Wiley.) Random coefficient repeated measures models by Harvey Goldstein Institute of Education London, WC1H 0AL [email protected] Introduction This section is concerned with modelling data where measurements of one or more attributes are repeated on the same set of individuals over time. Typical applications are to the modelling of anthropometric growth of children or animals. The model specification will be developed for the case where a single continuous measurement is made on several occasions for a sample. This will then be extended to consider the case of multiple measurements at each time point and mention will be made of extensions to latent variable models and to discrete response data. To begin with we look at the simple, restricted, data structure where there are a fixed number of measurement occasions and each individual has a measurement at each occasion. Multivariate models Consider the data matrix of responses Individual Occasion 1 Occasion 2 Occasion 3 Occasion 4 1 y11 y21 y31 y41 2 y12 y22 y32 y42 3 y13 y23 y33 y43 The first subscript refers to occasion and the second to individual. We assume multivariate normality and so for the response vector we have initially YN~(,)µ Σ (1) This constitutes a null model and in general we will wish to include further variables, notably age or time. Suppose we wish to express the response, say a weight measurement, as a linear function of time (t) measured at each occasion. We may then write =+β β +ε ytij01 j j ij ij (2) where we allow the intercept and average growth rate to vary across individuals.
    [Show full text]
  • The Psychological Burden of Short Stature
    European Journal of Endocrinology (2004) 151 S29–S33 ISSN 0804-4643 The psychological burden of short stature: evidence against Linda D Voss and David E Sandberg1,2 Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Peninsula Medical School, Plymouth, UK, 1Departments of Psychiatry and Pediatrics, University of Buffalo, The State University of New York and 2the Women and Children’s Hospital of Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, USA (Correspondence should be addressed to L D Voss, EarlyBird Research Centre, Child Health, Level 12, Derriford Hospital, Plymouth PL6 8DH, UK; Email: [email protected]) Abstract Short stature, per se, is clearly not a disease, but is commonly perceived to be associated with social and psychological disadvantage. The assumption, widely held by pediatricians that short children are likely to be significantly affected by their stature, has been founded largely on older, poorly designed clinic-based studies and laboratory investigations of beliefs about the association between stature and individual characteristics. In contrast, data from more recent and better designed clinic- and commu- nity-based studies show that, in terms of psychosocial functioning, individuals with short stature are largely indistinguishable from their peers, whether in childhood, adolescence or adulthood. Parents and children alike should be reassured by these findings. In the absence of clear pathology, physical or psychological, GH therapy for the short but otherwise normal child raises ethical concerns about so-called ‘cosmetic endocrinology’. European Journal of Endocrinology 151 S29–S33 Introduction that SS constitutes a psychosocial burden (8). This belief is widespread. In a recent survey, 56% of phys- Short stature (SS) may result from an idiopathic icians felt that height impaired emotional well-being deficiency in growth hormone (GH) or be a feature of in children below the 3rd centile (9).
    [Show full text]
  • Absolute Or Relative Measures of Height and Weight&Quest
    European Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2015) 69, 647–648 © 2015 Macmillan Publishers Limited All rights reserved 0954-3007/15 www.nature.com/ejcn EDITORIAL Absolute or relative measures of height and weight? An Editorial European Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2015) 69, 647–648; interpret all individual growth data in the light of one international doi:10.1038/ejcn.2015.70 growth standard? Indian newborns are light and short5 when compared with WHO standards. We are used to explain anthropometric birth data In this volume, Spiegler and coworkers present their work on very from India by unfavourable maternal conditions. But also Indian low-birth weight infants (VLBW), they analysed at what age infants born to modern upper class women are shorter and lighter parents start complementary food in these infants, they deter- than WHO standards, and do not reflect maternal wealth and mined risk factors for early introduction of complementary food caste (Table 1). and they analysed whether the age at introduction of comple- Khadilkar and Khadilkar6 state: ‘The disadvantage of using mentary food influences height or weight at two years of age. The charts such as these (WHO charts) is that they are likely to over study is an important contribution to infant nutrition. But there is diagnose underweight and stunting in a large number of more to the study: the study was performed at the crossroads apparently normal children in the developing countries such as between nutrition and auxology. India’. Not only wealthy Indian children are shorter and lighter Studying nutrition and nutritional intervention on growth than these standards.
