Does the relationship between asthma and obesity differ by neighborhood?

BACKGROUND: Prior studies suggest that obesity may cause asthma. Obesity and asthma are prevalent in low-income urban neighborhoods, but the impact of obesity on asthma in such neighborhoods has not been examined. METHODS: The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene surveyed 6119 adults age 18-54 years in 2002. Obesity was defined as body mass index > or = 30 kg/m(2) and current asthma as physician diagnosed asthma plus recent symptoms. We calculated prevalence (risk) differences (RD) and population attributable risk percents (PAR%). RESULTS: Obese individuals had a 2.0% (95% CI: 0.5%, 3.6%; p=0.01) higher risk of current asthma than normal weight individuals overall. Obesity was more common in low-income neighborhoods compared with middle-to-upper-income neighborhoods (23% vs. 14%, p<0.001), as was current asthma (6% vs. 4%, respectively, p=0.02). The risk of current asthma associated with obesity was similar in low-income (RD: 1.3%, 95% CI: -1.5%, 4.0%; p=0.36) and middle-to-upper-income neighborhoods (RD: 2.0%, 95% CI: 0.1%, 3.9%; p=0.04). The PAR% for asthma due to obesity was not greater in low-income (7.3%) than in middle-to-upper-income neighborhoods (7.7%). CONCLUSIONS: It is unlikely that the excess asthma prevalence in urban low-income neighborhoods is disproportionately attributable to obesity. Instead, alternative causes of excess asthma should be sought.

Why don't physicians test for HIV? A review of the US literature.

OBJECTIVE: In its 2006 HIV testing guidelines, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended routine testing in all US medical settings. Given that many physicians do not routinely test for HIV, the objective of this study was to summarize our current understanding of why US physicians do not offer HIV testing. DESIGN: A comprehensive review of the published and unpublished literature on HIV testing barriers was conducted. METHODS: A literature search was conducted in Pubmed using defined search terms. Other sources included Google, recent conference abstracts, and experts in the field. Studies were divided into three categories: prenatal; emergency department; and other medical settings. These categories were chosen because of differences in physician training, practice environment, and patient populations. Barriers identified in these sources were summarized separately for the three practice settings and compared. RESULTS: Forty-one barriers were identified from 17 reports. Twenty-four barriers were named in the prenatal setting, 20 in the emergency department setting, and 23 in other medical settings. Eight barriers were identified in all three categories: insufficient time; burdensome consent process; lack of knowledge/training; lack of patient acceptance; pretest counselling requirements; competing priorities; and inadequate reimbursement. CONCLUSION: US physicians experience many policy-based, logistical, and educational barriers to HIV testing. Although some barriers are exclusive to the practice setting studied, substantial overlap was found across practice settings. Some or all of these barriers must be addressed before the CDC recommendation for routine HIV testing can be realized in all US medical settings.

Estimation of HIV prevalence, risk factors, and testing frequency among sexually active men who have sex with men, aged 18-64 years--New York City, 2002.

Population-based estimates of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) prevalence and risk behaviors among men who have sex with men (MSM) are valuable for HIV prevention planning but not widely available, especially at the local level. We combined two population-based data sources to estimate prevalence of diagnosed HIV infection, HIV-associated risk-behaviors, and HIV testing patterns among sexually active MSM in New York City (NYC). HIV/AIDS surveillance data were used to determine the number of living males reporting a history of sex with men who had been diagnosed in NYC with HIV infection through 2002 (23% of HIV-infected males did not have HIV transmission risk information available). Sexual behavior data from a cross-sectional telephone survey were used to estimate the number of sexually active MSM in NYC in 2002. Prevalence of diagnosed HIV infection was estimated using the ratio of HIV-infected MSM to sexually active MSM. The estimated base prevalence of diagnosed HIV infection was 8.4% overall (95% confidence interval [CI] = 7.5-9.6). Diagnosed HIV prevalence was highest among MSM who were non-Hispanic black (12.6%, 95% CI = 9.8-17.6), aged 35-44 (12.6%, 95% CI = 10.4-15.9), or 45-54 years (13.1%, 95% CI = 10.2-18.3), and residents of Manhattan (17.7%, 95% CI = 14.5-22.8). Overall, 37% (95% CI = 32-43%) of MSM reported using a condom at last sex, and 34% (95% CI = 28-39%) reported being tested for HIV in the past year. Estimates derived through sensitivity analyses (assigning a range of HIV-infected males with no reported risk information as MSM) yielded higher diagnosed HIV prevalence estimates (11.0-13.2%). Accounting for additional undiagnosed HIV-infected MSM yielded even higher prevalence estimates. The high prevalence of diagnosed HIV among sexually active MSM in NYC is likely due to a combination of high incidence over the course of the epidemic and prolonged survival in the era of highly active antiretroviral therapy. Despite high HIV prevalence in this population, condom use and HIV testing are low. Combining complementary population-based data sources can provide critical HIV-related information to guide prevention efforts. Individual counseling and education interventions should focus on increasing condom use and encouraging safer sex practices among all sexually active MSM, particularly those groups with low levels of condom use and multiple sex partners.

