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Developmental Origins of Health and Disease

A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Global Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 November 2018) | Viewed by 6390

Special Issue Editors

OHSU-PSU School of Public Health, Portland, Oregon, USA
Interests: social epidemiology; health disparities; perinatal and reproductive epidemiology; environmental health
OHSU-PSU School of Public Health, Portland, OR, USA
Interests: epidemiology; obesity; nutrition; physical activity; systems science

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health invites papers for a Special Issue on “Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD)”. The objective of this Special Issue is to showcase novel work on the influence of the environment on intergenerational health.

The field of DOHaD investigates the influences of prenatal and early life environments on susceptibility to disease throughout the life course, particularly non-communicable diseases. The field has evolved rapidly in recent decades to investigate a broader range of exposures and health outcomes, strengthen evidence in diverse and vulnerable populations, and consider the role of social patterning of environmental exposures in the propagation of intergenerational health disparities.

Papers are invited on studies or reviews that address environmental impacts on early life or intergenerational health in human populations. “Environment” is defined broadly to include the natural, chemical, built, community, social, or policy environments. “Early life or intergenerational health” can include any aspect of health including prenatal, maternal, neonatal, infant, or lifelong health outcomes, biomarkers, or behavioral factors. Examples of relevant topics include:

  • Environmental factors that influence or exacerbate prenatal or early life development.
  • The contribution of environmental factors to socioeconomic or racial/ethnic disparities in early life or intergenerational health.
  • Interventions that attenuate environmental influences on early life or intergenerational health.
  • Other topics relevant to environmental impacts on maternal, early life, or intergenerational health.

Assoc. Prof. Lynne C. Messer
Assist. Prof. Janne Boone-Heinonen
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2500 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • prenatal exposure delayed effects
  • developmental programming
  • pregnancy
  • health disparities
  • environment
  • social environment
  • public health

Published Papers (2 papers)

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13 pages, 294 KiB  
Article
Maternal Pre-Pregnancy Cardiovascular Risk Factors and Offspring and Grandoffspring Health: Bogalusa Daughters
by Emily W. Harville, John W. Apolzan and Lydia A. Bazzano
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2019, 16(1), 15; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph16010015 - 21 Dec 2018
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2436
Abstract
Both maternal pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) and gestational weight gain have been associated with cardiovascular health in the offspring beyond two generations. A total of 274 daughters (aged 12–54) of 208 mothers who participated in the Bogalusa Heart Study were interviewed about [...] Read more.
Both maternal pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) and gestational weight gain have been associated with cardiovascular health in the offspring beyond two generations. A total of 274 daughters (aged 12–54) of 208 mothers who participated in the Bogalusa Heart Study were interviewed about their reproductive history. Mothers’ data was taken from the original study, and cardiovascular measures at the visit prior to pregnancy were correlated with daughter’s measures. Maternal pre-pregnancy BMI, skinfold, and waist circumference were examined as a predictor of daughters’ blood pressure, lipids, and glucose, as well as a predictor of birthweight and gestational age of grandchildren. Maternal pre-pregnancy BMI was associated with higher blood pressure and lower low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and cholesterol in the daughters. Most maternal cardiometabolic risk factors were not associated with grandchildren’s birth outcomes, even though higher cholesterol and LDL was associated with lower gestational age, and higher BMI and skinfold thickness with an increased risk of preterm birth. In this pilot study, some associations were found between maternal adiposity and cardiovascular risk, daughters’ cardiovascular risk, and grandchild birth outcomes. Lack of conclusive associations could be due to a true lack of effect, effects being primarily mediated through daughter’s BMI, or the low power of the study. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Developmental Origins of Health and Disease)

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10 pages, 299 KiB  
Commentary
Analyzing Policies Through a DOHaD Lens: What Can We Learn?
by Julia M. Goodman, Janne Boone-Heinonen, Dawn M. Richardson, Sarah B. Andrea and Lynne C. Messer
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2018, 15(12), 2906; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph15122906 - 19 Dec 2018
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3467
Abstract
Social, health, and environmental policies are critical tools for providing the conditions needed for healthy populations. However, current policy analyses fall short of capturing their full potential impacts across the life course and from generation to generation. We argue that the field of [...] Read more.
Social, health, and environmental policies are critical tools for providing the conditions needed for healthy populations. However, current policy analyses fall short of capturing their full potential impacts across the life course and from generation to generation. We argue that the field of Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD), a conceptual and research framework positing that early life experiences significantly affect health trajectories across the lifespan and into future generations, provides an important lens through which to analyze social policies. To illustrate this point, we synthesized evidence related to policies from three domains—family leave, nutrition, and housing—to examine the health implications for multiple generations. We selected these policy domains because they represent increasing distance from a reproductive health focus, each with a growing evidence base to support a potential impact on pregnant women and their offspring. Each of these examples represents an opportunity to extend our understanding of policy impact using a DOHaD lens, taking into account the potential life course and intergenerational effects that have previously been overlooked. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Developmental Origins of Health and Disease)
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