Tracing a Path to the Past: Exploring the Use of Commercial Credit Reporting Data to Construct Residential Histories for Epidemiologic Studies of Environmental Exposures.

Large-scale environmental epidemiologic studies often rely on exposure estimates based on linkage to residential addresses. This approach, however, is limited by the lack of residential histories typically available for study participants. Our objective was to evaluate the feasibility of using address data from LexisNexis (a division of RELX, Inc.

Adverse birth outcomes and maternal complications in licensed cosmetologists and manicurists in California.

Purpose: Due to concerns around occupational chemical exposures, this study sought to examine whether women working as cosmetologists (providing hair and nail care services) and manicurists (providing only nail care services) have an elevated risk for adverse pregnancy outcomes.

Methods: In this population-based retrospective study of cosmetologists and manicurists in California, we linked cosmetology licensee and birth registry files to identify births during 1996-2009. We compared outcomes among cosmetologists and manicurists to those of the general female population and to women from other industries.

Birth size and breast cancer risk among young California-born women.

Objective: Evaluate the risk of breast cancer associated with birth size among young California-born women.

Methods: Invasive breast cancer cases diagnosed 1988-2004 among women born in California during the 1960s were identified from the California Cancer Registry. Breast cancer cases (n = 3,712) were linked to their California birth records.

Control selection strategies in case-control studies of childhood diseases.

To address concerns regarding the representativeness of controls in case-control studies, two selection strategies were evaluated in a study of childhood leukemia, which commenced in California in 1995. The authors selected two controls per case: one from among children identified by using computerized birth records and located successfully, the other from a roster of friends; both were matched on demographic factors. Sixty-four birth certificate-friend control pairs were enrolled (n = 128).

Cancer incidence in California flight attendants (United States).

Objective: To examine unusual exposure opportunities to flight crews from chemicals, cosmic radiation, and electric and magnetic fields.

Methods: This project evaluated the incidence of cancers of the breast and other sites among Association of Flight Attendants (AFA) members residing in California. AFA membership files were matched to California's statewide cancer registry to identify a total of 129 newly diagnosed invasive cancers among AFA members with California residential histories between 1988 and 1995.