Henk Miedema - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Henk Miedema

Research paper thumbnail of Assessing the role of mediators in the noise-health relationship via Structural Equation analysis

Page 1. Community: 9th International Congress on Noise as a Public Health Problem (ICBEN) 2008, F... more Page 1. Community: 9th International Congress on Noise as a Public Health Problem (ICBEN) 2008, Foxwoods, CT Assessing the role of mediators in the noise-health relationship via Structural Equation analysis Maarten Kroesen1 ...

Research paper thumbnail of Long sleep duration is associated with serum cholesterol in the elderly: The rotterdam study

Psychosom Med, 2008

Epidemiological studies have repeatedly found increased mortality associated with both habitual s... more Epidemiological studies have repeatedly found increased mortality associated with both habitual short and long sleep duration. The mechanisms behind these associations are unclear. We investigated whether objectively measured sleep duration, time in bed, and sleep fragmentation were associated with total cholesterol and high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol in community-dwelling elderly. This cross-sectional study was conducted among 768 participants of the Rotterdam Study, aged 57 to 97 years. Sleep parameters were assessed with actigraphy, a validated method that infers wakefulness and sleep from arm movement. Cholesterol levels in serum were determined in fasting blood samples. All regression analyses were adjusted for age, gender, body mass index, smoking, depressive symptoms, and heart failure. Sleep duration was positively associated with total cholesterol level: beta = 0.11 (95% confidence interval = 0.03-0.18) mmol/l per hour of sleep. Persons who slept longer, and spent more time in bed, also had a higher total/HDL cholesterol ratio. A less fragmented sleep was also associated with higher total cholesterol. Some of these associations showed significant interactions with age. The association between time in bed and total/HDL ratio was mainly driven by persons aged <65, whereas the relationship between sleep fragmentation and total cholesterol level was most prominent in persons aged >or=70. A longer sleep duration was related to higher total cholesterol level and a higher total/HDL cholesterol ratio. Two separate mechanisms, a longer time in bed and sleep fragmentation, seem to explain these associations in different age categories.

Research paper thumbnail of A measurement model for general negative reaction to noise

Page 1. Community: 9th International Congress on Noise as a Public Health Problem (ICBEN) 2008, F... more Page 1. Community: 9th International Congress on Noise as a Public Health Problem (ICBEN) 2008, Foxwoods, CT A measurement model for general negative reaction to noise Maarten Kroesen1, Eric JE Molin1, Henk ME Miedema2 ...

Research paper thumbnail of Noise annoyance from stationary sources: Relationships with exposure metric day-evening-night level (DENL) and their confidence intervals

Journal of the Acoustical Society of America 1 116 334 343, Jul 1, 2004

Relationships between exposure to noise [metric: day-evening-night levels (DENL)] from stationary... more Relationships between exposure to noise [metric: day-evening-night levels (DENL)] from stationary sources (shunting yards, a seasonal industry, and other industries) and annoyance are presented. Curves are presented for expected annoyance score, the percentage "highly annoyed" (%HA, cutoff at 72 on a scale from 0 to 100), the percentage "annoyed" (%A, cutoff at 50 on a scale from 0 to 100), and the percentage "(at least) a little annoyed" (%LA, cutoff at 28 on a scale from 0 to 100). The estimates of the parameters of the relations are based on the data from a field study (N=1875) at 11 locations (2 shunting yards, 1 seasonal industry, 8 other industries) in the Netherlands. With the same (yearly) DENL, the seasonal industry causes less annoyance than the other industries, while the other industries cause less annoyance than the shunting yards. It appears that annoyance caused by vibrations from shunting yards and annoyance caused by noise from through trains are (partly) responsible for the relatively high annoyance from shunting yards. The relatively low annoyance from the seasonal industry presumably is related to the presence of a relatively quiet period. Results for the two shunting yards and the seasonal industry are based on fewer data than the other industrial sources, and are indicative. The same patterns of influence of age and noise sensitivity that are generally found are also found in this study. For comparison, results regarding transportation sources are also given, including previously unpublished results for expected annoyance.

