Educational Attainment of Grandmothers and Preterm Birth in Grandchildren.

Background: Maternal education has been shown repeatedly to be inversely associated with preterm birth. Both preterm birth and educational level of families are correlated across generations, but it is not clear if educational level of grandparents affects the risk of preterm delivery of their grandchildren, and, if so, if the association with grandmother's education is independent of mother's education.

Methods: We used New Jersey birth certificates to create a transgenerational dataset to examine the effect of grandmother's education on risk of PTB in White, Black and Hispanic grandchildren.

Diagnosis and treatment delays among elderly breast cancer patients with pre-existing mental illness.

Purpose: This study aimed to compare diagnosis and treatment delays in elderly breast cancer patients with and without pre-existing mental illness.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted using the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results-Medicare data including 16,636 women 68+ years, who were diagnosed with stage I-IIIa breast cancer in the United States from 2005 to 2007. Mental illness was identified using International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification codes recorded on inpatient and outpatient claims during the 3 years prior to breast cancer diagnosis.

Ischemic Stroke Rate Increases in Young Adults: Evidence for a Generational Effect?

Background: The incidence rates of ischemic stroke and ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) have decreased significantly in the United States since 1950. However, there is evidence of flattening of this trend or increasing rates for stroke in patients younger than 50 years. The objective of this study was to examine the changes in incidence rates of stroke and STEMI using an age-period-cohort model with statewide data from New Jersey.

Hormonal therapy for breast cancer and diabetes incidence among postmenopausal women.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate associations between hormonal therapy for breast cancer and subsequent diabetes incidence.

Methods: The Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results-Medicare linked data were used. Stage I-III breast cancer patients 65 years or older who filled at least two prescriptions for an aromatase inhibitor (AI) or tamoxifen by the end of 2008, and within 12 months of breast cancer diagnosis, were selected.

Skin self-examination and long-term melanoma survival.

To evaluate the effect of skin self-examination (SSE) on melanoma mortality, we estimated the survival for individuals performing SSE compared with those who did not. Participants were from a previously carried out case-control study, who were newly diagnosed melanoma cases in 1987-1989. A 20-year survival analysis was carried out using death (event) and other causes of death (competing).

Effects of breast cancer on chronic disease medication adherence among older women.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of breast cancer on chronic disease medication adherence among older women.

Methods: The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER)-Medicare-linked data and a 5% random sample of Medicare enrollees were used. Stage I-III breast cancer patients diagnosed in 2008 and women without cancer were eligible.

Rates of Hospitalization for Dehydration Following Hurricane Sandy in New Jersey.

Objective: Hurricane Sandy, one of the most destructive natural disasters in New Jersey history, made landfall on October 29, 2012. Prolonged loss of electrical power and extensive infrastructure damage restricted access for many to food and water. We examined the rate of dehydration in New Jersey residents after Hurricane Sandy.

Diagnosis and surgical delays in African American and white women with early-stage breast cancer.

Background: Delays in diagnosis and treatment for breast cancer may contribute to excess deaths among African Americans. We examined racial differences in delays in diagnosis and surgical treatment for early-stage breast cancer and evaluated race-specific predictors associated with delay.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted among 634 African American and white women diagnosed with invasive breast cancer between 2005 and 2010 in New Jersey.

Liberal versus restrictive blood transfusion strategy: 3-year survival and cause of death results from the FOCUS randomised controlled trial.

Background: Blood transfusion might affect long-term mortality by changing immune function and thus potentially increasing the risk of subsequent infections and cancer recurrence. Compared with a restrictive transfusion strategy, a more liberal strategy could reduce cardiac complications by lowering myocardial damage, thereby reducing future deaths from cardiovascular disease. We aimed to establish the effect of a liberal transfusion strategy on long-term survival compared with a restrictive transfusion strategy.

Role of preoperative magnetic resonance imaging in the surgical management of early-stage breast cancer.

Purpose: To examine the role of preoperative magnetic resonance imaging (pMRI) on time to surgery and rates of reoperation and contralateral prophylactic mastectomy (CPM) using a population-based study of New Jersey breast cancer patients.

Methods: The study included 289 African-American and 320 white women who participated in the Breast Cancer Treatment Disparity Study and underwent breast surgery for newly diagnosed early-stage breast cancer between 2005 and 2010. Patients were identified through rapid case ascertainment by the New Jersey State Cancer Registry.

Does ambient air pollution trigger stillbirth?

Objective: We previously reported an increased risk of stillbirth associated with increases in trimester-specific ambient air pollutant concentrations. Here, we consider whether sudden increase in the mean ambient air pollutant concentration immediately before delivery triggers stillbirth.

