The direct and urinary electrolyte-mediated effects of ambient temperature on population blood pressure: A causal mediation analysis.

High ambient heat can directly influence blood pressure (BP) through the vasodilation of the skin vasculature and indirectly by affecting urinary volume and electrolyte levels. We evaluated the direct and urine electrolyte-mediated effects of ambient temperature on BP. We pooled 5,624 person-visit data from a community-based stepped-wedge randomized control trial in southwest coastal Bangladesh from December 2016 to May 2017.

Occupational Contact Dermatitis in Firefighters.

Occupational contact dermatitis (OCD) emerges as a salient concern within the context of firefighters, a professional cohort routinely exposed to an array of hazardous substances as an intrinsic facet of their occupational responsibilities. This continual skin exposure to a spectrum of allergenic and irritant agents engenders an elevated predisposition to OCD among firefighters. Notably, the ramifications of OCD in the domain of occupational health assume substantial import, contributing significantly to the prevalence of work-related dermatological maladies and consequential productivity decrements.

Perceptions of Cancer Risk and Gear Decontamination Among Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting Firefighters: Insights from a Mixed Methods Study.

Objectives: The aims of the study are to characterize Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting (ARFF) firefighters' perceptions of occupational exposure, health impacts, and decontamination practices and describe barriers to effective gear cleaning.

Methods: A convergent parallel mixed methods design was employed, collecting and analyzing quantitative survey data ( n = 81) and qualitative focus group data ( n = 52) from ARFF firefighters at three Florida airports.

Results: ARFF firefighters expressed concerns about chronic exposure to hazardous materials and perceived a heightened cancer risk.

Firefighter- and Fire Department-Level Barriers and Promoters of Physical Activity and Fitness Among Volunteer Firefighters: A Qualitative Study Using Semistructured Interviews.

Objective: To describe volunteer firefighters' perspectives on how firefighter- and fire department-level factors influence their physical activity and fitness.

Methods: Firefighters (n = 28) were interviewed, stratified by their years of firefighting, using an interview guide. Thematic analysis and systematic coding were used to analyze the interview transcripts.

Evaluating Immunologic and Illness Outcomes of SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Vaccinated and Unvaccinated Children Aged ≥ 5 Years, in a Multisite Longitudinal Cohort.

Unlabelled: Hybrid immunity, as a result of infection and vaccination to SARS-CoV-2, has been well studied in adults but limited evidence is available in children. We evaluated the antibody responses to primary SARS-CoV-2 infection among vaccinated and unvaccinated children aged ≥ 5 years.

Methods: A longitudinal cohort study of children aged ≥ 5 was conducted during August 2021-August 2022, at sites in Arizona, Texas, Utah, and Florida.

Mental Health Disorders, Organizational Stigma, and Health Service Utilization Among US Fire Investigators: A Cross-sectional Survey.

Objective: The aim of the study is to estimate in a sample of US fire investigators the (1) prevalence of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), depression, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) risk, and mental health services use and (2) association between organizational stigma and mental health disorders.

Methods: This is a cross-sectional study design used to administer between November 2023 and January 2024, a 35-item behavioral/mental health survey.

Results: Approximately 18.

Odds of Developing Cancer Among Male and Female Volunteer Firefighters in Florida: A Case-Control Study Design.

Objective: Determine whether volunteer firefighters in Florida are at increased odds of developing cancer compared with nonfirefighters.

Methods: A case-control study design was implemented to assess the odds of developing cancer among male and female volunteer firefighters in Florida. Gender-specific age and calendar year-adjusted odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were estimated.

Characterization of fire investigators' polyaromatic hydrocarbon exposures using silicone wristbands.

Background: Exposures to polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) contribute to cancer in the fire service. Fire investigators are involved in evaluations of post-fire scenes. In the US, it is estimated that there are up to 9000 fire investigators, compared to approximately 1.

COVID-19 Vaccine Information and Infertility Posts on X: Insights on a Misinformation Pandemic.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate misinformation surrounding infertility and the COVID-19 vaccine on X (formerly known as Twitter) by analyzing the prevalence and content of this misinformation across a sample of posts on X.

Methods: This study is a retrospective review of posts on X (formerly known as tweets) from the COVID-19-TweetIDs dataset from July 2021 and November 2021. Included posts were from crucial time points in the COVID-19 vaccine discourse and contained at least one word related to COVID-19 vaccination and fertility.