Research paper thumbnail of Annoyance caused by two noise sources

Journal of Sound and Vibration 4 98 592 595, Feb 1, 1985

Research paper thumbnail of Quantification of annoyance caused by environmental noise and odour

Research paper thumbnail of Supplemental Material - Air pollution exposure, ultrasound measures of fetal growth, and adverse birth outcomes

Research paper thumbnail of Adverse Effects of Traffic Noise

Threats from Car Traffic to the Quality of Urban Life 53 Tommy Gärling and Linda Steg (Editors) ©... more Threats from Car Traffic to the Quality of Urban Life 53 Tommy Gärling and Linda Steg (Editors) © 2007 Elsevier Ltd. ... patterns of cortisol have been found in studies on the effect of night-time noise on hormone levels during sleep (Maschke et al., 1995, 1997; Braun, 1999; Harder ...

Research paper thumbnail of Comparison of Noise Impact Indicators, Calculated on the Basis of Noise Maps of DENL

Acta Acustica United With Acustica 2 91 378 385, Feb 28, 2005

ABSTRACT In this paper, the following four indicators describing noise annoyance in a community a... more ABSTRACT In this paper, the following four indicators describing noise annoyance in a community are considered: the percentage of people being highly annoyed (pHA), annoyed (pA), (at least) little annoyed (pLA), and the mean of the expected individual annoyance scores (mEA) in the population concerned. These indicators are calculated for a study population on the basis of maps of the noise measure DENL, using DENL-annoyance relationships. An approach is described for comparing the effect of noise reduction, using the above mentioned noise annoyance indicators. For the municipality of Leiden, the Netherlands, the results from applying this approach indicate that the calculated efficacy of a given noise abatement policy depends to some extent on the noise annoyance indicator that is used. A lower limit of 55 dB for the noise calculations has been suggested by the EU Directive on environmental noise. This leads to a large underestimation of the noise annoyance indicators and may affect priority setting regarding noise abatement. Beside the four noise annoyance measures, two other noise quality indicators are considered: the percentage of people being highly sleep disturbed (pHS) and (AREA50) – the percentage area where DENL exceeds 50 dB. The results for Leiden show that each of these two indicators put more focus on noise from motorways than the other noise indicators considered.

Research paper thumbnail of Supplemental Material - Residential traffic exposure and pregnancy-related outcomes

Research paper thumbnail of Urban road traffic noise and annoyance: The effect of a quiet fa�ade

J Acoust Soc Amer, 2011

Road traffic noise in urban areas is a major source of annoyance. A quiet façade has been hypoth... more Road traffic noise in urban areas is a major source of annoyance. A quiet façade has been hypothesized to beneficially affect annoyance. However, only a limited number of studies investigated this hypothesis, and further quantification is needed. This study investigates the effect of a relatively quiet façade on the annoyance response. Logistic regression was performed in a large population based study (GLOBE, N~18,000), to study the association between road traffic noise exposure at the most exposed dwelling façade (L(den)) and annoyance in: (1) The subgroup with a relatively quiet façade (large difference in road traffic noise level between most and least exposed façade (Q>10 dB); (2) the subgroup without a relatively quiet façade (Q<10 dB). Questionnaire data were linked to individual exposure assessment based on detailed spatial data (GIS) and standard modeling techniques. Annoyance was less likely (OR(Q) (>10)<OR(Q)…

Research paper thumbnail of Relationships between street characteristics and perceived attractiveness for walking reported by elderly people

Journal of Environmental Psychology, Dec 1, 2008

Walking is important for the health of elderly people. Previous studies have found a relationship... more Walking is important for the health of elderly people. Previous studies have found a relationship between neighbourhood characteristics, physical activity and related health aspects. The multivariate linear regression model presented here describes the relationships between the perceived attractiveness of streets for walking along and (physical) street characteristics. Two hundred and eighty-eight independently living elderly people (between 55 and 80 years old) participated in the study. Street characteristics were assessed along homogeneous street subsections defined as 'links'. Positively related to perceived attractiveness of links were the following street characteristics: slopes and/or stairs, zebra crossings, trees along the route, front gardens, bus and tram stops, shops, business buildings, catering establishments, passing through parks or the city centre, and traffic volume. Litter on the street, high-rise buildings, and neighbourhood density of dwellings were negatively related to perceived link attractiveness. Overall, the results suggest that three main aspects affect perceived attractiveness of streets for walking, namely tidiness of the street, its scenic value and the presence of activity or other people along the street. The results are discussed within the context of these three aspects.

