Yaqun Yuan - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Yaqun Yuan

BackgroundOlfactory impairment is common in older adults and may be associated with adverse cardi... more BackgroundOlfactory impairment is common in older adults and may be associated with adverse cardiovascular health; however, empirical evidence is sparse.ObjectiveTo examine olfaction and the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD), stroke, and congestive heart failure (CHF).MethodsThis study included 2,537 older adults (aged 75.6±2.8 years) from the Health ABC Study with olfaction assessed by the 12-item Brief Smell Identification Test in 1999-2000, defined as poor (score ≤8), moderate (9-10), or good (11-12). The outcomes were incident CHD, stroke, and CHF.ResultsDuring up to 12-year follow-up, 353 incident CHD, 258 stroke, and 477 CHF events were identified. Olfaction was associated with incident CHF, but not with CHD or stroke. After adjusting for demographics, the cause-specific hazard ratio (HR) of CHF was 1.35 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.08, 1.70) for moderate and 1.39 (95%CI: 1.09, 1.76) for poor olfaction. With additional adjustment for lifestyle, chronic diseases, and bio...

International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition, 2020

Nutrients, Jan 24, 2018

The Chinese Healthy Eating Index (CHEI) is a measuring instrument of diet quality in accordance w... more The Chinese Healthy Eating Index (CHEI) is a measuring instrument of diet quality in accordance with the Dietary Guidelines for Chinese (DGC)-2016. The objective of the study was to evaluate the validity and reliability of the CHEI. Data from 12,473 adults from the China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS)-2011, including 3-day-24-h dietary recalls were used in this study. The CHEI was assessed by four exemplary menus developed by the DGC-2016, the general linear models, the independent-test and the Mann-Whitney-test, the Spearman's correlation analysis, the principal components analysis (PCA), the Cronbach's coefficient, and the Pearson correlation with nutrient intakes. A higher CHEI score was linked with lower exposure to known risk factors of Chinese diets. The CHEI scored nearly perfect for exemplary menus for adult men (99.8), adult women (99.7), and the healthy elderly (99.1), but not for young children (91.2). The CHEI was able to distinguish the difference in diet qu...

Nutrients, Jan 5, 2017

The objective of this study was to develop a Chinese Healthy Eating Index (CHEI) based on the upd... more The objective of this study was to develop a Chinese Healthy Eating Index (CHEI) based on the updated Dietary Guidelines for Chinese (DGC-2016) and to apply it in the 2011 China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS-2011) to assess diet quality and its association with typical sociodemographic/economic factors. Data from 14,584 participants (≥2 years) from the CHNS-2011, including three 24-h dietary recalls and additional variables, were used to develop the CHEI. The standard portion size was applied to quantify food consumption. The CHEI was designed as a continuous scoring system, comprising 17 components; the maximum total score is 100. The mean, 1st and 99th percentiles of the CHEI score were 52.4, 27.6 and 78.3, respectively. Young and middle-aged adults scored better than the elderly. Diet insufficiency was chiefly manifested in fruits, dairy, whole grains and poultry; diet excess was mainly reflected in red meat, cooking oils and sodium. The CHEI was positively associated with ed...

Nutrients, Jan 23, 2016

Dietary patterns are linked to obesity, but the gender difference in the association between diet... more Dietary patterns are linked to obesity, but the gender difference in the association between dietary patterns and obesity remains unclear. We explored this gender difference in a middle-aged and elderly populations in Shanghai. Residents (n = 2046; aged ≥45 years; 968 men and 1078 women) who participated in the Shanghai Food Consumption Survey were studied. Factor analysis of data from four periods of 24-h dietary recalls (across 2012-2014) identified dietary patterns. Height, body weight, and waist circumference were measured to calculate the body mass index. A log binominal model examined the association between dietary patterns and obesity, stratified by gender. Four dietary patterns were identified for both genders: rice staple, wheat staple, snacks, and prudent patterns. The rice staple pattern was associated positively with abdominal obesity in men (prevalence ratio (PR) = 1.358; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.132-1.639; p = 0.001), but was associated negatively with general o...

