Barriers and facilitators to healthy eating among college students.

Young adulthood is an influential life stage for developing lifelong eating patterns, yet limited research characterizes dietary intake among young adults. This cross-sectional study assessed dietary intake and characteristics associated with nutrition knowledge and healthy food consumption among college students. We hypothesized that healthy food intake would be lower than United States (U.

Maternal mitochondrial DNA copy number and methylation as possible predictors of pregnancy outcomes in a Michigan pregnancy cohort.

Little is understood about the roles of mitochondria in pregnancy-related adaptations. Therefore, we evaluated associations of maternal early-to-mid pregnancy mitochondrial DNA copy number (mtDNAcn) and mtDNA methylation with birth size and gestational length. Michigan women ( = 396) provided venous bloodspots at median 11 weeks gestation to quantify mtDNAcn marker NADH-ubiquinone oxidoreductase chain 1 () using real-time quantitative PCR and mtDNA methylation at several regions within four mitochondria-specific genes using pyrosequencing: (mitochondrially encoded tRNA phenylalanine), (D-loop promoter region, heavy strand), (cytochrome b), and (D-loop promoter region, light strand).

Exploring diet as a source of plasticizers in pregnancy and implications for maternal second-trimester metabolic health.

Background And Objectives: Diet plays critical roles in modulating maternal metabolic health in pregnancy, but is also a source of metabolic-disrupting phthalates and their replacements. We aimed to evaluate whether the effects of better diet quality on favorable maternal metabolic outcomes could be partially explained by lower exposure to phthalates/replacements.

Methods: At 13 weeks gestation, 295 Illinois women (enrolled 2015-2018) completed a three-month food frequency questionnaire that we used to calculate the Alternative Healthy Eating Index (AHEI)-2010 to assess diet quality.

Neighborhood Food Access in Early Life and Trajectories of Child Body Mass Index and Obesity.

Importance: Limited access to healthy foods, resulting from residence in neighborhoods with low food access, is a public health concern. The contribution of this exposure in early life to child obesity remains uncertain.

Objective: To examine associations of neighborhood food access during pregnancy or early childhood with child body mass index (BMI) and obesity risk.

Phthalates and sex steroid hormones across the perimenopausal period: A longitudinal analysis of the Midlife Women's Health Study.

Background: The menopausal transition involves significant sex hormone changes. Environmental chemicals, such as urinary phthalate metabolites, are associated with sex hormone levels in cross-sectional studies. Few studies have assessed longitudinal associations between urinary phthalate metabolite concentrations and sex hormone levels during menopausal transition.

Cross-Sectional Associations between Prenatal Per- and Poly-Fluoroalkyl Substances and Bioactive Lipids in Three Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Cohorts.

Prenatal per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) exposure may influence gestational outcomes through bioactive lipids─metabolic and inflammation pathway indicators. We estimated associations between prenatal PFAS exposure and bioactive lipids, measuring 12 serum PFAS and 50 plasma bioactive lipids in 414 pregnant women (median 17.4 weeks' gestation) from three Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes Program cohorts.

Associations of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances with maternal early second trimester sex-steroid hormones.

Background/aims: Pregnant women are exposed to persistent environmental contaminants, including per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) that disrupt thyroid function. However, it is unclear if PFAS alter maternal sex-steroid hormone levels, which support pregnancy health and fetal development.

Methods: In Illinois women with relatively high socioeconomic status (n = 460), we quantified perfluorononanoic (PFNA), perfluorooctane sulfonic (PFOS), perfluorooctanoic (PFOA), methyl-perfluorooctane sulfonamide acetic acid, perfluorohexanesulphonic (PFHxS), perfluorodecanoic (PFDeA), and perfluoroundecanoic (PFUdA) acid concentrations in fasting serum samples at median 17 weeks gestation, along with plasma progesterone, testosterone, and estradiol.

Associations of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances with maternal metabolic and inflammatory biomarkers in early-to-mid-pregnancy.

Background: Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) can disrupt metabolism. Early-to-mid pregnancy is characterized by amplified metabolic processes and inflammation to support maternal adaptations and fetal growth. Thus, we cross-sectionally evaluated whether PFAS are individually and jointly associated with these processes in early-to-mid pregnancy.

Associations of urinary non-persistent endocrine disrupting chemical biomarkers with early-to-mid pregnancy plasma sex-steroid and thyroid hormones.

Background/objectives: Pregnant women are exposed to numerous endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) that can affect hormonal pathways regulating pregnancy outcomes and fetal development. Thus, we evaluated overall and fetal sex-specific associations of phthalate/replacement, paraben, and phenol biomarkers with sex-steroid and thyroid hormones.

Methods: Illinois women (n = 302) provided plasma for progesterone, estradiol, testosterone, free T4 (FT4), total T4 (TT4), and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) at median 17 weeks gestation.

Cross-sectional associations between prenatal maternal per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances and bioactive lipids in three Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) cohorts.

