文章基本信息

标题：New frontiers for environmental epidemiology in a changing world
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作者：Cathryn Tonne ; Xavier Basagaña ; Basile Chaix 等
期刊名称：Environment International
印刷版ISSN：0160-4120
电子版ISSN：1873-6750
出版年度：2017
卷号：104
页码：155-162
DOI：10.1016/j.envint.2017.04.003
出版社：Pergamon
摘要：Background: In the next 25years, transformative changes, in particular the rapid pace of technological development and data availability, will require environmental epidemiologists to prioritize what should (rather than could) be done to most effectively improve population health. Objectives: In this essay, we map out key driving forces that will shape environmental epidemiology in the next 25years. We also identify how the field should adapt to best take advantage of coming opportunities and prepare for challenges. Discussion: Future environmental epidemiologists will face a world shaped by longer lifespans but also larger burdens of chronic health conditions; shifting populations by region and into urban areas; and global environmental change. Rapidly evolving technologies, particularly in sensors and OMICs, will present opportunities for the field. How should it respond? We argue, the field best adapts to a changing world by focusing on healthy aging; evidence gaps, especially in susceptible populations and low-income countries; and by developing approaches to better handle complexity and more formalized analysis. Conclusions: Environmental epidemiology informing disease prevention will continue to be valuable. However, the field must adapt to remain relevant. In particular, the field must ensure that public health importance drives research questions, while seizing the opportunities presented by new technologies. Environmental epidemiologists of the future will require different, refined skills to work effectively across disciplines, ask the right questions, and implement appropriate study designs in a data-rich world.
关键词：Environment; Epidemiology; Demographics; Technology; OMICs; Sensors