Publications

These publications are examples of research made possible with data from CanPath and its regional cohorts.

2022

Analysis of human serum and urine for tentative identification of potentially carcinogenic pesticide-associated N-nitroso compounds using high-resolution mass spectrometry

Authors: Crystal L. Sweeney, Nathan K. Smith, Ellen Sweeney, Alejandro M. Cohen, Jong Sung Kim

Using data from 64 Atlantic PATH participants, this study marks the first biomonitoring investigation of PANN compounds in human serum and urine. A majority of the participants were found to have been exposed to some nitrosatable pesticides and potentially carcinogenic PANN compounds.

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2022

Lifestyle factors and lung cancer risk among never smokers in the Canadian Partnership for Tomorrow’s Health (CanPath)

Authors: Rachel Murphy, Maryam Darvishian, Jia Qi, Yixian Chen, Quincy Chu, Jennifer Vena, Trevor J B Dummer, Nhu Le, Ellen Sweeney, Vanessa DeClercq, Scott A Grandy, Melanie R Keats, Yunsong Cui, Philip Awadalla, Darren R Brenner, Parveen Bhatti

Data from 950 CanPath participants were analyzed to understand why 15-25% of lung cancers occur in never smokers. Researchers found a link between lung cancer risk, sleep, and fruit and vegetable intake amongst never smokers.

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2022

Toenail speciation biomarkers in arsenic-related disease: a feasibility study for investigating the association between arsenic exposure and chronic disease

Authors: Nathan Kyle Smith, Erin Keltie, Ellen Sweeney, Swarna Weerasignhe, Kathleen MacPherson, Jong Sung Kim

With data from 60 Atlantic PATH participants, this study aimed to develop a method to analyze arsenic in toenails, distinguish arsenic speciation profiles in those with chronic diseases, and assess the novel method’s feasibility to find speciation pattern differences between the disease groups. This is the first study to describe arsenic speciation patterns in those with arsenic-related diseases using toenails!

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2021

Investigation of the impact of commonly used medications on the oral microbiome of individuals living without major chronic conditions

Authors: Vanessa DeClercq, Jacob T. Nearing, Morgan G. I. Langille

Saliva samples from 1,214 Atlantic PATH participants were analyzed for gene sequencing and microbial community composition differences, particularly between non-, single-, and multi-drug users. Researchers found a minimal influence of the analyzed medications on the salivary microbiome for those with chronic conditions.

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2021

Long-term exposure to air pollution and mortality in a prospective cohort: The Ontario Health Study

Authors: Zhang, Z., Wang, J., Kwong, J. C., Burnett, R. T., van Donkelaar, A., Hystad, P., Martin, R. V., Bai, L., McLaughlin, J., & Chen, H.

The researchers investigated the association between long-term exposure to air pollution and mortality using data from 88,615 participants in the Ontario Health Study from 2009 to 2017. They assessed exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) at participants’ residences and analyzed non-accidental, cardiovascular, and respiratory mortality risks using Cox proportional hazard models. Stronger associations were observed among physically active participants, smokers, and individuals with lower household income. These findings suggest that further improvements in air quality may reduce mortality risk, even in regions with low air pollution levels.

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2021

The association between mental health and shift work: Findings from the Atlantic PATH study

Authors: Ellen Sweeney, Yunsong Cui, Zhijie Michael Yu, Trevor J. B. Dummer, Vanessa DeClercq, Cynthia Forbes, Scott A. Grandy, Melanie R. Keats, Anil Adisesh

Researchers studied the relationship between mental health and shift work amongst 12,413 Atlantic PATH participants, including 4,155 shift workers and 8,258 non-shift workers. They found that shift workers were more likely to have increased rates of depression and poor self-rated health, as well as depressive and anxiety symptom scores compared to non-shift workers.

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2021

Post-Treatment Adverse Health Correlates among Prostate Cancer Survivors in a Sample of Men Residing in Atlantic Canada

Authors: Gabriela Ilie, Robert Rutledge, Ellen Sweeney

A cross-sectional analysis was conducted on a subsample of 632 male participants aged 36–69 the Atlantic PATH. The primary outcomes were the presence of mild, moderate or severe depression or anxiety indicators and were assessed using the seven-item generalized anxiety disorder (GAD-7) scale and the nine-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), respectively.

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2021

Environmental Correlates of Physical Activity, Sedentary Behavior, and Self-Rated Health in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Authors: Daniel Stevens, Pantelis Andreou, Daniel Rainham

This study sought to investigate associations between the environment and physical activity, sedentary behavior, and self-rated health in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. The new data may identify barriers to physical activity and assist clinicians in the prescription of exercise for individuals living with COPD.

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2021

Age and Sex-Specific Associations in Health Risk Factors for Chronic Disease: Evidence from the Atlantic Partnership for Tomorrow’s Health (PATH) Cohort

Authors: Vanessa DeClerq, Ellen Sweeney

The objective of this study was to discern health risk factors for chronic disease by age and sex using health risk factor data from participants of the Atlantic PATH (n = 16,165). The study found evident differences in health risk factors for males and females, as well as across age groups.

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2021

The association between mental health and shift work: Findings from the Atlantic PATH study

Authors: Ellen Sweeney, Yunsong Cui, Zhijie Michael Yu, Trevor Dummer, Vanessa DeClercq, Cynthia Forbes, Scott Grandy, Melanie Keats, Anil Adisesh

This study found that shift workers reported higher levels of anxiety, depression, and lower self-rated health than non-shift workers. Shift workers were more likely to report major depression and poor self-rated health, and female shift workers were more likely to report depressive symptoms and poor self-rated health.

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