New Publication: Age and Sex-Specific Associations in Health Risk Factors for Chronic Disease

We’re happy to share a new article from Dr. Vanessa DeClercq & Dr. Ellen Sweeney on the age- & sex-specific associations in health risk factors for chronic disease in the Atlantic PATH cohort. They found that there are evident differences in health risk factors for males and for females, as well as across age groups, and public health efforts need to account for the role played by sex and age in addressing chronic disease burden in Canadian adults. https://bit.ly/36UxHMx

Age and Sex-Specific Associations in Health Risk Factors for Chronic Disease: Evidence from the Atlantic Partnership for Tomorrow’s Health (PATH) Cohort

Title: Age and Sex-Specific Associations in Health Risk Factors for Chronic Disease: Evidence from the Atlantic Partnership for Tomorrow’s Health (PATH) Cohort Journal: Canadian Journal on Aging Authors: Vanessa DeClercq and Ellen Sweeney Abstract: The objective of this study was to discern health risk factors for chronic disease by age and sex in a Canadian cohort. Participants of the Atlantic Partnership for Tomorrow’s Health (PATH) cohort with health risk factor data (physical activity, smoking, alcohol consumption, diet, body mass index [BMI]) were included (n = 16,165). Multivariable logistic regression models were used to evaluate the relationship among health risk factors, age, and sex. Regression analysis revealed that the odds of engaging in high levels of physical activity and having a BMI ≥ 25 was lower for females than males across all age groups, whereas the odds of abdominal obesity was substantially higher for females of all ages than for males. The odds of habitually consuming alcohol was lower for females of all ages than for males, and the odds of being a former/current smoker was lower for older (57–74 years of age) females than for males. The odds of consuming five or more servings of fruit and vegetables per day was higher for females of all ages than for males. There are evident differences in health risk factors for males and for females, as well as across age groups, and public health efforts need to account for the role played by sex and age in addressing chronic disease burden in Canadian adults.

Shift Work and Mental Health: Findings from a new Atlantic PATH study

We are pleased to announce the latest in our research on Atlantic PATH shift workers! Sweeney et al. (2021) evaluated the relationship between mental health and shift work in a matched study with 12,413 participants, including 4155 shift workers and 8258 non-shift workers. Shift workers were more likely to have increased rates of depression and poor self-rated health, as well as depressive and anxiety symptom scores compared to non-shift workers. The full article can be found free for 50 days compliments of Elsevier – https://authors.elsevier.com/a/1dMIjKt2p%7EjIi This research builds on our previous work that found an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, obesity and diabetes among shift workers, despite higher levels of physical activity and lower levels of sedentary behaviour (https://bit.ly/2TJEoxN).    

The association between mental health and shift work: Findings from the Atlantic PATH study

Journal: Preventive Medicine Authors: Ellen Sweeney, Yunsong Cui, Zhijie Michael Yu, Trevor JB Dummer, Vanessa DeClercq, Cynthia Forbes, Scott A Grandy, Melanie R Keats, Anil Adisesh Abstract We evaluated the relationship between mental health and shift work in the Atlantic Partnership for Tomorrow’s Health (PATH) cohort study. In a matched study with 12,413 participants, including 4155 shift workers and 8258 non-shift workers, we utilized general linear models and logistic regression models to assess the differences in depression, anxiety, and self-rated health. Shift workers reported higher levels of each of the mental health-related domains compared to non-shift workers. There was a significant increased risk of depression (OR = 1.13, 95% CI, 1.00–1.27) and poor self-rated health (OR = 1.13, 95% CI, 1.14–1.55) among shift workers compared to non-shift workers. Shift workers were more likely to have increased rates of depression and poor self-rated health, as well as depressive and anxiety symptom scores compared to non-shift workers. As a result, shift workers may be at increased risk of comorbidity, poor quality of life, missed work, and early retirement.   Doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ypmed.2021.106697