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Statistical Approaches for Investigating Periods of Susceptibility in Children’s Environmental Health Research

  • Methods in Environmental Epidemiology (AZ Pollack and NJ Perkins, Section Editors)
  • Published:
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Abstract

Purpose of Review

Children’s environmental health researchers are increasingly interested in identifying time intervals during which individuals are most susceptible to adverse impacts of environmental exposures. We review recent advances in methods for assessing susceptible periods.

Recent Findings

We identified three general classes of modeling approaches aimed at identifying susceptible periods in children’s environmental health research: multiple informant models, distributed lag models, and Bayesian approaches. Benefits over traditional regression modeling include the ability to formally test period effect differences, to incorporate highly time-resolved exposure data, or to address correlation among exposure periods or exposure mixtures.

Summary

Several statistical approaches exist for investigating periods of susceptibility. Assessment of susceptible periods would be advanced by additional basic biological research, further development of statistical methods to assess susceptibility to complex exposure mixtures, validation studies evaluating model assumptions, replication studies in different populations, and consideration of susceptible periods from before conception to disease onset.

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Papers of particular interest, published recently, have been highlighted as: • Of importance •• Of major importance

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Funding

JPB and GBH: 5U24OD023382

JMB: R01 ES025214, R01 ES024381, R01 ES027408, and UG3 OD023313

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Environmental Health and Engineering, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA

    Jessie P. Buckley

  2. Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA

    Jessie P. Buckley & Ghassan B. Hamra

  3. Department of Epidemiology, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, RI, USA

    Joseph M. Braun

Authors
  1. Jessie P. Buckley
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  2. Ghassan B. Hamra
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  3. Joseph M. Braun
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Correspondence to Jessie P. Buckley.

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Conflict of Interest

Joseph M. Braun was financially compensated for serving as an expert witness for plaintiffs in litigation related to tobacco smoke exposures. Jessie P. Buckley and Ghassan B. Hamra report grants from NIH during the conduct of the study.

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Buckley, J.P., Hamra, G.B. & Braun, J.M. Statistical Approaches for Investigating Periods of Susceptibility in Children’s Environmental Health Research. Curr Envir Health Rpt 6, 1–7 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40572-019-0224-5

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