Neighbourhood mortality inequalities in New York City, 1989-1991 and 1999-2001.

OBJECTIVES: To examine whether inequalities in mortality across socioeconomically diverse neighbourhoods changed alongside the decline in mortality observed in New York City between 1990 and 2000. DESIGN: Cross-sectional analysis of neighbourhood-level vital statistics. SETTING: New York City, 1989-1991 and 1999-2001. MAIN RESULTS: In both poor and wealthy neighbourhoods, age-adjusted mortality for most causes declined between the time periods, although mortality from diabetes increased. Relative inequalities decreased slightly-largely in the under 65 years population-although all-cause rates in 1999-2001 were still 50% higher, and rates of years of potential life lost before age 65 years were 150% higher, in the poorest communities than in the wealthiest ones (relative index of inequality 1.7 and 3.3, respectively). The relative index of inequality for mortality from AIDS increased from 4.7 to 13.9. Over 50% of the excess mortality in the poorest neighbourhoods in 1999-2001 was due to cardiovascular disease, AIDS and cancer. CONCLUSIONS: In New York City, despite substantial declines in absolute mortality and rate differences between poor and wealthy neighbourhoods, great relative socioeconomic inequalities in mortality persist.

Diarrheal illness detected through syndromic surveillance after a massive power outage: New York City, August 2003.

OBJECTIVES: We investigated increases in diarrheal illness detected through syndromic surveillance after a power outage in New York City on August 14, 2003. METHODS: The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene uses emergency department, pharmacy, and absentee data to conduct syndromic surveillance for diarrhea. We conducted a case-control investigation among patients presenting during August 16 to 18, 2003, to emergency departments that participated in syndromic surveillance. We compared risk factors for diarrheal illness ascertained through structured telephone interviews for case patients presenting with diarrheal symptoms and control patients selected from a stratified random sample of nondiarrheal patients. RESULTS: Increases in diarrhea were detected in all data streams. Of 758 patients selected for the investigation, 301 (40%) received the full interview. Among patients 13 years and older, consumption of meat (odds ratio [OR]=2.7, 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.2, 6.1) and seafood (OR=4.8; 95% CI=1.6, 14) between the power outage and symptom onset was associated with diarrheal illness. CONCLUSIONS: Diarrhea may have resulted from consumption of meat or seafood that spoiled after the power outage. Syndromic surveillance enabled prompt detection and systematic investigation of citywide illness that would otherwise have gone undetected.

Pesticide spraying for West Nile virus control and emergency department asthma visits in New York City, 2000.

Pyrethroid pesticides were applied via ground spraying to residential neighborhoods in New York City during July-September 2000 to control mosquito vectors of West Nile virus (WNV). Case reports link pyrethroid exposure to asthma exacerbations, but population-level effects on asthma from large-scale mosquito control programs have not been assessed. We conducted this analysis to determine whether widespread urban pyrethroid pesticide use was associated with increased rates of emergency department (ED) visits for asthma. We recorded the dates and locations of pyrethroid spraying during the 2000 WNV season in New York City and tabulated all ED visits for asthma to public hospitals from October 1999 through November 2000 by date and ZIP code of patients' residences. The association between pesticide application and asthma-related emergency visits was evaluated across date and ZIP code, adjusting for season, day of week, and daily temperature, precipitation, particulate, and ozone levels. There were 62,827 ED visits for asthma during the 14-month study period, across 162 ZIP codes. The number of asthma visits was similar in the 3-day periods before and after spraying (510 vs. 501, p = 0.78). In multivariate analyses, daily rates of asthma visits were not associated with pesticide spraying (rate ratio = 0.92; 95% confidence interval, 0.80-1.07). Secondary analyses among children and for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease yielded similar null results. This analysis shows that spraying pyrethroids for WNV control in New York City was not followed by population-level increases in public hospital ED visit rates for asthma.

