An Investigation of Cancer Rates in the Argentia Region, Newfoundland and Labrador: An Ecological Study

Background. The Argentia region of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, was home to a US naval base during a 40-year period between the 1940s and the 1990s. Activities on the base resulted in contamination of the soil and groundwater in the region with chemicals such as heavy metals and dioxins, and residents have expressed concern about higher rates of cancer in their community. This study investigated the rate of cancer diagnosis that is disproportionately high in the Argentia region. Methods. Cases of cancer diagnosed between 1985 and 2011 were obtained for the Argentia region, two comparison communities, and the province of Newfoundland and Labrador. Crude and age-standardized incidence rates of cancer diagnosis were calculated and compared. The crude incidence rate was adjusted for differences in age demographics using census data, and age-standardized incidence rates were compared. Results. Although the Argentia region had a higher crude rate of cancer diagnosis, the age-standardized incidence rate did not differ significantly from the comparison communities or the provincial average. Argentia has an aging population, which may have influenced the perception of increased cancer diagnosis in the community. Conclusions. We did not detect an increased burden of cancer in the Argentia region

A comparative photocatalytic study of TiO2 loaded on three natural clays with different morphologies

[EN] In this work, a sol-gel method was used to load TiO2 nanoparticles on three clays (kaolinite, halloysite and palygorskite) with different morphologies (plates, tubes, and rods with micro tunnels), and then the photocatalytic performance of obtained clay-TiO2 composites for degradation of methyl orange was comparatively investigated. The results surprisingly show that the trend of photocatalytic performance of composites is opposite to that of special surface area of corresponding clays. By concentrated analysis of the loading status of TiO2, the lowest photocatalytic efficiency of palygorskite-TiO2 composite is mainly ascribed to (1) the aggregation of TiO2 nanoparticles on Pal surface, not the amount of TiO2 and (2) the relatively weak adsorption of Pal to methyl orange. The additional adsorption of hydroxyl surface of Kaol to methyl orange and little TiO2 in the lumen of Hal tube leads to the better photocatalytic performance of kaolinite-TiO2 composite than halloysite-TiO2 composite. Finally, kaolinite is proved to be an excellent carrier to support nano TiO2 resulting in a good photocatalytic performance and cycle stability, and the study can provide a direct guidance to select appropriate clay-photocatalyst composites for different practical applications.This work is supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (41502032) and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (2019XKQYMS76).Wu, A.; Wang, D.; Wei, C.; Zhang, X.; Liu, Z.; Feng, P.; Ou, X.... (2019). A comparative photocatalytic study of TiO2 loaded on three natural clays with different morphologies. Applied Clay Science. 183:1-12. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clay.2019.105352S11218

Association of total energy intake and macronutrient consumption with colorectal cancer risk: results from a large population-based case-control study in Newfoundland and Labrador and Ontario, Canada

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Diet is regarded as one of the most important environmental factors associated with colorectal cancer (CRC) risk. A recent report comprehensively concluded that total energy intake does not have a simple relationship with CRC risk, and that the data were inconsistent for carbohydrate, cholesterol and protein. The objective of this study was to identify the associations of CRC risk with dietary intakes of total energy, protein, fat, carbohydrate, fiber, and alcohol using data from a large case-control study conducted in Newfoundland and Labrador (NL) and Ontario (ON), Canada.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Incident colorectal cancer cases (n = 1760) were identified from population-based cancer registries in the provinces of ON (1997-2000) and NL (1999-2003). Controls (n = 2481) were a random sample of residents in each province, aged 20-74 years. Family history questionnaire (FHQ), personal history questionnaire (PHQ), and food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) were used to collect study data. Logistic regression was used to evaluate the association of intakes of total energy, macronutrients and alcohol with CRC risk.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Total energy intake was associated with higher risk of CRC (OR: 1.56; 95% CI: 1.21-2.01, <it>p</it>-trend = 0.02, 5^thversus 1^stquintile), whereas inverse associations emerged for intakes of protein (OR: 0.85, 95%CI: 0.69-1.00, <it>p</it>-trend = 0.06, 5^thversus 1^stquintile), carbohydrate (OR: 0.81, 95%CI: 0.63-1.00, <it>p</it>-trend = 0.05, 5^thversus 1^stquintile) and total dietary fiber (OR: 0.84, 95% CI:0.67-0.99, <it>p</it>-trend = 0.04, 5^thversus 1^stquintile). Total fat, alcohol, saturated fatty acids, monounsaturated fatty acids, polyunsaturated fatty acids, and cholesterol were not associated with CRC risk.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>This study provides further evidence that high energy intake may increase risk of incident CRC, whereas diets high in protein, fiber, and carbohydrate may reduce the risk of the disease.</p