Research paper thumbnail of Supplemental Material - Air pollution exposure and Markers of placental growth and function

Supplemental Material, Figure S2. Timing of measurements of angiogenic factors, placental vascula... more Supplemental Material, Figure S2. Timing of measurements of angiogenic factors, placental vascular resistance, and placenta weight. a Soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase 1 (sFlt-1) and placental growth factor (PlGF) were measured in maternal blood in first trimester (median 13.2 weeks of gestation, 95% range 9.6 to 17.5) and second trimester (median 20.6 weeks of gestation, 95% range 18.5 to 23.5), and in fetal cord blood at delivery (median 40.1 weeks of gestation, 95% range 36.6 to 42.3). b Uterine and umbilical artery pulsatility index were measured in second trimester (median 20.5 weeks of gestation, 95% range 18.7 to 23.3) and third trimester (median 30.3 weeks of gestation, 95% range 28.4 to 32.9), and unilateral or bilateral uterine artery notching was assessed in third trimester. c Placenta weight and birth weight were measured at delivery (median 40.1 weeks of gestation, 95% range 35.7 to 42.4), and placental ratio was calculated.

Research paper thumbnail of Air Pollution And The Risks Of Wheezing In Preschool Children. The Generation R Study

A49. AIR POLLUTION: RESPIRATORY AND NOVEL HEALTH EFFECTS, 2012

Research paper thumbnail of Actigraphic sleep duration and fragmentation are related to obesity in the elderly: the Rotterdam Study

International Journal of Obesity, 2008

Objective: The epidemiological evidence for the association between sleep duration and obesity in... more Objective: The epidemiological evidence for the association between sleep duration and obesity in the elderly is inconsistent and has not been investigated with objective measures. Furthermore, the role of sleep fragmentation in this relationship is unknown. Our aim was to investigate the association of sleep measures with body mass index (BMI) and obesity in a normal elderly population. Design: Cross-sectional study. Subjects: A total of 983 community-dwelling elderly (mean age 68.4±6.9 years, range, 57-97). Measurements: Weight and height were measured, and sleep duration and fragmentation were assessed with on average six nights of actigraphy. Results: A quadratic model adequately described the association between continuous measures of sleep duration and BMI. Actigraphic sleep duration had a significant U-shaped relationship with BMI (b of quadratic term ¼ 0.30, 95% confidence interval (

Research paper thumbnail of Air pollution, fetal and infant tobacco smoke exposure, and wheezing in preschool children: a population-based prospective birth cohort

Environmental health : a global access science source, Jan 11, 2012

Air pollution is associated with asthma exacerbations. We examined the associations of exposure t... more Air pollution is associated with asthma exacerbations. We examined the associations of exposure to ambient particulate matter (PM10) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) with the risk of wheezing in preschool children, and assessed whether these associations were modified by tobacco smoke exposure. This study was embedded in the Generation R Study, a population-based prospective cohort study among 4,634 children. PM10 and NO2 levels were estimated for the home addresses using dispersion modeling. Annual parental reports of wheezing until the age of 3 years and fetal and infant tobacco smoke exposure was obtained by questionnaires. Average annual PM10 or NO2 exposure levels per year were not associated with wheezing in the same year. Longitudinal analyses revealed non-significant tendencies towards positive associations of PM10 or NO2 exposure levels with wheezing during the first 3 years of life (overall odds ratios (95% confidence interval): 1.21 (0.79, 1.87) and 1.06 (0.92, 1.22)) per 10 μg...