    [Show full text]
  • UCLA Electronic Theses and Dissertations
    UCLA UCLA Electronic Theses and Dissertations Title Growing Taller, yet Falling Short: Policy, Health, and Living Standards in Brazil, 1850-1950. Permalink https://escholarship.org/uc/item/7nn3b9g6 Author Franken, Daniel W. Publication Date 2016 Peer reviewed|Thesis/dissertation eScholarship.org Powered by the California Digital Library University of California UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA Los Angeles Growing Taller, yet Falling Short: Policy, Health, and Living Standards in Brazil, 1850-1950 A dissertation submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Philosophy in History by Daniel William Franken 2016 ! © Copyright by Daniel William Franken 2016 ABSTRACT OF THE DISSERTATION Growing Taller, yet Falling Short: Policy, Health, and Living Standards in Brazil, 1850-1950 by Daniel William Franken Doctor of Philosophy in History University of California, Los Angeles, 2016 Professor William R. Summerhill, Chair The emergence of regional inequities and the genesis of modern economic growth in Brazil have remained shrouded by a dearth of historical evidence. Although quantitative scholars have revealed the efficacy of the First Republic (1889-1930) in fomenting economic progress, the extent to which Brazil’s early economic growth fostered improvements in health remains unclear. My dissertation fills this void in scholarship by relying on hitherto untapped archival sources with data on human stature—a reliable metric for health and nutritional status. Heights offer an excellent source of knowledge regarding human development for Brazil in the 1850-1950 period—an era of deep social, political, and economic transformations. My analysis centers heavily on a large (n≈17,000), geographically- comprehensive series compiled from military inscription files, supplemented by an ancillary dataset drawn from passport records (n≈6,000).
    [Show full text]
  • An Intellectual Odyssey
    "Malnutrition": An Intellectual Odyssey David Seckler When President Young asked me to "malnutrition". Under one criterion proper address this meeting of the Western Agricul- nutrition is defined as sufficient intake of tural Economics Association on my work in nutrients to reach the full genetic growth nutrition policy I gladly accepted for I have potential of the individual defined by various been spending most of my time talking to anthropometric and nutritional standards. nutritionists about these problems and Malnutrition then becomes abnormally low perhaps not enough time talking to my fellow size and/or consumption. Under the second agricultural economists. I say this not only criterion, malnutrition is defined in terms of because of the obvious connection between certain clinical signs of nutritional inadequa- nutrition, food policy and agriculture but cy and/or indices of functional impairment, because of a discovery, in my opinion, of such as the inability to work productively. considerable consequence. This discovery is Proper nutrition then presumably becomes that the concept of "malnutrition" cannot be the absence of these clinical-functional signs comprehended except in terms of the eco- of malnutrition. The problem is that most of nomic theory of optimality. the people who are not "properly nourished" In order to understand what I mean by this under the first criterion are also not "mal- statement it is first necessary to understand nourished" under the second criterion! "malnutrition" is an extremely ambiguous There exists a considerable "grey area", word. The Random House Dictionary, for consisting of perhaps as much as 80% or more example, defines "malnutrition" as "lack of of the conventionally estimated world of proper nutrition." Since "proper nutrition" is malnutrition, who are neither "properly not defined, one must simply assume that it nourished" nor "malnourished".
    [Show full text]
  • Barry M. Popkin, Phd W
    Barry M. Popkin, PhD W. R. Kenan Jr. Distinguished Professor Department of Nutrition Gillings School of Global Public Health The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Home address: 104 Mill Run Dr. Chapel Hill, NC 27514-3134 Office Address: Carolina Population Center Campus Box 8120 137 E. Franklin St. Chapel Hill, NC 27516-3997 Phone: (919) 962-6139 Fax: (919) 966-9159/919-445-0740 Email: [email protected] Website: www.nutrans.org EDUCATION Ph.D., Cornell University, Agricultural Economics (1973-1974) M.S., University of Wisconsin, Economics (1968-1969) Other graduate work, University of Pennsylvania (1967-1968) B.S., University of Wisconsin, Honors in Economics (1962-1965, 1966-1967) Other undergraduate work, University of New Delhi (1965-1966) FIELDS OF INTEREST Program and policy research to arrest and prevent excessive energy imbalance and diabetes; The nutrition transition: patterns and Determinants of Dietary Trends and body composition trends (United States and many low- and middle-income countries); Obesity dynamics and their environmental causes; Dietary and physical activity patterns, trends and determinants; The creation of large-scale program and policy initiatives to address nutrition-related noncommunicable diseases. CURRENT POSITION Distinguished Professor, Department of Nutrition Fellow, Carolina Population Center Director, The Nutrition Transition Research Program Rev. January 2017 Adjunct Professor, Department of Economics Member, UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center Editorial Board, PLOS Medicine, Economics and Human Biology, Appetite, Risk Management and Healthcare Policy, The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology, Lifestyle Medicine - Research, Prevention & Treatment of Noncommunicable Diseases SELECTED HONORS AND AWARDS (2016) World Obesity Federation Population Science & Public Health Award (2015) Chinese government’s first award for significant foreign contributions to Chinese Nutrition (2015) Conrad A.