Smoking and alcohol consumption patterns among elderly Canadians with mobility disabilities

Background: Mobility disability is a major adverse health outcome associated with aging and an impediment to older adults’ well-being and behaviors in social and leisure activities. It has been shown that lifestyle factors, including smoking and alcohol consumption, have been used as coping strategies to deal with the negative impact of disability. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of smoking and alcohol consumption among older Canadians with different levels of mobility disabilities and to examine factors associated with these two lifestyle patterns among those with disabilities. Methods: Secondary data analysis was performed using individuals (n = 6,038) aged 65 years and older from both the 2001 Participation and Activity Limitation Survey and the 2003 Canadian Community Health Survey. Multivariate logistic regressions examined the relationship between disability severity and smoking as well as alcohol consumption while controlling for potential confounding socioeconomic factors. Results: The proportion of current smokers among seniors with less-severe and more-severe mobility disabilities and those in the general population was comparable with 12.55%, 11.57% and 11.93%, respectively. Forty-eight percent of seniors in the general population consumed alcohol regularly, compared to only 12.85% with moresevere mobility disabilities. No significant association was shown between the severity level of mobility disabilities and smoking (odds ratio = 0.90, 95% confidence interval: 0.75, 1.08). However, seniors having more-severe disability were less likely to consume alcohol regularly (odds ratio = 0.76, 95% confidence interval: 0.65, 0.89). Other variables including age, gender, income, living status, and social participation also impacted these lifestyle patterns among the study population. Conclusions: Smoking and alcohol patterns present different associations with the severity level of mobility disabilities. Compared with the general population, elderly Canadians with mobility disabilities had similar smoking prevalence but differ significantly in terms of alcohol consumption. Results from this research will be relevant to decision makers involved in program planning, health education, and policy development as it pertains to the prevention and management of age-related disability

Body Mass Index Trajectories among Middle-Aged and Elderly Canadians and Associated Health Outcomes

Background. Whether there is heterogeneity in the development of BMI from middle-age onward is still unknown. The primary aim of this study is to analyze long-term obesity and how BMI trajectories are associated with health outcomes in midlife. Methods. Latent Class Growth Modelling was used to capture the changes in BMI over time. In this study, 3070 individuals from the National Population Health Survey (NPHS), aged 40–55 years at baseline, were included. Results. Four BMI trajectory groups, “Normal-Stable” (N-S), “Overweight-Stable” (OV-S), “Obese I-Stable” (OB I-S), and “Obese II-Stable” (OB II-S), were identified. Men, persons of White ancestry, and individuals who had no postsecondary education had higher odds of being in the latter three groups. Moreover, members of the OV-S, OB I-S, and OB II-S groups experienced more asthma, arthritis, hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, cognitive impairment, and reduced self-rated overall health. Individuals in the OB II-S group were at greater risk for back problems, chronic bronchitis or emphysema, and emotional issues when compared to the N-S group. Conclusion. Understanding different BMI trajectories is important in order to identify people who are at the highest risk of developing comorbidities due to obesity and to establish programs to intervene appropriately

Trajectories of Body Mass Index from Young Adulthood to Middle Age among Canadian Men and Women

Knowledge regarding the heterogeneity of BMI trajectories is limited for the Canadian population. Using latent class growth modelling, four distinct BMI trajectories of individuals from young adulthood to middle age were identified for both women and men from the longitudinal data of the National Population Health Survey. The associations between BMI trajectories and the individuals’ sociodemographic characteristics and behavioural factors were also examined. Aboriginal women were found more likely to be in the long-term overweight or obese groups. It reveals that increased years of smoking, drinking, and being physically active were associated with lowering the BMI trajectory in all groups for both women and men, with some exceptions in the long-term normal weight group for men. Increased years of rural living, being employed, and living with low income were associated with raising the BMI trajectory in all groups for women and in some groups for men. Food insecurity was associated with raising the BMI trajectory in each group for both women and men