Research paper thumbnail of Residential traffic exposure and pregnancy-related outcomes: a prospective birth cohort study

Environmental health : a global access science source, Jan 22, 2009

The effects of ambient air pollution on pregnancy outcomes are under debate. Previous studies hav... more The effects of ambient air pollution on pregnancy outcomes are under debate. Previous studies have used different air pollution exposure assessment methods. The considerable traffic-related intra-urban spatial variation needs to be considered in exposure assessment. Residential proximity to traffic is a proxy for traffic-related exposures that takes into account within-city contrasts. We investigated the association between residential proximity to traffic and various birth and pregnancy outcomes in 7,339 pregnant women and their children participating in a population-based cohort study. Residential proximity to traffic was defined as 1) distance-weighted traffic density in a 150 meter radius, and 2) proximity to a major road. We estimated associations of these exposures with birth weight, and with the risks of preterm birth and small size for gestational age at birth. Additionally, we examined associations with pregnancy-induced hypertension, (pre)eclampsia, and gestational diabete...

Research paper thumbnail of Air pollution exposure estimation using dispersion modelling and continuous monitoring data in a prospective birth cohort study in the Netherlands

Environmental Health, 2012

Previous studies suggest that pregnant women and children are particularly vulnerable to the adve... more Previous studies suggest that pregnant women and children are particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of air pollution. A prospective cohort study in pregnant women and their children enables identification of the specific effects and critical periods. This paper describes the design of air pollution exposure assessment for participants of the Generation R Study, a population-based prospective cohort study from early pregnancy onwards in 9778 women in the Netherlands. Individual exposures to PM10 and NO2 levels at the home address were estimated for mothers and children, using a combination of advanced dispersion modelling and continuous monitoring data, taking into account the spatial and temporal variation in air pollution concentrations. Full residential history was considered. We observed substantial spatial and temporal variation in air pollution exposure levels. The Generation R Study provides unique possibilities to examine effects of short- and long-term air pollution...

Research paper thumbnail of Estimation of the effects of aircraft noise on residential satisfaction

Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment, 2010

This study assesses the effects of aircraft noise on residential satisfaction, an important indic... more This study assesses the effects of aircraft noise on residential satisfaction, an important indicator of subjective well-being. A structural equation model is specified that estimates the relationships between objective variables, noise annoyance variables and residential satisfaction. ...

Research paper thumbnail of Long Sleep Duration is Associated With Serum Cholesterol in the Elderly: The Rotterdam Study

Psychosomatic Medicine, 2008

Epidemiological studies have repeatedly found increased mortality associated with both habitual s... more Epidemiological studies have repeatedly found increased mortality associated with both habitual short and long sleep duration. The mechanisms behind these associations are unclear. We investigated whether objectively measured sleep duration, time in bed, and sleep fragmentation were associated with total cholesterol and high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol in community-dwelling elderly. This cross-sectional study was conducted among 768 participants of the Rotterdam Study, aged 57 to 97 years. Sleep parameters were assessed with actigraphy, a validated method that infers wakefulness and sleep from arm movement. Cholesterol levels in serum were determined in fasting blood samples. All regression analyses were adjusted for age, gender, body mass index, smoking, depressive symptoms, and heart failure. Sleep duration was positively associated with total cholesterol level: beta = 0.11 (95% confidence interval = 0.03-0.18) mmol/l per hour of sleep. Persons who slept longer, and spent more time in bed, also had a higher total/HDL cholesterol ratio. A less fragmented sleep was also associated with higher total cholesterol. Some of these associations showed significant interactions with age. The association between time in bed and total/HDL ratio was mainly driven by persons aged <65, whereas the relationship between sleep fragmentation and total cholesterol level was most prominent in persons aged >or=70. A longer sleep duration was related to higher total cholesterol level and a higher total/HDL cholesterol ratio. Two separate mechanisms, a longer time in bed and sleep fragmentation, seem to explain these associations in different age categories.

