The Association between Dietary Inflammatory Patterns and the Incidence of Frailty and Its Reversal in Older Adults: A Community-Based Longitudinal Follow-Up Study in Taiwan.

Dietary patterns related to inflammation have garnered great interest in disease prevention. The aims of this study were to evaluate whether a proinflammatory diet affects the incidence of frailty and its reversal in a prospective follow-up study. Data were taken from 5663 community-dwelling individuals ≥ 55 years old in Taiwan.

Cross-sectional and longitudinal associations of magnesium intake and cognition in the Healthy Aging Longitudinal Study in Taiwan.

Purpose: Previous cross-sectional studies have shown that higher magnesium intake is associated with better cognitive function, particularly in individuals with sufficient vitamin D status. The aim of this study was to evaluate the longitudinal associations between magnesium intake and cognitive impairment in a community-based cohort study in Taiwan.

Methods: The study population included 5663 community-dwelling adults aged ≥ 55 years old recruited from 2009 to 2013 and followed up from 2013 to 2020.

Healthy lifestyle and normal waist circumference are associated with a lower 5-year risk of type 2 diabetes in middle-aged and elderly individuals: Results from the healthy aging longitudinal study in Taiwan (HALST).

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) is known to be closely associated with lifestyle and obesity and has a prevalence that increases with age. This study aimed to assess the short-term composite effect of diet, physical activity, psychosocial health, and waist circumference (WC) on the incidence of DM in the elderly and to provide a lifestyle-based predictive index.We used baseline measurements (2009-2013) of 5349 community-dwelling participants (aged 55 years and older, 52% female) of the Healthy Aging Longitudinal Study in Taiwan (HALST) for fasting plasma glucose, HbA1C, serum cholesterol, triglycerides, blood pressures, WC, and outcomes of home-visit questionnaire.

Association of Serum Level of Vitamin D at Diagnosis With Breast Cancer Survival: A Case-Cohort Analysis in the Pathways Study.

Importance: There are long-standing interests in the potential benefits of vitamin D for preventing breast cancer recurrence and mortality, yet data from prospective cohort studies are limited.

Objective: To investigate a serum biomarker of vitamin D status, 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) measured at the time of breast cancer diagnosis, to determine the association with prognosis.

Design, Setting, And Participants: The Pathways Study is a prospective cohort study of breast cancer survivors established in 2006.

Circulating 25-hydroxyvitamin D and physical performance in older adults: a nationwide study in Taiwan.

Background: A previous study indicated that 31% of the elderly in Taiwan have a vitamin D deficiency. Vitamin D adequacy has been associated with physical performance in the elderly.

Objectives: The first aim of the current study was to identify the determinants for vitamin D deficiency.

Association of depression and psychotropic medication on cardiac-related outcomes in a nationwide community-dwelling elderly population in Taiwan.

The objective of this study was to examine the association of depression, psychotropic medications, and mental illness with cardiovascular disease in a nationwide community-dwelling elderly population in Taiwan. A total of 5664 participants who enrolled in the Healthy Aging Longitudinal Study in Taiwan (HALST) were included in the study. Multiple logistic regression was applied to investigate the association of depression, psychotropic medication use, and mental illness, separately, with cardiovascular disease.

Use of Chinese medicine among foreign-born Chinese residents of San Francisco.

Objectives: To explore the utilization patterns and attitudes toward Chinese medicine (CM) among foreign-born Chinese residents of San Francisco.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey using convenience sampling was conducted at 11 community organizations at San Francisco over a 2-month period.

Results: Among 244 participants using any healthcare services in the 2 years prior, 195 (80%) reported using CM.

Cancer research in Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander populations: accelerating cancer knowledge by acknowledging and leveraging heterogeneity.

The Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander population is large, growing, and extremely heterogeneous. Not only do they bear unique burdens of incidence and outcomes for certain cancer types, they exhibit substantial variability in cancer incidence and survival patterns across the ethnic groups. By acknowledging and leveraging this heterogeneity through investing in cancer research within these populations, we have a unique opportunity to accelerate the availability of useful and impactful cancer knowledge.

Association between dietary fiber intake and physical performance in older adults: a nationwide study in Taiwan.

Background: Physical performance is a major determinant of health in older adults, and is related to lifestyle factors. Dietary fiber has multiple health benefits. It remains unclear whether fiber intake is independently linked to superior physical performance.

Impact of navigation on knowledge and attitudes about clinical trials among Chinese patients undergoing treatment for breast and gynecologic cancers.

Racial, ethnic and economic disparities in cancer rates, outcomes, and clinical trials participation persist despite significant research. We examined barriers to clinical trials enrollment among Chinese patients, and developed a navigation program for Chinese gynecologic and breast cancer patients. Six bilingual navigators were trained and a navigator assigned to each patient for at least 2 months.

Patient-physician interaction and quality of life in recently diagnosed breast cancer patients.

