In developed nations, approximately half of household environments contain pets. Studies of Human-Animal Interaction (HAI) have proposed that there are health benefits and risks associated with pet ownership. However, accurately demonstrating and understanding these relationships first requires a better knowledge of factors associated with ownership of different pet types. A UK birth cohort, th...

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of prenatal exposure to lead, cadmium and mercury levels on the secondary sex ratio. Whole blood samples were collected from pregnant women enrolled in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) study at a median gestational age of 11 weeks and were analyzed for lead, cadmium and mercury. Regression analysis was used to identify...

BACKGROUND We investigated longitudinally the prevalence of smoking according to three stages of smoking (never smoking, experimenting the smoking, and regular smoking), the rates of transition from one stage to another one, and determinant predictors of transition through these stages of smoking. METHODS Of all 10(th) grade students in Tabriz, 1785 students were randomly selected and assesse...

BACKGROUND Breast-feeding rates in the UK are known to vary by maternal socio-economic status but the latter function is imperfectly defined. We test if CTVB (Council Tax Valuation Band - a categorical assessment of UK property values and amenities governing local tax levies) of maternal address predicts, in a large UK regional sample of births, (a) breast-feeding (b) personal and socio-economi...

BACKGROUND The association between childhood exposure to lead (Pb) and deficits in cognitive function is well established. The association with prenatal exposure, however, is not well understood, even though the potential adverse effects are equally important. OBJECTIVES To evaluate the association between low prenatal exposure to lead and IQ in children, to determine whether there were sex d...

background: mothers are highly vulnerable to depression within the first year after childbirth. approximately 10-20% of mothers suffer from depression during this period, and half of these women with symptoms of prominent postpartum depression (ppd) remain undiagnosed. the edinburgh postnatal depression scale (epds) is the most widely applied screening instrument for ppd evaluation. in this stu...

Background: Mothers are highly vulnerable to depression within the first year after childbirth. Approximately 10-20% of mothers suffer from depression during this period, and half of these women with symptoms of prominent postpartum depression (PPD) remain undiagnosed. The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) is the most widely applied screening instrument for PPD evaluation. In this stu...

conclusions it was noted that a relatively high prevalence of growth failure was observed in the study sample. for minimizing the impact of significant risk factors on growth failure, the early detection of growth failure and its risk indicators is of great importance. in addition, when the focus of the analysis is on the different nested sources of variability and the data has a hierarchical s...

OBJECTIVES Cohort studies must collect data from their participants as economically as possible, while maintaining response rates. This randomized controlled trial investigated whether offering a choice of online or paper questionnaires resulted in improved response rates compared with offering online first. STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING Eligible participants were young people in the Avon Longitud...

The severe adverse effects of gonococcal infection on human fertility suggests that Neisseria gonorrhoeae would exert powerful selection for the development of a protective immune response in humans. N. gonorrhoeae is an obligate human pathogen and must persist in humans to survive. Since it is an ecologically successful organism, it must have evolved strategies to evade any human immune respon...