Jeffrey R. Brook
YOU?
Author Swipe
Mapping neighbourhood-level drivers of type 2 diabetes for precision public health using predictive and causal machine learning Open
Type 2 diabetes has become an urban epidemic influenced by neighbourhood environments. However, conventional risk models focusing solely on individual factors fail to account for these neighbourhood influences and often require detailed pa…
View article: Phthalates, bisphenols, and childhood allergic Phenotypes: Findings from two birth cohort studies
Phthalates, bisphenols, and childhood allergic Phenotypes: Findings from two birth cohort studies Open
Phthalates and bisphenols may contribute to childhood allergic outcomes, but whether these are differentially associated with atopic or non-atopic phenotypes is uncertain. We investigated whether early-life exposure to these chemicals diff…
View article: Mapping Neighborhood-Level Drivers of Type 2 Diabetes: A Predictive-Causal Approach for Precision Public Health
Mapping Neighborhood-Level Drivers of Type 2 Diabetes: A Predictive-Causal Approach for Precision Public Health Open
Type 2 diabetes has become an urban epidemic influenced by neighbourhood environments. However, conventional risk models focusing solely on individual factors fail to account for these community influences and often require detailed patien…
View article: Phthalates, Bisphenols, and Childhood Allergic Phenotypes: Findings from Two Birth Cohort Studies
Phthalates, Bisphenols, and Childhood Allergic Phenotypes: Findings from Two Birth Cohort Studies Open
Background Phthalates and bisphenols may contribute to childhood allergic outcomes, but whether these are differentially associated with atopic or non-atopic phenotypes is uncertain. We investigated whether early-life exposure to these che…
View article: A Combined Predictive and Causal Approach for Neighborhood-Level Diabetes Detection
A Combined Predictive and Causal Approach for Neighborhood-Level Diabetes Detection Open
Objective: Develop a neighborhood-level framework using machine learning and causal inference to identify socioeconomic and behavioral drivers of Type 2 diabetes for targeted public health interventions. Materials and Methods: Data from 1,…
Pets and related allergens modify the association between early life DEHP exposure and respiratory outcomes in children Open
Early-life exposure to pets and related biological agents may modify the associations between phthalates and asthma and wheeze in children. Heterogeneity in single exposure studies could be a result of differences in co-exposures among stu…
View article: Urban environment during pregnancy, cognitive abilities, motor function, and externalizing and internalizing symptoms at 2–5 years old in 3 Canadian birth cohorts
Urban environment during pregnancy, cognitive abilities, motor function, and externalizing and internalizing symptoms at 2–5 years old in 3 Canadian birth cohorts Open
We found no evidence of a relationship of prenatal built environment, surrounding greenness, and air pollution with cognitive abilities, motor functions or externalizing and internalizing symptoms in childhood. Urban environment has been s…
View article: Traffic‐Related Air Pollution and Carotid Plaque Burden in a Canadian City With Low‐Level Ambient Pollution
Traffic‐Related Air Pollution and Carotid Plaque Burden in a Canadian City With Low‐Level Ambient Pollution Open
Background The association between fine particulate matter and cardiovascular disease has been convincingly demonstrated. The role of traffic‐related air pollutants is less clear. To better understand the role of traffic‐related air pollut…
View article: Traffic‐Related Air Pollution and Carotid Plaque Burden in a Canadian City With Low‐Level Ambient Pollution
Traffic‐Related Air Pollution and Carotid Plaque Burden in a Canadian City With Low‐Level Ambient Pollution Open
Background The association between fine particulate matter and cardiovascular disease has been convincingly demonstrated. The role of traffic‐related air pollutants is less clear. To better understand the role of traffic‐related air pollut…
View article: Exposure to air pollutants and subclinical carotid atherosclerosis measured by magnetic resonance imaging: A cross-sectional analysis
Exposure to air pollutants and subclinical carotid atherosclerosis measured by magnetic resonance imaging: A cross-sectional analysis Open
Objectives Long-term exposure to air pollution has been associated with higher risk of cardiovascular mortality. Less is known about the association of air pollution with initial development of cardiovascular disease. Herein, the associati…
View article: Air pollution mixture complexity and its effect on PM2.5-related mortality: A multicountry time-series study in 264 cities
Air pollution mixture complexity and its effect on PM2.5-related mortality: A multicountry time-series study in 264 cities Open
Background: Fine particulate matter (PM 2.5 ) occurs within a mixture of other pollutant gases that interact and impact its composition and toxicity. To characterize the local toxicity of PM 2.5 , it is useful to have an index that account…