Background: Per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) exposure can occur through ingestion of contaminated food and water, and inhalation of indoor air contaminated with these chemicals from consumer and industrial products. Prenatal PFAS exposures may confer risk for pregnancy-related outcomes such as hypertensive and metabolic disorders, preterm birth, and impaired fetal development through intermediate metabolic and inflammation pathways.

Objective: Estimate associations between maternal pregnancy PFAS exposure (individually and as a mixture) and bioactive lipids.

Interrogating Components of 2 Diet Quality Indices in Pregnancy using a Supervised Statistical Mixtures Approach.

Background: The Healthy Eating Index (HEI)-2015 and Alternative Healthy Eating Index (AHEI)-2010 evaluate diet holistically in pregnancy. However, it remains unclear how individual index components interact to contribute to health.

Objectives: To evaluate associations of HEI-2015 and AHEI-2010 components with gestational length using traditional and novel statistical methods in a prospective cohort.

Ovarian volume partially explains associations of phthalate biomarkers with anti-Müllerian hormone and estradiol in midlife women.

Background/objectives: Women are ubiquitously exposed to endocrine disruptors, including phthalates. Ovarian follicles undergoing folliculogenesis (indirectly measured by ovarian volume) produce anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) and estradiol (E2). We evaluated associations of phthalates with ovarian volume to assess whether this explained prior positive associations of phthalates with AMH and E2.

Effects of Elevated Maternal Adiposity on Offspring Reproductive Health: A Perspective From Epidemiologic Studies.

One in seven couples in developed countries suffers from infertility. Maternal overweight or obesity have detrimental and lasting effects on offspring cardiometabolic health, and although substantially more data are needed, hormonal imbalances in utero resulting from excessive maternal adiposity could also disrupt reproductive programming and affect the future reproductive health of offspring. Therefore, this mini-review evaluates the human epidemiologic evidence that maternal overweight/obesity could be associated with poor reproductive health outcomes in offspring.

Mono-(2-ethyl-5-hydroxyhexyl) phthalate promotes uterine leiomyoma cell survival through tryptophan-kynurenine-AHR pathway activation.

Uterine leiomyoma is the most common tumor in women and causes severe morbidity in 15 to 30% of reproductive-age women. Epidemiological studies consistently indicate a correlation between leiomyoma development and exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemical phthalates, especially di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP); however, the underlying mechanisms are unknown. Here, among the most commonly encountered phthalate metabolites, we found the strongest association between the urine levels of mono(2-ethyl-5-hydroxyhexyl) phthalate (MEHHP), the principal DEHP metabolite, and the risk of uterine leiomyoma diagnosis ( = 712 patients).

Urinary phthalate metabolite concentrations and hot flash outcomes: Longitudinal associations in the Midlife Women's Health Study.

Midlife in women is an understudied time for environmental chemical exposures and menopausal outcomes. Recent cross-sectional research links phthalates with hot flashes, but little is known regarding such associations over time. Our objective was to estimate longitudinal associations between repeated measures of urinary phthalate metabolite concentrations and hot flash outcomes in midlife women.

Maternal diet quality moderates associations between parabens and birth outcomes.

Background/objective: Maternal paraben exposure and diet quality are both independently associated with birth outcomes, but whether these interact is unknown. We assessed sex-specific associations of parabens with birth outcomes and differences by maternal diet quality.

Methods: Illinois pregnant women (n = 458) provided five first-morning urines collected at 8-40 weeks gestation, which we pooled for quantification of ethylparaben, methylparaben, and propylparaben concentrations.

Determinants of urinary phthalate biomarker concentrations in pre- and perimenopausal women with consideration of race.

Background/objectives: Phthalates are endocrine disruptors in consumer plastics and personal care products. Our objectives were to identify determinants of phthalate biomarkers in women during the hormonally-sensitive midlife period, and to consider differences between non-Hispanic White and Black women.

Methods: We used information from the Midlife Women's Health Study of pre- and peri-menopausal women from Baltimore, Maryland (enrolled 2006-2015).

Associations of maternal anthropometrics with newborn anogenital distance and the 2:4 digit ratio.

Study Question: Are maternal anthropometrics associated with anogenital distance (AGD) and 2:4 digit ratio (2:4D) in newborns?

Summary Answer: Select maternal anthropometrics indicative of obesity or increased adiposity are associated with elongated AGD in daughters.

What Is Known Already: Excessive maternal weight or adiposity before or in early pregnancy may impact child reproductive, and other hormonally mediated, development. AGD and 2:4D are proposed markers of in utero reproductive development.

Midlife Urinary Phthalate Metabolite Concentrations and Prior Uterine Fibroid Diagnosis.

Fibroid etiology is poorly understood but is likely hormonally mediated. Therefore, we evaluated associations between midlife phthalates (hormone-altering chemicals) and prior fibroid diagnosis, and considered differences by weight gain status. Women (ages: 45−54; n = 754) self-reported past fibroid diagnosis.