Mass smallpox vaccination and cardiac deaths, New York City, 1947.

In April 1947, during a smallpox outbreak in New York City (NYC), more than 6 million people were vaccinated. To determine whether vaccination increased cardiac death, we reviewed NYC death certificates for comparable periods in 1946, 1947, and 1948 (N = 81,529) and calculated adjusted relative death rates for the postvaccination period. No increases in cardiac deaths were observed.

Outbreak of leptospirosis among triathlon participants and community residents in Springfield, Illinois, 1998.

We investigated an outbreak of leptospirosis among athletes and community residents after a triathlon was held in Springfield, Illinois. A telephone survey was conducted to collect clinical information and data on possible risk factors, community surveillance was established, and animal specimens and lake water samples were collected to determine the source of the leptospiral contamination. A total of 834 of 876 triathletes were contacted; 98 (12%) reported being ill. Serum samples obtained from 474 athletes were tested; 52 of these samples (11%) tested positive for leptospirosis. Fourteen (6%) of 248 symptomatic community residents tested positive for leptospirosis. Heavy rains that preceded the triathlon are likely to have increased leptospiral contamination of Lake Springfield. Among athletes, ingestion of 1 or more swallows of lake water was a predominant risk factor for illness. This is the largest outbreak of leptospirosis that has been reported in the United States. Health care providers and occupational and recreational users of bodies of freshwater in the United States should be aware of the risk of contracting leptospirosis, particularly after heavy rains.

An outbreak of Rift Valley fever in Northeastern Kenya, 1997-98.

In December 1997, 170 hemorrhagic fever-associated deaths were reported in Garissa District, Kenya. Laboratory testing identified evidence of acute Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV). Of the 171 persons enrolled in a cross-sectional study, 31(18%) were anti-RVFV immunoglobulin (Ig) M positive. An age-adjusted IgM antibody prevalence of 14% was estimated for the district. We estimate approximately 27,500 infections occurred in Garissa District, making this the largest recorded outbreak of RVFV in East Africa. In multivariable analysis, contact with sheep body fluids and sheltering livestock in one s home were significantly associated with infection. Direct contact with animals, particularly contact with sheep body fluids, was the most important modifiable risk factor for RVFV infection. Public education during epizootics may reduce human illness and deaths associated with future outbreaks.

Stature and pubertal stage assessment in American boys: the 1988-1994 Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

PURPOSE: To describe current stature and pubertal development in North American boys, and to compare these measures with measures observed approximately 30 years ago. METHODS: We analyzed data (i.e., height, weight, and Tanner Stage) from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III), conducted between 1988-1994, and compared it to the National Health Examination Survey, Cycles II and III (HES II/III), conducted from 1963-1965 and 1966-1970. The surveys included physical examination and questionnaire components, employed cross-sectional designs, and are nationally representative. We used logistic regression to calculate median age at onset of pubertal stages. RESULTS: NHANES III included 2481 boys aged 8 to 18 years. HES II comprised 3010 boys aged 8-11 years and HES III comprised 3514 boys aged 12-17 years. The mean heights of the oldest boys in both surveys did not differ significantly; however, at younger ages, boys in the more recent survey were taller (average height difference among those aged 8-14 years was 2.0 cm). Boys in NHANES III were also heavier and had higher body mass index than those in HES II/III. The median estimated ages of onset of pubertal stages in NHANES III were 9.9, 12.2, 13.6, and 15.8 years for genital stages 2-5, respectively, and 11.9, 12.6, 13.6, and 15.7 years for pubic hair stages 2-5, respectively. For some stages, the median estimated age of onset of puberty was earlier among boys in NHANES III than among those in HES III. CONCLUSIONS: Differences in mean height at young ages, but not at older ages, suggest that the rate of growth among boys in NHANES III was faster than that of boys in the earlier surveys. This finding, coupled with the finding of earlier ages of onset of some pubertal stages, suggests that boys of this generation may be maturing more rapidly than did boys in the past.