Research paper thumbnail of Assessing the role of mediators in the noise-health relationship via Structural Equation analysis

Page 1. Community: 9th International Congress on Noise as a Public Health Problem (ICBEN) 2008, F... more Page 1. Community: 9th International Congress on Noise as a Public Health Problem (ICBEN) 2008, Foxwoods, CT Assessing the role of mediators in the noise-health relationship via Structural Equation analysis Maarten Kroesen1 ...

Research paper thumbnail of Long sleep duration is associated with serum cholesterol in the elderly: The rotterdam study

Psychosom Med, 2008

Epidemiological studies have repeatedly found increased mortality associated with both habitual s... more Epidemiological studies have repeatedly found increased mortality associated with both habitual short and long sleep duration. The mechanisms behind these associations are unclear. We investigated whether objectively measured sleep duration, time in bed, and sleep fragmentation were associated with total cholesterol and high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol in community-dwelling elderly. This cross-sectional study was conducted among 768 participants of the Rotterdam Study, aged 57 to 97 years. Sleep parameters were assessed with actigraphy, a validated method that infers wakefulness and sleep from arm movement. Cholesterol levels in serum were determined in fasting blood samples. All regression analyses were adjusted for age, gender, body mass index, smoking, depressive symptoms, and heart failure. Sleep duration was positively associated with total cholesterol level: beta = 0.11 (95% confidence interval = 0.03-0.18) mmol/l per hour of sleep. Persons who slept longer, and spent more time in bed, also had a higher total/HDL cholesterol ratio. A less fragmented sleep was also associated with higher total cholesterol. Some of these associations showed significant interactions with age. The association between time in bed and total/HDL ratio was mainly driven by persons aged <65, whereas the relationship between sleep fragmentation and total cholesterol level was most prominent in persons aged >or=70. A longer sleep duration was related to higher total cholesterol level and a higher total/HDL cholesterol ratio. Two separate mechanisms, a longer time in bed and sleep fragmentation, seem to explain these associations in different age categories.

Research paper thumbnail of A measurement model for general negative reaction to noise

Page 1. Community: 9th International Congress on Noise as a Public Health Problem (ICBEN) 2008, F... more Page 1. Community: 9th International Congress on Noise as a Public Health Problem (ICBEN) 2008, Foxwoods, CT A measurement model for general negative reaction to noise Maarten Kroesen1, Eric JE Molin1, Henk ME Miedema2 ...

Research paper thumbnail of Noise annoyance from stationary sources: Relationships with exposure metric day-evening-night level (DENL) and their confidence intervals

Journal of the Acoustical Society of America 1 116 334 343, Jul 1, 2004

Relationships between exposure to noise [metric: day-evening-night levels (DENL)] from stationary... more Relationships between exposure to noise [metric: day-evening-night levels (DENL)] from stationary sources (shunting yards, a seasonal industry, and other industries) and annoyance are presented. Curves are presented for expected annoyance score, the percentage "highly annoyed" (%HA, cutoff at 72 on a scale from 0 to 100), the percentage "annoyed" (%A, cutoff at 50 on a scale from 0 to 100), and the percentage "(at least) a little annoyed" (%LA, cutoff at 28 on a scale from 0 to 100). The estimates of the parameters of the relations are based on the data from a field study (N=1875) at 11 locations (2 shunting yards, 1 seasonal industry, 8 other industries) in the Netherlands. With the same (yearly) DENL, the seasonal industry causes less annoyance than the other industries, while the other industries cause less annoyance than the shunting yards. It appears that annoyance caused by vibrations from shunting yards and annoyance caused by noise from through trains are (partly) responsible for the relatively high annoyance from shunting yards. The relatively low annoyance from the seasonal industry presumably is related to the presence of a relatively quiet period. Results for the two shunting yards and the seasonal industry are based on fewer data than the other industrial sources, and are indicative. The same patterns of influence of age and noise sensitivity that are generally found are also found in this study. For comparison, results regarding transportation sources are also given, including previously unpublished results for expected annoyance.