    [Show full text]
  • Handbook of Behavior, Food and Nutrition Wwwwwwwwwwwwwww Victor R
    Handbook of Behavior, Food and Nutrition wwwwwwwwwwwwwww Victor R. Preedy x Ronald Ross Watson Colin R. Martin Editors Handbook of Behavior, Food and Nutrition Editors Prof. Victor R. Preedy Prof. Ronald Ross Watson King’s College London University of Arizona Department Nutrition & Dietetics Health Sciences Center 150 Stamford St. Department of Health Promotion Sciences London SE1 9NH 1295 N. Martin Ave. UK Tucson, AZ 85724-5155 USA Prof. Colin R. Martin University of the West of Scotland Ayr Campus KA8 0SR Ayr UK ISBN 978-0-387-92270-6 e-ISBN 978-0-387-92271-3 DOI 10.1007/978-0-387-92271-3 Springer New York Dordrecht Heidelberg London Library of Congress Control Number: 2011921927 © Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2011 All rights reserved. This work may not be translated or copied in whole or in part without the written permission of the publisher (Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, 233 Spring Street, New York, NY 10013, USA), except for brief excerpts in connection with reviews or scholarly analysis. Use in connection with any form of information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed is forbidden. The use in this publication of trade names, trademarks, service marks, and similar terms, even if they are not identified as such, is not to be taken as an expression of opinion as to whether or not they are subject to proprietary rights. While the advice and information in this book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of going to press, neither the authors nor the editors nor the publisher can accept any legal responsibility for any errors or omissions that may be made.
    [Show full text]
  • Astronomy and Astrophysics
    Academic and Professional Catalogue Academic and Professional Academic and Professional Publishing Catalogue New books and Journals ➤ See page 70 ➤ See page 77 ➤ See page 143 New books and Journals July 2004 – February 2005 2004 – February July New books and Journals ➤ See page 25 ➤ See page 2 ➤ See page 35 Cover image ➤ See page 61 ➤ See page 5 ➤ See page 71 Cambridge University Press The Edinburgh Building www.cambridge.org JULY 2004 – FEBRUARY 2005 Cambridge CB2 2RU, UK April 2004 2004/5 Highlights Customer Services Cambridge University Press Booksellers Bookshop For order processing and customer service, please contact: Cambridge University Press Bookshop UK International occupies the historic site of 1 Trinity Catherine Atkins Phone + 44 (0)1223 325566 Monica Stassen Phone + 44 (0)1223 325577 Street, Cambridge CB2 1SZ, where Fax + 44 (0)1223 325959 Fax + 44 (0)1223 325151 the complete range of titles is on sale. Email [email protected] Email [email protected] Bookshop Manager: Cathy Ashbee Libraries and Individuals Phone + 44 (0)1223 333333 Please order from your bookseller. In case of difficulty, contact Linda Hine Fax + 44 (0)1223 332954 Tel + 44 (0)1223 326050 Fax + 44 (0)1223 326111 Email [email protected] Email [email protected] ➤ Your telephone call may be monitored for training purposes. See page 137 Account-holding booksellers can order online at www.cambridge.org/booksellers ➤ See page 17 ➤ See page 74 Cambridge University Press Around the World ➤ See page 70 Cambridge University Press has offices, representatives and distributors in some 60 countries around the world; our publications are available through bookshops in virtually every country.
    [Show full text]
  • Prevention of Obesity on Primary Secondary And
    PREVENTION OF OBESITY ON PRIMARY, SECONDARY AND TERTIARY LEVELS OF CHILDREN' S HEALTH CARE Martin Bigec PditiiPediatrician Pediatric department, University Clinical Center Maribor XIV. Congress ISGA 2017, Buenos Aires, Argentina Slovenia XIV. Congress ISGA, Buenos Aires, Argentina Maribor is the second largest city in Slovenia area:147,5 km2 Waether: 20 0C, Wind SW at 11 km/h 35% humidity; 270 m altitude XIV. Congress ISGA, Buenos Aires, Argentina The hospital employs approximately 2800 staff members, 450 of whom are UNIVERSITY ppyhysicians and 1300 healthcare workers. MEDICAL The hospital is a 1266-bed facility. Approximately 60,000 patients are treated CENTER annually. More than 390,000 outpatients are treated at 270 different outpatient MARIBOR clinics. XIV. Congress ISGA, Buenos Aires, Argentina Obesity Obesity and complications of obesity in children and adolescents are one of the most important public health problems of the Republic of Slovenia. The National Institute of Public Health formed a Working Group where experts from various fields played an important role in the problem (doctors- pediatricians from all levels of treatment, nutritionists, psychologists, kinesiologists, IT professionals). A common denominator of the measures envisaged is that the healthcare system necessarily needs a digitized platform for the implementation of a successful preventive programs (1). 1. Working group National Institute of Public Health. Prevention of obesity and a healthy lifestyle of children and youth in Sloven ia. In the press. XIV. Congress ISGA, Buenos Aires, Argentina Obesity II PlllParallel to thesetting up of a digit a l pltflatform, it is also necessary to estblihtablish and adequately support (financially and HR) for multidisciplinary teams, which will treat children and adolescents with obesity and complications at the primary and secondary levels equally, and implement preventive programs of a healthy lifestyle.
