Depressive symptoms, diet quality, physical activity, and body composition

Depressive symptoms, diet quality, physical activity, and body composition among populations in Nova Scotia, Canada: report from the Atlantic Partnership for Tomorrow’s Health. Journal: Preventive Medicine | Volume: 61 | Pages:  106-13 | Date: April 2014 | Authors: Zhijie M. Yu, Louise Parker, Trever J.B. Dummer OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association between depressive symptoms and diet quality, physical activity, and body composition among Nova Scotians. METHODS: 4511 men and women aged 35-69 years were recruited to the Atlantic Partnership for Tomorrow’s Health study from 2009 through 2010 in Nova Scotia, Canada. Depressive symptoms were assessed by using the Patient Health Questionnaire. Anthropometric indexes and body composition were measured. Current antidepressant use, habitual diet intake, physical activity, and potential confounders were collected through questionnaires. RESULTS: In multivariable regression analyses, depressive symptoms were positively associated with all obese indexes after controlling for potential confounders (all P for trend<0.001). Compared with non-depressed individuals, those with mild and major depression had significantly increased odds ratios (ORs) for both obesity and abdominal obesity (OR 1.84; 95% confidence interval [CI], (1.50, 2.25) and 1.56 (95% CI, 1.30, 1.87) for obesity and 1.46 (95% CI, 1.20, 1.77) and 1.88 (95% CI, 1.58, 2.24) for abdominal obesity, respectively). Depressed individuals were less likely to have a high quality diet or engage in high levels of physical activity compared with their non-depressed counterparts. CONCLUSIONS: Depressive symptoms are associated with higher levels of obesity, poor diet, and physical inactivity among Nova Scotians in Canada.

Geostatistical modelling of arsenic

Geostatistical modelling of arsenic in drinking water wells and related toenail arsenic concentrations across Nova Scotia, Canada Journal: Science of The Total Environment | Volume: 505 | Pages: 1248-58 | Date: February 1 2015 | Authors: T.J.B. Dummer, Z.M. Yu, L. Nauta, J.D. Murimboh, L. Parker Arsenic is a naturally occurring class 1 human carcinogen that is widespread in private drinking water wells throughout the province of Nova Scotia in Canada. In this paper we explore the spatial variation in toenail arsenic concentrations (arsenic body burden) in Nova Scotia. We describe the regional distribution of arsenic concentrations in private well water supplies in the province, and evaluate the geological and environmental features associated with higher levels of arsenic in well water. We develop geostatistical process models to predict high toenail arsenic concentrations and high well water arsenic concentrations, which have utility for studies where no direct measurements of arsenic body burden or arsenic exposure are available. 892 men and women who participated in the Atlantic Partnership for Tomorrow’s Health Project provided both drinking water and toenail clipping samples. Information on socio-demographic, lifestyle and health factors was obtained with a set of standardized questionnaires. Anthropometric indices and arsenic concentrations in drinking water and toenails were measured. In addition, data on arsenic concentrations in 10,498 private wells were provided by the Nova Scotia Department of Environment. We utilised stepwise multivariable logistic regression modelling to develop separate statistical models to: a) predict high toenail arsenic concentrations (defined as toenail arsenic levels ≥0.12μgg(-1)) and b) predict high well water arsenic concentrations (defined as well water arsenic levels ≥5.0μgL(-1)). We found that the geological and environmental information that predicted well water arsenic concentrations can also be used to accurately predict toenail arsenic concentrations. We conclude that geological and environmental factors contributing to arsenic contamination in well water are the major contributing influences on arsenic body burden among Nova Scotia residents. Further studies are warranted to assess appropriate intervention strategies for reducing arsenic body burden among human populations.

