Journal of epidemiology
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Journal of epidemiology · Jan 2014
Relationship between physical activity and chronic musculoskeletal pain among community-dwelling Japanese adults.
Both little and excessive physical activity (PA) may relate to chronic musculoskeletal pain. The primary objective of this study was to characterize the relationship of PA levels with chronic low back pain (CLBP) and chronic knee pain (CKP). ⋯ This cross-sectional study showed that there were no significant linear or quadratic relationships of self-reported PA with CLBP and CKP. Future longitudinal study with objective measurements is needed.
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Journal of epidemiology · Jan 2014
Factors associated with delayed diagnosis of breast cancer in northeast Thailand.
We identified factors associated with delayed first consultation for breast symptoms (patient delay), delayed diagnosis after first consultation (doctor delay), and advanced pathologic stage at presentation among 180 women with breast cancer in Thailand. ⋯ Hospital referral from a health care provider was a major contributor to delayed diagnosis. Breast cancer awareness campaigns in Thailand should target individuals in low- and high-income groups, as well as practitioners.
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Data regarding the effects of tea, coffee, and milk on the risk of colorectal cancer are inconsistent. We investigated associations of tea, coffee, and milk consumption with colorectal cancer risk and attempted to determine if these exposures were differentially associated with the risks of proximal colon, distal colon, and rectal cancers. ⋯ Consumption of herbal tea was associated with reduced risk of distal colon cancer, and consumption of iced coffee was associated with increased rectal cancer risk.
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Journal of epidemiology · Jan 2014
Characteristics of sudden unexpected cancer deaths investigated by medical examiners in Tokyo, Japan (2009).
Annually, about 400 cases of sudden unexpected death are attributed to cancer in Tokyo, Japan. These individuals may have been undiagnosed, or their medical conditions may not have been carefully evaluated before death. We examined medical consultations, cancer diagnoses, and economic status of all cancer deaths investigated by medical examiners in 2009. ⋯ The quality of medical services for cancer patients could be improved by educating general practitioners about terminal care, expanding efforts to monitor and diagnose cancer, especially among indigent patients, and increasing participation rates for colorectal cancer screening.
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Journal of epidemiology · Jan 2014
Is a cutoff of 10% appropriate for the change-in-estimate criterion of confounder identification?
When using the change-in-estimate criterion, a cutoff of 10% is commonly used to identify confounders. However, the appropriateness of this cutoff has never been evaluated. This study investigated cutoffs required under different conditions. ⋯ Cutoff points for the change-in-estimate criterion varied according to the effect size of the exposure-outcome relationship, sample size, standard deviation of the regression error, and exposure-confounder correlation.