Association between maternal perinatal stress and depression and infant DNA methylation in the first year of life Open
Maternal stress and depression during pregnancy and the first year of the infant's life affect a large percentage of mothers. Maternal stress and depression have been associated with adverse fetal and childhood outcomes as well as differen…
From fetus to 8: the CHILD Cohort Study Open
The CHILD Cohort Study is an active multicenter, longitudinal, prospective, population pregnancy cohort study following Canadian infants from fetal life until adulthood. We hypothesized that early life physical and psychosocial environment…
View article: Exposure to ambient polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and early-onset female breast cancer in a case–control study in Ontario, Canada
Exposure to ambient polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and early-onset female breast cancer in a case–control study in Ontario, Canada Open
Background: Ambient polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are a class of toxicologically important and understudied air pollutants. Epidemiologic evidence suggests that chronic exposure to PAHs increases breast cancer risk; however, ther…
View article: HealthyPlan.City: A Web Tool to Support Urban Environmental Equity and Public Health in Canadian Communities
HealthyPlan.City: A Web Tool to Support Urban Environmental Equity and Public Health in Canadian Communities Open
Urban environmental factors such as air quality, heat islands, and access to greenspaces and community amenities impact public health. Some vulnerable populations such as low-income groups, children, older adults, new immigrants, and visib…
Persistent DNA Methylation Changes across the First Year of Life and Prenatal NO2 Exposure in a Canadian Prospective Birth Study Open
Regional cord blood DNAm differences associated with prenatal persisted through at least the first year of life in CHILD participants. Some differences may represent sex-specific alterations, but replication in larger cohorts is needed. T…
View article: Maternal smoking during pregnancy increases the risk of gut microbiome-associated childhood overweight and obesity
Maternal smoking during pregnancy increases the risk of gut microbiome-associated childhood overweight and obesity Open
Childhood obesity is linked to maternal smoking during pregnancy. Gut microbiota may partially mediate this association and could be potential targets for intervention; however, its role is understudied. We included 1,592 infants from the …
View article: Effects of ambient air pollution on obesity and ectopic fat deposition: a protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis
Effects of ambient air pollution on obesity and ectopic fat deposition: a protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis Open
Introduction Globally, the prevalence of obesity tripled from 1975 to 2016. There is evidence that air pollution may contribute to the obesity epidemic through an increase in oxidative stress and inflammation of adipose tissue. However, th…
View article: HealthyPlan.City: A Web Tool to Support Urban Environmental Equity and Public Health in Canadian Communities
HealthyPlan.City: A Web Tool to Support Urban Environmental Equity and Public Health in Canadian Communities Open
Urban environmental factors such as air quality, heat islands, and access to greenspaces and community amenities impact public health. Some vulnerable populations such as low income groups, children, older adults, new immigrants, and visib…
View article: Residential surrounding greenness is not associated with incident breast cancer in young women in Ontario, Canada
Residential surrounding greenness is not associated with incident breast cancer in young women in Ontario, Canada Open
Objectives Environmental exposures play an important role in the development of breast cancer. The incidence of breast cancer is increasing in young women, and its etiology differs from that of older women. Epidemiological studies have pro…
View article: Evidence Synthesis of Observational Studies in Environmental Health: Lessons Learned from a Systematic Review on Traffic-Related Air Pollution
Evidence Synthesis of Observational Studies in Environmental Health: Lessons Learned from a Systematic Review on Traffic-Related Air Pollution Open
We discuss several challenges with the OHAT approach and its implementation and suggest improvements for synthesizing evidence from observational studies in environmental health. We consider the determination of confidence using a formal r…
View article: The association of early-life household endotoxin exposure with asthma, recurrent wheeze, and allergic sensitization in Canadian children 3 years of age
The association of early-life household endotoxin exposure with asthma, recurrent wheeze, and allergic sensitization in Canadian children 3 years of age Open
Asthma and allergies are the leading chronic illnesses among children in Canada, causing a significant burden on healthcare systems and negatively impacting the quality of life of children and their families. Currently, the association bet…