    [Show full text]
  • Early- Life Adversity and Neurological Disease
    REVIEWS Early- life adversity and neurological disease: age- old questions and novel answers Annabel K. Short 1,2 and Tallie Z. Baram 1,2,3* Abstract | Neurological illnesses, including cognitive impairment, memory decline and dementia, affect over 50 million people worldwide, imposing a substantial burden on individuals and society. These disorders arise from a combination of genetic, environmental and experiential factors, with the latter two factors having the greatest impact during sensitive periods in development. In this Review , we focus on the contribution of adverse early-life experiences to aberrant brain maturation, which might underlie vulnerability to cognitive brain disorders. Specifically , we draw on recent robust discoveries from diverse disciplines, encompassing human studies and experimental models. These discoveries suggest that early-life adversity , especially in the perinatal period, influences the maturation of brain circuits involved in cognition. Importantly , new findings suggest that fragmented and unpredictable environmental and parental signals comprise a novel potent type of adversity , which contributes to subsequent vulnerabilities to cognitive illnesses via mechanisms involving disordered maturation of brain ‘wiring’. Neurological illnesses, including cognitive deficits and have advanced the recognition of the contribution of decline and dementia, are prevalent throughout the pre- existing genetic and societal factors to the associ- world, exerting an enormous toll in terms of both med- ation between conventional measures of adversity and ical costs and loss of human potential1,2. Genetic factors cognitive outcomes. Cognitive indicators include poor have been shown to influence brain function through- school performance and reduced ability in specific tasks out life3–5, and these factors, sometimes interacting with in childhood28,32–35 and reduced cognitive function dur- early- life experiences, account for a substantial propor- ing adult life.
    [Show full text]
  • E74080.Pdf (‎589.6Kb)
    EUR/01/5015946 ORIGINAL: ENGLISH UNEDITED E74080 17th Annual Meeting of CINDI Programme Directors Report on a WHO Meeting Qawra, Malta 9–10 June 2000 2001 EUR/01/5015946 ORIGINAL: ENGLISH UNEDITED REGIONAL OFFICE FOR EUROPE ___________________________ 17TH ANNUAL MEETING OF CINDI PROGRAMME DIRECTORS Report on a WHO meeting Qawra, Malta 9–10 June 2000 SCHERFIGSVEJ 8 DK-2100 COPENHAGEN Ø DENMARK TEL.: +45 39 17 17 17 TELEFAX: +45 39 17 18 18 TELEX: 12000 E-MAIL: [email protected] WEB SITE: HTTP://WWW.WHO.DK 2001 ABSTRACT The 17th Annual Meeting was held to discuss the implementation of the countrywide integrated noncommunicable disease intervention (CINDI) programme in the previous year and the plan of work for the coming year. Reports were presented on the implementation of CINDI in participating countries, and on the activities of the CINDI working groups on monitoring, evaluation and research; smoking; hypertension; the workplace; children and young people; nutrition and elevated blood cholesterol; nursing; diabetes; physical activity; guidelines and training for preventive practice; and policy development. The discussion on monitoring and evaluation focused on the methodology for surveys and data analysis. The first draft of an analysis of the second CINDI survey on policy development and implementation processes in CINDI country programmes was presented. In addition, the participants discussed networking at the regional and global levels, and a plan was presented to establish a WHO global network on an integrated approach to the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases. Keywords CHRONIC DISEASE – prevention and control HEALTH PLANNING PUBLIC HEALTH ADMINISTRATION HEALTH SERVICES – organization and administration PROGRAM EVALUATION HEALTH CARE SURVEYS EUROPE EUROPE, EASTERN MALTA © World Health Organization – 2001 All rights in this document are reserved by the WHO Regional Office for Europe.
    [Show full text]