Browsing SPH Theses and Dissertations by Keyword "Health Sciences, Epidemiology"
Now showing items 1-20 of 106
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A Global Perspective on Coal-Fired Power Plants, Climate Change and Disease Burden
(2018-04-27)This dissertation investigates the disease burden from coal-fired power plants from global perspective. First, the study estimated changes in national lung cancer incidence decades after building or closing coal-fired power ... -
Agent-Based Models for Causal Inference
(2016-05-03)Sound clinical decision making requires evidence-based estimates of the impact of different treatment strategies. In the absence of randomized trials, two potential approaches are agent-based models (ABMs) and the parametric ... -
Ambient Air Pollution and Atherosclerosis: The Framingham Heart Study
(2016-04-25)This dissertation assesses the associations of residential proximity to a major roadway and residential ambient fine particulate matter exposure with artery calcification, a correlate of atherosclerosis, among Framingham ... -
Ambient Air Pollution, Adiposity, and Hepatic Steatosis: The Framingham Heart Study
(2016-05-03)Air pollution-induced systemic inflammation and oxidative stress are among potential underlying mechanisms that mediate the associations between air pollution and metabolic risk factors such as obesity and insulin resistance. ... -
An Evaluation of Competing Risks in Studies of Perinatal Mortality and Birth Defects
(2018-04-27)Globally, each year over 4 million infants die during the perinatal period, which includes stillbirth and neonatal death, yet little investment has been made in research or preventative efforts. Birth defects are common ... -
Arsenic, Lead and Manganese as Risk Factors for Child and Maternal Neurotoxicity
(2016-05-07)Metals such as arsenic, lead and manganese are naturally occurring elements readily found in the earth’s crust. Numerous studies have shown that these metals can be neurotoxic though the exact mechanism remains unknown. ... -
Associations of Air Pollution, Industries, and Socioeconomic Status With Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) Among the Elderly in the U.S.
(2018-04-25)In the United States, by 2030, more than 20 percent of U.S. residents are projected to be aged 65 and over, compared with 13 percent in 2010, with increased racial and ethnic diversity. Lung function declines by aging and ... -
Cancer Epidemiology Used in Policy Questions
(2018-04-20)This dissertation sought to answer policy questions concerning cancer using techniques and skills from epidemiology for three studies. First, trends in cancers associated with human papillomavirus (HPV) can help public ... -
Causal Mediation Analysis With Time-Varying and Multiple Mediators
(2016-05-03)The assessment of direct and indirect effects with time-varying and multiple mediators is a common but challenging problem, and standard mediation analysis approaches are generally not applicable in this context. This ... -
Circadian Disruption, Mammographic Density and Risk of Breast Cancer
(2016-01-19)Humans are synchronized to the 24-hour day by the light-dark cycle of the environment. Through alteration of the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), the brain’s circadian pacemaker, exposure to light at night (LAN) influences ... -
Comparative Safety of Antiretroviral Drugs to Treat HIV During Pregnancy
(2017-01-23)Each year, nearly 1.5 million women with HIV become pregnant, and require antiretroviral treatment to reduce risk of perinatal transmission of the virus and improve their own health. The safety of currently approved ... -
Confounding Adjustment in Comparative Studies of Newly Marketed Medications
(2015-01-20)Observational studies of newly marketed medications can add important safety and effectiveness information to what is known from pre-approval randomized controlled trials. As new medications are often prescribed to select ... -
Dairy Products and Cardiometabolic Health Outcomes
(2018-09-07)The association between dairy fat intake and type 2 diabetes (T2D) risk remains unclear despite evidence from several studies examining the relationship between dairy product consumption stratified by fat content and risk ... -
Determinants of Global Maternal and Neonatal Morbidity and Mortality
(2015-04-23)In 2013, approximately 289,000 women died from pregnancy-related causes and 2.8 million newborns died within the first 28 days of life. The vast majority of these deaths occur in resource-limited settings. This work examines ... -
Dietary and Genetic Risk Factors for Parkinson's Disease
(2016-04-25)Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disease. Motor symptoms typically do not manifest until significant neuronal loss has already occurred, highlighting the need for early detection and ... -
Dietary and Hormonal Factors in Relation to Physical Function
(2016-04-25)Physical function is increasingly recognized as a key component of healthy aging, in particular as a core component of mobility and independent living in older adults. Prior research has also demonstrated that poor physical ... -
Dietary and Reproductive Risk Factors for Breast Cancer in the Nurses' Health Studies
(2015-04-27)Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer and the second leading cause of cancer death among US women. Several hormonal, anthropometric, lifestyle, and genetic factors are known to be associated with breast ... -
Discovery of HDL Subspecies and Investigation of Their Associations With Insulin Sensitivity and Early Carotid Atherosclerosis
(2016-05-03)Recent findings from genome-wide association studies and pharmaceutical trials of CETP inhibitors suggest that HDL cholesterol might not fully capture the anti-atherogenic functions of HDL. The protein component of HDL ... -
DNA Methylation and Human Diseases: Applied and Methodological Studies
(2018-09-24)DNA methylation plays important roles in regulating gene expression and chromosome integrity via addition of methyl groups to cytosine residues. A growing number of human diseases have been found to be associated with ... -
Do Nutrients Counteract the Acute Cardiovascular Effects of Air Particles? The Role of Immuno-Epigenetics in Observational and Intervention Studies
(2016-05-03)Background: Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) pollution is a major risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. Identifying modifiable factors and preventative strategies to mitigate the cardiovascular effect of PM2.5 is essential ...