Methods: We used New Jersey linked fetal death and hospital discharge data and hourly ambient air pollution measurements from particulate matter ≤ 2.

Recent trends in childhood attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

OBJECTIVE To examine trends in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) by race/ethnicity, age, sex, and median household income. DESIGN An ecologic study of trends in the diagnosis of ADHD using the Kaiser Permanente Southern California (KPSC) health plan medical records. Rates of ADHD diagnosis were derived using Poisson regression analyses after adjustments for potential confounders.

In utero exposure to ischemic-hypoxic conditions and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

Objective: To examine the association between ischemic-hypoxic conditions (IHCs) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) by gestational age and race/ethnicity.

Methods: Nested case-control study using the Kaiser Permanente Southern California (KPSC) medical records. The study cohort included children aged 5 to 11 years who were delivered and cared for in the KPSC between 1995 and 2010 (N = 308,634).

Black Medicaid beneficiaries experience breast cancer treatment delays more frequently than whites.

Objective: Delays in treatment initiation may contribute to the poorer breast cancer survival among Black women compared with Whites. Lower socioeconomic status and lack of access to care are other reasons for the observed disparities. We, therefore, examined racial differences in treatment delays for early breast cancer in a similarly insured population of Medicaid beneficiaries.

Ambient air pollution and the risk of stillbirth.

The purpose of the present study was to examine the risk of stillbirth associated with ambient air pollution during pregnancy. Using live birth and fetal death data from New Jersey from 1998 to 2004, the authors assigned daily concentrations of air pollution to each birth or fetal death. Generalized estimating equation models were used to estimate the relative odds of stillbirth associated with interquartile range increases in mean air pollutant concentrations in the first, second, and third trimesters and throughout the entire pregnancy.

A comparison of lifestyle and behavioral cardiovascular disease risk factors between Asian Indian and White non-Hispanic men.

Objective: We compared lifestyle CVD risk factors between Asian Indian and White non-Hispanic men within categories of BMI.

Design/setting/participants: Participants included 51,901 White non-Hispanic men and 602 Asian Indian men enrolled in the California Men's Health Study cohort. Men were aged 45-69 years and members of Kaiser Permanente Southern or Northern California at baseline (2001-2002).

Trends and risk factors of stillbirth in New Jersey 1997-2005.

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to examine the trends in the rates of stillbirth by race and ethnicity and to determine the risk factors of stillbirth.

Methods: We used New Jersey data (1997-2005) for live births and fetal deaths. Cox proportional hazards model was used to estimate the risk of stillbirth associated with maternal risk factors and pregnancy complications.

Statin use and fatal prostate cancer: a matched case-control study.

Background: Statins are some of the most commonly prescribed medications in medical practice, and prostate cancer is the most common malignancy among men. Although there has been no consistent evidence that statins affect cancer incidence, including prostate cancer, several reports suggest they may decrease the rate of advanced prostate cancer. However, no study to date has specifically examined statin use and prostate cancer mortality.

Liberal or restrictive transfusion in high-risk patients after hip surgery.

Background: The hemoglobin threshold at which postoperative red-cell transfusion is warranted is controversial. We conducted a randomized trial to determine whether a higher threshold for blood transfusion would improve recovery in patients who had undergone surgery for hip fracture.

Methods: We enrolled 2016 patients who were 50 years of age or older, who had either a history of or risk factors for cardiovascular disease, and whose hemoglobin level was below 10 g per deciliter after hip-fracture surgery.

Absence, extended absence, and repeat tardiness related to asthma status among elementary school children.

Background: The purpose of this analysis was to examine potential associations between absence, extended (repeated) absence, tardiness, and repeated tardiness from school and doctor-diagnosed asthma.

Methods: A cross-sectional analysis was conducted using data collected in fall 2007 on 914 4th and 5th grade school children from seven randomly selected participating schools in DeKalb County, GA. ANOVA was used to compare attendance metrics for race, gender, and asthma status groups.

Effect of chorioamnionitis on early childhood asthma.

Objective: To examine the association between chorioamnionitis and childhood asthma based on gestational age at birth and race/ethnicity.

Design: A retrospective cohort study using the Kaiser Permanente Southern California (KPSC) Matched Perinatal records.

Setting: Kaiser Permanente Southern California, Pasadena, California.

Racial differences in adjuvant systemic therapy for early breast cancer among Medicaid beneficiaries.

Black breast cancer patients have shorter survival compared to whites. Lack of optimal treatment may be a potential explanation for this difference. Although racial disparities in surgical and radiation therapy have been studied extensively, there is little information on racial disparities in use of adjuvant systemic therapy.