Movement disorders : official journal of the Movement Disorder Society, 2022

BACKGROUND Dream-enacting behavior is a characteristic feature of rapid eye movement sleep behavi... more BACKGROUND Dream-enacting behavior is a characteristic feature of rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder, the most specific prodromal marker of synucleinopathies. Pesticide exposure may be associated with dream-enacting behaviors, but epidemiological evidence is limited. OBJECTIVES To examine high pesticide exposure events in relation to dream-enacting behaviors among farmers in the Agricultural Health Study. METHODS We conducted multivariable logistic regression analyses to examine high pesticide exposure events reported from 1993 to 1997 in relation to dream-enacting behaviors assessed from 2013 to 2015 among 11,248 farmers (age 47 ± 11 years). RESULTS A history of dream-enacting behaviors was reported by 939 (8.3%) farmers. Compared with farmers who did not report any high pesticide exposure event, those who reported were more likely to endorse dream-enacting behaviors 2 decades later (odds ratio = 1.75; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.49-2.05). The association appeared stron...

Innovation in Aging, 2020

The present study aims to investigate poor olfaction in relation to physical functioning in commu... more The present study aims to investigate poor olfaction in relation to physical functioning in community-dwelling older adults and potential sex and race disparities. The analysis included 2511 participants aged 71-82 years (51.7% women and 38.4% blacks) from the Health Aging, and Body Composition (Health ABC) study. Olfaction was tested with the 12-item Brief Smell Identification Test (BSIT). Physical function measures included the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB), the Health ABC Physical Performance Battery (HABCPPB), gait speed of 20-meter walk, fast 400-meter walking time, grip strength, and knee extensor strength, repeatedly assessed annually or biennially for a follow-up of seven years. We analyzed each of these physical function measures using mixed models, adjusting for demographics, lifestyle, and comorbidities. For all measures except grip and knee extensor strength, poor olfaction was clearly associated with poorer physical performance at baseline and a faster decli...

Chemosphere, 2020

[Background] Melamine and phthalates have been reported to damage renal function in children. Thi... more [Background] Melamine and phthalates have been reported to damage renal function in children. This association is scarce in general adults. [Method] A cross-sectional subsample population of 611 adults participating in the 2012 Shanghai Food Consumption Survey (SHFCS) was analyzed for urinary biomarkers of melamine, metabolites of phthalates, and renal function parameters. The correlations between renal function parameters and chemical exposure (either independently or interactively) were explored by linear regression models. To simplify the analysis, phthalate metabolites were dimensionally reduced using principal component analysis (PCA) method. [Result] Urinary melamine was positively associated with renal function parameters of both albumin-to-creatinine ratio (ACR) and β2-microglobulin (B2M) in multivariate linear regression models (P < 0.05). A PCA pattern characterized by high-molecular-weight phthalates (HMWP) was positively associated with all three parameters of renal function (ACR, B2M, and N-acetyl-β-d-glucosaminidase (NAG)). The co-exposure to melamine and HMWP presented an additive effect on increasing these parameters (ACR, B2M, and NAG). [Conclusion] Impaired renal function in Shanghai adults was associated with exposure to both melamine and HMWP.

Phthalates are used in a wide variety of personal care products (PCPs) as solubilizer, denaturant... more Phthalates are used in a wide variety of personal care products (PCPs) as solubilizer, denaturant or color fixative. However, there are few studies referring the correlation between phthalate exposure and PCPs use among general population in China. In this study, ten metabolites of phthalates in spot urine samples (N = 500) were quantified using ultra-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. The frequency and duration of 12 types of PCPs were collected by questionnaire survey. The associations of phthalate metabolites and PCPs use were assessed by multivariable liner regression models. Median concentration of mono-benzylphthalate (MBzP) was significantly higher among frequent users of almost all PCPs. Low molecular weight phthalates (monomethyl phthalate (MMP), mono-n-butylphthalate (MnBP) and monoisobutylphthalate (MiBP)) were significantly lower among frequent user of some rinse-off PCPs (e.g., shampoo, facial cleanser, and body wash). Meanwhile, monoethylphthal...