Research paper thumbnail of Annoyance caused by two noise sources

Journal of Sound and Vibration 4 98 592 595, Feb 1, 1985

Research paper thumbnail of Quantification of annoyance caused by environmental noise and odour

Research paper thumbnail of Supplemental Material - Air pollution exposure, ultrasound measures of fetal growth, and adverse birth outcomes

Research paper thumbnail of Adverse Effects of Traffic Noise

Threats from Car Traffic to the Quality of Urban Life 53 Tommy Gärling and Linda Steg (Editors) ©... more Threats from Car Traffic to the Quality of Urban Life 53 Tommy Gärling and Linda Steg (Editors) © 2007 Elsevier Ltd. ... patterns of cortisol have been found in studies on the effect of night-time noise on hormone levels during sleep (Maschke et al., 1995, 1997; Braun, 1999; Harder ...

Research paper thumbnail of Comparison of Noise Impact Indicators, Calculated on the Basis of Noise Maps of DENL

Acta Acustica United With Acustica 2 91 378 385, Feb 28, 2005

ABSTRACT In this paper, the following four indicators describing noise annoyance in a community a... more ABSTRACT In this paper, the following four indicators describing noise annoyance in a community are considered: the percentage of people being highly annoyed (pHA), annoyed (pA), (at least) little annoyed (pLA), and the mean of the expected individual annoyance scores (mEA) in the population concerned. These indicators are calculated for a study population on the basis of maps of the noise measure DENL, using DENL-annoyance relationships. An approach is described for comparing the effect of noise reduction, using the above mentioned noise annoyance indicators. For the municipality of Leiden, the Netherlands, the results from applying this approach indicate that the calculated efficacy of a given noise abatement policy depends to some extent on the noise annoyance indicator that is used. A lower limit of 55 dB for the noise calculations has been suggested by the EU Directive on environmental noise. This leads to a large underestimation of the noise annoyance indicators and may affect priority setting regarding noise abatement. Beside the four noise annoyance measures, two other noise quality indicators are considered: the percentage of people being highly sleep disturbed (pHS) and (AREA50) – the percentage area where DENL exceeds 50 dB. The results for Leiden show that each of these two indicators put more focus on noise from motorways than the other noise indicators considered.

Research paper thumbnail of Supplemental Material - Residential traffic exposure and pregnancy-related outcomes

Research paper thumbnail of Urban road traffic noise and annoyance: The effect of a quiet fa�ade

J Acoust Soc Amer, 2011

Road traffic noise in urban areas is a major source of annoyance. A quiet façade has been hypoth... more Road traffic noise in urban areas is a major source of annoyance. A quiet façade has been hypothesized to beneficially affect annoyance. However, only a limited number of studies investigated this hypothesis, and further quantification is needed. This study investigates the effect of a relatively quiet façade on the annoyance response. Logistic regression was performed in a large population based study (GLOBE, N~18,000), to study the association between road traffic noise exposure at the most exposed dwelling façade (L(den)) and annoyance in: (1) The subgroup with a relatively quiet façade (large difference in road traffic noise level between most and least exposed façade (Q>10 dB); (2) the subgroup without a relatively quiet façade (Q<10 dB). Questionnaire data were linked to individual exposure assessment based on detailed spatial data (GIS) and standard modeling techniques. Annoyance was less likely (OR(Q) (>10)<OR(Q)…

Research paper thumbnail of Relationships between street characteristics and perceived attractiveness for walking reported by elderly people

Journal of Environmental Psychology, Dec 1, 2008

Walking is important for the health of elderly people. Previous studies have found a relationship... more Walking is important for the health of elderly people. Previous studies have found a relationship between neighbourhood characteristics, physical activity and related health aspects. The multivariate linear regression model presented here describes the relationships between the perceived attractiveness of streets for walking along and (physical) street characteristics. Two hundred and eighty-eight independently living elderly people (between 55 and 80 years old) participated in the study. Street characteristics were assessed along homogeneous street subsections defined as 'links'. Positively related to perceived attractiveness of links were the following street characteristics: slopes and/or stairs, zebra crossings, trees along the route, front gardens, bus and tram stops, shops, business buildings, catering establishments, passing through parks or the city centre, and traffic volume. Litter on the street, high-rise buildings, and neighbourhood density of dwellings were negatively related to perceived link attractiveness. Overall, the results suggest that three main aspects affect perceived attractiveness of streets for walking, namely tidiness of the street, its scenic value and the presence of activity or other people along the street. The results are discussed within the context of these three aspects.