Relationship between drinking water and toenail arsenic concentrations among a cohort of Nova Scotians

Authors: Zhijie M Yu, Trevor J.B. Dummer, Aimee Adams, John D Murimboh and Louise Parker Journal: Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology | Volume: 24 | Pages: 135-44 |Date: 2014 | Abstract: Consumption of arsenic-contaminated drinking water is associated with increased cancer risk. The relationship between arsenic body burden, such as concentrations in human toenails, and arsenic in drinking water is not fully understood. We evaluated the relationship between arsenic concentrations in drinking water and toenail clippings among a cohort of Nova Scotians. A total of 960 men and women aged 35 to 69 years provided home drinking water and toenail clipping samples. Information on water source and treatment use and covariables was collected through questionnaires. Arsenic concentrations in drinking water and toenail clippings and anthropometric indices were measured. Private drilled water wells had higher arsenic concentrations compared with other dug wells and municipal drinking water sources (P<0.001). Among participants with drinking water arsenic levels ≥1 μg/l, there was a significant relationship between drinking water and toenail arsenic concentrations (r=0.46, P<0.0001). Given similar levels of arsenic exposure from drinking water, obese individuals had significantly lower concentrations of arsenic in toenails compared with those with a normal weight. Private drilled water wells were an important source of arsenic exposure in the study population. Body weight modifies the relationship between drinking water arsenic exposure and toenail arsenic concentrations.   https://www.nature.com/jes/journal/v24/n2/pdf/jes201388a.pdf

Atlantic PATH earns Guinness World Record for world’s largest toenail collection

Atlantic PATH earns Guinness World Record for world’s largest toenail collection  (Originally Published at Dalhousie University) The record may seem silly, but the science behind it is incredibly important to understanding why Atlantic Canada has such high rates of cancer. The Atlantic Partnership for Tomorrow’s Health, or “PATH,” is part of the Canadian Partnership for Tomorrow Project, the largest study of its kind ever undertaken in Canada. Led by a group of Dal researchers, Atlantic PATH is investigating the various factors that contribute to the development of cancer and chronic diseases: everything from the environment, to genetics, to lifestyle and behaviour. It’s recruiting tens of thousands men and women, ages 35-69, from across the four Atlantic provinces to take part. So far, more than 30,000 individuals have participated in the study, providing the Atlantic PATH team with body measurements, blood samples and…toenail clippings? “Toenails are an important part of our research,” explains Atlantic PATH’s Principal Investigator Dr. Louise Parker, professor in the Departments of Pediatrics and Medicine as well as the Canadian Cancer Society Chair in Population Cancer Research. “By the time you trim the end of your toenails, they’ve been on your body for about six-to-nine months and during that time they’re exposed to everything that you’re exposed to. What we’re particularly interested in, in this context, is the extent to which environmental exposure affects our risk of disease.” A record collection Dr. Parker and her team had no idea their quest to better understand cancer in Atlantic Canada would lead to a Guinness World Record but, sure enough, collecting toenails from 24,999 individuals was enough to earn Atlantic PATH the honour of owning the world’s largest collection of toenail clippings. “My colleagues David Thompson and Trevor Dummer had the idea,” says Dr. Parker, when asked about how they decided to submit the collection to the Guinness organization. “It’s a heck of a collection: a quarter of a million toenail clippings altogether. So they looked at the Guinness website and while there were other toenail records — for example, the longest toenails — there wasn’t a record for the largest collection of clippings. We thought it was a great opportunity to have a bit of fun after everyone’s hard work and commitment to the project.” So what sort of insights are the Atlantic PATH team finding in its impressive toenail collection? One of the first things being studied in the clippings is arsenic levels. “It’s a known carcinogen and increases the rates of several cancers, including that of the bladder and kidney,” says Dr. Parker. “Arsenic is a natural contaminant of many water supply wells in Nova Scotia, and we want to find out if drinking arsenic-contaminated water is one of the reasons rates of bladder and kidney cancer are higher in Atlantic Canada than most of the rest of Canada.” What the team has found is that body fat plays a role in how arsenic is absorbed into the body. In particular, women with higher levels of fat are less likely to retain arsenic in their body. An important project Atlantic PATH’s research into the factors that lead to cancer and other diseases is particularly important for our region, which has the highest rates of cancer in the country. One in three Atlantic Canadians will develop cancer in their lifetime. Each year, more than 13,400 Atlantic Canadians are diagnosed with cancer, and 6,300 die from the disease. This is the last year for recruiting participants to Atlantic PATH, and the study is not only still welcoming new participants, but are encouraging individuals who have donated their toenails to make sure they visit a clinic for a full blood sample test if they haven’t yet. “It’s an opportunity to contribute to incredibly important research,” says Dr. Parker