Summary Background Poor olfaction is common in older adults and might signify broader health impl... more Summary Background Poor olfaction is common in older adults and might signify broader health implications beyond its role in neurodegeneration. We aimed to evaluate the association of poor olfaction and the risk of any, first-ever, and recurrent pneumonia hospitalisation, as well as death due to pneumonia, in a biracial, community-based cohort of older adults. Methods For this cohort study, we included participants from the Health, Aging and Body Composition study who were followed up with annual clinic or home visits and semi-annual or quarterly telephone interviews. These individuals completed an olfaction test using the Brief Smell Identification Test (B-SIT) in 1999–2000. Olfaction was defined as good (test score 11–12), moderate (9–10), or poor (0–8). Participants were followed up from baseline until the date of pneumonia hospitalisation, death, last contact, or the end of 13 years of follow-up, whichever came first. We excluded participants who had missing B-SIT scores or miss...

BACKGROUND Poor olfaction is associated with worse functional performance in older adults, but lo... more BACKGROUND Poor olfaction is associated with worse functional performance in older adults, but longitudinal evidence is lacking. We investigated poor olfaction in relation to longitudinal changes in physical functioning among community-dwelling older adults. METHODS The analysis included 2,319 participants from the Health, Aging and Body Composition Study (aged 71-82 years, 47·9% men, and 37·3% blacks) who completed the Brief Smell Identification Test in 1999-2000. Olfaction was defined as good (test score 11-12), moderate (9-10), or poor (0-8). Physical functioning was assessed up to four times over 8 years, using the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) and the Health ABC Physical Performance Battery (HABCPPB). We conducted joint model analyses and reported the differences in annual declines across olfaction groups. RESULTS During the follow-up, compared to those with good olfaction, older adults with poor olfaction had greater annual declines in both the SPPB score (-0.137, ...

Environment International, Feb 1, 2020

Melamine is widely used to make household products including plates, cups, and large-scale indust... more Melamine is widely used to make household products including plates, cups, and large-scale industrial plastic products. Studies have shown the nephrotoxicity of melamine. However, little is known about urinary melamine concentration in adults and its association with the consumption of foods, other than milk products. In this study, we measured the urinary melamine concentration of 908 Shanghai adults and calculated the estimated daily intake (EDI) and hazard quotient accordingly. We also used a 24 h (24-hr) recall survey to identify possible risk foods associated with melamine exposure. Melamine was detectable in over 85% of the urine samples and had a median concentration of 2.524 μg/g. There were 22 participants who had EDIs exceeding the tolerable daily intake (TDI) of 3150 ng/kg bw/day, the strictest reference dose in administration by far. Melamine concentration in urine was positively associated with the 24-hr recall consumption of rice, fruits, beef, mutton, processed meats, and eggs, but no other food categories. Our study provides evidence-based data on the melamine exposure level in adults from Shanghai, China, and some possible associations with food intake.

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, Dec 20, 2019

China is facing challenges in both undernutrition and overnutrition, resulting from unhealthy die... more China is facing challenges in both undernutrition and overnutrition, resulting from unhealthy diets. Nutrition education early in life, especially in school settings, has been reported to be effective in addressing these challenges. However, little is known about how nutrition education is delivered in schools in China. This study aimed to investigate the current status of delivering nutrition education by health teachers in Shanghai and to determine the barriers and resources that influence the teachers’ practices and their willingness to teach nutrition. In 2016–2017, a cross-sectional questionnaire survey was conducted on 904 health teachers from 823 K-12 schools in Shanghai, China. There were 722 (79.9%) teachers that had the experience of teaching nutrition, but only 137 (19.0% of 722) spent ≥1 h teaching nutrition courses in each school year. Only 18.6% of the teachers had received a formal education in nutrition in college. About 88.5% of teachers expressed their willingness to teach nutrition in the future. The three major reasons for never teaching nutrition were categorized as: nutrition being taught by other teachers (39.5%), willing to teach but lack of knowledge (37.9%), and the subject not being required by school administrators (31.3%). Teachers who spent more time or were more willing to teach nutrition courses were those who were female, from private schools, had a better background in receiving nutrition education, and were more concerned about nutrition. Our data show that nutrition education is at a formative stage in Shanghai, China.