Research paper thumbnail of Supplemental Material - Air pollution exposure and Markers of placental growth and function

Supplemental Material, Figure S2. Timing of measurements of angiogenic factors, placental vascula... more Supplemental Material, Figure S2. Timing of measurements of angiogenic factors, placental vascular resistance, and placenta weight. a Soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase 1 (sFlt-1) and placental growth factor (PlGF) were measured in maternal blood in first trimester (median 13.2 weeks of gestation, 95% range 9.6 to 17.5) and second trimester (median 20.6 weeks of gestation, 95% range 18.5 to 23.5), and in fetal cord blood at delivery (median 40.1 weeks of gestation, 95% range 36.6 to 42.3). b Uterine and umbilical artery pulsatility index were measured in second trimester (median 20.5 weeks of gestation, 95% range 18.7 to 23.3) and third trimester (median 30.3 weeks of gestation, 95% range 28.4 to 32.9), and unilateral or bilateral uterine artery notching was assessed in third trimester. c Placenta weight and birth weight were measured at delivery (median 40.1 weeks of gestation, 95% range 35.7 to 42.4), and placental ratio was calculated.

Research paper thumbnail of Air Pollution And The Risks Of Wheezing In Preschool Children. The Generation R Study

A49. AIR POLLUTION: RESPIRATORY AND NOVEL HEALTH EFFECTS, 2012

Research paper thumbnail of Actigraphic sleep duration and fragmentation are related to obesity in the elderly: the Rotterdam Study

International Journal of Obesity, 2008

Objective: The epidemiological evidence for the association between sleep duration and obesity in... more Objective: The epidemiological evidence for the association between sleep duration and obesity in the elderly is inconsistent and has not been investigated with objective measures. Furthermore, the role of sleep fragmentation in this relationship is unknown. Our aim was to investigate the association of sleep measures with body mass index (BMI) and obesity in a normal elderly population. Design: Cross-sectional study. Subjects: A total of 983 community-dwelling elderly (mean age 68.4±6.9 years, range, 57-97). Measurements: Weight and height were measured, and sleep duration and fragmentation were assessed with on average six nights of actigraphy. Results: A quadratic model adequately described the association between continuous measures of sleep duration and BMI. Actigraphic sleep duration had a significant U-shaped relationship with BMI (b of quadratic term ¼ 0.30, 95% confidence interval (

Research paper thumbnail of Air pollution, fetal and infant tobacco smoke exposure, and wheezing in preschool children: a population-based prospective birth cohort

Environmental health : a global access science source, Jan 11, 2012

Air pollution is associated with asthma exacerbations. We examined the associations of exposure t... more Air pollution is associated with asthma exacerbations. We examined the associations of exposure to ambient particulate matter (PM10) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) with the risk of wheezing in preschool children, and assessed whether these associations were modified by tobacco smoke exposure. This study was embedded in the Generation R Study, a population-based prospective cohort study among 4,634 children. PM10 and NO2 levels were estimated for the home addresses using dispersion modeling. Annual parental reports of wheezing until the age of 3 years and fetal and infant tobacco smoke exposure was obtained by questionnaires. Average annual PM10 or NO2 exposure levels per year were not associated with wheezing in the same year. Longitudinal analyses revealed non-significant tendencies towards positive associations of PM10 or NO2 exposure levels with wheezing during the first 3 years of life (overall odds ratios (95% confidence interval): 1.21 (0.79, 1.87) and 1.06 (0.92, 1.22)) per 10 μg...

