Annals of epidemiology
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Annals of epidemiology · Aug 2015
The influence of neighborhood socioeconomic status and race on survival from ovarian cancer: a population-based analysis of Cook County, Illinois.
Despite significant improvements in treatment for ovarian cancer, survival is poorer for non-Hispanic black (NHB) women compared to non-Hispanic white (NHW) women. Neighborhood socioeconomic status (SES) has been implicated in racial disparities across a variety of health outcomes and may similarly contribute to racial disparities in ovarian cancer survival. The purpose of this analysis is to assess the influence of neighborhood SES on NHB-NHW survival differences after accounting for differences in tumor characteristics and in treatment. ⋯ Neighborhood SES, as measured by composite measures of affluence and disadvantage, is a predictor of survival in women diagnosed with ovarian cancer in Cook County, Illinois and may contribute to the racial disparity in survival.
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Annals of epidemiology · May 2015
ReviewMental illness and reduction of gun violence and suicide: bringing epidemiologic research to policy.
This article describes epidemiologic evidence concerning risk of gun violence and suicide linked to psychiatric disorders, in contrast to media-fueled public perceptions of the dangerousness of mentally ill individuals, and evaluates effectiveness of policies and laws designed to prevent firearms injury and mortality associated with serious mental illnesses and substance use disorders. ⋯ Policymaking at the interface of gun violence prevention and mental illness should be based on epidemiologic data concerning risk to improve the effectiveness, feasibility, and fairness of policy initiatives.
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A review of cohort and case-control studies that attempt to quantify the proportion of cancer cases diagnosed in the United States and throughout the world that may be attributed to biologic or infectious agents. ⋯ Epidemiologic and pathologic studies that use molecular diagnostic probes and immunologic and biochemical assays have described the substantial impact of infectious agents on global cancer incidence. These compelling observations have stimulated the development of effective hepatitis B virus and human papillomavirus vaccines and the rationale for eradication of Helicobacter pylori.
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Annals of epidemiology · Feb 2015
Suicide risk among 1.3 million veterans who were on active duty during the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.
We conducted a retrospective cohort mortality study to determine the postservice suicide risk of recent wartime veterans comparing them with the US general population as well as comparing deployed veterans to nondeployed veterans. ⋯ Veterans exhibit significantly higher suicide risk compared with the US general population. However, deployment to the Iraq or Afghanistan war, by itself, was not associated with the excess suicide risk.