Consideration of cultural and lifestyle factors in defining susceptible populations for environmental disease

Judd, Nancy L.; Griffith, William C.; Faustman, Elaine M.

doi:10.1016/j.tox.2004.01.023

Cited by 16 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 29 publications

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“…Food safety assessments usually involve working from the level of the toxin in the food times the frequency of consumption in the population times the number of years the toxin accumulates (FSANZ, 2003;JEFCA, 2003;Judd, et al, 2004) with estimations for high consumers. Although this assessment method has major benefits, it may not adequately capture variability in consumption experienced by groups with different eating patterns and extremely limited dietary variety (Kim, et al, 1998;Kuhnlein and Chan, 2000;Lee et al, 2002;Judd et al, 2004). Populationbased studies of urinary cadmium can directly measure (rather than infer) the distribution of cadmium levels in populations.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Although there are limitations in the data, the strength of the associations observed and their ability to address concerns raised by the Elders and women involved, especially for informing their children about turtle and dugong liver and kidney and wild clam consumption, add to the growing body of literature enabling toxicological research to help meet people's information needs about these issues (Kim et al, 1998;Kuhnlein and Chan, 2000;Johansen et al, 2004;Judd et al, 2004).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Exploring potential dietary contributions including traditional seafood and other determinants of urinary cadmium levels among indigenous women of a Torres Strait Island (Australia)

Haswell‐Elkins

McGrath²,

Moore³

et al. 2007

J Expo Sci Environ Epidemiol

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Indigenous people of the Torres Strait Islands have been concerned about the safety of their traditional seafoods since the discovery of high cadmium levels in the liver and kidney of dugong and turtle in 1996. This study explored links between urinary cadmium levels and consumption frequency of these traditional foods and piloted a community-based methodology to identify potential determinants of cadmium exposure and accumulation. Consultations led to selection of one community for study from which 60 women aged 30 to 50 years participated in health and food frequency survey, urine collection and a routine health check. Urinary cadmium levels were determined by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry; data were analysed using SPSS-14. The geometric mean cadmium level in this group of women was 1.17 (arithmetic mean 1.86) mg/g creatinine with one-third exceeding 2.0 mg/g creatinine. Heavy smoking (Z300 pack years) was linked to higher cadmium in urine, as was increasing age and waist circumference. Analysis of ageadjusted residuals revealed significant associations (Po0.05) between cadmium level and higher consumption of turtle liver and kidney, locally gathered clams, peanuts, coconut, chocolate and potato chips. Dugong kidney consumption approached significance (P ¼ 0.06). Multiple regression revealed that 40% (adjusted r 2 ) of variation in cadmium level was explained by the sum of these associated foods plus heavy smoking, age and waist circumference. No relationships between cadmium and pregnancy history were found. This paper presents a novel approach to explore contributions of foods and other factors to exposure to toxins at community level and the first direct evidence that frequent turtle (and possibly dugong) liver and kidney and wild clam consumption is linked to higher urinary cadmium levels among Torres Strait Islander women.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Exploring potential dietary contributions including traditional seafood and other determinants of urinary cadmium levels among indigenous women of a Torres Strait Island (Australia)

Haswell‐Elkins

McGrath²,

Moore³

et al. 2007

J Expo Sci Environ Epidemiol

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“…For example a higher exposure to persistent pollutants and biotoxins among certain groups of Asian and Pacific Islanders was linked to much higher consumption of seafood. 87 Epidemiologists aim to uncover etiologic relations between various biologic, environmental, cultural, and social factors, and health outcomes. Given the scientifically-ungrounded, heterogeneous, and fluid nature of race/ethnicity, race and ethnicity cannot be treated as if they were risk factors such as smoking or cholesterol level.…”

Section: Challenges In Data Analysis and Interpretationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Studying Vulnerable Populations

Kósa¹,

Ádány²

2007

Epidemiology

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There are important disparities in health outcomes between racial/ethnic minorities and majorities in all countries where minority health has been investigated. This holds true for the largest minority population of Europe, the Roma, although research data related to Roma are scarcer and more contested than for other minorities. We discuss major obstacles that hinder or prevent the collection of reliable data in Roma and other minorities. The definitions and classification systems on race/ethnicity vary widely, pointing to the social construction of both race and ethnicity. Imprecision in taxonomy and definition of target groups is compounded by challenges in data collection, analysis, and interpretation, along with ethnocentricity that shapes the perspectives and approaches of the researchers. However, administrative data collection on race/ethnicity serves legitimate purposes although such data must comply with less-stringent quality requirements as opposed to data meant for scientific analysis. Research on minorities should consider race/ethnicity as proxy indicators of complex health determinants, and should aim at dissecting these determinants into separate items. Careful documentation of methodology and active involvement of the minorities themselves can increase trust between the investigators and the research subjects, which can in turn improve research on minority health.

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“…EPA 1997a). In addition, sources and types of fish and shellfish consumed differ from community to community (Judd et al 2004). Traditional diets and reliance on subsistence fishing/harvesting contribute to the higher consumption rates of tribal and API community members.…”

Section: Case Studies Of Communities Involved In Framingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Framing Scientific Analyses for Risk Management of Environmental Hazards by Communities: Case Studies with Seafood Safety Issues

Judd

Drew

Acharya

et al. 2005

Environ Health Perspect

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Risk management provides a context for addressing environmental health hazards. Critical to this approach is the identification of key opportunities for participation. We applied a framework based on the National Research Council’s (NRC) analytic–deliberative risk management dialogue model that illustrates two main iterative processes: informing and framing. The informing process involves conveying information from analyses of risk issues, often scientific, to all parties so they can participate in deliberation. In the framing process, ideas and concerns from stakeholder deliberations help determine what and how scientific analyses will be carried out. There are few activities through which affected parties can convey their ideas from deliberative processes for framing scientific analyses. The absence of participation results in one-way communication. The analytic–deliberative dialogue, as envisioned by the NRC and promoted by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), underscores the importance of two-way communication. In this article we present case studies of three groups—an Asian and Pacific Islander community coalition and two Native American Tribes—active in framing scientific analyses of health risks related to contaminated seafood. Contacts with these organizations were established or enhanced through a regional NIEHS town meeting. The reasons for concern, participation, approaches, and funding sources were different for each group. Benefits from their activities include increased community involvement and ownership, better focusing of analytical processes, and improved accuracy and appropriateness of risk management. These examples present a spectrum of options for increasing community involvement in framing analyses and highlight the need for increased support of such activities.

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Consideration of cultural and lifestyle factors in defining susceptible populations for environmental disease

Cited by 16 publications

References 29 publications

Exploring potential dietary contributions including traditional seafood and other determinants of urinary cadmium levels among indigenous women of a Torres Strait Island (Australia)

Exploring potential dietary contributions including traditional seafood and other determinants of urinary cadmium levels among indigenous women of a Torres Strait Island (Australia)

Studying Vulnerable Populations

Framing Scientific Analyses for Risk Management of Environmental Hazards by Communities: Case Studies with Seafood Safety Issues

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