Research paper thumbnail of Residential traffic exposure and pregnancy-related outcomes: a prospective birth cohort study

Environmental health : a global access science source, Jan 22, 2009

The effects of ambient air pollution on pregnancy outcomes are under debate. Previous studies hav... more The effects of ambient air pollution on pregnancy outcomes are under debate. Previous studies have used different air pollution exposure assessment methods. The considerable traffic-related intra-urban spatial variation needs to be considered in exposure assessment. Residential proximity to traffic is a proxy for traffic-related exposures that takes into account within-city contrasts. We investigated the association between residential proximity to traffic and various birth and pregnancy outcomes in 7,339 pregnant women and their children participating in a population-based cohort study. Residential proximity to traffic was defined as 1) distance-weighted traffic density in a 150 meter radius, and 2) proximity to a major road. We estimated associations of these exposures with birth weight, and with the risks of preterm birth and small size for gestational age at birth. Additionally, we examined associations with pregnancy-induced hypertension, (pre)eclampsia, and gestational diabete...

Research paper thumbnail of Air pollution exposure estimation using dispersion modelling and continuous monitoring data in a prospective birth cohort study in the Netherlands

Environmental Health, 2012

Previous studies suggest that pregnant women and children are particularly vulnerable to the adve... more Previous studies suggest that pregnant women and children are particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of air pollution. A prospective cohort study in pregnant women and their children enables identification of the specific effects and critical periods. This paper describes the design of air pollution exposure assessment for participants of the Generation R Study, a population-based prospective cohort study from early pregnancy onwards in 9778 women in the Netherlands. Individual exposures to PM10 and NO2 levels at the home address were estimated for mothers and children, using a combination of advanced dispersion modelling and continuous monitoring data, taking into account the spatial and temporal variation in air pollution concentrations. Full residential history was considered. We observed substantial spatial and temporal variation in air pollution exposure levels. The Generation R Study provides unique possibilities to examine effects of short- and long-term air pollution...

Research paper thumbnail of Estimation of the effects of aircraft noise on residential satisfaction

Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment, 2010

This study assesses the effects of aircraft noise on residential satisfaction, an important indic... more This study assesses the effects of aircraft noise on residential satisfaction, an important indicator of subjective well-being. A structural equation model is specified that estimates the relationships between objective variables, noise annoyance variables and residential satisfaction. ...

Research paper thumbnail of Long Sleep Duration is Associated With Serum Cholesterol in the Elderly: The Rotterdam Study

Psychosomatic Medicine, 2008

Epidemiological studies have repeatedly found increased mortality associated with both habitual s... more Epidemiological studies have repeatedly found increased mortality associated with both habitual short and long sleep duration. The mechanisms behind these associations are unclear. We investigated whether objectively measured sleep duration, time in bed, and sleep fragmentation were associated with total cholesterol and high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol in community-dwelling elderly. This cross-sectional study was conducted among 768 participants of the Rotterdam Study, aged 57 to 97 years. Sleep parameters were assessed with actigraphy, a validated method that infers wakefulness and sleep from arm movement. Cholesterol levels in serum were determined in fasting blood samples. All regression analyses were adjusted for age, gender, body mass index, smoking, depressive symptoms, and heart failure. Sleep duration was positively associated with total cholesterol level: beta = 0.11 (95% confidence interval = 0.03-0.18) mmol/l per hour of sleep. Persons who slept longer, and spent more time in bed, also had a higher total/HDL cholesterol ratio. A less fragmented sleep was also associated with higher total cholesterol. Some of these associations showed significant interactions with age. The association between time in bed and total/HDL ratio was mainly driven by persons aged <65, whereas the relationship between sleep fragmentation and total cholesterol level was most prominent in persons aged >or=70. A longer sleep duration was related to higher total cholesterol level and a higher total/HDL cholesterol ratio. Two separate mechanisms, a longer time in bed and sleep fragmentation, seem to explain these associations in different age categories.