Ionizing radiationradiation workersoccupational exposurehealth risk ..read more

Abstract Background The COVID-19 pandemic has been extensively studied for its impact on mortality, particularly in older age groups. However, the pandemic effects on stillbirths and mortality rates in neonates, infants, children and youth remain poorly understood. This study comprehensively analyses the pandemic influence on young mortality and stillbirths across 112 countries and territories in 2020 and 104 in 2021. Methods Using data from civil registers and vital statistics systems (CRVS) and the Health Management Information System (HMIS), we estimate expected mortality levels in a non-pa ..read more

Birth cohortBrazilchild developmentphysical activityviolence ..read more

Abstract Background Congenital hearing loss (HL), one of the most common paediatric chronic conditions, significantly affects speech and language development. Its early diagnosis and medical intervention can be achieved via newborn hearing screening. However, data on the prevalence and aetiology of congenital HL in infants who fail newborn hearing screening are limited. Methods The sample population included 153 913 infants who underwent newborn hearing screening, and the prevalence of congenital HL, defined as moderate to profound bilateral HL (BHL) or unilateral HL (UHL) (≥40 dB HL), in one ..read more

Abstract Background Epidemiological studies have shown inconsistent results regarding the link between smoking and breast cancer risk, despite the biological plausibility of a positive association. Methods Participants were 166 611 women from nine prospective cohort studies in Japan which launched in 1984–1994 and followed for 8–22 years. Information on smoking and secondhand smoke was obtained through self-administered baseline questionnaires. Breast cancer was defined as code C50 according to the International Classification of Diseases for Oncology, 3rd Edition or the International Classifi ..read more

Mendelian randomizationassumptionsinstrumental variableindependence assumptionpopulation stratificationassortative mating ..read more

Australiahousehold panel studylongitudinal surveyspublic health ..read more

Abstract Background Over 120 million people in the USA live in areas with unsafe ozone (O3) levels. Studies among adults have linked exposure to worse lung function and higher risk of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, few studies have examined the effects of O3 in children, and existing studies are limited in terms of their geographic scope or outcomes considered. Methods We leveraged a dataset of encounters at 42 US children’s hospitals from 2004–2015. We used a one-stage case-crossover design to quantify the association between daily maximum 8-hour O3 in the c ..read more

Abstract Background Studying the causes of death among deceased spouses and surviving partners may provide insights into the underlying mechanisms of the association between widowhood and mortality. This study investigated the mortality risk of widowhood in Taiwan, examined the association of the cause of death between widowed individuals and their deceased spouses and explored potential modifying effects by age, gender and duration after widowhood. Methods This matched cohort study utilized Taiwan's National Health Insurance claims database and National Death Registry. In total, 204 010 widow ..read more

Early childhood exposurematernal and child healthmedicationsperinatal exposurereal-world data linkageeducation and social services ..read more