Few studies have explored how patient-physician interactions influence patients' quality of life (QOL). In a prospective cohort study of 1,855 women diagnosed with invasive breast cancer in the Kaiser Permanente Northern California Medical Care Program from 2006 to 2011, we examined associations between patient-physician interactions during cancer treatment and QOL, overall and by racial/ethnic group. Participants completed the interpersonal processes of care (IPC) survey at approximately 8 months post-diagnosis to assess specific domains of the patient-physician interaction during the months after cancer diagnosis.

Results of a randomized controlled trial testing the efficacy of a culturally targeted and a generic video on mammography screening among chinese-american immigrants.

Background: Research comparing the effects of culturally targeted and generic but linguistically appropriate intervention programs is limited. We conducted a randomized controlled trial comparing the efficacy of a culturally targeted video, a generic video, and a fact sheet (control) in promoting mammography screening among Chinese-American immigrants.

Methods: We randomized 664 Chinese-American women from the Washington, DC, and New York City areas who were older than 40 years and nonadherent to annual mammography screening guidelines to three study arms (each with ∼221 women).

Epidemiology of breast cancer subtypes in two prospective cohort studies of breast cancer survivors.

Introduction: The aim of this study was to describe breast tumor subtypes by common breast cancer risk factors and to determine correlates of subtypes using baseline data from two pooled prospective breast cancer studies within a large health maintenance organization.

Methods: Tumor data on 2544 invasive breast cancer cases subtyped by estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (Her2) status were obtained (1868 luminal A tumors, 294 luminal B tumors, 288 triple-negative tumors and 94 Her2-overexpressing tumors). Demographic, reproductive and lifestyle information was collected either in person or by mailed questionnaires.

Complementary and alternative therapy use before and after breast cancer diagnosis: the Pathways Study.

Many women use complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) to maintain or improve their health. We describe CAM use among the first 1,000 participants enrolled in the Pathways Study, an ongoing prospective cohort study of women diagnosed with breast cancer (BC). Participants, identified by rapid case ascertainment in Kaiser Permanente Northern California, are women > or = 21 years diagnosed with first invasive BC.

Dietary patterns using Traditional Chinese Medicine principles in epidemiological studies.

Dietary intake and nutritional factors have been shown to be associated with many chronic diseases, such as heart disease, obesity, diabetes, and cancer. There are many approaches to studying dietary intake in relationship to disease; each approach has its strengths and weaknesses. Examples of different methods of studying dietary patterns will be reviewed.

The Pathways Study: a prospective study of breast cancer survivorship within Kaiser Permanente Northern California.

Objective: With 2.3 million breast cancer survivors in the US today, identification of modifiable factors associated with breast cancer recurrence and survival is increasingly important. Only recently new studies have been designed to examine the impact of lifestyle factors on prognosis, including Pathways, a prospective study of women with breast cancer in Kaiser Permanente Northern California (KPNC).

Dietary assessment in the California Teachers Study: reproducibility and validity.

Objective: To evaluate the reproducibility and validity of the food-frequency questionnaire (FFQ) used in the California Teachers Study (CTS) cohort and to use this data to quantify the effects of correcting nutrient-breast cancer relative risks for measurement error.

Methods: One hundred and ninety five CTS cohort members participated in a 10-month dietary validation study that included four 24-h dietary recalls and pre- and post-study FFQs. Shrout-Fleiss intraclass correlations for reproducibility were computed.

Development and evaluation of a culturally tailored educational video: changing breast cancer-related behaviors in Chinese women.

This study developed and evaluated a culturally tailored video guided by the health belief model to improve Chinese women's low rate of mammography use. Focus-group discussions and an advisory board meeting guided the video development. A 17-min video, including a soap opera and physician-recommendation segment, was made in Chinese languages.

Lifestyle factors and survival in women with breast cancer.

With increasing longevity and more effective cancer therapies, the population of cancer survivors is increasing. For example, it is estimated that there are over 2 million breast cancer survivors in the United States. Among cancer survivors and their families, there is substantial interest in whether there is anything that they can do beyond conventional therapy to improve their prognosis.

Improved survival of Asians with corpus cancer compared with whites: an analysis of underlying factors.

Objective: To compare the clinicopathologic prognosticators and survival of Asians and whites with corpus cancer.

Methods: Demographic, clinicopathologic, and survival data were obtained from the 1992-2001 Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program. Statistical analyses were performed by Kaplan-Meier methods and Cox proportional hazards model.

Reliability and validity of an assessment of usual phytoestrogen consumption (United States).

Objective: To evaluate the reliability and validity of a food-frequency questionnaire (FFQ) and database designed to quantify phytoestrogen consumption.

Methods: This study included 195 members of the California Teachers Study (CTS) cohort who, over a 10-month period, completed four 24-h dietary recalls, a pre- and post-study FFQ, and provided two 24-h urine specimens. Participants (n = 106) in a parallel study (and 18 women who dropped out of the long-term study) completed a single recall and FFQ, and provided one 24-h urine specimen.