Environmental Pollution

Exposure to phthalates is reported to be associated with increased incidence of microalbuminuria ... more Exposure to phthalates is reported to be associated with increased incidence of microalbuminuria and low-grade albuminuria in children and adolescents. However, this phenomenon of phthalate-related nephrotoxicity is unknown in adults. Urine samples of 1663 adults from the 2012 Shanghai Food Consumption Survey (SHFCS) were measured for 10 metabolites of 6 phthalates and for renal function parameters. Their associations were explored by linear and logistic regression models. Multivariate linear regression analysis showed that all three renal function parameters (albumin-to-creatinine ratio (ACR), β2-microglobulin (B2M), and N-acetyl-β-d-glucosaminidase (NAG)) are positively associated with six metabolites, including mono-benzylphthalate (MBzP), mono-2-ethylhexylphthalate (MEHP), mono-2-ethyl-5-oxohexyphthalate (MEOHP), mono-2-ethyl-5-hydroxyhexylphthalate (MEHHP), mono-2-ethyl-5-carboxypentylphthalate (MECPP), and mono-2-carboxymethyl-hexyl phthalate (MCMHP) (P < 0.05). Logistic analysis showed that the prevalence of hyperALBuria, hyperB2Muria, hyperNAGuria, or potentially impaired renal function (PIRF) were positively associated with urinary levels of MBzP, MEOHP, and MECPP, respectively (P < 0.05). Co-exposure to identified risk metabolites monoethylphthalate (MEP), MBzP, MEHP, MEOHP, MECPP, MEHHP, and MCMHP increased the risk of having impaired renal function. Certain metabolites of phthalates, including bis (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) and benzyle butyl phthalate (BBzP), were associated with impaired renal function in Shanghai adults.

Food additives & contaminants. Part A, Chemistry, analysis, control, exposure & risk assessment, Jan 12, 2017

Organophosphorus (OPs) and carbamate pesticides (CPs) are among the most widely used pesticides i... more Organophosphorus (OPs) and carbamate pesticides (CPs) are among the most widely used pesticides in China, playing a major role in protecting agricultural commodities. In this study, we determined the cumulative acute exposure to organophosphate and carbamate pesticides of Shanghai residents from vegetables and fruits (VFs). The food consumption data were obtained from the Shanghai Food Consumption Survey (SHFCS) of 2012-2014 including a total of 1973 participants aged 2-90 years. The pesticide residue data were obtained from the Shanghai monitoring program during 2008-2011 with 34 organophosphates and 11 carbamates analyzed in a total of 5335 samples of VFs. A probabilistic approach was performed as recommended by the EFSA, using the optimistic model with non-detects set as zero and with processing factors (PFs) being used and the pessimistic model with non-detects replaced by limit of detection (LOD) and without PFs. We used the relative potency factor (RPF) method to normalize the...

Environmental Science and Pollution Research

Lead (Pb) exposure has been reported to have nephrotoxicity. However, such an effect has not been... more Lead (Pb) exposure has been reported to have nephrotoxicity. However, such an effect has not been well investigated in type 2 diabetes (T2D) patients, especially when taking into account the nutrition status of the patients. Therefore, we explore the association between blood lead levels (BLLs), dietary intake of nutrients, and impaired renal function among patients with T2D. We measured BLLs and biochemical parameters of renal injury in 780 patients. Dietary nutrients intake was assessed by a food frequency questionnaire in 420 of 780 participants. We found high BLLs were significantly associated with certain parameters of renal injury, and dietary intake of specific nutrients (mainly micronutrients) was associated with reduced BLLs at high percentile distribution of concentration. BLLs were also found to have moderation effects on the association between specific dietary nutrients and specific renal function parameters.