Prevalence and predictors of colon and prostate cancer screening among volunteer firefighters: The United States Firefighter Cancer Assessment and Prevention Study.

Background: Although firefighters have increased risk for colon and prostate cancer, limited information exists on screening practices for these cancers in volunteer firefighters who compose two-thirds of the US fire service. We estimated the prevalence of colon and prostate cancer screening among volunteer firefighters using eligibility criteria from 4 evidence-based screening recommendations and evaluated factors influencing screening.

Methods: We evaluated colon (n = 569) and prostate (n = 498) cancer screening prevalence in a sample of US volunteer firefighters using eligibility criteria from the US Preventive Services Taskforce (USPSTF), National Fire Protection Association, American Cancer Society, and National Comprehensive Cancer Network.

Firefighting, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, and DNA methylation of genes associated with prostate cancer risk.

Prostate cancer is the leading incident cancer among men in the United States. Firefighters are diagnosed with this disease at a rate 1.21 times higher than the average population.

Hybrid Immunity and SARS-CoV-2 Antibodies: Results of the HEROES-RECOVER Prospective Cohort Study.

Background: There are limited data on whether hybrid immunity differs by count and order of immunity-conferring events (infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 [SARS-CoV-2] or vaccination against coronavirus disease 2019 [COVID-19]). From a multi-site cohort of frontline workers, we examined the heterogeneity of the effect of hybrid immunity on SARS-CoV-2 antibody levels.

Methods: Exposures included event count and event order, categorized into 7 permutations.

Barriers to Family Building Among Physicians and Medical Students.

Importance: Physicians and medical students who desire to build families face significant barriers due to the structure and culture of medicine.

Objective: To understand the barriers and facilitators to family building for all people in medicine-not only individuals who can become pregnant-through an open-ended, qualitative analysis of survey responses.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This qualitative study used a survey conducted in April and May 2021 with a broad sample of physicians and medical students.

Associations Between Epigenetic Age Acceleration and microRNA Expression Among U.S. Firefighters.

Epigenetic changes may be biomarkers of health. Epigenetic age acceleration (EAA), the discrepancy between epigenetic age measured via epigenetic clocks and chronological age, is associated with morbidity and mortality. However, the intersection of epigenetic clocks with microRNAs (miRNAs) and corresponding miRNA-based health implications have not been evaluated.

Serum per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance concentrations and longitudinal change in post-infection and post-vaccination SARS-CoV-2 antibodies.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are ubiquitous throughout the United States. Previous studies have shown PFAS exposure to be associated with a reduced immune response. However, the relationship between serum PFAS and antibody levels following SARS-CoV-2 infection or COVID-19 vaccination has not been examined.

Determinants of B cell responses to drifted epitopes in post-vaccination SARS-CoV-2 infections.

Vaccine-induced immunity may impact subsequent responses to drifted epitopes in SARS-CoV-2 variants, but this has been difficult to quantify due to the challenges in recruiting unvaccinated control groups whose first exposure to SARS-CoV-2 is a primary infection. Through local, statewide, and national SARS-CoV-2 testing programs, we were able to recruit cohorts of individuals who had recovered from either primary or post-vaccination infections by either the Delta or Omicron BA.1 variants.

Lung cancer survival among Florida male firefighters.

Introduction: Lung cancer is a leading cause of cancer incidence and death in the United States. Although most firefighters are fit and do not smoke, they are exposed to many known carcinogens during and in the aftermath of firefighting activities. Comprehensive epidemiologic investigations on lung cancer survival for both career and volunteer firefighters have not been undertaken.

Prevalence and predictors of skin cancer screening among a sample of US volunteer firefighters.

Background: Firefighters have a higher risk of melanoma incidence and mortality compared to the general population. In the United States (US), the National Fire Protection Association recommends all firefighters receive annual skin cancer screening through visual skin examination by a clinician. However, there is limited information on skin cancer screening practices among volunteer firefighters who comprise two-thirds of the US fire service.

An examination of psychometric properties of study quality assessment scales in meta-analysis: Rasch measurement model applied to the firefighter cancer literature.

Most existing quality scales have been developed with minimal attention to accepted standards of psychometric properties. Even for those that have been used widely in medical research, limited evidence exists supporting their psychometric properties. The focus of our current study is to address this gap by evaluating the psychometrics properties of two existing quality scales that are frequently used in cancer observational research: (1) Item Bank on Risk of Bias and Precision of Observational Studies developed by the Research Triangle Institute (RTI) International and (2) Newcastle-Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale (NOQAS).